Sit in meditation! Lasting!
"Three psychic department gene fragments can synthesize an unusual gene. If absorbed, does this mean I can gain the unusual ability of correspondence? And if I encounter other unusual levels, can I fuse them too? If they truly can be fused… what kind of strength could I achieve?"
Ethan Grey's innermost thoughts ignited with excitement. He understood clearly what fusion meant: the more light groups he encountered, the stronger he would become, and the more powerful his abilities would grow.
Right now, his biggest concern was solving his family's survival problem. If he didn't awaken his abilities soon, his family would be forced to sell their only home. The cramped ten-square-meter house they currently struggled in wouldn't be enough to sustain them for long.
After days of guilt and frustration, Ethan finally felt hope today.
"The house? I want it! The unusual ability? I want that too!"
He exhaled lightly, calming his frantic heart. After casting away distracting thoughts, Ethan began practicing the foundation breathing technique. Determined, he made a mental note: after class, he would search every corner of the school again to see if there were any hidden gene fragments left untriggered.
The classroom was peaceful at this moment.
Almost everyone was focused on the ponytail-wearing female student, waiting for her to sit in meditation so they could observe and emulate her.
In this world, meditation was regarded as more important than physical ability. While physical training could strengthen the body, only meditation allowed one to connect with the unusual—an essential step for awakening a gene's hidden potential. Even after awakening, meditation continued to offer substantial benefits.
Under the steady counting of Bing Jie, a frost-like glow shimmered briefly, isolating Ethan Grey and the ponytail student in a small space, preventing any disturbances from the outside.
"Those of you following your textbooks will know that meditation is divided into four stages," Bing Jie explained.
"The first stage is slight focus, where you gather your mental will, immerse yourself in the mind world, and cleanse your innermost emotions. If you can reach this stage easily, congratulations: your mental strength is already well above average.
"The second stage is calmness. This is where your willpower expands multiple times. Compared to slight focus, you will find it easier to unify your spirit. At this point, most mental attacks from sequence-level unusual abilities will not be able to harm you.
"As for the stages of constant focus and true focus, you'll encounter those at Martial Universities. I won't elaborate further here, but reaching even the second stage now is already a sign of exceptional talent."
The students sighed in admiration, eyes filled with curiosity. They were eager to see how far the ponytail-wearing student could go in her meditation.
Just as Bing Jie finished speaking, her eyes suddenly flickered with surprise as she glanced toward Ethan Grey.
The students followed her gaze.
"Ethan Grey?!" someone whispered in disbelief.
Everyone was astonished.
With a pleased expression, Bing Jie raised her brow. "I was not expecting this. This boy—without making any noise—managed to meditate even faster than the ponytail girl!"
Seeing that the ponytail student had not yet entered a proper meditative state, Bing Jie gestured for the class to shift their attention toward Ethan Grey.
"Look closely at Ethan's breathing rate," she instructed. "He's already entered a meditative state. His breathing is at least three times slower than normal. He takes a breath every nine seconds—his meditation is nearly perfect. Watch carefully."
The students exchanged stunned glances and turned their focus toward Ethan.
"Can he really meditate like this?"
"No one ever noticed before… but Ethan Grey might be incredibly talented."
"He's been hiding this the whole time."
At the back of the class, Ethan's deskmate stared in shock. "I thought Ethan was just part of the background, blending into the scenery… Turns out, he's amazing!"
Unaware of the commotion outside, Ethan was fully immersed in his meditation. Inside his dream-like state, he saw a glowing white light group radiating a soft luminescence.
He reached out subconsciously, his fingertips grazing the light group. The moment he touched it, a vibrant world bloomed in his mind. Green grass buds sprouted from barren soil, breaking free from the dry, desolate land. The scenery transformed into one of vibrant life and endless possibilities.
Ethan had never imagined that practicing the breathing technique could trigger such a vivid and beautiful scene… Life sprouted all around him, filling the once-lonely world with new hope and energy.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually, Ethan's consciousness began to return.
He became aware that the strange dream was related to the gene fragment he had obtained. And while he wasn't sure how other gene fusions would affect him, it was clear that they would make him stronger.
As the dream shattered, Ethan slowly opened his eyes.
The ponytail-wearing girl was already awake, sitting in her seat and staring at him with an intense, unreadable gaze.
Ethan paid her no mind and turned to look at Bing Jie.
"So… what now?" he asked, slightly embarrassed at how deeply he had fallen asleep during meditation.
Bing Jie gave him a meaningful look. "You did very well. You can go back to your seat."
Feeling a little lost, Ethan returned to his seat, only to realize that all fifty pairs of eyes in the classroom were still fixated on him. Even the ponytail girl's expression reflected disbelief and unwillingness to accept what had just happened.
As Ethan sat down, his deskmate gave him a thumbs-up. "You're amazing, Ethan."
Ethan blinked in confusion. "?"
The other student leaned closer and whispered, "That ponytail girl only meditated for two minutes. You, on the other hand, meditated for a full hour! Everyone was stunned. We were supposed to have geography class, but Bing Jie switched classes just to avoid disturbing your meditation."
Ethan stared, utterly shocked.
"An hour?!"
He couldn't believe it. This was his first attempt at meditation. How was it possible to stay in that state for so long?
Could it be…?
Had the unusual gene fragment somehow enhanced his meditation abilities?
Eager to find out more, Ethan summoned his personal status panel.
[Name]: Ethan Grey
[Unusual Gene]: Psychic Department (1/3)
[Vitality Value]: 1.39 calories (Same age average: 0.8)
[Skill]: Foundation Breathing Technique LV 2 (5)
A smile crept onto Ethan's face.
Breakthrough!
After three years of practice, he had finally surpassed the 1.0 vitality mark, reaching 1.39. His foundation breathing technique had also leveled up smoothly.
He hadn't expected meditation to offer so many advantages. Now, more than ever, he felt determined to collect more gene fragments and explore their potential benefits.
Looking over at the ponytail girl, Ethan wondered how much her vitality value had increased. It was rumored that even the top student in their grade hadn't reached a vitality level of 1.0 yet.
Unfortunately, without access to her status panel, it would be difficult to confirm.
Ethan sighed inwardly. Without a proper frame of reference, he felt like a lone wolf chasing after an invisible target.
Just as he was lost in thought, Ethan noticed the atmosphere in the classroom shift. Everyone's unintentional glances seemed to converge on him, while Bing Jie also cast a meaningful look in his direction.
If Ethan had known that absorbing the gene fragment would lead to such an impressive display, he would have kept a lower profile. But now, it was too late.
The bell rang.
With a calm expression, Bing Jie dismissed the class. But just before she left, she gave Ethan one last glance, as if sizing him up.
As soon as she left, several groups of students crowded around Ethan's desk, eager to learn his secret.
"How did you do it? How can we meditate as long as you did?" they asked excitedly.
Ethan offered a few polite responses, sprinkling in some motivational words. When he saw the opportunity, he quickly excused himself and left the classroom.
He had more important things to do—like hunting for more gene fragments.