Bab 68: Chapter 68: Heart Meditation!!
Or the Guardian's voice grew fainter. "Be cautious, Lord Su Nan. Unlike the Gray Dust Graveyard, we lack the special secret techniques to bypass Heart Meditation. In this trial, only you can help yourself. No external force will aid you."
The Hidden Realm began to change drastically.
The supermoon, which symbolized Su Nan's lycanthropic magic, was slowly eclipsed by a pitch-black shadow. A lunar eclipse loomed.
The once-pristine white castle, a representation of the magical strength of the Stone Idol, grew dim and decayed, as though abandoned for centuries. The abyss symbolizing the Death Knight's magic power began to shallow and shrink, resembling nothing more than a dried-up ditch.
The entire wilderness of the Hidden Realm was contracting rapidly, as if every magical symbol within the realm had been stripped of its excess, leaving only stark reality behind.
Su Nan felt the fluctuations in his magic and the rising unease from within. He frowned. So this is Heart Meditation?
It was as if the entire world was collapsing.
For a typical second-class wizard apprentice, such a scene would undoubtedly leave them paralyzed with confusion.
The magic he once wielded so effortlessly now felt sluggish and weak. It was as though pieces of his essence were being siphoned out of his magical power.
These fragments, which once fueled his spells, were rebelling, diminishing his strength.
A person divided is inevitably weaker.
Su Nan raised his head toward the supermoon, now fully eclipsed. Darkness enveloped the Hidden Realm, impenetrable and oppressive.
Or the Guardian was nowhere to be seen. The familiar mist of the Hidden Realm had also vanished.
All that remained visible was the illuminated Wizard's Path cutting through the darkness, leading deeper into the void.
But on the path stood a massive shadow, blocking the way forward.
Su Nan sensed an imperative to follow this path, that deviating from it would lead to disaster. Beyond the trail lay a boundless abyss—the depths of his psyche, a space more fundamental than even his soul. To fall into this void would mean irreparable harm: perhaps eternal unconsciousness, or worse, the permanent fracturing of his mind.
"Is the soul merely a shell, an outer structure for the self? Is it just a layer beneath the body? Or is it merely a superficial construct of something deeper?"
The realization struck Su Nan. He attempted to summon his Neural Assistant. "Neural Assistant, are you there?"
[Yes. I am here. We are one. You are me, and I am you. From current data, our integration runs deeper than even soul fusion.]
Su Nan stepped onto the Wizard's Path, his eyes drifting to the void beside it. "In theory, I haven't truly entered a space deeper than my soul. This is merely the Hidden Realm's unique properties, manifesting my inner structures."
"Neural Assistant, record this. File name: Magic Experiment One," Su Nan instructed. "Magic truly holds infinite mysteries, an endless frontier for exploration."
"I once believed that mental energy was merely an extension of the soul. But now I see I was wrong. The soul is merely the outermost attribute of the deeper self, just as the body is."
"The source of a person's magic goes deeper than any wizard apprentice could imagine."
"Neural Assistant, analyze my current position within myself."
[Analysis is impossible. We are one entity. If you are lost within yourself, so am I.]
[However, this is likely your inner world.]
[From available data, magic is both objective and subjective. It is neither entirely material nor entirely idealistic. Wizards explore the world through epistemology, striving for deeper truths by expanding their understanding.]
"You're right," Su Nan said. "Truth can be overthrown and proven false. A wizard must relentlessly pursue the unknown, establish new truths, and then tear them down in search of greater ones."
"Materialism is how mortals observe the world. As a wizard, I aim for a higher perspective."
"I've tested it. As we predicted, I can still use the Pack Effect to connect with my werewolves. I can even draw them into this inner world."
"I'll summon Vasilyan, the Death Knight, into my inner world. His presence will increase the odds of my success."
"Hm? How inconvenient. Gu Ke has determined the location of the Four Seasons Garden right now, of all times."
Su Nan advanced to the shadow blocking his path along the Wizard's Road. The obstruction barred further progress.
Could it be destroyed?
Or was there a way around it?
Su Nan used the Pack Effect to contact his werewolf steward Warwick, instructing him to command the pack and lead a group to investigate the West Virginia Lake at the center of his domain.
So, the entrance to the Four Seasons Garden was at the bottom of a lake—an ancient, natural subspace portal. Even during the ebb of magical tides, this portal would merely become inaccessible rather than disappearing entirely.
Only with the tides' return could the gateway reappear. It explained why Su Nan's werewolves had failed to find it earlier.
The report from Warwick confirmed the situation: the lake's portal had only recently manifested due to the resurgence of magical tides.
Warwick also relayed that the Archbishop of the Achaea Diocese, the Church's military forces, the Supreme Order's warlocks, and the two Forgotten Ones had all gathered at the lake.
The Supreme Order had been monitoring the Forgotten Ones and had sprung into action the moment the portal was discovered. The Church, meanwhile, had stumbled upon the scene by chance when a Storm Knight witnessed the unfolding events and reported back.
On the Wizard's Path, Su Nan mused, "The three factions will undoubtedly clash over the portal. Their skirmish works to my advantage."
"It's better I don't interfere yet. Let them fight it out. I'll deal with the final victor."
"However... both the Church and the Supreme Order have taken hostages—villagers from nearby lands, including some of my own subjects."
The Order's motives were predictable. They intended to drain their captives' life force during combat, an age-old tactic to enhance their power. Such contempt for human life was typical of their ilk.
But why was the Church holding so many of my people? Could they also have plans to sacrifice them for power?
Strangely, the Forgotten Ones had not taken hostages. Despite their disdain for commoners, their wizardly pride seemed to preclude such tactics.
As Su Nan pondered, a voice sneered from the darkness of the eclipse. "Worrying about the outside world at a time like this?"
"Shouldn't you be more concerned about yourself?"
"How laughable."
"Su Nan Peter..."
"I won't let someone like you advance a single step further. Turn back! Retreat along the Wizard's Path!"
Su Nan wasted no time. He cast his newly mastered spell: Summon Lesser Fireball Bug.
A fiery orb surged forward, its heat illuminating the shadowy expanse as it exploded toward the source of the voice.
Su Nan raised an eyebrow. "Why is there another voice in my inner world? And…"
The fireball twisted in midair. Its orange-red glow darkened, corrupted into black flames.
The voice returned, dripping with malice.
"A spell like this... a spell without willpower, is worthless. Your magic lacks intent."
The black fireball reversed course, streaking back toward Su Nan. He froze, recognizing it as the very same Summon Lesser Fireball Bug spell he had just cast.
But something was wrong.
Even if another being could replicate his spell, they couldn't replicate the subtle differences in casting habits unique to the individual wizard.
Yet this spell was an exact duplicate—only with stronger intent, more conviction.
It was as if the magic mocked him, declaring, This is your magic, turned against you. Look at how your spell fights you.
The corrupted fireball closed in, and Su Nan realized the peril: if it hit, it would knock him off the Wizard's Path and into the abyss of his psyche.
"Time to exit, Su Nan Peter." The voice taunted him with chilling finality.
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