Chapter 2 - First Rank

Meditation techniques are everywhere in the kingdom, but the best ones are kept locked up by the big-name clans. In Hochland, the Standing Tortoise Manual is considered pretty basic. It's just enough to help someone move from the Human realm to the Apprentice realm. But for Andric, this manual was like a treasure.

In his previous life, Andric had reached the peak of magical power, only to be taken down by martialists. This time around, to outdo those martialists, he first needed to get a handle on how their energy system worked.

Magicians used mana and thought energy to cast spells. They had arcane cores that generated mana, which they’d then mix with thought energy to create magic. Martialists, on the other hand, didn’t have a fancy core. They stored their spirit energy throughout their entire body. To use their abilities, they just needed to will their body into action. For magicians, it’s all about accessing mana, imbuing it with thought energy, and then casting spells. Clearly, martialists had a quicker method.

Andric had managed to open his heart-lung meridian and could feel a slight flow of spirit energy. Instructor Hubert had mentioned that how quickly someone could absorb spirit energy was determined by their heritage. If Andric’s parents had been higher-level martialists, he’d absorb energy faster. But according to Hubert, you couldn’t change that rate after birth.

Andric wasn’t buying it. He believed there was always a way to improve, and he was determined to be the one to figure it out. So, for now, he focused on practicing the Standing Tortoise Manual exactly as it was written.

The next day started like any other. Andric woke up, bathed outside, and headed to Instructor Hubert’s class. He didn’t need to go anymore after turning fifteen, but most of the town’s youths stayed for an extra year. After sixteen, most either found jobs or left for bigger opportunities.

Hubert’s classes covered general knowledge and didn’t focus much on the martial way. But Andric attended every lesson, hoping for a nugget of martialist wisdom. Hubert's way of ensuring attendance was by keeping the door open to valuable insights.

In Einburg, about ten to twenty babies were born each year, but half didn’t make it past five. Of the few who did, only one or two might master the Standing Tortoise Manual up to its second rank. Many struggled just with the first rank, staying stuck in the Human realm.

Thanks to his previous life, Andric had no trouble grasping the Standing Tortoise Manual. He wondered why it used such obscure wording, guessing it was to prevent easy theft of the technique.

After class, Andric rushed home and dove back into the manual. In less than a day, he had figured out the first rank of the technique and was already chanting its mantra while sitting cross-legged on his bed.

At the first stage of the Human realm, the body could only absorb minimal spirit energy, making martial techniques ineffective. Reaching the second stage would boost his strength, but only slightly. Real benefits started in the Novice realm and above.

Andric was aware of these limitations, so he focused on the knowledge he could gain from practicing the technique. His magical spells were way better than any martial attacks, but if needed, he’d use magic to save himself rather than relying on martial skills.

Back in his previous life, martialists didn’t have realms or stages. They just grew stronger gradually. With the advent of meditation techniques, realms and stages were introduced to help martialists track their progress.

Andric was pulling energy from the atmosphere with the Standing Tortoise Manual but couldn’t gauge his progress. He’d only notice a change when he reached the second stage, and he had no clue how long that would take.

After two days of meditating, Andric no longer needed to refer to the manual. He sat calmly, focused on the image of a tortoise standing firm against a relentless wind. Initially, he questioned why the tortoise wouldn’t just retreat into its shell, but as he practiced, he realized the real message. The Standing Tortoise Manual symbolized resilience and the strength to face adversity head-on, rather than avoiding challenges.

Sitting cross-legged, breathing deeply, chanting the mantra, and visualizing the scene were the keys to circulating spirit energy. It wasn’t until Andric truly grasped the manual’s essence that he began absorbing spirit energy effectively. What he thought was absorption before was nothing compared to the real deal.

Two days flew by. On the third day, six days after getting the manual from the town hall, Andric opened his eyes, hopped off his bed, and threw a punch at his bedroom wall. The speed and power of the punch surprised him.

“Human realm second stage?” he wondered, unsure. He felt a surge of energy through his body, indicating he might have reached the second stage, but he wasn’t completely sure. Regardless, he definitely felt stronger! Even just standing and punching felt noticeably different. If each stage brought such gains, it could be addictive!

When done right, the Standing Tortoise Manual made all of Andric’s body stronger. Spirit energy absorbed through his heart-lung meridian spread evenly throughout his body.

He changed his clothes and went downstairs. It was already afternoon, and his mother was snacking on some dried root in the sitting room.

“Andric, did you make any progress?” she asked, hopeful.

“I think so,” Andric replied with a nod.

“That’s great! You’ve been in your room for three days. You must be starving. I’ll make something for you,” Alda said, getting up.

Andric was surprised by how long he’d been holed up. He’d never missed more than a single day of Hubert’s lessons before, and he hadn’t eaten or drunk anything during that time. His stomach was growling, and he was parched.

“I’ll get some water,” he said, heading outside. The well wasn’t far, and he quickly drew some water to drink. He took a few gulps and reflected on the past.

Reaching the second stage of the Human realm gave Andric a powerful feeling. He could see why martialists might think their system was superior to magic. There was something primal and satisfying about growing stronger physically that magic couldn’t quite replicate.

The cold water from the well refreshed him, and after splashing some on his face, he headed back inside.