After the al, Lumberling returned to his room and sat down with his legs crossed. He slowly entered the Imperial Mindseal ditation, steadying his breath and calming his thoughts.
If he pushed himself to his limit, he could gain two or three points a day at most. It was painfully slow compared to the growth he gained from devouring enemies or training his other skills, but there was no shortcut. This was sothing he had to grind through on his own.
'I really thought there might be a faster way,' he thought, clicking his tongue in mild frustration. 'Even Duke Hadric didn't have a solution.'
This world was not a true cultivation world. It lacked the rare resources and precious herbs that could speed up ntal growth.
If things stayed like this, his slow progress would beco a problem. Devouring essence was a double-edged blade. It could make him stronger, but if his mind wasn't strong enough, the mories he absorbed could crush him instead.
'I've looked everywhere for Knight skills that strengthen the mind,' he thought. 'But all I ever find are combat manuals.'
He paused for a mont, then a na ca to mind.
'I should ask Vaenyra.'
Hours later, Vaenyra ca to his room and found him still sitting in a lotus position, completely focused.
"Still training," she said softly. "Diligent as ever."
Lumberling slowly opened his eyes. Vaenyra stood before him in her familiar blue dress. Simple and graceful. No matter how many tis he saw her like this, it never lost its charm.
"Well," he said with a small smile, "we wasted quite a bit of ti. I need to make up for it."
"Wasted ti?" Vaenyra's face stayed calm, but a sharp light flashed in her eyes as she stepped closer. "If you don't appease right now, I will beat you up."
Lumberling laughed as he rose to his feet. "Then let's train together."
She tilted her head, lips curving slightly. "You really are insatiable."
"And you're not?"
Before long, soft sounds filled the room as Lumberling and Vaenyra practiced the Spirit Bond Dual Harmony Sutra together, their breaths slowly syncing as their movents flowed as one.
…..
"Do you have any way to strengthen the mind?" Lumberling asked softly as he felt Vaenyra's warm, gentle body pressed against him.
She tilted her head slightly. "What's this, all of a sudden?"
Lumberling then told her about the effects of devouring essence, and how his mind was starting to struggle to keep up.
"I see," Vaenyra said after listening. "So you're having trouble because you've been absorbing too much essence."
"I don't really have a choice," he replied with a grin. "Enemies just keep showing up and offering themselves to ."
She gave a soft hum. "But aren't you already training your mind?"
"You an the Mindseal ditation?" he asked. "It's not enough. It can't keep up with how fast I'm absorbing."
"That's not what I ant," Vaenyra said gently. "Your mage path, you're progressing smoothly."
Lumberling paused. "What does that have to do with my mind… wait." His eyes widened slightly. "You an…"
"Yes," she said with a small smile. "As you grow in your mage path, your mind becos stronger as well. It happens naturally. You can't shape spells without a strong mind, after all."
"So that was the answer all along."
"You're still in the early stages, so the effects are hard to notice," Vaenyra continued softly. "But it won't be a problem. Your growth is already faster than average with our help. And every ti you absorb a mage's essence, it will help even more."
"Thank you. Now I know what I need to do." He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, holding her a little closer.
"Are we going to join the war with the Sengolio and the Aetherborn?" Vaenyra asked, already guessing his plans.
"I'm already on bad terms with them," Lumberling replied. "A clash is bound to happen."
"Hmm, then be careful," Vaenyra said. "The mages of the Aetherborn are on a completely different level from the ones you've faced so far."
Lumberling smiled. "Why should I worry? I have you and the others."
Vaenyra returned the smile. "That's true. As long as you don't provoke an Archmage, you'll be fine."
"Don't worry," he said with a light laugh. "I'm not foolish enough to do that."
A few minutes later, Lumberling lay back on his bed and resud his Mindseal ditation. Even though he had found a direction, this was still the only thing he could do for now.
That night, Vaenyra ca to see him again, and the two practiced dual cultivation together.
The days that followed passed in a quiet rhythm. When Lumberling was not training his Mindseal ditation, Vaenyra or Aurelya would co to him to practice dual cultivation, but most of the ti, it was Vaenyra who usually ca.
It was a peaceful and blissful life, a sharp contrast to the chaos spreading across the empire.
….
Three weeks later.
Lumberling sat with the elves and Liraeth as they shared a al together. To anyone watching, they looked like a single family. The days they had spent together had brought them even closer.
"You've been enjoying yourself a lot lately," Thessalia said with a teasing tone, though there was a hint of annoyance. "Spending all your ti locked in your room."
"If you're jealous, why don't you try it too?" Aurelya shot back without hesitation.
"Aurelya!" Liraeth exclaid, her face flushing slightly.
"What? You should try it too, Liraeth," Aurelya said.
She leaned closer and whispered sothing into Liraeth's ear. At once, Liraeth's face turned even redder.
Their playful teasing made the table feel warm and lively. But when Lumberling t Thessalia's gaze, he paused. Her green eyes lingered on him longer than usual. She was smiling, yet there was a sharp light in her eyes, as if she wanted to swallow him whole.
'Maybe I should spend so ti with her too,' he thought.
Before he could dwell on it, hurried footsteps sounded.
One of Liraeth's soldiers rushed in. "Viscount, Ladies, my Lord. There is an elder outside the gate asking for your help. He says he serves Duke Hadric."
The group stopped eating and turned toward Liraeth.
"So it's happening," Aurelya said with a snort. "After all the trouble we went through to save that Duke, he better still be alive."
"Let's go see him," Lumberling said.
They all stood up and headed for the gate at once.
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