In the darkness by himself, Alex has his eyes closed, whilst temporary losing his eyesight, his other senses are strengthened to a certain degree.
Having momentarily lost his sense of sight. All outside visual distractions are hereby cut, leaving him alone to himself.
He could instinctively hear himself breathing. His heart beating systematically in rhythmic beats, almost like a drum. Beating loudly with the drum sticks.
However, a new faint sensation soon flooded his senses. Though it is small and almost undetectable, the warmth and comfortable feeling it brings to him are extremely obvious.
'What is this warmth feeling? It felt so damn familiar...' He thought to himself.
The warmth feeling then came pouring in, as his body instinctively absorbs it through his open pores.
The warmth feeling then transmits throughout his whole body, as heat gathers around his abdomen region, coalesce together to form a small pool.
Emitting faint blue light particles. The extremely clear blue waters, which is Alex's mana pool, begun to spin around, forming a vortex.
As the blue light particles divulged, splitting into several more, more narrow pathways, spreading across his body. It's almost like a complex structural ant tunnel, where each route is on a parallel level, which is connected by a main network of tunnels.
The blue light particles then eventually transformed into running streams, which flows, traversing throughout his body like running currents.
*Ding!*
[You have constructed the necessary mana channels within your body. 5% increased in magic related skill! ]
[Your skill proficiency has reached a designated point. The skill [{Basic} Mana Circuits Lv1] acquired! ]
Despite being in a mana exhausted state, with poor mana circulation, and an underdeveloped mana channels.
His barely conscious body is trying it's best to recover the lost mana he used up. By shutting off his other senses, his body is solely focusing on absorbing the mana from his surroundings.
In this meditative state, the user would become more naturally attuned with the mana in their surroundings. Allowing them to comprehend the essence of the world.
[Your skill proficiency has reached a designated point. The skill [{Basic} Meditation Lv1] acquired! ]
It didn't take long for Alex to accumulate the necessary skill proficiency to obtain the meditation skill.
Though it does little more than helping him enter into a clear state of mind, which helps in aiding him in recovering his mana.
'Now I know why this feeling felt so damn familiar... It's mana. I've been passively utilizing mana for casting my fire magic, without even realising it.' Alex thought to himself.
He slowly starts to inhale through his nose, and gently exhaling out through his mouth; a continuous cycle of inhalation, and exhalation, until in the end, it became a natural thing to him.
During this process, his eyes slowly crept open, halfway open, almost like he was squinting his eyes.
A faint light bluish glow then emanates from his eyes, as he enters a slight trance. Without astonishing eyesight, or looking up close, nobody would even notice it.
*Ding!*
[Your skill proficiency has reached a designated point. The skill [{Basic} Meditation Lv1] has become [{Basic} Meditation Lv2]! ]
....
Meanwhile, whilst Alex was off training, practising meditation, and self-improvement. There were things going on around him, that has gone unnoticed, by him, and many others.
"So what happened for you guys to be that exhausted," Peter asked John, out of curiosity.
John averted his gaze, a bit, as he looks in Alex's direction. "Well, how should I put this. Things sort of happened, and it all escalates to a full-on frontal battle... Us two versus the whole horde." Before he recalling the long journey of how they got here.
"So that's what happened. It must have been pretty intense." Peter nodded his head in approval.
John's gaze sharpens, as he sighs. "Well, I didn't do most of the work. Unlike me, who has the assistance of a spirit familiar. He did everything by himself and fought the zombies to the very last bit of his strength." He said, whilst glorifying his friend's feat of strength.
"I see," Peter said so, as he wasn't amused.
'Things might have been tough on him. At the very least, he is not a loner.' He thought to himself.
Meanwhile, John and Peter were having a nice friendly conversation, with each other, to pass the time.
Not aware of what is going on around them, as a small figure, presumably a first-year (Year 7) high schooler, then approaches the semi-unconscious Alex.
As the kid's eyes were full of greed, staring intently at the bronze Jian sword, within Alex's hand.
The kid reaches his hands out and was just about to touch the handle of the sword, when somebody else intervenes, attempting to stop the boy.
The math teacher, Mr Eavers then steps in, by calling out to the boy. "I suggest you don't do what you are about to do." He said so with a frightful look on his face, fearful for what is gonna happen to the boy.
The boy retaliated, talking back to the teacher, that is a sign of disrespect by talking back to a teacher. "And why should I listen to you." The boy talked back to Mr Eaver, who then looks a bit dejected.
"It's for your own safety." Mr Eavers said, trying his best, to reason with the boy.
"My safety, huh... For what reason would you need to worry about my safety, huh! So long as I have the sword in my hands, I can become as powerful as they are! I won't have to worry and be afraid of those zombies again!"
He exclaimed, strongly in denial, as Mr Eavers then sighs in defeat at the boy's own stupidity.
"Don't tell me, I didn't warn you..." Mr Eavers said to the boy.
Mr Eavers then looks at the boy, with pity in his eyes. 'A tiger's cub is still, in the end, a tiger. Though it may not be as dangerous as a full-grown adult tiger, one day, it will surely grow into one. Baring at those that have wronged him.' He thought to himself.
Continuing on with this line of thought. 'Though I may be old, nearing my late 50s. I'm sure haven't grown senile quite yet. I can still tell from the obvious visual clues, that things are not as what they seem.'
'The kids are beginning to awaken supernatural powers or abilities from the so-called system. Some even managed to get weapons, armour, and magic, that could possibly only exist in a fantasy game or book...'
'My grandson is an avid gamer, and so he very much enjoys this type of games. So I know a few things and bits about role-playing games.' Mr Eavers thought.
The boy ignoring Mr Eavers warnings, as he reaches his hands out, attempting to steal the sword from right under Alex's noses.
'Even if it is not obvious, but he has already killed someone else before. From looking at his clothes being covered in his enemy's blood...'
'An infected zombie's appearance may resemble a human a bit, but their strength and tenacity are outrageous. They are willing to kill and slaughter whatever is in its way. To be able to kill so many of those monsters, without even batting an eye, one must be a monster as well.' Mr Eavers then comes to a logical conclusion, based on his reasoning, and common sense.
However, what happens next, was beyond everybody's imagination, as Alex coldly opened his eyes.
He spoke, in a cold tone. "Touch my sword, and I promised you. I will chop off the hand that tries to grab it." His voice echoing throughout the room, breaking the peaceful silence.
The boy then stops inches away from the sword, as his hands froze, his body is quivering and shaking in tear at the sight of him.
"I'm not. I'm not afraid of you. You don't scare me..." The boy said, as his lips are quivering as he speaks.
"Oh! So you are not afraid of me." Alex said having grown slightly amused of the boy.
"Yes!" The boy answered, mustering up all his courage to speak back at him.
"Hahaha! What can a little pipsqueak like you do?" Alex said as he broke down into laughter.
The boy's face becomes slightly red, a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Why you..." He said so in retaliation.
Alex revealed a devilish smirk, narrowing his eyes, like a cold-blooded snake. "Watch it, brat! Don't forget who actually has a real sword in their hand... I can easily take your life, and nobody would stop me... Do you know why?" He said so slowly to the boy, as his tone of voice and the choice of words sends chills running down their spine.
"It's because you are a nuisance. Nobody would miss you when you are gone... And besides, stealing a weapon from a Player, means that you have a death wish..."
"You Are Basically Courting Death!" He said it so with arrogance, with the air of haughtiness, as he looks down at the boy, despite his below angle position.