Chapter 18: Meditation technique?
After the boss was dead, the whole area became dead quiet. I thought about checking if there were any other plants I could harvest, but I was too tired with the euphoria of level up and additional stats settling down and may end up falling asleep here, which was not in my best interest. It was time to head back. I soon reached the stairs heading back up and towards exit and noticed that there was now a new staircase leading further down, which I guess means this floor is cleared and the third floor has been opened. I also found a treasure chest lying there waiting for me. Maybe the Dungeon gives out one treasure chest per floor? Last one had given me very useful things so keeping expectations low was tough.
I poked at the treasure chest with one of the firewood branches which perpetually occupy a slot in my inventory to check for any traps or dangers and used appraisal just to be double sure.
Appraisal
Wooden chest level 2 – no abnormality, safe to open.
“1 iron spear (level 5) (attack +5), 1 four leaf clover pin (luck +3), 100 copper coins.
I had no luck attribute until now and didn’t know there was a way to incorporate it or increase it. I couldn’t stop staring at the pin as if this small thing was all that was standing between me and purgatory and will save me from all hell. I wore the pin, collected everything into my inventory and headed back with an optimistic heart, wondering what effect this extra luck would bring to me.
Anticipation of having coffee and breakfast in a safe environment kept me going through the last bit of my journey. I still took the time to take a bath first – I was filthy and bloodied from all that killing. After eating 2 eggs 2 toast and 2 sausages with my coffee, I could barely keep my eyes open and soon fell asleep.
When I woke up it was a few minutes past noon. I hadn’t slept for long, but I felt alive and awake. Ignoring my body calling out for some lazy snooze after the battering I had taken, I went out for regular exercise, practice and hunt around the safe area to collect my refreshed essentials. I soon returned with a whole bag of instant noodles with 10 packets (it was a large white bag with boxes inside it, which when I opened, I realized was instant noodles. There was no name or marking on it, so I didn’t know which flavor it was), 1 shovel and 1 sewing kit and 1 axe. Again, these things were not large finds but were helpful and created a sense of convenience at being readily available.
I thought about going back to the dungeon as it was already the 6th day and the deadline was looming in front of me, but I was still tired and needed time to let my body recover so I decided against it. I checked all the items in my inventory instead and took out the small crystals to apprise.
1 small crystal
Pranayama breathing technique – a technique meant to elevate life energy by following the three breath exercises involving inhaling, retaining, and releasing. Eventual practice leading to meditative state regularizing breathing pattern and allowing sensing of spiritual energy.
Human Grade
I didn’t know how to react as I read the description of the technique that was apparently embedded in this tiny crystal. What sort of world is this? It sounded as if the world couldn’t decide which way it wanted to progress towards or maybe it was just me from the Earth world with no predefined path. Does this mean a gamer could also be a cultivator and a magician? What the hell!
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Before deciding whether to use this crystal or not, I checked the other small crystal I had gained from the Dungeon. The things were getting out of control fast, and my mind was in a state of utter confusion.
1 small crystal
Sun salutation technique – Following the 12 steps of sun salutation technique circulates spiritual energy within, toning the body and strengthening muscles and joints. Eventually allowing spiritual energy to converge forming into a dantian within the human body.
Human Grade
So, the two techniques I received were meditative and body building. They were both deeply related to Buddhism, the religion that I followed in my previous life. I decided to try the meditative technique first as I needed to sense the spiritual energy before I could circulate it in my body. Also, the sun salutation could only be practiced at dawn with the rising sun so I will need to wait until the next day. I tried holding the crystal in my hand, staring at it and rubbing it when none of them worked I tried putting the crystal against my forehead and it worked. I sensed a flow of information going into my mind as if I was in the same white space I entered after death and someone was conducting an audio-video class for me on how to use this technique, the things to watch out for and what to expect.
When I came back, kind of, I knew how to practice this technique. I also knew that it would help me strengthen my soul by a very small margin, but the most important effect is that it would let me sense the spiritual energy around me which I was oblivious to until now.
It didn’t seem like a very strong technique which could make me into a superhero in the short term but might help me strengthen mental stats which I was finding increasingly unsatisfactory and perhaps open the cultivation venue in future. With this thought in mind, I started practicing this technique today and go to the dungeon tomorrow – on my very last day to try and reach level 5.
I sat cross legged on my lumpy mattress, but it wasn’t too comfortable, so I tried sitting on the floor but was continuously distracted by the numbness I felt in my bum. I walked out of the room spread my wolf fur and sat down in the day light before I finally found a rhythm that worked for me and a position that was conducive to concentration. As I started practicing the three-step breathing technique, I found myself gradually entering a state of nothingness and my overactive, stressed mind started to relax. I found my breathing becoming calmer and gentler and the knots in my back, that I was totally unaware of starting to come undone.
I lost track of time and by the time I came out of this meditative state, it was already evening. I didn’t sense any spiritual energy yet, but I felt a sense of tranquility that I have never felt before, not even when I chanted. I felt revitalized and stimulated for the challenges that were coming my way. After that I felt hungry – ravenously hungry, as if I needed to make up for all the meals I had been missing, famished in a way only a growing teenager can – which I was.
I called out my cooking skill, set the mutton chops to grill and boiled some potatoes to make a salad with the chives I had harvested. I also decided to have a packet of instant noodles as I was too curious about the flavor I had gained and honestly, had been starving for a familiar taste that temptation was irresistible.
With grilled chops, potato salad, cabbage leaves for crunch, instant noodles (beef broth flavor) and fruits for dessert – this was the most luxurious spread I had set up in this world. My cooking skill though did not level up. I ate slowly, enjoying every bite and ate until I was more than full. Then I had a cup of mint tea and finally felt like a human. The anxiety that had been building up in the last days had me in its grip and my senses were strained beyond measure without me realizing it.
Watching the sunset while walking around the safe area felt like an indulgence. I completed my exercise and Slash practice regimen, making notes and then the breathing technique for a few more hours before hitting the bed and calling it a day. Tomorrow is the last safe day and I needed to be at my best to achieve my goal.