Chapter 05 (part 2/2) - Meridians

  I can’t see much from here… staying by the door would make me look suspicious.

  Overcome by curiosity, Vincent leaned the broom against the wall and stepped into the dorm. Using the excuse of cleaning and straightening the beds, he moved closer to the husks to listen.

  “Can that empty one even make the beds?”

  The girl asked, pointing at him. Vincent’s incompetence was so obvious that he was exposed instantly.

  “Hey, where did you learn to do that?”

  The redhead asked, but Vin didn’t respond and kept working. He placed the blankets slightly crooked on purpose to avoid raising suspicion. He did it with exaggerated, clumsy motions, as if mimicking something he had seen but didn’t fully understand.

  It seemed to work, as the others dismissed Vincent and went back to their so-called training.

  “Bah, whatever. I’m not going to complain if one of those things is actually useful.”

  Right after that, the redhead gestured for the girl to continue with the preparations. She took a large red chalk stick and drew a circle on the floor, writing indecipherable scribbles around it. The fat one checked the contents of the burner and blew softly, letting the incense smoke begin to rise.

  While the others worked, the redhead mumbled to himself, practicing with a book in hand.

  “Alright… got it. Is everything ready?”

  “Can I read the notes too?” asked Ben.

  “No time. Let’s just start.”

  The three of them positioned themselves inside the circle, surrounding the burner. The girl began to chant, and a dense trail of smoke rose from the clay device like a cobra summoned by a flute’s song.

  The redhead placed the open book beside him so he could read, then extended his hands. The others took them and closed their eyes. After a few seconds, they began to recite a chant:

  "From soul to diaphragm I draw, between the heart and breath I flow;

  down I press into the stomach, where the kidney hums below."

  "Slowly winding through the liver, gently turning at the spleen;

  touch the muscle, bone, and sinew… rooting deep in every limb."

  Together and in unison, the trio recited the mantra while inhaling the violet incense smoke. Already in a trance, Vincent was able to observe freely. The smoke seemed to dance with them, following the instructions of their chant. Some of it entered through their noses, the rest scattered through the room, yet its movement was deliberate: it followed a current, pulsing with a heartbeat rhythm, mimicking a vascular network that coursed through the bodies of the young magic apprentices.

  "Touch the bone, the flesh, the skin, touch the voice that carries sound;

  slowly pulsing through my fingers, where the living beat is found."

  Now closer, just a few steps from the circle, Vincent managed to glimpse the notes left open beside the redhead. The page displayed the diagram of a dismembered human body, its bones, muscles, and organs outlined schematically. Over them, turquoise lines were drawn across the figure. Though he held no medical degree, Vincent knew plenty about human anatomy, having studied it on his own for the sake of his business and experiments.

  The network drawn across the body didn’t match the circulatory system, though it had a vascular arrangement. Nor did it belong to the nervous system… it was something else. Its structure was different and seemed to originate from the navel, branching throughout the body, coiling around muscles, bones, and organs. Spiraling at the palms, the pattern was repeated on the second visible page, which showed a hand where the lines thinned out until they reached the fingertips.

  Vincent looked at his own hand but noticed nothing unusual at first glance. Apparently, that alternate system wasn’t visible like the veins crossing his wrist.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The extractor mentioned something while I was restrained… something about atrophied meridians. Is that why they can’t be seen?

  As the minutes passed, the smoke from the burner began to fade, the ritual was nearing its end. He couldn’t let the chance slip away. He had to try, at least once. The level of secrecy surrounding the group made him suspect that the incense played an important role.

  Careful not to break their trance, Vincent crept closer. He leaned in as much as he could and inhaled, letting a thin trail of stray smoke enter his nostrils.

  It was brief, immediate, and fleeting, but the moment the smoke entered his body, he felt something surge through him. Just as the chants described and the diagrams illustrated, a second circulatory system revealed itself within him. That system had always been there, merely dormant.

  The incense hadn’t created it… it only awakened it, relaxed it. For an instant, a single blip, he felt that entire inner network “hydrate” and then contract again. Vincent’s meridians were withered.

  Is it through this organ that they’re able to manifest magic in this world? Why are mine atrophied? Was my former self too stupid to train them? Probably…

  The trio kept reciting their mantra, though the intensity of the smoke was fading. From their faces, it was clear the ritual was coming to an end.

  "Through the liver coils and tightens, twisting firm beneath the chest;

  running wild along my veins, dancing fierce within my flesh."

  Before stepping away, Vincent took one last look at the book lying on the floor. The meridians seemed to be something both physical and vital for the use of magic. They weren’t just trained to increase their flow, but also to maintain proper circulation throughout the body, just as the chant suggested.

  This isn’t just a chant… they’re using it as a visualization exercise.

  Even though he couldn’t understand the text on the pages, he tried to memorize it anyway. He imprinted every curve and location of the meridians into his mind. He knew it would be useful later.

  "And as it leaves my mortal frame, I command it… victim and blade of my will, obey."

  The incense had burned out. Vincent was already far away, pretending to clean his shoes. Once out of their trance, the trio opened their eyes and released each other’s hands.

  “That was way too short! I was just getting warmed up.”

  The redhead protested.

  “That’s all we could get… we need to gather more before trying again. I still have trouble with the intestinal twist.”

  The girl replied, picking up the notes from the floor and reviewing them like a student checking her mistakes after an exam.

  “It’s Ben’s fault. His flow is too irregular. It throws off my rhythm.”

  Charlie shouted without even looking at Ben.

  “I’m sorry, Charlie… I don’t remember taking biology in school. These concepts are really hard for me.”

  “At this rate, I’ll never get out of here. If we want to make faster progress, we need more incense or more flow…”

  He lowered his voice at the last part, his tone turning conspiratorial.

  “Let’s check the three floors above the fifth heart. I heard they’re planning to add another level. If that’s true, new arteries should appear in that section.”

  “Are you sure about that, Charlie? It’s really danger-”

  “Wait.”

  Charlie interrupted Tammy. It was obviously a sensitive topic, and right at that moment, his gaze crossed with Vincent’s, who was listening from afar. Charlie stood up and walked toward him with a threatening attitude, motioning for the others to surround him as well.

  “Why are you staring at us, huh? Want to join our conversation?”

  He asked, keeping his eyes fixed on Vincent’s face.

  “He looks cleaner, doesn’t he? That’s suspicious… If he ever talks about the arteries-”

  Before they could decide what to do with him, Vincent saw his savior walk through the door.

  The trio didn’t notice her right away, so they jumped in fright when Lily appeared behind them, making them flinch as she struck her staff against the floor.

  “M–M–Magister Lily!”

  The husks straightened up the moment they saw her. Despite her cheerful and harmless appearance, she was still a figure of authority.

  “What are you doing to Vin? You’d better not have hurt him!”

  Lily scolded them, and the husks shook their heads frantically in denial.

  Having friends in power is always useful…

  In his past life, Vincent had been used to receiving special treatment, not only because of his wealth and power but also because of his connections. It was good to have influential friends… unless they decided to kill you.

  Lily took him by the arm, relieved to see him in one piece that morning. Just one look was enough to tell he was still conscious… not only because of the sharp spark in his eyes but also because he was clean and freshly shaven.

  As they left the dorm, Vincent forced himself not to smile. He kept his face blank instead.

  “Did you shave by yourself? I didn’t know you had that kind of skill.”

  Lily said, surprised and slightly hopeful.

  “So I assume your night went well?”

  Vincent shook his head.

  “I-it was horrible… I’ve lost so much…”

  Lily squeezed his hand tighter in a show of support, letting him know she understood.

  “But you’re intact, Vin. I didn’t sleep a wink all night. I thought you wouldn’t make it… I almost went for help, but there was nothing anyone could do. It all depended on you, on your willpower, on the strength of your soul.”

  “And on my meridians…”

  Vincent replied, not entirely sure what role they played in all of this. Lily raised an eyebrow, surprised.

  “And your meridians too… well, not exactly, but you need them to protect yourself. You need to have your own flow, to ignite your furnace, your engines. Once they’re running, you won’t have nights like the last one.”

  “T-that will let me use magic too, r-right?”

  “It’s part of it.”

  Lily answered with a faint smile. There was something she wasn’t telling him.

  “But first, we’ll start with the basics.”