novelburst
Chapter 928: Meditation
Chapter 928: Meditation
Chapter 928: Meditation
?
Armin then continued with his daily class after the last incident in Professor Vex's class. However, the following weekend, Vale summoned Armin once more.
Needless to say, it was for the test that Vale had mentioned before.
The summons came through a seemingly ordinary scroll delivered to his dorm. It looked nothing special, but the weight of its presence made his fingers tremble as he opened it.
"Come to the Dark Chamber beneath the Arcane Arts Tower. Midnight. Come alone."
The message was short, leaving no room for hesitation. Anyway, the Arcane Arts Tower was a separate tower from the 16 Towers. This tower was located further south instead.
He heard that this tower was meant to train higher-year students, but he wasn't too sure about it.
At midnight, Armin made his way to the Arcane Arts Tower, where Vale awaited him at the entrance. The Shadow Immortal was cloaked in his usual enigmatic aura... What Armin really felt curious about was his dark robes, which waved as if alive.
Gulp-
Armin couldn't help but feel nervous.
Without a word, Vale led Armin to a spiral staircase hidden behind a concealed door in the tower.
The descent was long and silent...
As they went deeper, the air grew cooler. Thankfully, as Armin was feeling a bit hazy, they reached a massive iron door etched with runes.
With a wave of his hand, Vale deactivated the runes, and the door creaked open to reveal a cavernous chamber illuminated by a soft glow of various orbs.
Vale gestured for Armin to sit at the center of the chamber, where an intricate circular diagram had been inscribed into the stone floor.
It was unlike anything Armin had ever seen, with overlapping markings that seemed to be some sort of high-level Arcane Circles.
"From today onwards, you will be learning the Asura Meditation, a technique passed down from the very origin of the Dark Arts. It is dangerous and demanding, but for those who master it, it offers incredible benefits. You will be the first student of the Academy to try this." Armin's breath fastened as he heard that he was the first to learn this.
However, he soon realized that the meditation he had learned was connected to the Asura!
From their history class, the Asura were briefly introduced as the primordial beings who were said to have forged the foundation of the Dark Arts!
However, there was almost nothing else mentioned after this, so he didn't really appreciate the Asura at all.
"Whoa~"
To learn a technique from their era felt surreal. Armin couldn't help but feel excited! Vale smiled and continued... "This meditation will allow you to strengthen not just your Spirit, but your soul. Your connection to the darkness will deepen, and your potential will grow exponentially. However, the process can be taxing to your body since this was originally a method used to train an Asura... However, I have modified it a lot to make it safer for Arcanists... You have six hours to learn and perform its sequence. Fail, and this opportunity will be lost."
Armin nodded resolutely, determination blazing in his eyes. "I'm ready."
Vale didn't mention it, but this was the perfect time for someone to learn it. It wasn't suited for Arcanists who had already developed their current meditation method after all.
In fact, he couldn't practice this method in order to increase his affinity to darkness. He was already too developed for that to happen. Nonetheless, with Armin's talent and mysterious pocket watch, Vale was hoping that this would be more than enough.
For this process, Vale placed a small obsidian crystal in front of Armin.
It pulsed with a dark energy and Armin had no idea what it was.
"This crystal is a medium to assist you with the Asura Meditation..." Vale explained. "Focus on it, follow the patterns it will show you, and align your Spirit to the flow of the Arcane Circle. Let the darkness guide you." Vale said the last part with a hint of mystery about this method.
"I will do my best."
Armin closed his eyes as he steadied his breath.
As he began connecting to the crystal, he immediately felt a surge of resistance- the crystal's energy seemed to be pushing back against his attempts to sync with it.
Of course, he didn't give up...
He focused a bit more, and he bombarded it with his own energy.
Then, he realized that the technique required him to split his focus: part of his mind needed
to control his breathing, while another part had to decipher the Arcane Circle's shifting patterns. Meanwhile, his Spirit had to harmonize with the crystal's energy.
It was overwhelming.
Twice, he lost focus, and the crystal seemed to flare angrily, sending jolts of energy that left him gasping. But he gritted his teeth and pressed on, drawing upon every ounce of willpower he had.
After four tormenting hours, the resistance began to lessen. Armin's Spirit found its rhythm, flowing in harmony with the crystal and the Arcane Circle... The mysterious energy around the crystal no longer overwhelmed him. Instead, they felt like he could use its power like an extension of his own will.
By the sixth hour, Armin's mind, body, and spirit were in perfect alignment.
The crystal's energy had fused with his own, creating a serene yet powerful flow that coursed
through him.
When he opened his eyes, Vale was standing over him, a rare smile gracing his lips.
"You've done well, Armin. Better than I expected."
However, this wasn't completely over... He hadn't mastered this Asura Method just yet. He
just learned how to use it.
The following week, Armin dedicated himself to perfecting the Asura Meditation.
Each night, he practiced alone, revisiting the sequence Vale had taught him.
The effects were almost immediate. By the end of the week, Armin noticed a dramatic increase in his spiritual strength. His Spirit Strands had grown a lot, and his Phantasm State felt more stable and vibrant. But the most profound change was within his soul—an unshakable core of power that resonated with the darkness he now wielded.
"This is incredible!"