“Tell me what happened" Eleanor asked, his voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

“It happened back in the alley when we were attacked by the assassins" I began, my voice still tinged with the lingering fear of the memory. “Just when I was about to black out, I heard a voice calling for me.”

“What did it say?” Eleanor’s eyes narrowed, his curiosity intensifying.

I tried to piece together the fragments of that harrowing moment. “I’m not sure. It was fragmented, like a dream. But I remember the rage building up inside me before light burst out of me.”

“Strange... Strange indeed. Your mana flow is barely at the first barrier, yet you managed to converse with your spirit.”

“Is it really unheard of for a first-barrier Arcanist to do so?” I asked, my confusion deepening.

“Like I said, it requires a strong connection with the spirit to even feel its presence, let alone converse with it. That usually requires a third barrier connection at the very least.”

“Why don’t you try to talk to it again?” suggested Ariana, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Is it possible?” I asked, hesitant and unsure.

“Since you’ve already managed to do it once, you may as well try" Eleanor encouraged.

..I could swear I heard it again in my nightmare. Should I tell him about it? It doesn’t feel like the right time.

“The only way I know to connect with the spirit is by going into a deep unconscious state. Which is a practice required to break through the third barrier.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

“To each his own technique, but the most basic is called ‘Linghun.’ Essentially, it’s about finding a comfortable position and concentrating on your breathing.”

..This is basically meditating. This should be easy.

I sat down, crossing my legs and resting my arms on my knees. “Breathe in, breathe out" I repeated to myself, trying to steady my nerves.

Moments passed, and nothing happened. I turned to Eleanor. “Um... are you sure this is the right way?”

“Not if you rush it" he said. “If it were that easy, most Arcanists would be at the third barrier by now.”

“True, true" I mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed.

I closed my eyes again, took a deep breath, and tried to immerse myself in the atmosphere. Every time I calmed my mind, memories of the attack rushed in, breaking my concentration.

"This is hard!” I exclaimed, frustration bubbling up within me. I clenched my fists, trying to steady my trembling breaths. Every attempt to connect with the spirit seemed futile.

“Calm yourself, young Luka. It’s okay if you don’t manage it the first couple of times.”

“It’s not that... Every time I try, memories of the fight break my focus.”

“Good.”

“Good? How is that good?” I asked.

“The memories are not the problem. What’s holding you back is that you’re trying to fight them. Linghun is about connecting with one’s soul, accepting both the good and the bad. Instead of struggling, try to welcome them. Memories are a part of you; rejecting them is like rejecting a part of your soul.”

Okay, Master Oogway. Although what he’s saying is complicated, I think I understand. He’s not totally wrong.

The garden around us hummed with the rustle of leaves and the faint scent of blooming flowers. I closed my eyes against the warmth of the sun, seeking to calm my racing thoughts. I focused inward, reaching for that elusive presence I had felt during the attack.

Ariana's eyes widened with concern as she watched me struggle. “You can do it, Luka" she encouraged softly.

Images of my mom crying for help pierced my heart like a dagger. It was painful but also reminded me of my purpose, the reason I embarked on this journey of discovery. A tear escaped, tracing a path down my cheek, as if my own body sought to reassure and comfort me in this vulnerable moment. The world around me slowly faded, replaced by a vast, dark void that beckoned me deeper into its depths. I drifted, searching for the voice that had called out to me in my darkest hour.

Suddenly, I felt a familiar warmth, like a distant echo of light breaking through the darkness. The air around me seemed to hum with a subtle energy, as if acknowledging my presence. *Who are you?* I called out, my voice a fragile whisper in the emptiness.

I followed the gentle pull of the light, stepping cautiously across what felt like a reflective, liquid surface beneath my feet. The atmosphere shimmered with a glow, casting strange shadows that danced at the edge of my perception. And then, before me stood a figure–a reflection of myself, yet different. White-golden hair cascaded around features that mirrored my own, but with eyes that glowed like amber. *Are you–*

「I see you’ve made it this far, but it’s too early for you to be here」 the figure’s voice was both haunting and soothing, a strange dichotomy that sent shivers down my spine. The surroundings shifted and twisted, like reality itself was bending to the figure’s will.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Before I could react, the figure raised its hand, and a burst of light engulfed me, pulling me back.

Suddenly, I woke up, inhaling deeply, my heart racing. I sat there in silence, the weight of the experience pressing down on me. Eleanor approached me, his eyes searching mine. “You look like something has happened.”

“It rejected me" I responded. “It said I wasn’t ready to talk to it.”

Eleanor stood there in silence, trying to figure out what to say. “I’ve certainly heard of spirits rejecting their host, but that only happens in dire situations where the host has betrayed the pact.”

As Eleanor spoke of spirits rejecting their hosts, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to my encounter than I understood. What did the spirit want from me, and why did it send me back? “It didn’t seem like it was angry, more like it was actually waiting for my arrival. Yet, it sent me back.”

“Maybe she saw how weak you were, she got disgusted by you?” said Ariana.

“Yeah, surely that must be it.”

..She? Does she think all spirits are female? Wait... Weak? Maybe that was it? I was too weak? If I recall correctly, it only connected to me when I was in danger. Back at the alley, I was doomed to die if it didn’t intervene. And the dream... Why did it talk to me if it was just a nightmare? It wouldn’t have had the need to–unless I was actually in danger. That figure, was it really– Shit... Goosebumps. If this is really the case, I’ve got no choice but to get stronger.

“Hello, hello? Lu?”

Humph... It was my plan all along anyways. That’s the reason I’m even here, to hone my strength and go back to Madania. With magic and my blessings, I can’t imagine the heights I would reach.

“Huh? Lu? Why are you laughing like this? Creepy...”

I need to squeeze every last drop of this mana and build enough power to squash each and every last one of Madania’s heads. Just wait a bit longer...

“LUUU !!!!!” Ariana slapped me on my cheek. “Why are you ignoring me?”

I turned to Eleanor. “Hey, is there a way to hone my mana pool without using magic?”

“Yes, there is.”

As I thought... This mana thing did seem quite familiar to ancient energy practices. If my memory of my world’s history didn’t betray me, it is similar to the Chinese Qigong or even ancient Egypt's Sekhem.

“Is it about focusing on harnessing, balancing the body's internal energy?”

“Quite indeed. The stronger one’s control over his energy, the stronger his control over the spirit’s mana.”

Exactly... The same, except for the magical part.

“Uuh?! What’s gotten into him?” said Ariana.

Good thing I know everything about those civilizations and their practices. I might as well use this knowledge to my advantage.

“How come you know of this, young Luka?”

“I just thought it made sense for a system that uses external energy as fuel for magic to have practices for enhancing the flow of said energy before having to manipulate it.”

“Sure thing, quite the smart lad.”

“But why go through all that trouble when you can’t even produce any magic? Shouldn’t you focus on that first?” asked Ariana.

“That is precisely the reason why I’m doing this. What if the reason I can’t use magic isn’t because I’m not apt for it but because my spirit isn’t letting me? I did manage to talk, even if it was for a brief second before it sent me back. Wouldn’t that mean my case is quite different from any before me? Then, maybe the way for me to become stronger is to become worthy of its magic.” I turned to Ariana, her fried brain visibly struggling to comprehend what I said.

“What you’re saying could very well be true. Your connection with the spirit is unlike anything I’ve encountered before. Perhaps your journey is not just about mastering magic, but about forging a bond that goes beyond the limits of tradition and expectation" said Eleanor, nodding his head. “This world is an endless stream of mysteries. You think you’ve figured it out, but you’ve only seen a tributary of a wider river.”

Ariana leaned forward. "So you won’t train with me?"

“I’m just going to give you a head start. You better not slack off or else I’m going to leave you behind.”

“You’re going to leave me behind?” said Ariana, her eyes wide and teary, her face looking unbearably cute.

Damn it, she’s like a puppy when you accidentally step on its tail.

“Ahaha Lu! I’m joking. Just don’t take so long to join otherwise I’ll be so far ahead.”

“Game is on then!!”

As we were going back and forth, Eleanor approached us from behind and rested his hands on our shoulders. “It’s good to be fired up! That is the spirit of the Arcanists. Now then, Luka, what do you know about energy practice?”

Maybe I should play dumb and not spill out what I know about Qigong or Sekhem. It’s better to know what this world’s practices are first. “Frankly, nothing.”

“Good, follow me to this tree.” I looked at Ariana who also looked confused. We followed Eleanor to a large tree in the middle of the garden.

“Can you feel this tree?”

“Feel who?”

“This tree, like any other living thing, has its own internal energy. Now the question is how can you tell the state of a tree?”

“The flow of its energy?”

“Quite precisely, however, one cannot feel another’s internal energy directly.”

“You need an intermediate.”

“Very good. And that is the mana flowing in the atmosphere. To sum it up, if you manage to count every fallen leaf for a week with your eyes closed, then I’ll teach you magic.”

“Eeh, that makes no sense. Am I supposed to starve?”

“You have to figure it out, otherwise, it wouldn’t be a test.”

“I have a question though!”

“Go ahead.”

“When you said with my eyes closed, would that imply that I just need to not count directly and just use the energy?”

“Feel free to do whatever.”

..I see how it is, a trap.

“And when you said a week straight, am I allowed to choose when to start?”

“You’re allowed to do anything.”

His vague responses are overly disturbing.

“It doesn’t seem hard though” remarked Ariana, hiding her evil chuckle.

“As for you, my dear Ariana, as royalty, a harsh training is awaiting you.”

“Come on! Daddy!”

“Serves you right" I whispered to Ariana. She blew a raspberry at me then smiled and whispered "Good luck, Lu!”

I waved at her, then turned towards the tree which was encircled by a basin of water.

“Good thing that the leaves would fall right into the water, making it easier to know the real count.”

..A week straight. How could I count every fallen leaf for an entire week with my eyes closed? The task seemed impossible, almost laughable.

I took a deep breath then let a large exhale. “Now then, how should I do this?”