novelraw Chapter 29
Chapter 29
The ventilation grate in the detention cell was small, admitting only a sliver of daylight.
But for the current Robb, it was more than enough.
This stone chamber of roughly ten square meters held only a crude wooden bed, a waste bucket, and a tilting desk missing one leg.
Yet this spartan environment actually helped him focus on his training.
"Not a bad place for a training montage." Robb smiled self-deprecatingly.
The enforcement squad's management of detainees was reasonably lenient, perhaps thanks to Hadrian pulling strings behind the scenes.
Meals arrived punctually each day, adequate if not generous. Detainees were even permitted to keep some personal belongings, though everything underwent strict inspection to ensure nothing posed a security risk.
Robb pulled out Dagon's notebook and began studying it carefully by the faint light.
His understanding of the sonic spell concept had deepened considerably.
In particular, his recent insights into "rhythm" had revealed many details he'd previously overlooked.
[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) EXP +3]
[Current progress: Sonic Tremor (Prototype 87/100)]
"The key is right here..."
He finally understood why Dagon had hit a wall in his research.
In truth, Dagon's original approach, using musical notes to refine the sonic spell, had been correct. But it was clearly a slow, painstaking process.
After repeated failures, the pressure of time had driven Dagon to seek external means of boosting his spirit power output.
By abandoning his correct initial approach, he'd gone to extremes and brought disaster upon himself.
Just as the Solar Breath mimicked the sun's movement, this sonic spell needed to find its own rhythm.
Setting down the notebook, Robb began his daily meditation.
In this environment sealed off from the outside world, his mind reached an unprecedented level of focus.
[Basic Meditation initiated]
[Special effect triggered: Extreme Focus, this meditation session's effectiveness increased]
[Basic Meditation EXP +1]
[Basic Meditation EXP +1]
[Basic Meditation EXP +1]
...
[Current progress: Basic Meditation (Beginner 93/100)]
In his consciousness, the rune formed from three arcs had grown remarkably clear.
Gone was the former rigidity, the rune now seemed to carry a living, dynamic rhythm.
Every flow of spirit power had become extraordinarily smooth, as though it had found the perfect path.
Robb could feel it. the breakthrough wasn't far away.
...
On the second-to-last day of detention, Robb completed his routine morning meditation.
Nearly two weeks of isolation had elevated his spirit power to an entirely new height.
In this barren, enclosed environment, he'd been able to focus more deeply on exploring his inner world.
When he sank into his consciousness, the basic rune formed from three arcs had become extraordinarily vivid, almost tangible.
Every arc trembled faintly. Every node radiated a soft glow.
Robb could sense himself standing at a threshold. One gentle push and the invisible barrier would shatter.
He drew a deep breath and poured every ounce of attention into the rune.
Unlike the mechanical manipulation of before, this time he tried to resonate with the rune, to let his consciousness merge completely into it.
In that moment, Robb suddenly understood. the essence of Basic Meditation wasn't about controlling the rune. It was about becoming the rune.
With this realization, the rune in his consciousness began vibrating violently, radiating light of unprecedented intensity.
Spirit power surged like a breached dam, finding its perfect flow at last.
[Basic Meditation breakthrough!]
[Basic Meditation EXP +1]
[Basic Meditation (Beginner 99/100) → Basic Meditation (Proficient, MAX)]
[Bonus trait acquired: Spirit Circulation (When switching to a higher-tier meditation method, experience is directly retained up to Proficient level)]
For Basic Meditation, it seemed Proficient was the ceiling. A mild pang of regret, but...
The breakthrough didn't stop there. Robb felt his spirit power undergoing an unprecedented qualitative transformation.
The once-scattered spirit energy was now spontaneously reorganizing according to some mysterious principle, forming a more stable, more pure energy structure.
In his consciousness, streams of light poured from the rune, weaving into a net across his inner world and forming an entirely new spirit power field.
The changes weren't only internal. Robb's perceptive abilities were skyrocketing.
Every detail of the detention cell, even the faint energy fluctuations beyond the walls, all registered crystal-clear in his awareness.
[Spirit power qualitative transformation complete]
[Spirit. 1.6 → 2.0]
[Power tier elevated: Knight Squire → Elementary Apprentice]
Crossing the 2.0 threshold in spirit power meant he had officially reached the Elementary Apprentice standard.
The change wasn't merely numerical, it was a qualitative leap in real strength.
His consciousness became extraordinarily lucid. The speed and breadth of his thinking expanded dramatically, and his perception of the outside world sharpened beyond anything he'd experienced.
Most remarkably, Robb suddenly discovered a brand-new capability, spirit power was no longer just energy circulating within his body. It could now extend outward in wave-like fluctuations, exerting tangible influence on living beings.
Was this the mental interference ability Marcus had used on him that day?
Robb experimentally released a small pulse of spirit power, feeling it flow through the air.
The sensation was wondrous and unfamiliar, as natural as breathing from birth, yet brimming with novelty.
Under his control, the spirit power easily formed a faint interference wave that radiated outward.
"So that's how it works..."
Robb murmured. This ability didn't actually need to be deliberately learned. Once spirit power reached a certain level, it emerged as pure instinct.
Just as an infant doesn't need to learn how to swallow, a mage's apprentice naturally learned to project spirit power outward.
This instinctive mental interference was terrifying to most supernatural practitioners who didn't cultivate spirit power, easily capable of disrupting their thoughts.
But against a fellow Elementary Apprentice
, the actual effect depended on the gap between their respective spirit powers.A semi-transparent information panel automatically materialized before him.
[Spirit power reached 2.0 ✓]
[Basic Meditation reached Proficient ✓]
[Combat class, Mage Apprentice (One-and-a-Half Stars) class change information unlocked]
[Mage Apprentice (One-and-a-Half Stars)]
[Class change requirements:
1. Spirit power reaches 2.0 ✓
2. Basic Meditation reaches Proficient ✓
3. Master one spell at Proficient level]
[Upon class change.
1. Attribute Growth:Mana Growth (Two-Star)Constitution Growth (One-Star)Spirit Growth (Two-and-a-Half Stars)
2. Unlocks Class Base Skills: Spell Construction, Mental Interference
3. Special Bonuses:
Slight increase in spell skill EXP gain rate
Slight increase in spirit power growth rate
Slight increase in mana capacity and recovery rate]