Chapter 203 - 202: Heart Sleep
A peculiar atmosphere began to permeate the air between them.
Mage Hedley’s expression tensed slightly.
She felt a gentle Spiritual Power brush against her mind.
Then, before she even realized it, the look of distaste on her face gradually softened until it completely disappeared.
After that, her red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Moreover, her gaze on Zelir turned somewhat dazed... and the corners of her lips uncontrollably curled upward into a faint, dopey grin.
’Why...’
’My mind is telling me to ’hate him,’ but my senses and emotions have already betrayed me.’
’Why do his eyes seem so captivating...?’
’Not black, not blue, but a gentle chestnut...’
’Like a sea of clouds, illuminated by the first glimmer of dawn before the sun has fully risen.’
’And his face...’
’I feel... I just can’t get enough of him.’
’Zelir seems to be waving and saying something to me, but it doesn’t matter.’
’I want to get closer.’
’I want to get even closer.’
And so, Mage Hedley’s body did just that, closing the distance between them.
’He smells so good, too...’
"Whoa—Mage Hedley, wait!" Zelir shouted.
But Mage Hedley remained unfazed, continuing to approach him.
’Is the effect really this potent? She has to be acting, right?’
The corner of Zelir’s eye twitched slightly.
He’d been waving his hands, trying to get Mage Hedley to calm down.
But Mage Hedley, with her face lost in a blissful stupor, was completely deaf to his words.
All other emotion had vanished from her beautiful pink eyes, leaving only his reflection.
Just as Mage Hedley looked ready to pounce on him, Zelir quickly took a step back.
’This can’t go on... things are about to get messy.’
Zelir immediately began Sketching the Spell Structure and cast the Calm Mind Skill.
A verdant green light seeped into Mage Hedley’s body. The cool energy dispelled the unnatural fervor in her mind.
Only then did Mage Hedley’s entranced expression slowly fade, clarity returning to her eyes.
"Ugh..."
Mage Hedley rubbed her throbbing temples, shaking her head lightly.
"Mage Hedley... are you feeling better?" Zelir asked cautiously.
Mage Hedley froze for a moment. Then, remembering her recent actions, her face immediately flushed red.
’Oh, gods, how could I have done something so humiliating!’
Mage Hedley screamed internally, wishing she could dig a hole and bury herself in it.
"Mage Hedley?" When she didn’t answer, Zelir asked again, his voice laced with concern.
"Ah... COUGH, COUGH! It’s nothing! I... I’m completely fine now."
Mage Hedley brought her fist to her mouth. "I just didn’t expect the effect to be so dramatic... It was far beyond my expectations."
’It’s probably because Zelir is already so handsome to begin with.’
’Paired with the increased Charm from the Magic, the two effects must have complemented each other, leading to such an unexpectedly powerful result, right?’
Recalling the experience, Hedley still couldn’t easily shake the feeling.
Even though she had forced herself to imagine Zelir as someone she despised, the moment their eyes met, her heart had still been irresistibly ensnared.
It was as if nothing else in the world mattered, and only Zelir remained.
If Zelir hadn’t stopped her in time, there’s no telling how things would have escalated...
"It seems the last of the three spells had the best effect, didn’t it?" Zelir murmured with a soft chuckle.
"Letting you master the Eye of Enchantment... that’s a dangerous thing indeed," Mage Hedley muttered.
As they experimented with so much Magic, time had slipped by unnoticed.
The sun was setting, its lingering rays spilling over the high walls and bathing the training ground in a warm, serene light.
"Alright, that’s enough Magic experiments for today. We’ve gathered plenty of data. Thanks for all your hard work," Mage Hedley said, placing her hands on her hips.
She gave a big stretch, unable to stifle a yawn.
After inscribing so many Spell Structures today, her Spirit was already feeling drained.
"You’ve worked hard too, Mage Hedley," Zelir said with a slight bow.
"You’re a really great partner for these experiments. You memorize Spell Structures so quickly, and you know so many schools of Magic," Mage Hedley praised him sincerely. "If I were to ask you to help me with Magic experiments again, would you be willing?"
"Of course."
Zelir agreed without hesitation. "I’m at your service anytime."
’These three Magic spells I learned today are all pretty useful.’
’If I refine the Arcane Sword, it could become a powerful Attack Magic on par with the Aurora Energy Beam.’
’And the Fire Stone Whip is a great tool for clearing out mobs in close quarters.’
’And finally, the Eye of Enchantment...’
’In certain situations, it’s also an incredibly useful Magic spell, of course.’
"That’s great! But I can’t just have you helping for free..."
Mage Hedley stroked her chin, thinking. "Should I pay you...? No, that seems a bit tacky."
Zelir was about to say that tacky was just fine, but Mage Hedley spoke again before he could.
"How about... next time you come, I teach you the Heart Sleep technique?"
"Huh...?"
Hearing this, Zelir’s eyes slowly widened.
’The Heart Sleep technique?’
He had seen the concept mentioned once in a book titled *Magic Power Source Overview*.
Normally, for a Mage to increase their power, they can only rely on daily Meditation.
But regular Meditation is extremely draining. After just one session, a person usually has no energy or interest left for anything else all day.
Zelir had tried Meditation before, but just as the book described, it was exhausting.
After meditating, all he wanted to do was sleep. He certainly had no energy left for practicing Magic or anything of the sort.
Besides, the returns weren’t even that great—at least, not for Zelir.
He was better off saving that time to practice Magic, improve his proficiency, and then go out on quests, kill Demons to level up, and increase his Attributes.
But Heart Sleep was different...
A Mage who masters the Heart Sleep technique can combine sleep and Meditation.
They can meditate while resting, steadily increasing their power without it affecting their daytime activities.
While this method certainly wasn’t as efficient as killing Demons for Experience Points, it still provided some growth.
"You know Heart Sleep?" Zelir’s interest was piqued.
"I only just figured it out myself not long ago. Heart Sleep is something that’s easier for Mages who are versed in the Spirit Magic System to learn," Mage Hedley said. "So, how about it? Want to learn?"
"Yes!" Zelir answered without a moment’s hesitation.
’Getting stronger in your sleep? Who wouldn’t want to learn that?’
"Alright then, it’s a deal."
Mage Hedley smiled. "Next time you come to help me experiment with Magic, I’ll teach you Heart Sleep."