Reshaping the Mindscape

"Disperse!" Lucian commanded in his mind. Instantly, the 97 mental runes binding his spiritual energy dissolved, transforming into countless shimmering specks that flooded his mindscape. With the collapse of the rune structure, his mindscape grew unstable, and the vast spiritual energy he possessed began to drift, threatening to scatter throughout his body.

"Condense," Lucian thought calmly, unfazed. He carefully guided his spiritual energy to rotate along a precise path within his mindscape, forming a small, focused vortex. Gradually, this vortex drew in scattered strands of spiritual energy, expanding as it absorbed more.

Soon, as the vortex consolidated all of Lucian's dispersed spiritual power, it occupied nearly half of his mental sea.

Then, with a faint hum, a thread of pure, refined spiritual energy emerged from the vortex's core, followed by a second, and a third.

"Solidify," Lucian murmured, weaving the refined strands together to form mental runes, each strengthening his mindscape according to the instructions of the meditation technique. As he constructed each rune, the vortex established a unique bond with them, allowing it to expand slightly each time.

When Lucian solidified the sixtieth rune, he felt his mindscape vibrate intensely, as if he'd reached a threshold.

A wave of energy surged outward, causing Lucian's mindscape to expand drastically, growing to three times its previous size.

"This… is enormous," Lucian marvelled, feeling a bit like a country bumpkin seeing the big city for the first time.

At the centre of his expanded mindscape, the vortex continued to spin at a constant pace, surrounded by the sixty runes in a structured arrangement, each feeding into the vortex's power. He noted that this method of condensing spiritual energy significantly boosted its purity, and he was now well beyond his previous spiritual capacity.

Based on the meditation guide, a level-three wizard apprentice could solidify up to 360 mental runes. "So these sixty runes likely mark my progression from level one to level two?" Lucian wondered. He could feel the newfound density of his spiritual energy, and even at sixty runes, he was confident it matched the strength he once wielded with 97 runes.

Lucian steadied his consciousness and resumed solidifying runes, while his mindscape continued to draw in magical particles from his surroundings, fueling the vortex and further enhancing his spiritual energy.

One rune, two runes…

Time passed, and as his mindscape's vortex grew calmer, Lucian knew his spiritual energy had fully transformed.

"82 runes," he noted with satisfaction. Though his rune count was down from 97, his spiritual strength had intensified substantially, enhancing his spells' potency while reducing their energy cost.

Like transforming soft iron into durable steel, Lucian's refined spiritual energy had greater density and durability despite the reduced volume.

"Technically, by standard classifications, I've dropped to a level-two apprentice," Lucian mused, smiling slightly. "But classifications mean nothing—true power is what counts."

Breathing out slowly, Lucian returned his awareness to the physical world.

Looking across the room, his gaze landed on his student. Carrie was sprawled across the bed, fast asleep. A hefty tome titled Wizard's Little Scholar rested on her chest, open to a random page.

She'd dozed off while reading.

Lucian's mouth twitched, but with a gentle wave, he moved the book off her chest and pulled the covers over her. He couldn't help but wonder how she'd managed to fall asleep with such a heavy book pressing down on her chest. If it were him, he doubted he'd even be able to breathe comfortably, let alone sleep soundly.

"Strange kid," he murmured, shaking his head with a small smile.

…

The following morning, Carrie awoke and blinked in confusion at the blanket covering her. After a moment, she realized what had happened, and hugged the book to her chest, her cheeks turning a faint pink.

"Darn it! I was hoping to surprise Mentor Lucian by showing off what I'd learned…" she muttered, a bit disappointed as she tapped her forehead in frustration. Glancing around, she noted with relief that Lucian wasn't in the room.

"Whew…" Carrie sighed, then quickly opened her book, hoping to brush up a bit. Remembering that she hadn't yet meditated, she closed her eyes to enter the practice when—

Lucian walked back in, carrying a cage in one hand.

"Good morning, Mentor Lucian." Carrie's cheeks burned with embarrassment, but soon her attention shifted to the strange lizards in Lucian's cage.

"Study specimens," Lucian explained, setting the cage on the floor. "Anatomy is foundational for wizards. In ancient times, wizards learned to mimic the natural magical markings found within extraordinary creatures by dissecting them, eventually creating spells."

"Dissection allows us to observe the world and understand the rules governing it. You may never have to perform these tasks in the future, but for now, they're essential to your education. Today, not only will I teach you Dissection but also one of the simplest sorcery spells."