Chapter 11 - Opening the Meridian (1)

Theodore woke up early in the morning feeling strangely refreshed.

He started his day by getting himself ready.

He changed from the previous noble luxurious cloth to a plain white tunic commonly worn by ordinary people with long simple, cotton black pants.

He put his worn cloth in a basket and touched it with the bracelet that Nathan gave him.

It took only a short time for the cloth to be clean and folded neatly in the basket.

He also noticed his bed tidied up as soon as he got up.

'This kind of life was strangely comfortable.' Theodore thought to himself, but shortly he shook his head to get rid of his distracting thought.

After preparing himself, he left his room and stopped in front of his teacher's room.

He lingered slightly and took a deep breath before knocking on the door twice.

Theodore did not wait long before Nathan came out wearing simple cloth with his long black cloak similar to the previous day.

"Good morning. Have you eaten anything yet?" Nathan greeted gently. He caught Theodore's nervousness, so he tried to make him relax.

Theodore shook his head confusedly in response.

"Then, let's eat something first." Nathan then walked with Theodore to a nearby inn for breakfast.

They ate while talking about trivial matters; the atmosphere was relaxing.

...

After they returned, Theodore was more at ease than before.

Nathan stopped at the garden beside the house, planning to guide Theodore in a refreshing and open environment.

Furthermore, from his previous inspection, the garden was also covered by the protective formation shielding from the possible prying eye, making it very safe.

์Nathan led Theodore to sit at a wooden seat. He then started explaining about the mana user.

"The mana user could use supernatural power beyond normal people with the use of mana. What do you think mana is?" Nathan began by asking his disciple a question.

Theodore, with his future memory, was also unsure what mana was. He contemplated shortly before answering hesitantly. "Mana is a natural source of energy circulating in the world. Mana users can absorb them using their meridian, enabling them to use supernatural power."

Nathan was surprised by Theodore's knowledge, and he started his description. "What you said is correct. However, mana was just energy; the spiritual creatures comprehended the approach for manipulating them for use."

"The mana user needs to cultivate their body and strengthen the meridian to prepare themselves for the circulation of mana."

"To use the various powers, the mana user must comprehend the related law. Mana is just a medium to perform a person's understanding of the world to reality."

"Meridian is the core for the circulation of mana; it is the storage for containing mana in the body. All creatures have meridians and can cultivate mana."

"Mose meridian are sealed at birth because the newly born creature mostly could not bear the power of mana with their weak body."

"For the human, the most suitable age for opening their meridian is five when their meridian is in harmony with their body."

"Opening the meridian is the beginning step for cultivating mana." Nathan ended his long explanation by highlighting the role of the meridian.

Theodore periodically nodded when his teacher taught. Nathan's description was more precise than his vague lesson at the Roxarth Academy in his previous life. It gave him a clearer understanding of mana.

"Before the aptitude test, you must first open your meridian," Nathan said as he brought a transparent bead from his pocket inside his cloak and gave it to Theodore.

The bead, or mana orb, was concentrated mana; mana users above 1st rank could condense them in multiple forms. However, unlike the various currencies, it could only persist shortly as the mana would soon disperse.

"A person can open their meridian by introducing mana to it and clear up the filth blocking the way. One can complete this step with the help of medicine containing mana or with the help of other mana users." Nathan explained the procedure

Nathan then helped Theodore sit cross-legged and told him the breathing rhyme to help him relax.

"Are you ready?" Nathan asked.

"I'm ready, teacher." Although excited, Theodore tried to calm himself and nodded heavily in response to his teacher.

"Swallow this bead; I will help you open your meridian," Nathan instructed.

Theodore followed his teacher's guidance and consumed the bead.

Not long after, he felt a weightless and shapeless energy lingering in his body. He could sense the power but could not touch it, resulting in an inexpressible feeling.

At this moment, Nathan sat behind Theodore, touching Theodore's back with his right hand. He was slowly guiding the mana in Theodore's body to his meridian.

The mana soon reached Theodore's meridian.

The mana went inside, clearing the filth and transforming the meridian, making it more robust. The excretion that the mana pushed out covered Theodore's body, making him smell stinking.

When Nathan consumed half of the mana introduced into Theodore's body to open Theodore's meridian, he noticed another substance obstructing the mana's flow existing in the meridian.

This poison-like substance integrated deeply into Theodore's meridian and was well hidden. Nathan only noticed it because he specialized in using mana for investigation and personally guided the mana in Theodore's meridian.

Nathan could not help but lament the viciousness of the person who did this.

The substance would not prevent Theodore from practicing. However, it would slow down Theodore's absorption of mana.

Now was the most suitable time to clear this poison when Theodore just opened his meridian.

It was because the toxin could absorb the mana along with the meridian, making it more and more resilient.

Nathan brought out two more mana orbs from his pockets.

Nathan could only hope that the remaining mana would be enough to clear the poison.

He thought he was cautious enough to prepare three mana orbs, each containing more than enough mana to open a meridian of ordinary people. However, he faced an unexpected situation.

If the mana from the mana orb were insufficient, Nathan could only transfer his mana to clear the poison.

Consuming a little mana was not a problem, but if he needed to persist for a long time and worsen his injuries, he was uncertain if he could choose to deplete his remaining life span for his newly accepted disciple.