The progress on the final two runes was a bit more difficult than Tars had anticipated, but only slightly.

  He sensed the difficulty wasn't so much in mastering the runes themselves as it was in the nature of his mental energy. He theorized that his mental power had grown too rapidly recently; fundamentally, the process of mastering each rune of the meditation method was a form of mental exercise, where the growth rate of mental energy and the progress of the meditation method influenced each other. If anything specific had caused this impact, it was that pale grey translucent crystal, which had given his mental energy a sharp boost—though he didn't truly look down on such external aid.

  In the gaps between his meditations, he remembered he still had a storage pouch, opened with the half-man's help, that he hadn't inspected. But once he got busy, he ignored it again. His promotion to a second-level wizard apprentice was close at hand, and he was full of drive. Aside from eating and sleeping, he spent all his time buried in meditation and mental exercise. It was monotonous and tedious, yet deeply fulfilling; the constant effort brought him inner peace. Watching himself improve bit by bit gave him a subtle sense of satisfaction.

  "Today should be the day."

  He stuffed a large mouthful of grub meat into his mouth. To save time and conduct an experiment, he had spent the last two days eating the grubs from within his Bedroom Space. These fat grubs had been collected along with the soil from the gully earlier; several days later, they were still alive, their taste hadn't changed, and he hadn't suffered any stomach issues.

  After finishing the simple meal, he lay down for a rare moment to zone out. "Staring into space" was a high-end, technically demanding form of relaxation, but fortunately, he had mastered its core secret: thinking about absolutely nothing.

  A simple meal, a simple daze, and a few simple pieces of ice. He felt properly adjusted and re-entered his meditative state.

  He had already mastered all the runes required to construct the second Mana Scar. His previous few attempts had been close to success but always fell just short. He felt he would succeed this time; a strange certainty, a gut feeling, told him he was ready, as if a voice were whispering in his heart.

  Six new, six old—twelve distinct runes of the Mana Scar meditation method were outlined and constructed in sequence. His mental energy was consumed steadily, serving as the "flesh and blood" for the new runes. Constructing twelve runes in a row was a test of willpower and mental control; there could be no waste, no hesitation. Until they formed the Mana Scar, the runes would slowly dissipate over time. As the number of required runes increased, the difficulty of advancement grew.

  Constructing too fast led to errors and excessive consumption, but being too cautious meant that by the tenth rune, the first might already be fading, leading to failure. For a first-level apprentice at this stage, relying solely on self-study, mental energy was just barely sufficient—there was no room for error or waste.

  In this moment, he was like a piece of grass or a stone existing in the world without distracting thoughts; the only difference was that he was continuously tracing runes in his mind.

  The eleventh rune formed in a blink. He was one final step away from becoming a second-level wizard apprentice. His speed of advancement was extremely rare even in Kalyu's diary—at least faster than the self-proclaimed genius Kalyu, and it was still unclear if Kalyu had been exaggerating.

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  His previous two attempts failed because he hadn't mastered the pacing; while tracing the twelfth, the first had started to vanish. This repeated process of attempting to construct the Mana Scar was also a refined exercise in self-control; power that cannot be wielded like one's own arm does not truly belong to oneself.

  The twelfth rune was the most complex, like stepping onto a new level. From it, one could judge what the runes leading to the third Mana Scar would look like.

  His pacing this time was perfect. He felt no fatigue; from the first rune onward, everything flowed naturally. Every sliver of mental energy and every transition was seamless. The mistakes and problems from previous attempts were subconsciously corrected and avoided. By the twelfth rune, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion without a single tremor. It had to be this way; consistency was the only path to success.

  Rumble!

  Twelve runes finally existed simultaneously within the illusory world of his mental space. They were like old friends who had known each other for a long time but could never quite get together. Noisy and boisterous, they drew closer, forming a bizarre sight. They repelled and entangled each other, gradually reaching the most intense moment.

  The mental space trembled, though it was far less violent than the time he first became a wizard apprentice—perhaps because his mental space was much more stable now.

  A new, dark red Mana Scar emerged in his mental space, slightly longer than the first and parallel to it. Several spell models drifted and orbited around them. It was another phantom canyon, or perhaps a claw mark left by a beast with only two talons.

  After a moment's thought, he moved the Mage Armor spell model toward the scar to empower it, storing the empowered phantom in the second Mana Scar—his second temporary spell slot.

  He chose Mage Armor not only because it was the only defensive spell he knew, but also in preparation for the Abyssal journey. This protective spell would effectively serve as a disguise spell then; having a second instant-cast opportunity without waiting or consumption would undoubtedly be much safer.

  He opened his eyes and let out a long breath. That breath called back all his wandering thoughts, transforming him from a stone back into a lively kobold. He blinked, realizing that since becoming a wizard apprentice, he had never changed his first temporary spell slot; every time he used it, he immediately replenished it with Bull's Strength.

  Becoming a second-level wizard apprentice was a milestone, but in this desolate place, he could only celebrate with some flavorless shaved ice. He was satisfied nonetheless. Next, after a brief rest, he needed to pick a spell to test his new limit of maximum casts and get a clear picture of his strength.

  After finishing the ice, he walked to the cave wall. He wanted to experiment first: using his stronger mental power to try and open that door. Before, he felt he might be able to open a stable spatial portal for a short duration, but it would have been a strain. Now, as a second-level apprentice, it should be easier, giving him a door to freely enter the "Abyssal Bedroom" space.

  This was also preparation for stealing the dragon blood. He could open this door in advance to enter or exit at any time; if an accident occurred, he could immediately duck inside. As for doing this at the cave wall—it was just to help him focus. It was psychologically easier to convince himself that he was opening a door on a solid surface.

  There were still a few preparations to make. After mastering the door, he had to find a way to pierce the skin of that monster dragon; even a mosquito needs to get its "mouth" in to suck blood.

  As a door shimmering like a mirage began to manifest, the sound of frantic footsteps approached.

  Aiskin?

  Still unskilled at opening the door, he barely managed to concentrate on the final bit. A spatial fragment door, taller than a person, was successfully constructed. He wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead. He might as well invite Aiskin inside for a look, he thought. Ever cautious, seeing the grubs were fine after several days, he had already planned to tour it himself.

  "Brother Tars, Old Golden-Tooth... his threads of light have become so long!" Aiskin's voice rounded the corner before her anxious face appeared. "Those things suddenly started getting brighter and brighter. He wouldn't let me disturb you, saying you must be doing something very important... but he hasn't been able to eat for a long time..."