Free Web NovelChapter 42: Echoes of the Past (1)
Silas was far too excited to leave the Time Mind World early.
After testing several ideas that had come to him during meditation, using the help of what Cher had left behind on the paper, he had already devised a few new tactics to suggest to his teammates. As for his discovery regarding the three individuals who seemed to hold secrets about their abilities, he decided to keep that knowledge to himself for now and pretend ignorance until he understood more.
Standing beside his Mana Ball, he waited for the pulses to fade.
The sphere slowly expanded and contracted by a few centimetres with each cycle. The movement was subtle enough to escape casual notice, but after staring at it for hours, Silas could not miss it.
Eventually, the ball finished digesting all the Mana he had absorbed. The moment the pulses ceased, Silas sat down and entered meditation once more.
As expected, the Mana Ball was hungry again. This time, he focused entirely on the channels running through his body.
’Just as I thought.’
’The channels haven’t changed at all.’
Though he had secretly hoped that his unusual method of meditation would not only increase his Mana reserves but also strengthen his Mana channels, reality proved otherwise. The channels remained as thin and few as before.
’Looks like I’ll have to visit Laros after all.’
The thought left him somewhat disappointed. He had no desire to leave the Time Mind World anytime soon. If possible, he would have remained there indefinitely, absorbing Mana and growing stronger.
Unfortunately, wishing did not change reality. Leaving the Mana Ball to digest its latest meal, Silas rose from the bathtub.
"It’s early in the morning?"
The realisation startled him.
He had spent so much time inside the Time Mind World that he had completely lost track of reality. Curious, he began estimating how long he had remained there. He used two complete meditation sessions, spending several hours waiting for the Mana Ball to digest Mana, not to mention the additional time exploring the world and experimenting with his teammates’ abilities.
After a rough calculation, he finally arrived at a conclusion.
"It seems time flows about one and a half times faster in there."
A grin spread across his face. That meant every night offered him significantly more training time than anyone else. For someone wanting to grow stronger, it was an invaluable advantage.
The discovery put him in an excellent mood as he left the dormitory. It was only seven in the morning, leaving five hours before his scheduled meeting with his teammates. Even though it was the weekend, they had little time to waste.
Fortunately, finding Laros proved easy.
After asking the wristwatch-supported AI assistant for directions, Silas followed the provided route. Even so, the journey took nearly an hour.
The teachers lived in a secluded compound far from the classrooms and training grounds. Each occupied a spacious two-story villa complete with a private garden and swimming pool.
Silas found himself staring at the scene he had found once arriving there. Having spent his entire life within the walls of an orphanage, he had never seen such luxury up close. For the first time since becoming an Enhancer, he truly understood how dramatically his life had changed.
Perhaps the realisation had been delayed by the whirlwind of events following Enhancement Day. Perhaps it was because he had never witnessed the lifestyle of successful Enhancers firsthand.
Either way, the thought struck him now.
’I really was lucky.’
Looking up at the brown sky and the distant blue sun, he silently imagined what his life would have been if he had failed the Enhancement Test. The answer made him appreciate his fortune even more.
Eventually, he arrived at Laros’s villa.
Ding!
Silas rang the bell and waited.
"Oh, it’s you."
The front door opened.
Laros emerged wearing casual clothes, and beside him stood a breathtakingly beautiful woman with her arms draped around his shoulders.
Silas froze the moment he saw this totally unexpected scene.
’I picked the worst possible time to visit.’
Unfortunately, retreat was no longer an option, as Laros was already walking over and then opened the gate.
Meanwhile, Silas’s eyes wandered toward the garden. The woman casually slipped off her light coat and dove into the pool wearing nothing but a bikini.
"What brings you here on a weekend?"
Laros cleared his throat, successfully dragging Silas’s attention away. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Silas hurried to explain.
"Well... I kept thinking about our conversation regarding meditation methods."
He paused to gather his thoughts.
"I want to learn the method that focuses on the mind and body."
Laros blinked.
"You came all the way here for that?"
Silas nodded.
"On a weekend?"
The teacher looked genuinely astonished before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"Come in."
He pushed the gate open wider.
"I can’t believe I found such a gem among this year’s students. Most people would have waited for the next class. You couldn’t even wait two days."
His cheerful attitude quickly erased Silas’s embarrassment.
Following Laros inside, Silas discovered that his luxurious dormitory looked positively modest compared to this villa. Everything radiated wealth and refinement.
Still, he forced himself to focus.
Laros led him into a spacious hall covered in wooden flooring. Aside from a few meditation mats and softly glowing lamps, the room was empty. Heavy curtains blocked out the sunlight, creating a calm and tranquil atmosphere.
"Ordinarily, I wouldn’t teach a second meditation method this soon."
Laros sat cross-legged on one of the mats.
"But seeing how eager you are, I suppose I can make an exception."
Without further delay, he demonstrated the technique.
His posture differed from the first meditation. Rather than resting his hands on his knees, he folded them before his abdomen, fingers forming a specific arrangement. His breathing remained slow and steady, though each pause between breaths lasted noticeably longer.
Silas observed every detail. Unfortunately, his Time Mind World offered no additional insights.
After several minutes, Laros opened his eyes.
"That’s it."
Then he motioned to Silas to repeat what he had shown just now. And Silas immediately copied the posture.
Yet, his first few attempts were clumsy, particularly when positioning his hands, but with Laros’s guidance, he eventually got everything right.
The moment he closed his eyes, the world changed. If the first meditation had connected him to the vastness of existence of Gaia and Mana, this one turned inward. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
All of sudden, memories surfaced one after another.
