Morning light filtered dimly through the wooden house Im had built, casting soft shadows across the floor. Leon stood before Im, his posture straight. "Master, I've mastered meditation."
Nearly a month had passed since his first successful meditation. He'd actually grown proficient a week earlier, but he'd practiced for extra days to solidify his foundation. Now, he could meditate in any position: cross-legged, seated on a stool, lying down, even upside down.
Only upside-down meditation ended abruptly—he'd relax mid-trance, lose his balance, and crash to the floor, breaking the spell.
Im stared at him, dumbfounded. "Why on earth would you meditate upside down?" His gaze seemed to bore into Leon's skull, as if searching for sense.
"I just wanted to try," Leon said, innocent. "I didn't expect it to work."
Im sighed. "Very well. Since you can meditate upside down, I'll teach you to condense mana. Remember the tranquility rune I gave you?"
Leon nodded.
"Condensing mana works similarly," Im explained. "You engrave a mana-gathering rune in your mental sea. Once it's in place, you'll absorb free mana from the world. When your mental sea is full, a ritual will stir a mana vortex, purifying your mana—and you'll become an official mage."
Leon leaned forward. "Are these runes important? Which one is the best?"
"They matter, but don't overthink it," Im said. "Different runes have different effects: some speed up mana gathering, others boost recovery, some enhance spell power, and a rare few leak mana to strengthen your body and magic resistance. But apprentice mental strength is limited—complex runes are impossible to meditate with."
He paused. "The most widely used runes have been optimized for decades—small differences, but nothing game-changing. Though legend says prestigious academies or legendary mages' disciples have exclusive runes with multiple benefits."
Leon's eyes lit up. "Does our academy have one? Ours must be good, right?"
"We do—passed down from the founding dean," Im said. "It's called the Blazing Sun Rune. Paired with the Blazing Sun Meditation Technique, it boosts fire magic power and control, strengthens your body, and grants near-immunity to common toxins. Even rare poisons are weakened."
"That's amazing! It's like a poison shield," Leon said. "Can I learn it?" It sounded suspiciously like the "Nine Yang Divine Skill" from his past-life novels.
Im shook his head. "No. No one can meditate with it anymore."
"Why?" Leon asked, fearing it was restricted to elites.
"Back then, magic relied on talent—no apprentices, only full mages. Mages engraved complete spells in their mental sea, not simplified runes. Later, people realized the flaw and streamlined runes to their basics—only mana-gathering, no extra effects. Simpler runes are easier to master and more compatible."
"Compatible?"
"Runes must match meditation techniques for maximum effect. Some runes lock you into one technique forever. Universal runes let you switch. For apprentices, the extra benefits of special runes aren't worth the restriction—you'd gain more from a good magical item."
Im turned his back. "Leon, the point is this:"
Leon straightened, listening intently.
"I only have basic runes. You don't have a choice."
Leon felt like he'd been punched in the gut. A tiny, frustrated version of himself screamed in his mind: "Why did you ramble on for ages just to say I have no choice?!"
Im handed him three runes, their patterns slightly different. "Warmth Rune—boosts mana recovery, simplified from a Tier 2 spell. Focus Rune—allegedly speeds up mana gathering, but unproven. Minimalist Rune—no effects, but compatible with any technique."
After thinking, Leon chose the Minimalist Rune. If all basic runes were similar, he'd pick the most flexible—maybe it was a hidden gem, like the unassuming "Wild Fist" from novels.
Im taught him the Universal Meditation Technique—simple, reliable. Leon engraved the rune in his mental sea effortlessly. He felt mana swirling around him, drawn to the rune.
He was finally a magic apprentice—no longer ordinary. His dream of the extraordinary had taken its first real step.