"Raising the intensity?" Carrie's mind buzzed with confusion as she looked at Lucian, her lips parted, yet unsure of what to say.
[Your student Carrie is awestruck by you. Reverence Points +2]
Lucian smirked at the notification, chuckling as he watched her stand there, stunned. "Alright, stop standing around. Go wash your face; today's lesson isn't over yet."
Carrie blushed, quickly wiping her tear-streaked face before dashing off to freshen up. Lucian just shook his head, amused, then closed his eyes, mentally organizing the next part of the lesson. With the foundational Greybone Meditation Technique in place, transitioning to the enhanced version wouldn't be too challenging. At least, he expected her to pick it up more smoothly this time.
Carrie soon returned, her face still a bit damp. "Here, dry off first," Lucian said, gesturing to a nearby towel. Once she'd settled down, he began explaining the enhanced Greybone Meditation Technique in detail.
Carrie listened intently. Thanks to her recent practice with the original technique, she encountered only a few stumbling blocks. Lucian broke down each advanced concept carefully, going over every added detail until Carrie absorbed it without needing any repeated explanations. She followed along smoothly, progressing without major interruptions.
"Alright, take a moment to understand it all, then try it yourself," Lucian said after finishing the explanation. His throat parched, he downed half a cup of water.
Teaching is hard work, he thought, surprised at how draining it was.
"Thank you, Mentor," Carrie whispered, and then she began to meditate, mentally organizing the knowledge Lucian had imparted. She soon entered a meditative state.
[Your student Carrie has learned the Greybone Meditation Technique (Enhanced). Congratulations! You have unlocked the Greybone Meditation Technique (Enhanced II)!]
Lucian's panel flashed, and with the same ease as before, his mind filled with another layer of advanced knowledge.
Just as I thought, he thought, excitedly diving into this new technique. Like the second version, this technique was also derived from the Greybone Meditation Technique, building upon it with further refinements and adjustments. It was like moving from a rough sketch to a highly detailed, coloured illustration.
The result was significant: this latest meditation technique could solidify up to 360 runic imprints—over three times the capacity of the original Greybone Meditation Technique. This was a qualitative leap in potential power.
However, the difficulty had also increased noticeably. Even with Lucian's guidance, Carrie would likely need two or three days to fully grasp and implement this new version.
Meanwhile, Carrie, in her meditation, suddenly jolted. Her excitement had caused her to break her focus, pulling her out of the meditative state.
"Hm?" Lucian looked over, noticing the small commotion.
"N-no problem," Carrie stammered, but internally, she was overwhelmed.
For the first time, she'd been able to sense the faint outlines of the magical essence around her—particles that had previously been intangible now brushed against her awareness. Although still somewhat blurry, it was worlds apart from the complete darkness she'd felt before, where sensing a single magic particle was a rare accident.
Now, she could "see" them, even if vaguely, and this simple shift felt life-changing.
It was like someone who had been blind finally seeing light. Who cared if it was blurry?
With her heart racing, she managed to capture one or two particles, but the excitement was too much, and she lost her focus.
Glancing at Lucian's calm demeanour, her emotional high faded as a deep sense of gratitude welled up within her.
Having felt the difference, Carrie now understood just how precious this second meditation technique was. It wasn't simply a skill—it was her hope to continue along the path of wizardry.
"Mentor Lucian…" She felt tears welling up again.
Lucian sighed, rubbing his temples. Is she made of water?
[Your student Carrie is grateful to you. Reverence Points +10]
His internal grumbling halted instantly. Alright, so the tears bring treasure.
"No more crying!" Lucian said sternly, noticing how once she started, it seemed endless. He couldn't continue teaching if her tears kept flowing. Anyone watching would think he'd adopted a daughter, not taken on a student.
Carrie blinked, embarrassed, and lowered her head, peeking at him timidly to see if he was angry. When she saw he wasn't upset, she let out a shy smile.
"Now, let's get back to work," Lucian said with a slight smile of his own, though he kept his tone firm. "You've got the basics down, so it's time to raise the difficulty again."
Carrie's eyes went wide. "Huh?"
Raising… the difficulty?
Carrie recalled how "raising the intensity" had sounded earlier, remembering the way Lucian had said it. Now, hearing similar words, she blinked at him in disbelief. She thought she must be misunderstanding, but Lucian's expression told her he was serious.
Her expression slowly shifted, surprise melting into apprehension, her mouth forming a little "o" as she realized he wasn't kidding.