Chapter 217 - 216: Heart Sleep
"A sword made entirely of Star Meteorite Wood... how much would that cost?"
Zelir was silent for a moment.
He compared the size of Night Peace to the Fine Steel Longsword.
The latter was at least four or five times the size of the former.
’Just based on the cost of the raw materials, how much more would that be...’
Besides, an ordinary Blacksmith Shop couldn’t possibly forge a special material like Star Meteorite Wood into a sword.
You’d have to find a top-tier artisan to custom-make it, and the labor fee... would undoubtedly be astronomical.
With all that calculated, Zelir wouldn’t be surprised if the final price reached thousands of Gold Coins.
And this Fine Steel Longsword only costs Five Gold Coins.
That’s a cost difference of roughly two hundred times.
HISS...
’Enchanted Weapons really aren’t something the average person can afford.’
’Even a wealthy Mage would have to think twice.’
"Based on all of the above—the high cost, low cost-effectiveness, and poor applicability—basically no Mages pursue the path of Enchanted Weapons..."
"If there are, they would be an exception among exceptions."
Mage Haddley said, "As for Enchantment Magic... as far as I know, it’s not among the types of magic currently in circulation."
"Of course, it’s not impossible that such magic has been passed down from some ancient ruins. The world is a big place, after all. Perhaps someone in the past researched it, but I wouldn’t know about that."
"Alright... I understand."
Zelir finally understood why no Mages studied Enchantment Magic.
It truly held no practical value for them.
But inside, Zelir still held on to a sliver of hope.
’The conditions were harsh, but there was still a slim chance of success.’
’Money could be earned. Even though Enchanted Weapons were expensive, he could save up for them if he had enough time.’
’As for the missing Magic...’
’If worse comes to worst, he could just hire a research-focused Mage in the future to develop it for him.’
’He’d take it slow and wait until the conditions were right.’
"Alright, you helped me test the Magic today. As promised, it’s time I taught you Heart Sleep."
Mage Haddley and Zelir returned to the room.
From under a desk piled high with manuscripts, she pulled out a wide, folding bench.
With a CLACK, she unfolded it flat, turning it into a bed. There was even a pillow tucked inside.
’Looks like Mage Haddley sleeps on this often.’
"Lie down," Mage Haddley gestured.
"Oh..."
Zelir obediently did as he was told, adjusting his position.
’I have to say, it’s pretty soft.’
Mage Haddley stood by Zelir’s head, her arms crossed, looking down at him.
"Do you know anything about Heart Sleep?"
"Uh... I’ve read a little about it. It’s a technique that lets you perform Meditation while you sleep, right?" Zelir asked.
"That’s right."
Mage Haddley nodded.
"When you Meditate this way, you still wake up full of energy, and it doesn’t affect your daytime activities. This gives a Mage the time and energy to do other things."
"And in terms of efficiency, the improvement from Heart Sleep is about the same as with normal Meditation."
"Some diligent Mages even perform Heart Sleep at night and then Meditate again during the day to achieve double the improvement. It’s just very tiring."
"Doing nothing but Meditating all day..." Zelir frowned slightly.
"Well, they can endure the solitude."
"Are there any prerequisites for mastering Heart Sleep? Like, do you have to be a Junior Mage?" Zelir asked.
"Of course. There are roughly two ways."
Mage Haddley pushed up her glasses and replied.
"The first is the most straightforward method. As your Magic Power Strength and Magic Manipulation Level improve, you gradually come to understand the essence of Meditation and slowly figure out the technique for Heart Sleep on your own."
"Generally, there’s no specific threshold for this process, but most Mages I’ve seen only master Heart Sleep after becoming a Middle Level Mage."
"The second method is more special... It’s for Mages who are versed in Spirit Magic. They can learn to master Heart Sleep much more quickly."
"Because at its core, Heart Sleep is a technique that links the Spirit to one’s sea of consciousness. Mages who can use Spirit Magic have a unique, innate advantage in this area."
"They might grasp Heart Sleep much earlier—for instance, as a Magic Apprentice or a Junior Mage—allowing them to speed up their cultivation and get way ahead of everyone else."
"Someone like you, who can use Spirit Magic and is a very powerful Junior Mage, falls into that second category. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you to master."
"So that’s how it is..." Zelir murmured, lost in thought.
’It made sense when he thought about it. A Mage who could use Spirit Magic would certainly find it easier to learn Heart Sleep.’
"Alright, that’s enough theory."
Mage Haddley clapped her hands lightly. "Now, enter a state of Meditation."
Zelir cleared his mind.
He closed his eyes, emptied his thoughts, and began to guide his Spiritual Power, letting it slowly sink.
Just then, a warm palm rested on Zelir’s forehead.
An external spiritual energy carefully seeped into Zelir’s sea of consciousness.
"Don’t be nervous."
Mage Haddley’s voice was like a soft whisper.
"This is a spell that helps me better understand the state of your sea of consciousness. Just relax."
"Mm..." Zelir responded.
A notification also popped up on the data panel.
Spirit Link, analysis progress—3%.
After emptying his thoughts, Zelir felt his consciousness drift free from the confines of his body.
In his mind’s eye, he saw the scene within his sea of consciousness.
The Spring Seed shone as brilliantly as a star, illuminating the vast, boundless cosmos of his sea of consciousness.
The essence of Meditation was to continuously control his Magic Power, repeatedly tempering it around the Spring Seed in an endless cycle.
"Now... begin the tempering," Mage Haddley’s voice sounded.
But she hadn’t spoken aloud; the voice resounded directly in Zelir’s consciousness.
’It must be the effect of the Spirit Link Magic.’
Magic Power surged forth, and Zelir began to guide it in orbit around the Spring Seed.
"Do you remember the step I taught you when you were inscribing the Scroll, about combining your Magic Power and Spiritual Power?"
Mage Haddley guided him gently. "Try it again now."
"Okay..." Zelir replied in his consciousness as well.
As he skillfully fused the two forms of Power, Zelir was suddenly struck by a peculiar sensation.
It was as if he no longer needed to actively manipulate his Magic Power for the tempering; his Spiritual Power was guiding the process automatically.
"Very good..."
Mage Haddley’s voice was filled with praise. "You’re getting the hang of this even faster than I expected."
"This is the key to Heart Sleep: turning the active process of Meditation into a passive one, guided by your subconscious."
"Once you’ve mastered it, your Spiritual Power will continue this process for you even while you’re dreaming."