After the hot shower, my skin still tingled slightly from the warm water removing the ingrained dirt. The mud, the blood, the scent of death... it had all finally gone away.
My armor was now safely stored within the virtual laboratory, waiting for me to repair it.
Wearing clean clothes, I threw myself onto the bed, feeling the soft mattress absorb my weight.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
"The Tower is under attack."
The acolytes from Dark Lake Tower had started an offensive against us, and no one knew about it except those at the top. Some talented Acolytes were already dead, and the mages forced me to sign a confidentiality contract.
This could only mean one thing: they did not intend to disclose this news.
I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on my chest.
I raised my hand and issued a mental command.
"Virtual Laboratory, project the map."
At that moment, thin blue lines began to form before my eyes.
The complete outline of the Sol Mountain Tower and its surroundings took shape, drawn with precision.
This map was a combination of my own exploration, what I had seen with my own eyes, and the information extracted from the books and maps I had recorded in the Virtual Laboratory.
My eyes scanned the details.
The dense forest around the Tower appeared clear and organized.
The neighborhood where I met Bleia and Lity was marked in red, signaling extreme danger.
"This map is more detailed than anything an average acolyte would have."
If I wanted to, I could sell it for at least two magic crystals on the market.
But that wasn’t what concerned me now.
In the center of the map, green letters highlighted the location of the Sol Mountain Tower.
I squinted and began to analyze the situation calmly.
"From this map, it’s clear that our Tower occupies only a tiny area on the southern coast. We’re practically isolated."
I continued observing.
To the south, the vast Lucario Sea, unexplored and full of dangers.
To the north, the Despair Mountains and plains.
To the west, two other factions of mages: Eclidel Tower and Dark Lake Tower, the bastards attacking us.
"And to the east…"
The Kingdom of Utab.
I fixed my gaze on that part of the map.
"The regions to the north and south are practically suicidal. Contaminated creatures, evil spirits, and magical aberrations roam there."
"The Eclidel Tower? Another faction of Mages… It was obvious there were conflicts between them and Sol Mountain Tower. I can’t go there either."
This meant that the only viable direction for exploration and escape would be the Kingdom of Utab.
I crossed my arms and took a deep breath.
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The society of Mages was structured like medieval feudalism.
The Mages were the feudal lords, controlling vast stretches of land and entire kingdoms. The Knights, in turn, were their warriors and soldiers, serving as the backbone of their military forces.
But unlike the centralized empires that existed in Earth’s past, there was no single ruler governing all the Mages.
Each faction, each kingdom, each magical family acted solely in their own interest.
The result?
A fragmented world, where hundreds of small kingdoms constantly fought against each other, seeking to expand their domains and crush their rivals.
It was a chaotic age.
My gaze fixed on the Kingdom of Utab, highlighted on the map.
I knew that some Mage families supported it behind the scenes.
The kingdom was vast, divided into 19 provinces, and housed a multitude of small magical families, wandering Mages, and independent travelers.
This meant that…
"If the Mages of the Kingdom of Utab don’t come to Sol Mountain Tower to trade, they must have their own small markets."
That was perfect for me.
If I hid my identity, I could sell my devices and start accumulating resources.
"It’s decided, I’ll go to the Kingdom of Utab and sell my devices!"
My engineering skills weren’t anything special compared to the true Masters.
But with the support of the Virtual Laboratory, my success rate had already surpassed that of some experienced Mages, comparable even to my mentor, Miguel.
Of course, I could never let anyone know about this.
If the Mages found out I had such refined engineering skills, I could end up being forced to work for them, or worse.
That’s why I never sold many healing potions inside the tower.
But now…
If I wanted to advance to Level 3 Acolyte, I would need a lot of resources.
If I didn’t have a way to acquire them, my only alternative would be to wait years to progress.
"Virtual Laboratory, simulate the requirements needed to advance to Level 3 Acolyte!"
The system responded instantly.
["Prerequisites for Level 3 Acolyte"]
["Spiritual Strength: 8 points."]
["Mastery of at least 3 magic models."]
["Magical codes written on all bones of the body."]
["Recommendation: Ultra Refined Spiritual Energy Tonics may help with advancement."]
I clenched my fists.
Learning three magic models wouldn’t be a problem.
But the Ultra Refined Spiritual Energy Tonics…
"These things are rare and expensive. I’ll need at least 1000 magic crystals just to get one!"
My expression darkened.
Unlike elemental potions, like strength or healing potions, these tonics were extremely valuable because they directly affected an Acolyte’s spiritual strength.
With the right recipe, they could strengthen the soul, accelerate learning, and even reinforce the magical codes etched into the body.
The demand for these tonics had always been greater than the supply.
I knew this because my mentor, Miguel, had already told me the basics about them.
"1000 magic crystals is a lot… But what if I manufacture the tonics myself?"
My eyes gleamed.
If I bought the ingredients and made my own tonics, could I reduce the costs? Of course... But I didn’t have the recipe for such tonics.
But, in the end...
The most important thing was still to increase my spiritual strength to 7!
I crossed my arms and took a deep breath.
If I wanted to survive in this world, I would need to become stronger.
"Virtual Laboratory! Based on my current status, how long will it take to meet these prerequisites through meditation?"
I was anxious, but I tried to remain calm. I knew that meditation was the most direct method to improve my spiritual strength, and I had already reached Level 2 Acolyte in just about a year. That was a good sign, right?
A brief and technical response came next, without any emotion, as always.
["Using the Host’s spiritual strength as a base..."] ["Simulation in progress!"]
I closed my eyes, waiting impatiently, feeling the tension build. I wanted to know how long it would take to meet the requirements. When the beep finally came, a chill ran down my spine.
["Beep!"]
The Virtual Laboratory’s response appeared before my eyes:
["The simulation is complete."] ["Estimated time required: 8 Years 6 Months and 15 Days!"]
The time suggested by the virtual laboratory to reach the requirements paralyzed me.
"What?"
A wave of dread washed over me, a cold rush of frustration and despair. I knew the meditation process wasn’t quick, but eight and a half years... that was more time than I could endure.
"All of that?"
I couldn’t believe it.
The emotionless response from the virtual laboratory made me even more uncomfortable. How could this be true? Meditation had seemed so simple when I started, and the increase in my spiritual strength had been relatively quick until now. What was wrong?
I felt my face pale; whatever this meant, it seemed like an eternity. That wasn’t time I had. I felt trapped, and this only made my anxiety worse.
"What’s the problem? It only took a little over a year to increase my spiritual strength from 0 to 4 points, with the stats of a normal human…"
["The ’host’ has gained resistance for meditation."] ["Switching to a higher-level meditation technique is recommended."] ["Another option is to find ingredients that are compatible to enhance the effects of meditation!"]
Then, the virtual laboratory projected a screen in front of me, with various data and detailed results on meditation.
"According to the simulations and statistics from the virtual laboratory, the elemental meditation technique is most useful when used to build heart and mind codes. However, after a Level 2 acolyte has completed building their heart and mind codes, they can only progress slowly over time, carving the rest into their bones…"
"No wonder even 5-star acolytes get stuck at the bottleneck when advancing to Level 3 Acolyte!"
I looked at the results of the mathematical formulas and entered into deep thought.
"I’ve been at the tower for so long, but I haven’t heard of acolytes who possess an advanced meditation technique. Also, the apprentices of other teachers stop progressing for at least a few years after reaching Level 2 acolyte standards. It seems that even the teachers can’t do anything about this meditation technique issue, so I can give up on that for now!"
"However, my success rate will definitely be higher than other engineering masters because I have the laboratory. Therefore, increasing my spiritual strength using this method is highly feasible!"
"However, it seems a little dangerous outside the academy now, so how am I going to find those black markets or small trading groups?"
...
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