Max, on the other hand, was careless about them. He was already used to being quest-grabbing in his past life, which stabilized his financial capability.
At the moment, he was now standing in front of the receptionist, who was deeply shocked by his request.
She stared in long silence for a while and stammered. "Y-You want to spend 90 copper coins for a 9-hour straight inside the mana sensitivity chamber?"
Max nodded. "I didn't stutter."
The receptionist felt embarrassed and coughed.
She asked, "But, sir, I assume you have a 100 copper coins, correct? Why not apply to be a student of sir Arlen Mireth? He's an Archmage and a low-circle imperial mage.
Imperial Mage!
He's simply just assigned here for a mission.
If you become his student, you will have a free 2 hours spot in the mana sensitivity chamber everyday. You can also gain access to the Controlled Mana Circle Room and you will earn a badge that recognizes you as an official mage once you earned a class advancement from him.
Sir, I suggest you think wisely."
Max shook his head. He thought. Unlike others, I don't have a privilege in time. Also, who's to say that I need to spend a hundred copper coins just to be his student?
Isn't there a way that doesn't need money?
As much as Max wanted to explain to her of his decision, he felt it would be a hassle.
He said, "I'm grateful for your suggestion, but please give me a ticket for a 9 hours straight spot in the mana sensitivity chamber."
The receptionist sighed in defeat. She glanced at the pouch on the table and grabbed it. She opened and poured all the copper coins inside the cash drawer and counted it after giving back the empty pouch to Max.
It was exactly ninety copper coins, no more, no less.
Without hesitation, she grabbed a ticket to the mana sensitivity chamber room and wrote 9 hours and the ticket number.
She glanced at Max, opened her palm towards him, and said, "Sir, please."
Max rested his right arm on her open palm as the receptionist wrote the ticket number on his wrist that was quite difficult to erase.
As Max put the pouch on his pocket, which went straight to the inventory, the receptionist called a mage trainee to lead Max to the mana sensitivity chamber.
There was also a mage trainee guarding the mana sensitivity chamber. After Max passed the ticket to him, his eyebrows raised as he glanced at Max filled with surprise.
However, he didn't bother asking since Max didn't seem to entertain any idea of chatting as he allowed him to enter.
The moment Max set foot in the mana sensitivity chamber, the feminine voice echoed in his mind.
[You have gained a passive skill, Mana Sensitivity (Beginner).
Mana Sensitivity (Beginner): you can now detect mana.]
Max smiled. Despite only learning a beginner's proficiency and only having a single description of its effects, the fact that he instantly learned passive skill was already a boon.
He thought. As expected of the mana sensitivity chamber. For nine hours straight, I'll definitely increase my proficiency in mana sensitivity and mana control.
The two important passive skills an aspiring mage must learn was mana sensitivity and mana control. They built the foundation of an aspiring mage, the higher the proficiency the higher the efficiency in spellcasting development when they became a mage.
Max swept his gaze and realized there were three mage trainees meditating. The Archmage was absent, but Max was confident the Archmage would meditate here any time in the span of 9 hours.
He swept his gaze and saw countless magic crystals embedded into the wall and ceiling. The room was also built with materials that contained the mana to prevent it from leaking outside.
That was why, the moment Max entered the room, he instantly learned the mana sensitivity skill as he instantly felt the presence of mana.
Max searched for a spot, an isolated one, near the wall, and sat on a soft meditation mat. He sat in the lotus position and began meditating.
To learn mana control required a basic proficiency in mana sensitivity, so for the next hour and half, Max focused on visualizing the mana on his surroundings.
At first, he could only visualize wisp of white light on his surroundings, and as time passed by, slowly establishing connections with them, he was now able to detect thousands of them in his surroundings.
Eventually, he reached the peak proficiency in beginner level. Now, Max had to perceive internal mana, so that Mana Control training would become possible.
For next half an hour, totaling to two hours of visualizing and meditation, Max successfully increased the beginner proficiency of mana sensitivity to basic level.
[Your mana sensitivity proficiency level increased.
Mana Sensitivity (Basic): You can now sense internal mana, detect nearby mana presence, perceive spells when being cast nearby, possess limited perception of mana density, and vaguely discern magical disturbances.]
Max beamed a smile. He successfully increased the proficiency to basic level in the span of two hours.
He already far surpassed his past life achievement, where it took him a week, five hours in total inside the mana sensitivity chamber.
Now, Max exercised the mana circulation breathing technique. It was to stabilize internal mana flow and synchronize his breathing with mana movement.
Each breathing cycle has four phases.
Max slowly inhaled through his nasal while his focus awareness was on his core mana pool, located at the lower abdomen region. As a result, ambient mana passively drawn towards his body and internal mana begins gentle circulation.
He held his breath for 2 seconds and the mana compressed towards his core mana pool. It improved his mana density and stabilized internal pressure.
He then slowly exhaled through his mouth for four seconds at least as the mana was guided along internal circulation pathways. It strengthened his mana flow channels and prevented mana stagnation.
He then paused for two seconds, causing his breathing to be neutral as he focused on mana completing the circulation cycle. It reinforced his pathway stability, reducing mana leakage.
In total, it took 12 seconds to complete a single breathing cycle.
[You have gained a passive skill, Mana Control (Beginner).
Mana Control (Beginner): You can now control mana inside your body as you have developed and stabilized your core mana pool.]
Max smiled. For the next three hours, Max focused on repeating the mana circulation breathing technique, resting every now and then, until the mana control's proficiency reached the basic rank…