Three Simple Steps

The summer became autumn. The dead leaves whirled along with the wind, as they finally landed on the school grounds.

On the side of the school grounds was a dense shade of trees. The afternoon sunlight shone through a gap of in the leaves, turning into threads of light, like a particular autumn stage.

For Adarsh, the time passed by very quickly. It had already been two months since his awakening.

Within those two months, Adarsh had only been doing one thing, which was sitting beneath this tree and meditating!

On the first class of the first day, the homeroom teacher, Mayank, gave all the magic students one very important lesson: the activation of Magic!

The activation of Magic consisted of only three very simple steps:

Step 1- Meditation

Step 2- Control

Step 3- Activation

Meditation, just as the name implied, required one to use their fullest attention to concentrate.

When a person closed their eyes, their mind constantly wandered into different scenes.

However, if one were to empty one's mind and remain in an undisturbed state, one's mind would become an empty space!

After their magic awakening, a star cluster corresponding to the Element would emerge within that empty world.

In other words, as long as Adarsh closed his eyes and didn't think about anything while allowing his mind to enter a dark, cosmos like space, then the star cluster of Lightning and Fire elements would emerge within the empty space.

The Lightning Element's star cluster was purple, and it looked just like other cosmic dust: magnificent and aesthetically pleasing.

Within the star cluster of the Lightning Element was seven stars. These stars were recklessly orbiting around within that small star cluster, just like seven mischievous children, energetically running around.

For any magic students who had awakened, as long as they could cause the star cluster to appear within the empty space, and see the bright, child-like stars within the cluster, then they would have completed the Meditation step.

One could even say that this first step was unexpectedly simple. The homework assigned to the students for the first two months was this alone.

Meditation… They started meditating after dinner, all the way until they were completely exhausted, and then they went to sleep.

The second day, after classes had finished, they continued meditating in the same manner. All the way until they were exhausted, and then went straight to bed.

Adarsh did not slack off; he did this for two whole months. He even sat down and meditated on weekends. On many different occasions, he pondered about why the students were assigned this simple task and had them do it for two months.

_What if I go ahead and try 'Control'?_ Adarsh thought it was very easy for him to enter Meditation, thus, he was eager to begin the next step.

The second step of Magic Activation was also very simple.

One could see the star cluster after entering Meditation. Within the star cluster was seven lively and energetic stars that were orbiting around frantically.

Control… It meant they had to use their own thoughts to control these stars, making them stop, and placing them into a designated spot to form a Star Path.

Once they had successfully formed the Star Path, the Magic Power would be conducted through the Star Path into the Magician's body, thus becoming genuine Magic as they activate i!

"They sure run fast. Let this daddy touch you," Adarsh began attempting to connect the stars.

He used his own thoughts to control the stars. At the moment, Adarsh was locked on an energetic star, trying to make it obediently halt in its place.

"Whooosh~~~"

That Star was extremely cold; it didn't give Adarsh any attention. It was like a minor quickly escaping from a strange Uncle.

"Shit, they're being tsundere. Forget it, let's try a different one," Adarsh attempted to connect the other Lightning Element star.

"Be a good boy… Daddy is here… Be an obedient boy, and come here…"

"Whoosh~~~"

The second Star acted as though it met a patient with a mental illness… Thus, it fled quickly, just like the one before it.

Adarsh attempted the same thing on the other stars as well, but the results were the same. Not a single one cared about Adarsh. There were even a few that started moving faster when they felt Adarsh's thoughts trying to control them.

You couldn't conduct the Magic Power when the stars were quickly orbiting.

It's just like an electrical wire. The electric energy is the interior part of the star cluster. If one wanted to use the electric energy, one would have to form a wire with the stars so it could guide the energy into the Magician's body.

Unfortunately, there was not a single obedient one among the Lightning Element stars. If he didn't touch them, then they were fine, but once he attempted to connect them with each other they would quickly run away. It was like eating five hundred pounds of Stride gum pieces… they just wouldn't stop!

"How do I deal with this? How many years and months is it going to take before this daddy learns Lightning Strike?" Adarsh felt a headache.

The Primary-rank skill of Lightning Element was —— Lightning Strike.

This skill should be the most practical one among the Primary-rank magic. After learning it and becoming proficient in controlling it, one would basically have a preeminent combat prowess.

Unfortunately, learning skills wasn't easy.

The Lightning Element stars were highly active. Trying to make them stop was not something one could accomplish in just a day or two.

"I can't even control a single star at the moment. To control seven of the stars simultaneously… This road really isn't short."

Sure enough, studying and learning Magic was the same; it wasn't something you could do in just a few days.

...

The weather turned cold, the short skirts and stockings were replaced with thick leggings and pants. Unknowingly, the season where you turn into a dog if you don't own a heater had finally come to the south.

"Achoo~~~" Shit, if I knew this was gonna happen, then I would've just cultivated the Fire Element first. At the very least, I'd be able to pass this winter in comfort," in the early morning, Adarsh cursed as he practiced 'Control' on the roof.

He had cultivated for yet another month. Adarsh was now able to control up to four stars.

_The process of controlling the stars…_ _Well, how to put this?_ _It's like an advanced domino set up._

In other words, if you were to carefully place four domino bricks down, and if there was not even the slightest wobbling, then it would count as completing a small step.

If a domino brick wasn't placed properly, then it'd tip over and you'd have to start all over again!

The stars were just like that. Firstly, you would have to target a star and use your thoughts to make it stop. In the process of making them stop, you would have to concentrate all of your attention on it. Even if you experienced resistance from a star that lead to a great headache, you'd still have to grit your teeth and not let it distract your focus.

Only when grinding your teeth could you centralize your focus within your mind to control them, and make them stop; only then, could you make some of the violent stars obediently follow your control.

After you were in control of one star, then you would have to split your consciousness and do the same thing in order for you to firmly control the second one.

If one were to accidentally put too much attention on the second star, and not continue to put in the same focus on the first one, then the originally obedient star would immediately orbit away. Additionally, it would also take away the second star that was in the process of being controlled, and waste the entire effort.

The teacher had said once before: the step of controlling the stars was extremely difficult. On one hand, the difficulty of controlling them was exceedingly high, while on the other, the Magician needed to have enough Spiritual Power to spare.

If one were to practice 'Control' everyday, like Adarsh, and every time they failed at it, they would feel their mind become somewhat tired. One could practice for at most, two hours in a single day, and by then one would be in a state where one was nearly mentally broken. One would have tinnitus, blurred vision, and a mind in chaos.

At this point, one should not meditate or attempt control again.

_To be frank, practicing 'Control' was like a thief… Hell, a waste of mana!_ Adarsh could only last, at most, two hours with his current mana.

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Translator: Abhay Mishra

Editor: Abhay Mishra

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