Sitting by the crackling fire, the burning logs casting a warm glow, Safin began to speak slowly.
"Ah, I've never taught a novice before. You seem in no hurry, so we can take our time and explain things thoroughly."
"Please, definitely explain everything thoroughly," Mithra replied, nodding earnestly.
Safin seemed pleased by her eagerness and continued. "The first thing I need to teach you is that miracles are the power of belief. To put it more eloquently, it's faith."
"Faith? Do I have to join some kind of religion?" Mithra asked, her brow furrowing.
To be honest, she was reluctant to place her trust in anything, especially after hearing Safin's earlier tone. This world seemed rife with gods.
"Ha ha, like I said, that's just a more official way of putting it. In reality, simply trusting and believing firmly is enough. Besides, there are no gods worthy of worship in Dreamland right now, and no established churches that have been recognized," Safin explained.
Mithra nodded, taking in the information.
"Miracles don't concern themselves with those who lack faith. Only those who believe that miracles will appear can bring them forth."
"That sounds very idealistic," Mithra remarked, skepticism in her voice.
"Idealistic? Hmm, in a literal sense, that's correct. The power of the mind is great," Safin smiled and nodded before continuing. "The earliest miracles originated from our desires and pursuits beyond ourselves. Initially, a group of wise men stole the powers of nature, wild beasts, spirits, even gods, to create the miracles we know today."
"They organized these miracles, researched a system, and discovered a way to manipulate this magical power."
"Those who possess this method are the believers."
As Safin finished, Mithra grasped why those who wield miracles were referred to as "Believers" rather than "Miracle Users." Miracles were not birthed from the user's power but were instead the outward manifestation of their faith.
"That was a summary. I don't think I got anything wrong. Uhm, wait a sec." Safin paused, thoughtful, then reached into a cloth bag behind him.
Under Mithra's curious gaze, Safin pulled out an old book. The cover bore a strange script that she could not comprehend, but as she stared at it, the writing gradually shifted into English—the language she knew best.
Was this yet another gift of her eye abilities?
The script felt foreign, and logically, the language of this world should differ from her previous life, yet here she was, communicating fluently with Safin...
What, then, was this "life lock"? How significant had it been to trade for her eyes?
"Ahem, it's still here." Safin flipped through the book.
"What is that?" Mithra asked, intrigued.
"Sanctuary Beginner's Textbook."
"... You just now..."
"I was merely providing a summarized introduction to the lecture material." Safin didn't appear embarrassed at all; a rather unappealing smile crept onto his rigid face.
Mithra was left speechless.
Flipping through a few pages of the preface, Safin chuckled softly before closing the book and handing it to Mithra. "Here, this is for you. Even though it's a bit dry, it might prove useful."
Mithra accepted it, her hands brushing the aged cover.
Safin raised his hand. "Now, let's move directly to the practical part. The basic process of releasing miracles is: sensing, channeling, imagining, releasing."
As he spoke, a faint golden glow emanated from the bracelet on Safin's arm. Mithra watched as a prism-like pattern flickered before her eyes, and a glowing orb of gentle light formed in Safin's palm.
Mithra blinked, caught off guard.
Noticing her bewilderment, Safin dimmed the light of the orb. "Is it too bright?"
"No, it's just that I don't understand," Mithra said straightforwardly.
"That's normal. Your sense isn't awakened yet, so it's difficult to perceive the details of this borrowing power process. I'm just showing you an example. This is the simplest 'Illumination' within the 'Light' miracle, drawing directly from natural light."
Mithra glanced down in surprise as black dots began to appear on the light orb!
As she focused, the black dots rapidly enlarged, forming into text.
[ "Illumination": In ancient times, it was called "Miraculous Light." A miracle that draws self-generated light. The most basic light miracle, and the first miracle in human history. The first miracle was performed by "Kahira," declaring that mankind could see the light of miracles.]
[ —— "From this day forward, I declare, mankind will no longer be slaves."]
This miracle, while basic, carried an ancient weight.
And Mithra had gained yet another unfamiliar name.
"You keep mentioning sense. That seems to be essential for performing miracles," Mithra said, regaining her composure.
"That's right. The human body is inherently weak; its blood does not contain strength, but its intellect is like a treasure trove, even reaching toward the divine. Sense emanates from our intellect, like a bridge, helping us perform miracles."
With that, Safin looked at Mithra and extended his hand. "Hold my hand. Awakening your sense is also very simple. You just need to experience a miracle stimulation. Pay attention to your feelings."
Without hesitation, Mithra placed her hand in Safin's rough palm.
Once again, the pattern on Safin's bracelet flashed, but Mithra hardly noticed as she concentrated.
Very quickly, she felt her vision darken.
Not just her sight—her hearing, sense of smell, taste, and even touch seemed to vanish for a brief moment.
Everything but her thoughts slipped into nothingness.
She waited patiently in the pitch-black void, where she began to sense something.
Mithra "saw" a white silhouette.
And then? It seemed to be her!
On the silhouette's stomach, a swirling, burning red flame danced.
All of Mithra's senses returned, and she stared blankly at the white orb glowing in her hand.
"I used you to channel the miracle, but because your sense wasn't awakened, you were passively mobilized instead, using all your senses. In that void state, you were stimulated to awaken, and your intuition is now very vivid," Safin explained, dissipating the orb in Mithra's palm.
"Now, tell me what you saw?" Safin asked, his eyes alight with expectation.
"A white figure of myself, with something red on its stomach," Mithra replied directly.
Safin blinked in surprise. "..."
Mithra raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing?" Safin replied, stunned.
"Nothing."
Faced with Mithra's crisp and clear response, Safin paused for a moment.
Then he touched his forehead. "Are you sure you didn't see anything else?"
"Yes."
Safin pondered, a frown forming.
Seeing this, Mithra asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Your sense is too limited. You only have 'Self' and 'Ki.'"
Mithra listened quietly, curious.
Safin continued, "There are many types of sense, just as people are born with different appearances but ultimately share the same essence. Broadly speaking, they're divided into nature, beast, spirit, self, ki..."
"Everyone's self sense is essential. It's the most basic component. Ki sense is similar, but the level of one's ki can vary, ranging from deep to shallow. You can clearly perceive the red 'Ki,' which is quite sufficient. However, in addition to that, normal people should also possess senses related to various aspects of nature, like water, fire, wood, earth, and so forth... And then there are even more profound senses."
"So you're saying my talent is very poor?" Mithra scratched her head, feeling a mix of confusion and concern.
Safin shook his head. "No, the types of sense don't represent any inherent talent. They're more like a passport. Without these senses, you can't directly borrow corresponding elements to perform miracles; you must use intermediaries. What surprises me is your situation—it's quite rare... It may be explained by your lack of interaction with this world; you are untainted."
"But that's impossible. People born in this world have already been touched by its dust."
Mithra pondered this, feeling it might stem from her reincarnation.
"What's an intermediary?" she inquired, wanting to grasp this concept fully.
Safin couldn't determine the reason for her rarity either, so he set it aside. Hearing Mithra's question, he raised his hand and gestured toward his bracelet. "This is an intermediary. Dreamland has special minerals, materials from creatures, or even spirits fallen from the sky. Such materials can be refined and crafted into corresponding sense intermediaries. With these, even without innate sense, you can use them as a bridge to channel and perform miracles."
"Do you not have light sense?" Mithra asked, recalling that Safin had worn the bracelet when using miracles.
"No, my light sense is very deep; it's my strong point. But the kind of intermediary that can enhance the speed and efficiency of the channeling process is quite helpful in crucial moments," Safin explained. "The mineral on this bracelet corresponds to water, fire, wood, earth, and light senses. The light intermediary mineral is something I added myself; the other four are beginner-level intermediaries."
He removed the bracelet from his wrist and tossed it to Mithra. "This is the basic intermediary that Sanctuary provides to every believer. Feel free to examine it if you're interested."
Mithra caught it but paused, not rushing to inspect the bracelet. "So, I should mainly focus on learning miracles related to Self and Ki?"
"Yes, it's natural for newcomers to seek the easier path. Besides Ki, mastering the basic miracles of Self is mandatory. You can't escape them."
"Like what?" Excitement bubbled within Mithra as she sensed the learning was finally at hand.
"'Reinforce Body' and 'Stabilize,'" Safin replied.
"Reinforce Body can use sense to strengthen the body, allowing individuals to escape their weakened state and even continuously improve, reaching a level that can match beasts. 'Stabilize' helps eliminate external interference, stabilizing the mind, increasing mental resilience, and even sharpening your sense."
Mithra quickly grasped the key point.
"Can Stabilize reduce pain?" she asked, her tone suddenly urgent.
Safin's expression shifted slightly, but he answered nonetheless. "No, Stabilize isn't a numbing agent. However, it can certainly increase your tolerance to pain, as that could be considered external interference."
"Please, I absolutely must learn that!" Mithra said with earnest intensity.
"Uh, yes, I mentioned it's a mandatory subject."
"Please, I must learn 'Stabilize.' Teach me well," she insisted solemnly.
Safin blinked in surprise, pausing for a moment. "... I'll try my best."