Advancements and a Hunting Plan

The silver plant swayed, responding to Lucian's song as if it were a shy dancer waiting for a chance encounter under the moonlight.

"This is it—just one last step." Lucian carefully withdrew his mental energy from the plant and reached for a shellfish known as a "Mermaid's Tear" from the water tank beside him.

As he pried it open, he found a tiny, humanoid figure within, its bare form glistening. The creature opened its mouth, releasing a nearly imperceptible sound wave filled with an enchanting allure.

For a moment, Lucian's mind drifted to visions of the ocean, where he glimpsed a figure that stirred something deep within him—a sight both alluring and haunting.

"Hmph." He quickly shattered the illusion with his mental focus, dragging himself back to reality. The lab surroundings solidified around him once more.

"Cheap tricks…" Lucian sneered at the now-terrified Mermaid's Tear, its expression pleading as it looked up at him. Ignoring its pleas, he set it on a small flame and began gently roasting it.

"Aah…" The miniature creature let out a frightened wail, covering its eyes as if unwilling to watch its suffering. Lucian swiftly captured the tear that fell from its eye with a fresh leaf, then dropped the trembling creature back into the tank.

Drip.

The tear fell onto the plant's roots, and the once-merry little plant began to wilt, as if heartbroken, transforming its dance into a melancholy sway. Slowly, a tiny blue flower bloomed at its tip.

Soon, a single large drop of nectar formed at the flower's centre, gradually lifting as if it yearned to drift skyward, bound not for the earth but for the moonlit clouds above.

Lucian held his breath, watching the dew-like essence. Just as it was about to float away, he captured it in a vial.

As soon as the nectar was taken, the plant withered completely, the moonlight moss it grew from turning to worthless residue.

"This… this is Moonlight Praise." Lucian gazed at the radiant essence in the vial, marvelling at its ethereal beauty. Without further hesitation, he tipped it back and swallowed the potion in one gulp.

Unlike the bitter taste of recovery potions, Moonlight Praise was surprisingly sweet and refreshing.

Lucian felt his mind gently lifting, a calm joy washing over him as he drifted into meditation.

As he turned his awareness inward, his mental sea appeared before him, its centre now tinged with a soft silver hue. The spirit vortex in the core of his mind spun noticeably faster as if enchanted by an invisible, dreamlike melody.

In this meditative trance, a forest appeared under a giant silver moon. A graceful woman stood on a rock, her figure elegantly dancing to an ancient, haunting tune. The scene seemed both serene and infinitely sad.

In the physical world, Lucian's expression shifted from awe to quiet contentment, his eyes eventually brimming with tears as he sat unmoving.

"What a heart-wrenching story…" he murmured as he gradually emerged from the trance, his face wet with tears. It was as if he'd experienced the joys and sorrows of an entire romance, witnessing a couple's journey from love to heartbreak, and finally to a bittersweet acceptance.

Regaining his composure, he quickly closed his eyes again to inspect his mental energy.

The vortex in his mental sea still held a faint silver glow, spinning nearly 50% faster than usual. Although the music from the vision was now gone, the accelerated flow had left a significant impact.

"One hundred and three spiritual runes," he muttered, exhaling. "In one night, I managed to solidify nine runes."

"Unfortunately, I'll have to wait at least two weeks for the silver influence in my mental sea to fade before I can take another dose. Otherwise, there's a real risk of getting trapped in the vision and losing my sense of self."

He clenched his fists, his gaze resolute. "But with this advanced meditation method, the purity of my mental power is now a level above the standard Greybone Meditation Method. In terms of mental strength, I'm already on par with third-level apprentices who've solidified all 108 runes."

"So… my mental power is now stronger than Norian's." Thinking of Norian, Lucian's eyes narrowed.

If he could eliminate Norian before departing for the mission, it would be ideal. Norian was like a ticking bomb, and every day he lived was an additional risk to Lucian. If Norian managed to ascend to a formal wizard before Lucian could counter him, it would spell immense trouble.

"Eliminating Norian won't be easy, though. He knows I'm after him, and he's surely prepared," Lucian mused, recalling the intel he'd received from Hanks. "The way he's flaunting his retreat to the Bone Mound means he's probably expecting me to show up."

Lucian understood Norian's strategy perfectly.

Norian, too, wanted Lucian gone before ascending to formal wizardry—it was the safest course for him. But since they were both third-level apprentices, killing each other within the academy was fraught with risks, given the academy's strict rules.

Norian's move was calculated. By announcing his retreat location, he left Lucian with two choices: confront him on his ground at the Bone Mound or face the potentially deadly mission and hope Norian wouldn't ascend in the next three years.