It had to be said, alcoholism and Cultivation were practices that had a lot in common. Both, for example, could be practiced alone or in company. Or with religious rigor or simple nonchalance. Moreover, both seemed to attract that type of people who were not satisfied with the reality that surrounded them or had surrounded them in the past.

Alcohol, just like Mana during Cultivation, allowed the person to alter their physical and mental state. Hours became more similar to minutes, just as life's losses and misfortunes tended to become more distant as the empty bottles increased, and decades or even centuries passed.

In the end, it really didn't matter. Whether it was about destroying one's body one glass at a time or prolonging one's life one Cultivation session at a time; the fact that one was running away from something, even unconsciously, really didn't change.

In addition to this philosophical point, there would also be another similarity that the newly recruited boys, who had just been beaten by Carlo, would soon have experienced firsthand.

With wooden buckets brought in, one for each person, the boys followed the Alcoholic's instructions and began Cultivating, each following their own Cultivation Technique. The way they had sat on the ground changed depending on personal preferences or the needs of the practiced Technique, as could happen with the position of the arms or fingers. All useful or useless details that had been reported in the Manuals, which the Recruits had obviously learned.

The physical pain had disappeared, but a certain amount of mental fatigue had not yet dissipated. After all, fighting to the fullest using your own abilities, only to be used to sweep the floor, and then seeing the rest of your comrades suffer the same fate one after the other, surely generated a certain level of stress. So, many of the boys proceeded calmly, stabilizing their breathing as the first thing.

Jessica, just to pick a person at random who had made this last choice, sat on the ground with her legs crossed, placing the wooden bucket in front of her. She didn't know exactly what it was for, but she avoided asking herself questions since it was something Carlo wanted. Then, once she closed her eyes, she slowly began to soften her breathing.

Inhaling gently through her nose, while her lips remained sealed, the girl slowly filled her lungs, before exhaling with the same calmness. Cycle after cycle, her heartbeat slowed down and slowed down, finding a steady rhythm to rest in; just as the Three Stages of Sobriety Manual expressly said to do.

At that point, although she obviously couldn't see, the girl began to perceive the Mana of the World around her more and more clearly, allowing her to start absorbing a small part of it. The Aura that was spontaneously releasing thanks to the assistance of meditation was then guiding the Mana around her to approach her even more, rather than exerting a destructive power as usual.

Gather what the earth offers with gratitude and kindness. Then use what is necessary, carefully distinguishing between too much and too little. And, finally, offer the excess to people and to the earth so that the cycle of life can begin again. Jessica repeated this passage from the Manual, which had inspired her the most, while remaining motionless and silent.

Contrary to her not-so-friendly and humble personality, dear Jessica had specifically chosen that half-ruined and highly unpopular Manual on the day she was given the opportunity to start Cultivating under the Academy. That, of course, was not the only choice that had tempted her. Manuals with lofty titles such as "The Revolutions of the Stars" or "The Way of the Moon" offered, at least on paper, much greater benefits than the much smaller Three Stages of Sobriety.

However, just as the fate of her parents had taught her, the girl perceived the value that an existence capable of understanding how many mouthfuls it could swallow before choking could possess. In fact, in comparison, in her eyes, following such a path was even better than trying to become like a beast capable of devouring the sun. Because a monster like that sooner or later would have stepped on the tail of a more dangerous beast and everything would have ended quickly and furiously, exactly as Jessica remembered it happening during her childhood.

That said, just to give you a little bit of technical knowledge, I will step away from the viper for a moment so that you can hear the words of Carlo explaining a couple of things to Gianpiero and Roberto. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly like that," he said first after listening to a question from Gianpiero, moving his free hand back and forth before stopping trying to explain with gestures and resuming saying, "So... Ah, here it is. Do you see that girl? Do you see how she's absorbing Mana, right?" Pointing at Jessica with his finger and taking a sip of beer after finishing his sentence.

The instructors next to him shifted their gaze in that direction, observing for a few seconds. But, they were interrupted by Carlo who asked them again, "So? Did you see it, right?" insisting on the topic until he got tired of trying. Then, with less enthusiasm than before, he added, "It's not about the speed at which you cultivate or the amount of Mana you absorb, at least not in a strict sense. In fact, depending on the case, there may be problems when you try to progress too quickly or absorb more Mana from the world than you should. Have you ever seen anyone have such problems?" He then asked in conclusion, letting his two companions respond.

"Well..." Roberto replied first, with a voice that seemed to carry with it a conviction that certainly had nothing to do with reality. "I had a couple of friends who were unlucky with their training. One in particular died as a result of a Deviation, but..." At some point he stopped, searching for the gaze and support of Gianpiero, who could only repeat in his own way a couple of passages from some manuals he had read previously, having much less practical experience than his soft-spoken colleague.

"What I have always been taught is that in cultivation it is necessary to proceed with caution, being careful at every step. But when an opportunity is offered to us, it is always good to seize it and obtain the greatest possible gains. Is it really wrong to think this way? Of course, there are risks, yet... aren't there risks in everything in the end?"

Gianpiero's speech made sense and was perfectly in line with the philosophy that had always been passed down within the Academy. It was so smooth that even an amoeba like Roberto supported him, echoing with a very similar question, although, deep down, he had no intention of creating problems with a person like Carlo.

"Kill me..." The Alcoholic, however, greatly appreciated the Instructors' curiosity, especially when he realized he had finished the bottle of beer. Magically, though, another one appeared from Gianpiero's bag, and then another, which promptly took its place before it was too late. This is why Carlo felt motivated enough to ask: "Since we're on the subject, can you tell me what a Deviation would be? Have you ever studied at least a corpse of a Cultivator who has undergone a Deviation? I ask you this because I feel like I need to start from the basics here, not because I think you're both idiots; so don't take what I'm saying the wrong way, okay?" He finished his speech with a sip of beer and a winking eye, worthy of a foolish aristocrat.

The two instructors listened to him until the end before looking at each other. Gianpiero in particular, also because expecting something from Roberto seems too much to me, had the opportunity to perform an autopsy on a Cultivator who died following a Tribulation that had overcome him. "So... If I'm not mistaken," he began, trying to remember his past experience. "Several years ago, I had the opportunity to assist Giulietto Baschi during one of his researches. I remember quite well the state of the Cultivator's corpse while lying on the operating table... However, I imagine that was not strictly a Deviation, but rather the result of the damage caused by the Tribulation."

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Gianpiero then attempted, in his own words, to describe in detail the conditions of the corpse. He started, for example, from the state of the chest, which was opened in two distinct points whose cauterized edges looked like the result of welding. He then jumped to the abdominal area where the muscles had violently expanded outward, writhing like tentacles before atrophying and becoming as hard as dry wood.

"Yes, that's not exactly a Deviation," Carlo interrupted a moment later, as his drink had begun to lose its taste due to the overly vivid descriptions. "The only real difference, however, would be in the violence of the act. And because, I would say it's pretty logical to imagine, right? In the case of a Deviation, it's only the internal Mana that goes out of control, causing damage of various kinds here and there," I want to emphasize the effort of the boy to indicate with his fingers the exact distance between 'here' and 'there', just because it seemed impolite not to mention it.

"While when we talk about a Tribulation, we also have to add a not-so-small amount of World Mana. So yes, what you saw is the result of something slightly different from what I'm trying to explain to you. Oh, before I forget, who is this Giulietto?" Carlo finally said, turning to both Instructors without a real preference on who to answer his question first.

Giulietto Baschi is an Alchemist from the Technical Department of the Academy. He should have reached the Red Robe by now... It's been a while since I talked to him," Roberto was the first to speak, telling what he knew about the man. Carlo perked up, interested in the existence of an Alchemist who conducted research on cadavers despite the risks that could strangle his career.

"Oh... I already like him," he said, nodding a couple of times as a couple of interesting ideas made a visit to his mind. "I really need a person like that. In fact, I'll need him in the next couple of weeks at the most. Do you mind introducing me to him in the coming days?" he asked in closing, with a not very reassuring smile on his face. Needless to say, Roberto immediately responded, "Of course, of course! No problem!" realizing he was in deep trouble with both shoes in the mud and could only do his best not to sink completely.

At that exact moment, Gianpiero jumped in with, "If the difference between a Deviation and a Tribulation is only in the quantity and violence of the Mana involved, does it not mean that it is possible to almost entirely avoid the risks of a Deviation?" This was said immediately after he came out of a meditative trance that had engaged his brain for the previous two or three minutes of chatter between the soft Instructor and the Engineer of future messes.

That remark meant very little to Roberto, who couldn't understand the connection between the two things, but he avoided saying it out loud and kept a neutral expression in the face of doubt. On the contrary, Carlo was a little surprised. He remained silent for a brief moment, just to observe Gianpiero's troubled expression, and then said, "Well, I would say yes. The idea is that in a sense," before placing the bottle on the ground and crossing his arms.

"It should be a simple and common notion, but I also understand why it has been lost over time," Carlo began, knowing he couldn't ask too much of the current inhabitants of the Valley. "I already said it before, right? In cultivation, neither the speed at which results are obtained nor the amount of Mana absorbed matters more than anything else. Rather, the secret to being able to proceed step by step in one's growth lies in the cultivation base."

Carlo, having reached that point, took a moment to remain silent and let Gianpiero think in peace. From his point of view, his talent was mostly mediocre, as were his battle abilities, but that young instructor seemed to be able to reason. And, most importantly, he was showing an interest in studying that shouldn't be underestimated.

In fact, almost proving the expectations of the Alcoholic, Gianpiero began to say, "The cultivation base... The cultivation base... It would make sense, it would make sense. After all, a Tribulation arises when a cultivator tries to do something that goes against the Laws of Heaven. So, could the same be said about a Deviation? Could it be that a Deviation can only appear when one tries to force the growth or use of one's cultivation base?" but he stumbled in some places and stuttered in others, unable to keep up with his thoughts.

Carlo nodded, then picked up the bottle of beer between his fingers. "You're on the right track," he said after taking a sip, clearing his throat before adding, "There are infinite details that make a difference in life between a Cultivator who achieves results and one who doesn't. Avoiding bullshit like taking shortcuts is one of the most basic things for those who are just starting out on their journey. And of course, to do this, it becomes necessary to know both the risks and the consequences of possible choices. Does this seem like a reasonable way of thinking to you?"

While those words were coming from a boy busy drinking his cold beer, kept fresh thanks to the special bottles in which it was bottled, it must be said that even the oldest Instructors of the Academy could find flaws in his way of thinking. Certainly, compared to more technical knowledge, this was a much more basic notion. However, in a world where thanks to one's strength it was possible to flatten mountains and dominate nations, who would seriously prioritize the study and analysis of the most basic notions?

Roberto, for example, just to take an easy prey, had Cultivated following the instructions of the Instructors he had met during his days as a Recruit. His commitment to study could only be defined as average or even below average. Therefore, if he had achieved acceptable results, it was only due to a mixture of luck, external help, and lastly, personal effort. That was why his Cultivation Base had become increasingly unstable and fragile over time and had already blocked his growth for several years now.

Carlo had noticed it since their first meeting and had actually done a couple of things about it without the soft-hearted Instructor even realizing it. He had done it only because he liked him, let it be clear, and it hadn't cost him any effort, let it be clear. In any case, putting aside Alcoholics passing through with a heart of gold, becoming unable to Advance in one's own Cultivation was a common fate for individuals without a good teacher or with too much haste to grow or, worse, both.

Gianpiero, although unaware of his colleague's affairs, still thought about his personal choices since becoming a Cultivator. His thirst for knowledge had always held him back, slowing down the pace at which his cultivation could grow. However, unlike many of his peers at the time, his advancements had always been simple and without great risks. Perhaps it was because...

But before he could come up with an answer, Carlo caught him off guard by saying, "Yes, that's right. Without even realizing it, you were able to build a good cultivation foundation simply by giving it the necessary time. You're a rare case, but it happens occasionally. Let's just say that, unlike the others, you had the patience to place one brick at a time, one on top of the other, rather than doing the same thing with oversized boulders. Of course, the price you're paying for this way of cultivating is only reaching the Seventh Meridian despite your talent being capable of more." This gave Roberto the impression that the two were communicating with each other through their thoughts. He didn't say anything about it though.

That being said, Gianpiero ardently wished to ask one, two, three... ask several questions to the Alcoholic about some doubts that had come to his mind. Things that Gianpiero had put aside or stopped thinking about during his life as a Cultivator. However, before he could start, Carlo signaled both him and Roberto to turn towards the Recruits.

The two did so, not even thinking about going against his orders, albeit for slightly different reasons. And when they did, they noticed for the first time how much World Mana had accumulated around them. Most of it was relatively peaceful in the air, occasionally hovering over the ground before rising towards the clouds and then descending again like a light mist towards the ground.

Even the large amount of Mana was an uncommon phenomenon within the valley, yet it wasn't that which left the two poor Instructors more stunned. With a time gap of a few seconds or minutes from each other, the Recruits had in fact begun to suffer from pains, sometimes short and intense, other times lasting but bearable, before finding themselves forced to vomit dark blood into the bucket kindly provided by Carlo.

The smell that filled the garden was not very pleasant. However, the fact that the boys were all improving their cultivation made everything tolerable; even a hypothetical sight of a naked Roberto could have taken a backseat, and I challenge anyone to define such a phenomenon as commonplace.