Free Web NovelChapter 41: A Speck in the Ocean
At first, Silas felt nothing unusual. He slipped into meditation and was greeted by the same tranquillity he had always found within the Time Mind World.
However, after a few breaths, something changed.
With every inhale and exhale, it felt as though his body was dissolving, its boundaries blurring until his entire existence merged with the Time Mind World itself.
His consciousness drifted deeper and deeper until it fused with something he had never realised was so immense. It was an ellipsoid sphere, resembling the egg of some colossal being.
Yet the moment the merge was complete, his perception shifted.
The enormous existence that had seemed so vast moments ago rapidly shrank. It was not because his meditation was affecting it, but because he had established a connection with something far greater.
The instant he merged with the Time Mind World, he also touched the world beyond it. Compared to that boundless existence, the gigantic sphere became nothing more than a tiny speck drifting helplessly in an endless ocean.
Never before had Silas felt so small. He had often heard people describe Eldrune as vast, but only now did he truly understand what they meant.
As his breathing remained steady and his meditation deepened, he could sense the Time Mind World’s sphere slowly expanding. The growth was subtle, almost imperceptible, yet it was undeniably there.
The feeling did not end there. The moment he connected to the world, a profound sense of perfection washed over him. He felt stronger than ever before, as though nothing could threaten him and nothing could disturb his peace.
Not even the Shadowheart could terrorise him now. Yet eventually, he encountered a limit.
Silas did not know how much time had passed since starting to meditate, but as the sphere continued to grow, it finally reached some sort of resistance. The pleasant sensation faded, replaced by a faint ache.
It reminded him of a rubber band stretched beyond its limits. He could not explain how he knew, but he was certain that if he continued pushing forward, the sphere would eventually burst.
And if that happened, he would lose everything.
’Phew... that was something.’
He immediately ended the meditation. When he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar clarity lingered within him. He felt stronger somehow, though he could not explain exactly why.
Raising his head, he inspected the faint white sphere floating nearby. And a pleasant surprise awaited him. He circled it several times, making sure his eyes were not deceiving him.
’Before, its radius was half a meter. Now it’s grown by nearly ten centimetres.’
The improvement was small, yet he could not help feeling satisfied.
’I finally have a way to increase the amount of Mana inside my body.’
The realisation filled him with excitement. Other Enhancers could absorb Mana directly from crystals, but he had always struggled to increase the Mana stored within his Mana Heart. He never thought this point of comparison mattered to him this much.
Now he finally possessed a method.
’Even if it’s slow, progress is still progress.’
He recalled Laros’ advice regarding meditation. Growth in meditation was never explosive. It was slow, steady, and reliable. The more effort one invested, the stronger one became in the long run.
’I never slacked off this past week, and I won’t start now.’
Silas looked at the slightly larger, brighter sphere with a sense of pride.
’Now I can truly consider my Mana Heart a mutation.’
Thinking about this made him recall how he answered his teammates recently about his mutation. That thought immediately brought Cher’s face to mind, the weird look and that faint blush she showed when she heard his excuse.
Before the distraction could take root, he shook his head and pushed it away.
’Speaking of mutations...’
Silas recalled something he had read in one book of the academy library.
Mutations did not merely grant abilities. As the Core transformed a human body, it also created Mana channels, allowing Mana to flow through otherwise incompatible bodies. The book had emphasised how important those channels were. Without them, humans could never become Enhancers.
Trying to remember more, Silas sifted through his memories. The details were vague, but one point remained clear. As Enhancers advanced through the ranks, their Mana channels became stronger, wider, and more efficient.
’I have a Mana Heart and can absorb Mana from the world now. But I don’t have proper Mana channels.’
During meditation, he had briefly sensed his own body before merging with the world. What he felt had troubled him. Tiny, thread-like pathways surrounded his Mana Heart, circulating Mana through an extremely limited area.
He knew little about Mana channels, but he doubted that an Enhancer of his grade should possess so few. He started to grow a feeling that he should have many more of these channels, much bigger and thicker than what he had now.
’I need to find a way to develop them.’
Unfortunately, when he presented the problem to the Time Mind World, nothing happened. Minutes passed in silence, and yet the world didn’t give him any scenario or hints about the solution.
’This is strange.’
A frown appeared on his face.
’This is the first time the Time Mind World has failed to provide an answer. Is it because I don’t understand the problem well enough?’
He could not tell. Still, if the Time Mind World could not help him, he would have to find the answer himself. After all, he had a strong feeling that without improving his Mana channels, he would never reach his full potential.
For a fleeting moment, he stole a glance at the direction he came from, where the Shadowheart was floating in peace. He knew this peace wouldn’t last for long. Once that beast opened its crimson eyes, hell would descend upon him again.
The urge to grow stronger was only intensified by this thought. And fear just ignited his determination further.
After thinking for a while, he finally arrived at a decision.
’Laros mentioned there are different forms of meditation. What I learned was only the most basic one.’
He recalled one particular example the teacher had mentioned.
’A meditation technique that allows a person to explore their own body and mind... perhaps that’s what I need.’
The idea was little more than a guess, but it was the best lead he had. So he decided that tomorrow, he would seek Laros out and ask him for guidance.
Even if it was the weekend.
’A teacher wouldn’t refuse a student’s curiosity, right?’
With a plan in mind, Silas set the matter aside. Since he was already inside the Time Mind World, he decided to reflect on his teammates’ performances.
He had never had the chance to analyse them using the Time Mind World, and part of him hoped that studying Cher’s ability might inspire something at his Raven.
Unfortunately, simply recalling the battle produced none of the sensations he had experienced while witnessing it firsthand.
’It seems enlightenment only comes through direct experience.’ fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
The realisation disappointed him. Cher’s ability was powerful enough to make anyone envious.
’If I can’t gain inspiration from it, then there’s no point wasting time on doing it. I should focus on understanding my teammates better instead.’
This time, the Time Mind World responded immediately. Four dark silhouettes appeared before him, each resembling one of his teammates. The shadows began reenacting the abilities they had displayed during training.
As Silas observed them, something quickly became apparent: several of them had been holding back. The shadows performed actions he had never seen their real counterparts execute.
’Cher is definitely hiding something.’
Her shadow manipulated the beams in ways that went far beyond simple destruction, bending, splitting, and reshaping them with alarming precision. Not to mention, he felt the destructive beam wasn’t the only type of beam her ability could emit.
’Alfred too.’
The shadow covered in scales absorbed the force of incoming attacks before redirecting that energy offensively. Again, it was not particularly shocking. He barely knew Alfred in the first place. And yet he started to grow curious when he recalled Cher’s remarks about his Dragon Scales and their connection with the Ashbornes.
The real surprises came from the remaining two. Once he realised Cher and Alfred were holding back, he grew suspicious about one more.
’Lara...’
Silas watched carefully, expecting hidden tricks to emerge. Yet, none did. The shadow fought exactly as Lara had fought during training. There were no secret techniques. No concealed abilities. Oddly enough, that honesty was surprising in itself. He suspected she would be holding back part of her real powers, just like her friend did.
But the greatest shock belonged to Darius.
As the shadow moved, it displayed abilities Silas had never seen his oldest friend use before. Silas kept watching Darius’ shadow a bit longer. Then, a slow smile appeared on his face.
’Darius...’
’What exactly have you been hiding from me?’
