What are the Mana Core stages in The Beginning After the End? Explained

Mana is the central power-scaling of The Beginning After the End. Mana is defined as a form of energy present in the environment in the form of small particles. This mana core is a physical object present inside mages that collects mana and uses it in various ways. However, there are different stages through which different types of mana cores go through. So, what are these mana core stages?

The mana core stages define the level of control of someone's mana, based on the color of the core. The primitive core at the start of every mage's life is black. However, the core changes color over time, and the stages of each core are usually divided into three stages: dark, solid, and light, with the silver and white cores being the exception.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the manhwa and novel series.

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Explaining the concept of mana core stages in The Beginning After the End

Arthur Leywin awakening his core (Image via Studio A-Cat)

Mana core is a physical core present inside living entities like humans and beasts. The core's essential purpose is to collect mana (energy) from the environment, allowing its user to utilize this energy in different ways.

Where Augmenters use mana to fortify their physical body, Conjurers use it to throw magical attacks. However, both of these types come with their own risks. Every mage starts their life with a black core, which is the most primitive stage. The color of this core is a result of a person's raw blood that hasn't absorbed any form of mana.

Reynolds (an Augmenter) as seen in the anime (Image via Studio A-Cat)

However, as soon as a person matures and their mana core starts demanding mana, the core develops a new color. The color of the core then changes to red, followed by orange, then yellow, then grey, and finally a white core. However, it is nearly impossible for a human being to reach the white core, as only higher beings can reach this level of the core.

All core levels are divided into different 'mana core stages' after they progress from the black core, which has no stages. Each stage defines a different level of expertise a person gains over their control of mana manipulation. The red, orange, and yellow cores have three stages: dark, solid, and light.

The lighter the color of a core (light color of the mana core stage), the purer the mage's mana is. This will make the light stage of every mana core's color the peak stage of a person's mana manipulation. Similarly, the higher the mana core stage (light=high, dark=low), the more capacity a person has to store mana inside their core.

Arthur Leywin as seen in the anime trailers (Image via Studio A-Cat)

The exception includes the silver core, with the mana core stages titled the initial, mid, and high stage, and the white core, which has no singular mana core stage. Another type of mana core, which is only in the possession of the main protagonist, Arthur Leywin, is the purple core (more commonly referred to as the Aether Core).

The more core stages of the purple core are divided into three layers, and the Aether core is by far the strongest core in the series. Moreover, this core color is only unique to Arthur Leywin in the entire world of The Beginning After the End.

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