[Forward Operating Hub · Fortress City Vorig]
The next morning—
The teacher and student pair left the city together. After exiting through the opposite gate, an endless field stretched out before them.
Bathed in the gentle morning sunlight, Gut stretched his arms wide and arched his back with a long yawn.
After last night's joyful rest at the inn, both Serie and Gut felt incredibly refreshed.
Their minds and bodies were energized—perfect for a long journey.
Waiting ahead, the carriage driver had already parked their wagon at the prearranged meeting spot. When the two arrived, he was still munching on a piece of bread by the driver's bench.
"Morning, old man!"
Gut greeted him with a smile as he and his teacher climbed aboard.
Hearing his employer's call, the driver chomped down the last half of his bread in a single gulp, brushed off his hands, and responded with a grin.
Once the two were seated, the driver lowered the curtain and took hold of the reins. With a gentle tug, he signaled the horses to move.
The horses, receiving the command, trotted forward at a brisk pace.
Inside the carriage—
As the wagon rolled steadily, Gut scooted closer to the window, watching the passing farmland scenery roll slowly behind them.
Perhaps because summer had passed and autumn was approaching, the fields were already showing signs of a good harvest.
The golden sunlight poured over the yellow-green crops, and the breeze created a rolling "wave" across the fields—a resonance of magic.
This was nature's magic—
[The Magic That Ends Hunger].
After soaking in the sights for a good while, Gut, in a content mood, suddenly felt a wave of inspiration.
Moved by a divine flash of insight, he immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.
On the opposite side of the carriage, Serie, who was holding her Spell book, suddenly paused mid-turn of a page and glanced over at her meditating disciple.
"This surge in magical fluctuation…"
"How interesting."
...
No one knew how much time had passed.
As Gut became aware that he was meditating, he moved to open his eyes.
But just then, a warm hand pressed down over his forehead, gently covering his eyes and stopping him from doing so.
"Keep meditating. Let your thoughts sink deeper. Don't interrupt the process."
"Okay."
Though his awareness was still a little fuzzy, Gut clearly recognized Serie's voice.
So, as instructed, he relaxed his tense nerves and let his thoughts descend again—maintaining the meditative state.
And just before his mind fully submerged, his last conscious thought was...
Being touched by the teacher like this... it actually feels pretty good... kind of... too comfortable to want to open my eyes...
Inside the carriage—
Serie stood still, maintaining her posture.
Gentle magical light shimmered at her jade-like fingertips, soothing her student's mind and calming his spirit—guiding him back into the earlier meditation rhythm.
Yet her expression grew more astonished.
"To achieve that level of magical growth through enlightenment alone is already incredible."
"But the depth of soul energy I'm sensing as I soothe him... What kind of monster is this disciple of mine?"
No one knew how much more time passed—
By the time Gut's awareness returned, the hand on his face no longer blocked him. He opened his eyes freely.
Because a person's spiritual strength has its limits—or rather, the daily potential for expanding one's mana has a ceiling.
No matter the being—human, elf, or demon—even the Demon King cannot break that rule.
Of course, based on magical research and calculations—
Even someone who meditated 24 hours a day non-stop would likely never reach that daily cap.
In fact, no recorded case has ever reached more than half of that theoretical maximum.
But Gut, who had just maxed out his daily mana expansion, was something Serie had never seen before.
Opening his eyes, Gut rubbed the corner of his eye—dislodging a big lump of eye gunk.
He flicked it out the window, then looked at his teacher in front of him.
From Serie's expression, he could tell something was wrong. Concerned, he quickly asked,
"Teacher, are you feeling unwell?"
Serie: "...."
After a moment of hesitation, she replied, "I've been standing too long. My legs are numb. Help me sit down."
"Alright."
Gut stepped forward and let her lean against him.
Seeing this, Serie began to shift her weight toward her student—
Only to suddenly find herself lifted off the ground.
"Mm…"
Though unexpected, this wasn't bad—saved her the pain of walking on numb legs.
Maybe it was her elf dullness, or just her teacherly mindset, but Serie didn't find the act inappropriate—just surprising.
After gently setting his teacher down, Gut returned to his seat and began assessing his changes.
In terms of power:
This extended meditation had significantly boosted his mana—by a full 30%.
At this point, even if he wanted to suppress his overflowing aura, it was impossible.
Just thinking about holding it in made even more magic leak out.
It was like trying to hold in gas while bloated—or worse, with diarrhea.
Gut felt like his whole body was filled to the brim with mana—his entire being had become the shape of magic.
As for his mind:
Unlike regular meditation that drains focus, this enlightening session had been a passive growth process. His spirit wasn't exhausted—it had actually been deeply refreshed.
It felt like he had just woken up from the most luxurious nap imaginable.
No exaggeration—
Hand him a phone now, and he could grind from Rank 1200 to 2100 in Arena without feeling sleepy.
After several deep breaths and taking time to adjust, Gut finally acclimated to his new state.
Then, he turned his gaze toward his teacher—who was now slumped over the carriage bench, fingers limp, not even wanting to move.
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Powerstones?
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