Chapter 68: Transformation
Chapter 68: Transformation
Gleam Castle, Inner Fortress.
In the serene meditation chamber, Xie Man sat cross-legged on the floor with his eyes tightly shut.
Invisible particles of energy, as if drawn by an unseen force, streamed into his body and vanished without a trace.
After about half an hour, Xie Man opened his eyes and let out a long, deep breath.
He stood up, pushed open the door, and stepped outside. Looking at the lush, verdant garden, a fleeting sense of wonder crossed his face.
Ever since the day of the assessment, his life had undergone a dramatic transformation.
A dream he had cherished for over a decade had come true in a single day. He now lived in the castle he had always dreamed of, enjoying the service of servants like a noble, and even receiving a gold coin every month.
During his brief return home, Old Roger had told him that many people had come to inquire about him after he moved into the castle, bringing gifts to curry favor with Old Roger.
Mentioning this, Old Roger had beamed with pride, praising Xie Man for his success.
Seeing Old Roger's joy and satisfaction, Xie Man felt a deep sense of happiness.
But what made him the happiest and most astonished was the knowledge imparted by Lord Su Nan—now his teacher.
A wondrous knowledge called meditation!
After spending twenty-five days successfully mastering the Star Ring Meditation technique, Xie Man had first sensed the energy particles.
Since then, he felt as though he had entered a whole new world.
In just two months of meditation, he had transformed from a frail child into a robust young man.
His once emaciated body, where the ribs were clearly visible, had visibly grown strong and muscular.
According to Lord Amy, he now possessed the physical strength of a sword squire!
Karol, the blacksmith from the Firehammer Forge in the northern part of the city, used to boast about his days as a sword squire.
If Karol knew that a twelve-year-old boy like him already had the strength of a sword squire, would he be so shocked that his jaw would drop to the ground?
Xie Man couldn't help but imagine that scene.
However, he only allowed himself to daydream. He had no time for such thoughts.
After mastering the Star Ring Meditation technique, his teacher officially took him as a student and gave him a stack of books to study diligently, with monthly examinations to assess his progress.
If he performed well, he would receive rewards.
To be honest, the content of those books was incredibly complex and unfamiliar.
Books like Fundamentals of Magic Plants, Cultivation of Magic Plants, Fundamentals of Potions, Biology, Mutations, Principles of Spells, Origins of Wizards—they made Xie Man's head spin.
Although he could read, his skills were limited to everyday reading. Studying these dense tomes was a real challenge for him.
To keep up with his studies, he had to secretly seek help from Lord Amy, at the cost of giving her a half-hour massage every day.
As Xie Man's thoughts wandered, the door to a nearby room suddenly opened, and Athir stepped out.
Seeing Xie Man, Athir's face lit up with a gentle smile. "Just finished meditating?"
"Yep."
Xie Man glanced at the book in Athir's hand and nervously bit his lip.
Today was the monthly examination.
In a little while, their teacher would come to assess their progress for the month.
At such times, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Noticing Xie Man's unease, Athir softly reassured him, "Don't be nervous. You've been working hard, and you'll definitely do well."
Others might not know, but Athir was well aware of how hard Xie Man had been working.
While she and Cole would occasionally take breaks due to the tedium of studying, she had never seen Xie Man take a break.
Every time she saw him, he was always engrossed in his books, studying diligently.
His dedication and unwavering effort earned her deep admiration.
Xie Man might not be as efficient in his studies as she and Cole, but he was certainly not lagging behind in terms of progress.
"Thank you," Xie Man said gratefully, nodding at Athir.
At that moment, the door on the other side of the corridor opened, and Cole emerged.
Seeing Athir and Xie Man standing in the corridor, Cole paused, his gaze sweeping over Xie Man with a slight frown before nodding to Athir and silently walking towards the courtyard entrance.
Xie Man couldn't help but give a wry smile.
Cole had always looked down on his commoner background, and since Xie Man had mastered the Star Ring Meditation technique two days before Cole, the latter seemed even more annoyed. It was as if a competitive spirit had been ignited, and Cole always appeared ready to challenge Xie Man during their knowledge assessments, making Xie Man feel both amused and exasperated.
"Don't worry about it. Cole isn't a bad person, he just has a strong competitive streak," Athir whispered.
Xie Man nodded in understanding. He had seen many nobles with far worse character, and in comparison, Cole was quite decent. At least Cole didn't call him a bastard or a commoner to his face.
Seeing that it was almost time, Athir and Xie Man also moved to the courtyard entrance to prepare for their teacher's arrival.
Soon, the sound of footsteps approached from a distance.
Before long, Su Nan appeared in their line of sight.
"Teacher!"
Xie Man, Cole, and Athir all bowed in unison.
"Hmm."
Su Nan's mental energy spread out, scanning the three of them, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.
"It seems you've all been keeping up with your meditation. Very good."
Hearing Su Nan's praise, the three of them beamed with joy.
"Meow, Su Nan is here!"
Amy suddenly appeared out of nowhere, landing on Su Nan's shoulder. The bell around her neck jingled softly, emitting a pleasant sound.
Xie Man, Cole, and Athir watched this scene with calm expressions. At first, they had been amazed by Amy's ability to teleport through space, but after seeing it so many times, they had grown accustomed to it.
However, there was another presence that still left them unsettled.
As if on cue, a massive figure appeared silently before them. The black and red scales and sharp claws glistened in the sunlight, exuding a chilling and primal aura that made Xie Man, Cole, and Athir instinctively tense up.
By the gods, they had never seen such a terrifying beast before!
The first time they saw the true form of the Hidden Dragon, they had almost fallen to the ground in shock.
The Hidden Dragon ignored the three younglings, letting out a low hiss as it moved closer to Su Nan.
Su Nan stroked the rough head of the Hidden Dragon and said with a smile, "Have you been running around outside the city again?"
Hidden Dragon: "Hiss!"
Amy: "Meow, I'm not afraid to go out alone. I just brought you along because I thought you were bored here!"
Hidden Dragon: "Hiss!"
Amy: "What's so great about sleeping all day? You're not a real dragon, so why do you act like one?"
Su Nan chuckled and interrupted the cat and lizard's argument.
"The base outside the city is ready. I've prepared a place for you there. It's more spacious, and you can move in if you like."
The Hidden Dragon didn't have any objections.
Amy, however, glanced at Xie Man, Cole, and Athir. "Meow, what about them?"
Su Nan looked at his three students and said, "Once they complete the knowledge I've assigned them, they can move into the base."
After a moment's hesitation, Amy shook her head. "I'll stay here for now, meow."
Su Nan gave Amy a deep look and nodded without saying more.
After waking up from a thousand-year slumber, Amy had found that her master and friends were all gone, leaving her almost completely alone in this world. Apart from Su Nan and the Hidden Dragon, the only ones she could really connect with were Xie Man, Cole, and Athir, the new wizard apprentices.
Because of this, when Su Nan was often busy and not around, Amy preferred to spend time with the three of them.
Thank you, shikong2333, for the support!
(End of Chapter)
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