Ranav was now five years old. Over a year had passed since he began his journey into the magical arts. He mostly practiced magic on his own, occasionally visiting Nanima for guidance or the Old Chief for sparring. Most of his time was spent either at home or on the hilltop in the woods. Trinav had tried several times to persuade him to attend school, but Ranav had no interest. He had already read all his sister's textbooks and found nothing new to learn there.
On the other hand, Ranav repeatedly tried to convince Nanima to take him to the county's magic school library. However, she insisted that she would only do so after he awakened his second element. Determined to level up his light magic, Ranav worked tirelessly.
His Mana Body Training had also progressed, and he had reached the Power Strengthening level. Now, he was attempting to advance to the Acupoint Opening level, which was both tricky and vital for his future growth. He had already pinpointed the exact locations of the nine major acupoints in his body. To strengthen the connections between them, he needed to identify at least 80 out of the 104 minor acupoints. According to Jessica, this was the minimum requirement.
At present, Ranav was practicing Niten Ichi Ryu, his dual-blade sword technique, against a practice dummy made from tree branches. His katana and wakizashi were crafted from hard light, a more advanced version of his light knife, which he had accidentally developed. The blades moved with incredible speed, slicing the dummy with precision.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and a sharp pain emerged from the center of his eyebrows, spreading throughout his body. Both swords dissipated, leaving his hands empty. A dazzling white light radiated from his body as Jessica's voice rang in his head, shouting something he couldn't understand. Moments later, he collapsed, unconscious.
Several minutes later, Ranav woke up, staring blankly at his surroundings. He was lying at the base of the hill where he usually practiced.
"Are you okay?" Jessica's voice echoed in his mind.
"What happened?"
"You leveled up suddenly. I noticed it after the process had already started. I should've been monitoring you. I knew that after the sixth star, you could upgrade at any time. By the way, congrats."
"Thank you. How long was I unconscious?"
"Not long… around 10 minutes."
"That's a relief. I thought it had been longer."
"Let's head back to the hilltop. You need some rest."
"Okay."
Ranav climbed to the top of the hill and leaned against the Ashoka tree. "Jessica, now that I've reached the Star Circle Level-1, what should I do next?"
"Don't you know?"
"I know I need to cast level-1 spells to solidify my star circle and become proficient. But you're the expert here, I figured you'd already have a plan for me." He grinned.
"Don't tease me," Jessica huffed. "I did think about this phase, and it's not much different from what you know. Do you realize the major change now that you can cast level-1 light spells?"
"What?"
"Healing spells. How could you forget that?"
"I didn't forget; I just thought you'd have something more to tell me."
Jessica snorted. "Before today, if you got hurt, we'd have no choice but to rush to a healer. Now, at least we're not as vulnerable. You should become proficient in healing spells as soon as possible."
She added, "There are only two tier-1 light spells in the books: a checking spell and a basic healing spell. All the advanced healing spells require darkness magic, so you'll need to wait for your second awakening to cast them."
Pausing, she continued, "You might face a problem with the checking spell… you'll need a body to practice on. Can you ask your sister? It might be boring for her to let you repeat the spell over and over, but I can't think of anyone else who'd be willing to help."
"Okay. I'll try to persuade her."
Jessica then shifted the topic. "I think you should focus on your Mana Body Training. You've already located the nine major acupoints in your body. Do you still remember them, or have you forgotten some?"
Ranav replied instantly, "I remember clearly: Life Force is near the lower back, Power is near the lumbar spine, Vitality is below the knee on the leg, Energy Control is between the thumb and index finger, Concentration is near the shoulder blades, Activation is at the base of the neck, Spiritual Connection is near the base of the ear, Clarity is between the eyebrows, and Connection is at the top of the head."
He paused, then asked, "Did I miss anything?"
"No, you're correct."
"Although I'm not at your level, my memory isn't that bad." He smirked.
"Be serious," Jessica scolded. "You need to locate all the connecting minor acupoints quickly. Once you start channeling mana to create a path between the acupoints, you must complete it in one go. If you miss an acupoint along the way, it'll be far more difficult to connect them later. The first time is the easiest… it'll hurt, but if you're familiar with the locations, it'll be over quickly."
"I want to inform Nanima about my star circle."
"You can tell her later, once you're more familiar with it. I think in the next two or three days, you'll master your level-1 light magic. Then, you can go to your master. She'll likely arrange your second awakening once she hears about your progress. I read in a book that the chance of awakening your second element increases with proficiency in your first element, so focus on that first."
"I still have no idea about my purple stars. Do we just leave them like this?"
"It's better to forget about them for now. You've tried connecting them for so long without success. Even your master couldn't find a solution. Since you've advanced despite leaving the purple stars behind, let's be happy with that for now."
"I need to search the kingdom's secret library as soon as possible. I have a hunch that I might find my answers there."
"That's a problem for another day. Right now, let's celebrate your success."