Chapter 61: 1st level of the technique
Here is the revised Chapter with slightly smaller paragraphs for easier reading.
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Victor met her gaze calmly. "How long will it take to master the three levels?"
Nova floated slowly around his head. Her tiny wings released faint particles of light as she moved through the underground chamber. She remained silent for several seconds before stopping directly in front of him.
"That depends entirely on you."
Victor waited patiently.
"For an ordinary mage, the first level alone requires decades of dedicated practice." Her expression became more serious. "The second level usually requires centuries."
She paused briefly. "And the third level..." Her voice trailed off.
Victor immediately noticed the change in her tone. "Has anyone ever reached it?"
Nova slowly nodded. "Very few." Her eyes seemed to look beyond the chamber, as though she were remembering distant events from another era. "Those who reached the third level became legends."
Victor listened quietly. Nova continued. "They could stand before gods without experiencing fear. They could watch entire worlds burn and still think clearly. They could witness the deaths of their closest companions and make perfect tactical decisions without hesitation."
The underground chamber became silent. Victor absorbed every word carefully. Such mental control sounded almost impossible. Yet Nova was not someone who exaggerated. If she described the technique in such a manner, then its effects were likely even greater than she claimed.
After several moments, a smile appeared on Victor’s face. "Teach me."
Nova stared at him. For a long time, neither spoke. Eventually, she asked a simple question. "You are not afraid of failing?"
Victor’s smile widened slightly. "There is no technique in the universe that I cannot learn." His voice was calm. "It is only a matter of time."
Nova laughed softly. The confidence in his words would have sounded arrogant coming from anyone else. Yet after everything she had witnessed, she could not dismiss his statement.
"I expected nothing less." She slowly descended toward the ground. Her tiny feet landed on the ancient stone floor. "Sit down." Her expression became serious. "We will begin immediately."
Victor sat cross-legged upon the cold stone surface. The temperature did not bother him. His breathing naturally slowed until it became almost imperceptible.
Nova landed on a small metallic container positioned several meters away. "The method has no formal name in any language you would recognize." She folded her arms. "I call it the Mind Fortress Technique."
Victor nodded. Nova raised one finger. "The first level is simple in theory. In practice, it is extraordinarily difficult." Her gaze locked onto his. "You must learn to visualize your thoughts as physical objects within an empty room."
Victor closed his eyes. The moment he did, Nova’s voice seemed to change. Each word carried an unusual resonance. Instead of reaching his ears, her voice seemed to speak directly to his consciousness.
"Every emotion. Every memory. Every desire. Every passing thought." Her voice echoed through his mind. "All of them possess a physical form."
Victor concentrated. Nova continued guiding him. "Anger is fire. Grief is water. Fear is shadow. Desire is a blade. Regret is rust. Hope is light." Her voice became softer. "Your task is not to destroy them. Destruction is impossible. Your task is to organize them."
Victor followed her instructions. Slowly, he directed his awareness inward. The moment he examined his consciousness, he discovered something unexpected. Chaos.
His mind was far more chaotic than he had anticipated. Part of that chaos originated from his previous life. The other part belonged to the original owner of this body. Two lives, two sets of memories, two collections of emotions. Everything had merged together over time. Yet traces still remained.
Nova’s voice continued guiding him. "Do not fight the chaos. Observe it. Allow each thought to reveal its true nature."
Victor obeyed. Gradually, the chaos began separating. The anger from his previous life appeared as countless burning embers. The resentment carried by the original owner of this body manifested as crimson flames. Old grief became dark blue water flowing endlessly through his consciousness. His fear of failing those who depended on him appeared as gray mist.
Memories took different forms. Some resembled books. Others resembled mirrors. Some appeared as chains. One by one, Victor began organizing them.
Within his mental world, an endless corridor slowly emerged. Rows of containers appeared along both sides. Each box represented a specific part of himself. Each emotion gained its own place. Each memory gained its own location. The chaotic storm gradually became organized.
Nova quietly observed him from outside. At first, she remained calm. Then surprise slowly appeared on her face. Victor’s breathing was becoming impossibly steady. His facial muscles completely relaxed.
Most importantly, she could sense changes occurring within his mental landscape. The corridor was already forming. A genuine look of disbelief crossed her features. "He is already building it..."
Time continued passing. Inside his consciousness, Victor continued working. The corridor grew longer. The containers became more organized. Every piece of his mind slowly found its proper location. Nothing was suppressed. Nothing was destroyed. Everything simply became ordered.
Eventually, Victor opened his eyes. The underground chamber returned to view. He immediately noticed Nova staring at him. Her expression was unusual. It was not exactly disbelief, nor was it admiration. It appeared to be somewhere between the two.
"How long was I meditating?" Victor asked.
Nova answered immediately. "Seventeen minutes."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "It felt considerably longer."
Nova slowly stood. Then she walked toward him. "What kind of monster are you?"
Victor blinked. "What do you mean?"
Nova stopped directly before him. "You comprehended the first level."
Victor frowned. "Already?"
"No." Nova immediately shook her head. "Not already." Her expression became serious. "That should not be possible."
Yet despite her words, she could clearly feel the difference. Victor’s mental state had changed. His thoughts were more focused. His emotions were more stable. Even his gaze appeared sharper.
Nova poked his forehead with one tiny finger. Victor gently moved her hand away. "Perhaps I simply learn quickly."
Nova snorted. "Quickly?" She crossed her arms. "You compressed decades of training into seventeen minutes. That is not learning quickly. That is breaking common sense."
Victor simply smiled. The sensation was strange. For the first time in a very long time, his mind felt unusually quiet. His emotions still existed. His fears still existed. His desires still existed. However, they no longer demanded his attention. They remained within their respective containers. Organized. Controlled. Accessible whenever needed.
"What about the second level?" Victor asked.
Nova immediately raised a hand. "No." Her voice became firm. "Do not even think about it."
Victor looked surprised. Nova continued. "Your mind requires time to adapt. The foundation may be established, but it remains unstable. If you force your way into the second level too quickly, you could permanently damage yourself."
Victor considered arguing. After a brief moment, he nodded. "How long should I wait?"
"At least one month," Nova said. Her expression softened slightly. "Practice the first level every day. Strengthen the corridor. Expand it. Organize everything properly." She floated back into the air. "A fortress is useless if its walls are weak."
Victor nodded. Then he closed his eyes once again. Without hesitation, he resumed practicing.
Nova watched him quietly. However, her thoughts were focused elsewhere. For countless years, she had searched. Civilizations had risen and fallen. Empires had disappeared. Geniuses had appeared and vanished. Yet none had matched the criteria left behind by her creator.
As she observed Victor, a thought surfaced in her mind. A thought she had never seriously entertained before. "Master..." Her expression softened slightly. "Perhaps I have finally found the person you were searching for."
