Chương 39: Chapter 38

You have killed Glass Golem [Empowered] - Level 25 You receive extra experience for killing an Empowered creature. You have killed Glass Golem [Empowered] - Level 27 You receive extra experience for killing an Empowered creature. You have killed Glass Golem [Empowered] - Level 22 You receive extra experience for killing an Empowered creature. You have killed Glass Golem [Empowered] - Level 29 You receive extra experience for killing an Empowered creature. …

Veins of Fire – Level 82 → Level 84 Furnace Core – Level 7 → Level 19 Flameform Blueprint – Level 4 → Level 17 Infernal Thread – Level 7 → Level 20 Architect's Insight – Level 60 → Level 73 Hellspire – Level 1 → Level 24 Mana Pool – Level 94 → Level 100 Echo Pulse – Level 76 → Level 84 Infernal Architect (Platinum) – Level 9 → Level 17 Name: Jacob Cloud Class: Infernal Architect (Platinum) – Lv. 17 Core Skills: Hell's Sword – Lv. 100 (Gold – Offensive) Fire Slash – Lv. 100 (Silver – Offensive) Fire Shield – Lv.

100 (Silver – Defensive) Fire Armor – Lv. 100 (Silver – Defensive) Fire Walk – Lv. 100 (Silver – Movement) Veins of Fire – Lv. 84 (Gold – Support) The Grimoire Extraordinaire (Rainbow – Support) Class Skills: Furnace Core (Passive) – Lv. 19 Flameform Blueprint (Active) – Lv. 17 Infernal Thread (Passive) – Lv. 20 Ember Keystone (Active) – Lv. 1 Architect's Insight (Passive) – Lv. 63 Hellspire (Active) – Lv. 24 Ignition Array (Active) – Lv.

1 Attributes: Strength (STR): 44 Dexterity (DEX): 67 Endurance (END): 47 Vitality (VIT): 58 Intelligence (INT): 95 Spirit (SPI): 98 Wisdom (WIS): 79 Charisma (CHA): 18 Luck (LCK): 10 Unassigned Points: 40 Other Skills: Iron Grip Lv. 100 (Iron) Minor Endurance Lv. 100 (Iron) Minor Night Vision Lv. 32 (Iron) Echo Pulse Lv. 84 (Bronze) Minor Cookery Lv. 34 (Iron) Minor Strength Lv. 100 (Bronze) Light Lv. 67 (Bronze) Pickaxe Mastery Lv. 81 (Bronze) Minor Mineral Sense Lv.

72 (Bronze) The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Mana Pool Lv. 100 (Silver) The corpse of the last golem still steams behind me. My lungs scrape against my ribs, desperate for air. I stagger across shards and slag, every part of me aching. My mana is almost gone, but I force myself upright. This is the moment that matters. In the center of the chamber, the floor begins to shift. Cracks web outward as molten glass pulls away. I drag myself forward.

The floor bubbles, and three Skill Crystals push through the surface. I kneel, scoop them up, and hold them to the light. The first crystal glows with a deep, steady silver. The mana inside is calm and clear. [Meditation – Silver Rank – Support Skill] The second crystal pulses with a sharp, blue-white edge. Runes swirl around the core. I hold it close and let the Grimoire flicker behind my eyes. [Glass Arrow – Bronze Rank – Offensive Skill] The last crystal feels dense in my hand.

Its light folds in on itself, with mana whorls buried in pale green glass. The Grimoire's script scrolls across my vision. [Glass Skin – Bronze Rank – Defensive Skill] I can't help myself. I start to laugh. I bet the Guildmaster didn't see this coming. Meditation is exactly what I was looking for. I grip the Meditation crystal tight in my hand. My pulse thunders in my ears. The rest of the loot can wait. If I don't recover soon, the next trap or monster will kill me.

I hold the crystal up and stare straight at the system prompt. Would you like to absorb [Meditation]?

"Yes." My voice comes out as a rasp, but I don't care. The Skill crystal melts into my palm. Cool silver Mana surges through my veins and rushes up to my mind. It doesn't hurt, but it feels sharp, like cold water poured over smoldering stone. You have absorbed [Meditation]. Meditation (Silver – Support Skill) Meditation – Level 1 Allows the user to enter a trance state and accelerate Mana and Stamina recovery.

Passive effects include mild resistance to mental interference and better Mana flow control during Skill use. The notification fades. The air feels clearer, the pain in my chest fading for just a second. I don't even bother with the other crystals or the loot. I drop straight to the ground and cross my legs, folding my hands on my knees. I close my eyes. I exhale. I focus on the pulse in my chest and the steady, silver current that just joined my Mana flow. The world narrows. The heat in the room fades.

The pain drops away, step by step. My breath falls into a rhythm. My heart stops racing. I keep my mind blank. I let the Mana fill every corner of my body. Mana creeps back into my core, slow at first, then faster. I can actually feel the difference. The damage from before—the fatigue, the dryness in my veins—starts to clear away bit by bit. The Skill works. It really works. However, it works very slowly. Thankfully, that's one easy problem to solve.

"Grimoire," I say, coughing right after.

"Examine." [Meditation – Silver Rank – Lv. 1] Mana Recovery: +8% per minute while meditating Stamina Recovery: +6% per minute while meditating Passive: Slight resistance to charm and mind-affecting Skills Passive: Minor improvement to Mana channeling efficiency 75 distinct flaws detected. Top Three Flaws (by Mana recovery rate): Static Channel Bias – Recovery rate stalls after two minutes. Breath pattern remains too shallow.

Suggested fix: Inhale through the nose, hold for four seconds, exhale slow through the mouth. Focus on drawing Mana from the lower abdomen rather than the chest. This will prime deeper channels and start a second flow. Fractured Focus Loop – Stray thoughts interrupt the trance, breaking Mana cycling. Suggested fix: Anchor attention on the pulse of Veins of Fire. Sync the heart's rhythm with the meditation cycle to keep the trance stable.

Overlapping Feedback – Passive Skills cross signals, leaking Mana out of the circuit. Suggested fix: Suppress all Skills except Meditation and Furnace Core. Let Furnace Core run in the background for a hotter recovery but cut everything else. I follow the Grimoire's instructions. I press my tongue to the roof of my mouth. I inhale deep and slow, hold, then exhale. Each breath runs long, filling me down to my gut, not my chest. My mind tries to wander, but I focus hard on the burning current of Veins of Fire.

I keep the rhythm with my heart. One beat, one breath, one pulse of Mana. I switch off every Skill but Meditation and Furnace Core. I can feel the difference as the extra Mana leaks away and the right channels start to burn hotter. Mana floods in, steady now. Every drop soaks into my core, raw and pure. I keep my eyes closed. The steam and glass are gone from my mind. I am nothing but pulse, breath, and heat.

Meditation – Level 1 → Level 12 Meditation (Silver – Support Skill) – Level 12 Mana Recovery: +22% per minute while meditating Stamina Recovery: +13% per minute while meditating Passive: Increased resistance to charm, illusion, and intrusive thoughts Passive: Greater improvement to Mana channeling and Skill precision Breathing and pulse control techniques further reduce Mana waste I ask the Grimoire for more Flaws to fix.

Cranius Junction Diffusion – Mana dissipates at the junction above the temples, where the Cranius Junction Vein splits to both sides of the head. Suggested fix: Focus on directing Mana flow straight through the Cranius Junction, avoiding any split or lateral movement. Visualize a single line from the center of the brow to the back of the skull. Oculus Loop Discharge – Mana leaks from the veins running behind the eyes, known as the Oculus Loop Veins.

Suggested fix: Keep the eyes closed and avoid all movement of the eyelids. Channel Mana through the bridge of the nose and into the Occipital Gate at the base of the skull. Hold the focus here to seal the leak. I shift my focus to the first new flaw—the Cranius Junction. The Grimoire's instructions are clear. My Mana dissipates above my temples because the vein splits too wide. I draw in a slow breath.

I visualize a straight line from the center of my brow, right between my eyes, running all the way back to the base of my skull. I refuse to let the Mana split or leak sideways. My jaw stays set. My eyes narrow. I picture the flow as a solid thread—one current, no branches. Every time my thoughts drift, I force them back to that single path, holding the tension. The effect is immediate. The fogginess in my head clears. My focus sharpens, and the Mana starts to fill my core more efficiently.

Once I lock down the Cranius Junction, I move to the next flaw—the Oculus Loop. The Grimoire says Mana seeps away from the veins running behind my eyes. I clamp my eyelids shut, making sure not to let them twitch. I force my breathing through the bridge of my nose, slow and deliberate. The flow of Mana follows my intent and pushes down, not out. The leakage stops.

Meditation – Level 12 → Level 25 Meditation (Silver – Support Skill) – Level 25 Mana Recovery: +41% per minute while meditating Stamina Recovery: +23% per minute while meditating Passive: Strong resistance to all charm, fear, and mental manipulation Passive: Optimized Mana routing through head veins for flawless Skill activation All passive Mana leak and focus loss while meditating reduced to negligible