12 Trouble
Chapter 12 Trouble
Meditation is no simple matter.
Link's effortless mastery of the first level of meditation on his very first attempt, achieving a leap from the mortal to the extraordinary, is truly astonishing.
The wizarding world is vast and its history long; naturally, others have accomplished such feats.
But for it to happen to Link—a newcomer from the Storm Sea—is particularly remarkable.
Link didn't want to invite trouble, and despite his inner joy, he didn't intend to flaunt it.
He didn't plan to tell anyone!
Exiting meditation, Link discovered his sea of consciousness had drastically changed.
From bottom to top, it was divided into three layers.
At the bottom was the reflection of the Memory Library in the lake; in the middle was the Memory Library itself; and at the top was an equilateral triangle of runes suspended above the lake.
The boundaries were blurred, yet the layers were distinct and naturally harmonious.
The equilateral triangle of runes constructed by meditation and the mental palace constructed by "Brain Closure" coexisted harmoniously within his sea of consciousness.
A sudden inspiration struck Link: a thought that might conceal his status as a first-class wizard apprentice.
However, this cannot be implemented immediately.
Constructing runes through meditation consumes mental energy.
Each rune requires at least 5 standard units of mental energy.
That means Link's innate mental energy is 17, and with the help of "Brain Occupation," he can construct runes almost without damage, allowing him to master the first level of the "Water and Wood Mutual Generation Meditation Method" in one go.
Now, Link needs ample sleep to restore his mental energy.
Getting up from the floor, he dragged his tired body into the bedroom and fell asleep immediately.
He slept soundly and deeply.
Upon waking, Link felt refreshed and invigorated.
Without rushing to wash up, Link lay in bed and activated "Brain Occupation" to enter his sea of consciousness. He attempted to project the equilateral triangle of the rune onto the lake's surface, creating a reflection.
What was originally just an attempt,
something to be happy about if it succeeded, and not to be discouraged if it failed, unexpectedly succeeded on the first try. Suppressing his excitement, Link made the reflection of the equilateral triangle of runes real, then concealed his true form above the lake.
This way, as long as Link himself didn't reveal himself, at least the new recruits wouldn't be able to detect the changes happening to him.
As for the academy's instructors, Link wasn't sure if the formal wizards could detect it.
But he wasn't particularly afraid.
It wasn't anything shameful, right?
...
It was Sunday morning.
Another new day.
Yesterday, Saturday, Link had a very fulfilling day, meditating during the day and sleeping at night, reaping a great deal.
After washing up, Link thought for a moment and decided to go to the library to study.
All his previous accumulation had been exhausted when he mastered the first level of the "Water and Wood Mutual Generation Meditation Method."
To master the second level of the meditation method and advance to a second-class wizard apprentice, his mental strength needed to be above 30, and the more knowledge related to "Runeology," the better.
This didn't even include the study of witchcraft.
A first-class wizard apprentice can master 1 to 10 zero-ring spells.
The essence of witchcraft is that the wizard controls their own magic power through mental strength, combining their will and knowledge to construct a magical model. This model is then used to manipulate vast amounts of free magic in the external world, thereby influencing and altering reality.
The construction of a magical model is far more complex and profound than meditation; it's not merely about the connection and relationship between runes, but also about the connections and feedback between people and objects, objects and objects, people and nature, and nature and people.
In all these aspects, Link needs a considerable amount of time to accumulate knowledge.
The sea of knowledge is boundless
…
In the library, Link had barely sat down when Jasmine arrived.
"Link, Link..."
Jasmine wasn't there to study; she called out to Link immediately, waving her little hand in front of his face several times.
Link put down his pen, looked up at Jasmine, and asked softly, "What's up?"
"Stop reading all day, come out and play with me!"
Jasmine smiled ingratiatingly, using her usual cutesy charm.
"Let's talk outside."
Link glanced around, noticing the crowded reading room, and not wanting to disturb others, stood up and gestured for Jasmine to follow.
Finding a corner in the spacious hall outside the reading room, Link asked, "What activity are you planning to participate in this time?"
Jasmine giggled and replied, "I joined the 'New Blood Mutual Aid Association,' and they're having a picnic and social gathering on the south lawn by the lake today."
Link coldly refused, "I'm not interested in any mutual aid associations. I'm not going."
With that, Link turned and left.
Endless knowledge beckoned him; he had no time for playing house with the deceptive "New Blood Mutual Aid Society." Wouldn't it be better to spend that time reading and studying?
"Link..."
Jasmine suddenly grabbed Link's right hand, her soft little hands gripping his palm tightly, shaking it back and forth, pleading and acting cute, "Oh, please, come with me, please! Just come with me, I'm a little scared to go alone, and if something happens, no one will be there to help me."
Seeing the blonde, blue-eyed girl, relying on her youthful appearance, acting without any affectation, displaying her charming and adorable coquettishness, Link unleashed the wisdom of his "Brain Closure Technique," cutting away any slight agitation in his emotions.
A vixen, disturbing my resolve!
Three years at the very least, death penalty at the maximum.
However, safety was indeed a concern.
At these kinds of gatherings, young people, drunk and intoxicated, were prone to assaults.
Out of concern for his fellow townsman becoming a victim of such an incident, Link sighed and reluctantly agreed.
"Alright, I'll go with you this once. Don't do it again."
Upon hearing this, Jasmine cheered excitedly, "Haha, you agreed! That's so rare! I knew Link was the best!"
It turns out, girls' competitiveness is no less than boys'.
For the past two weeks, Jasmine had repeatedly tried to drag Link along to explore the college and participate in recreational activities, but had been refused each time.
Jasmine wasn't discouraged; instead, her fighting spirit soared.
Today, Jasmine only needed to use a little coquetry to win Link over. She was happy, she was proud!
Men, humph!
That's all they are.
Link calmly watched Jasmine's celebration.
After packing up their books and putting them back in their dorm, Link accompanied Jasmine, who had followed him from the library to the dorm building, towards the south lawn by the lake.
The south lawn was quite large; the "New Blood Mutual Aid Association's" picnic only occupied a small corner.
Jasmine was quite popular; as soon as they arrived at the picnic area, several girls pulled her over, and they started chatting excitedly.
Link took a glass of sparkling wine from the towering wine tower and leisurely sipped it, his eyes constantly glancing at Jasmine.
Such lively gatherings were indeed prone to some unspeakable incidents.
It should be noted that the "New Blood Mutual Aid Society" was a long-established organization, containing not only freshmen but also a large number of upperclassmen who had been there for two or three years.
"You're Link Grand?"
Suddenly, a tall, burly man approached Link directly and said coldly,
"Stay away from Jasmine Kidman from now on