Chapter 26: Chapter 26: So Useful
After finishing his mission, Zelir wasn’t in the mood to wander around outside and went straight back to the Night Flower Inn.
"Good evening, Mr. Zelir," Aurora greeted him with her usual sweet smile.
"Good evening, Aurora."
"What would you like to eat today?"
"Hmm..."
Faced with the extensive menu, Zelir didn’t think for long.
"I’ll have the beef shank with red wine sauce."
"Right away!"
After eating and drinking his fill, Zelir leaned back in his chair and contentedly rubbed his stomach.
"Still the same familiar taste..."
This time, Aurora didn’t bring him ale, but a jasmine drink, which was also delicious.
However, accepting her gifts one after another was starting to make Zelir feel a bit embarrassed. So, when he got up to return to his room upstairs, he intentionally left a Silver Coin on the table as a tip for Aurora.
...
"For a Mage, Meditation is the cornerstone of all growth.
"It is an active, extremely strenuous internal practice, and the only way to connect the conscious mind to the subconscious sea.
"In deep Meditation, a Mage must discard all distracting thoughts and focus on feeling the Spring Seed suspended in the center of their cosmic sea of consciousness. Through daily nurturing and practice, a Mage can achieve growth in two major areas.
"First, the strengthening of the Spring Seed.
"Through deep Meditation, the Spring Seed can become more refined. Each wisp of Magic Power it produces will become purer, and the power of the Magic cast will be stronger as a result.
"Second, the volume of the cosmic sea of consciousness.
"The pulsations emitted by a powerful Spring Seed will spread outward like ripples, stretching and expanding the sea of consciousness that contains it. This increases the total reserve of Magic Power.
"However, it must be emphasized again:
"Meditation is an extremely strenuous form of mental labor.
"Many Mages hold the misconception that Meditation can replace sleep.
"This is completely wrong.
"On the contrary, after a successful Meditation session, a Mage will usually feel extreme mental exhaustion.
"It’s like having an intense Magic duel in the Martial Arts Arena, and the exhaustion can be even greater.
"Therefore, sound sleep is indispensable for a Mage; it is a vital means of recovering their Spirit.
"Only through long-term practice of Meditation, by gradually mastering the High Tier ’Heart Sleep’ Skill, is it possible to combine Meditation with sleep and improve the efficiency of one’s daily activities."
In the quiet library of the Mage’s Guild, Zelir closed the book, Magic Power Source Overview.
He rubbed his eyes and couldn’t help but mutter a complaint.
"It’s written so academically..."
The elegant, flowing script on the pages looked beautiful, but the content was profound and unfathomable.
Reading it slowly, word by word, was truly mind-numbing.
’If I want to explore this world’s Magic System, theoretical knowledge is essential.’
’Since I can’t afford an expensive Magic Teacher, I’ll just have to slowly grind through these obscure tomes myself.’
Zelir shook his head vigorously.
’I can’t believe it. So Meditation is the main way normal Mages get stronger...’
He recalled the original owner’s memories of Meditation, compared them with the book’s description, and came to a conclusion.
’This process is just too tedious. It’s arduous and boring.’
’Other Mages aren’t like me; they don’t have a quantifiable status panel. They have no idea how much progress they’re making each day.’
’Moreover, Meditation is extremely draining. After a single session, a Mage is often so exhausted they can only go to sleep to replenish their Spirit.’
’Forget taking quests from the Adventurer’s Association—they can’t even do any physical labor.’
’With no clear, positive feedback and no way to combine training with combat, it’s really not something the average person could endure.’
But Zelir was different. His method of getting stronger was to fuel his growth with battle.
He could take on quests to earn resources while also gaining experience in combat to raise his Level. The difference in efficiency was like night and day.
"This cheat ability is so useful..." Zelir sighed in admiration.
"What are you mumbling about?"
A clear voice rang out. Zelir turned his head and saw a familiar face.
It was Bev.
"Nothing... Good afternoon, Miss Bev." Zelir waved a greeting.
"You can drop the ’Miss.’ No need to be so formal with me."
Bev wrinkled her delicate nose. "Good afternoon, Mis. Ter. Ze. Lir."
"What brings you to the library?" Zelir asked.
"Same as you. Looking for a book."
Bev leaned over slightly, getting closer to Zelir to take a look.
"Ah... Magic Power Source Overview. Master Sethia’s work. It’s a good book for understanding the Basic knowledge of Magic."
"And yours?"
Zelir glanced at the book Bev was holding. "Basic Magic Configuration Analysis... Are you researching how to create new Magic?"
"I’m not at that level yet," Bev said, waving her hand. "This book is just a preliminary introduction to the configuration of various Spell Structures. It’s an entry-level text at best. To truly create new Magic, you need a long-term accumulation of knowledge and experience."
"Aren’t you focusing on optimizing Spell Structures? The Junior Mage exam is pretty demanding, you know. Casting time is limited to under three seconds," Zelir said.
"You don’t have to go down the combat path. Research-type Mages are also in high demand. Many Mages have created new types of Magic, founded their own schools, and made a name for themselves."
Bev raised her chin slightly. "Maybe someday you’ll be able to use a Magic spell I created myself."
"I look forward to it," Zelir said with a smile.
"By the way, how’s your progress learning new Magic? You’re supposed to master two new spells within three months, right?"
Bev suddenly remembered. "Don’t let Instructor Marvin down. He’s a really nice person."
"Don’t worry, I’ve already learned one new spell," Zelir said.
"That’s pretty fast. What Magic is it? Tell me," Bev said, leaning in with a curious look on her face.
"Er..."
Zelir pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "The Wind Blade Technique."
"Huh? That’s a Magic spell I’ve used before," Bev said, a little surprised.
"I thought you looked really cool when you cast it, so I went and bought the same Magic Scroll," Zelir said without batting an eye.
"Hehe."
Bev let out a silly chuckle. "I’ll give you that, you have good taste."
’He had no choice.’ Zelir couldn’t just make up a spell he didn’t know. What if Bev asked for a demonstration?
’Although he had already learned three new Magic spells, Zelir was in no hurry to find Instructor Marvin for a re-evaluation.’
’Progressing too quickly might draw unwanted attention... or worse, he might get dissected for research.’
’Zelir didn’t want to stand out too much just yet.’
