Chapter 66: Joy Is Meant to Be Shared, After All~
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 66: Joy Is Meant to Be Shared, After All~
But I didn't care about those details anymore.
The point was the present!
I!
I had successfully meditated—albeit in a roundabout way!
Even I felt my method was a bit off-kilter, but as long as it worked, who cared?
Who could deny that the so-called "subjective mental space" the seniors talked about wasn't just another form of dreaming?
It was just a difference in terminology.
I comforted myself with these thoughts, trying to get myself to accept this new reality.
At this moment, I couldn't suppress my excitement.
Because... I had become that "monstrous genius" the seniors claimed shouldn't exist.
This was my very first time attempting meditation, and I had already condensed my first thread of mental power!
This was the most direct proof of successful meditation.
The thread of mental power had now become an extension of my consciousness. Though I couldn't see the "true form" of my mental power like I did during meditation, I could clearly feel it radiating outward, right in front of me.
In fact, if I activated Spirit Vision, I could see the thread just as I had in the dream, but it vanished the moment I turned the vision off.
What’s the first thing to do with a thread of mental power?
Try to wield my own strength, of course!
Like that Mana Source I’d been so curious about.
My mental power probed into the Mana Source within my body, but it felt as hard as a stubborn rock.
My thread of mental power couldn't budge even a sliver of mana.
In that moment, I truly grasped the terrifying energy level of mana.
Under Spirit Vision, my mental power could stir the elemental energy and other unknown energies in the air at will. But against mana, it was useless.
Now I finally understood why the seniors said freshmen shouldn't even dream of interfering with mana using their mental power for the first few years. It was simply impossible, okay?
However, with mental power, I found myself much more adept at controlling the spells I already knew.
The spells now resided within me in a way I didn't quite understand, much like the Mana Source. They seemed to be "linked" to me in some unknown fashion.
I felt as if I had ascended; the contrast with my former self was night and day.
And all of this was simply because I had condensed my mental power into a more solid thread.
It felt as if I had lifted myself to a higher level.
It was like the impact the microscope had on the scientific community back then—a brand-new world of perception had been blown wide open!
The feeling was beyond words; it could only be released as pure, raw emotion.
It was this very excitement that was fending off the exhaustion following my energy depletion.
In this thrilling moment, I desperately needed to share this with someone... like Sister Bai!
I was so excited I didn't even think about sending her a private message; I called her directly to tell her the news myself!
After all, being a genius deserved this kind of treatment! I was already imagining the look on her face when she heard.
She’d be delighted, wouldn't she?
I had taken the most crucial step on the path of the Transcendent!
The call connected, and some noisy sounds came from the other end.
"Hey~ Sister Bai! I have great news!" I blurted out immediately, unable to contain myself.
"Hmm? Xiao Han? It’s so late. Usually, you’d be in bed by now. Is something wrong?"
"Is it that late? Oh, whatever! I have to share something with you! I succeeded in my meditation! I’ve already condensed my first thread of mental power!"
"Wait... you succeeded in what?"
A hesitant voice came from the other end, exactly as I had expected. I could already imagine her eyes widening in shock!
"Meditation~ Meditation! I’ve already condensed my first thread of mental power!"
"What? How could it be so fast?" Even Sister Bai let out a cry of pure disbelief. Given how much she trusted me, the fact that she was asking for confirmation showed just how shocking this was.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Sister Bai. Honestly, shouldn't you be celebrating with me? Or at least congratulating me~?" My tone was a mix of slight complaint and acting spoiled, but my joy was impossible to hide.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have reacted like that. Anyway, congratulations, Xiao Han, on taking your first solid step on the Transcendent path! I’m coming to find you right now. Where are you?"
"Hehe~ That’s more like it. I’m in Meditation Room 01032~" In my excitement, I completely overlooked the fact that I was asking Sister Bai to rush over in the middle of the night.
It was only after she hung up that it hit me.
Had I been a bit too impulsive?
I looked at the time on my phone and froze.
It was 2:00 AM...
No way! That was my first reaction. How could I have spent that much time? I hadn't felt it at all!
My second thought was: I’m screwed. I have to pay the overtime fees!
This is going to drain the very last of my savings...
But I had to admit, even so, it was worth it!
This one night basically wiped out all my hard work from the past few days. Well, not exactly "hard work," since I spent most of my shifts slacking off...
I hurried out of the meditation room and ended the session. Then, with a lingering gaze, I watched the last bit of my balance get deducted.
It was enough to make a grown man cry... oh wait, a young girl cry now.
I stood outside the door and waited, passing the time by exploring various features of the academy system I hadn't noticed before.
I only just realized that the high-level meditation rooms actually provided a limited amount of meditation incense. Looking back at my room—four bare walls and nothing else.
You really do get what you pay for. I guess I was only worthy of the lowest tier.
But there were even ordinary meditation rooms for 50 yuan an hour. I was genuinely curious how much lower the "minimum configuration" could go. The one I just used couldn't possibly get any shabbier, right?
After some digging, I found the reason: some of the solidified spells in those rooms had worn down, causing the effects to drop or become unusable. Since they hadn't been maintained yet, the price was slashed.
That didn't seem like a big deal.
Those spells were just aids to help enter meditation. For the seniors who had already mastered the skill, it was a walk in the park. No wonder all the cheap rooms were taken.
Just then, a figure appeared, looking slightly rushed.
"Sister Bai~ Over here! Over here!"
I waved and shouted the moment I saw her. Every meditation room had soundproofing spells, so I didn't have to worry about my voice disturbing the seniors inside.