Breath of Requiem and Cultivation Shortcut

The night deepened, and the Count's mansion once again fell into a quietude under magical protection. Leon sat at his desk in his room, bathed in the soft glow of a magic lamp, repeatedly studying the thin booklet Elisa had given him. The pages were adorned with complex and exquisite diagrams of Spiritual Power circulation routes, accompanied by dense annotations detailing breathing rhythms during meditation, key points for mental guidance, and potential obstacles.

Merely reading and comprehending this foundational knowledge made his head throb, consuming far more mental energy than the frivolous social engagements from the original host's memories. Yet, an unprecedented sense of novelty and a thirst for knowledge propelled him to pore over it, word by word.

The day's experiences flashed before his eyes: the stirring of the spiritual nebula, the aloofness of the Elemental Spirits, and those strange, dark tendrils... All of it made him realize that the path of magic was by no means smooth, but the possibilities it held were far beyond what mere Knightly Battle Qi could compare to.

"Spiritual Power is the foundation..." Leon rubbed his aching brow, softly repeating the essence of the book, "It requires gradual accumulation and patient effort; one cannot rush."

He attempted to sit cross-legged in the posture described in the book, with his palms facing the sky, and re-entered a meditative state. With the day's experience and more specific guidance, he quieted down faster this time and "saw" the slowly rotating, dark golden nebula. He carefully guided his intent, following the simplest route on the diagram, attempting to push the nebula and generate more stable, longer-lasting "ripples."

The process remained arduous. Spiritual Power was like an untamed wild horse; a moment's carelessness could lead to loss of control and dissipation. After less than twenty minutes, he felt a wave of intense mental fatigue wash over him, forcing him to withdraw from the meditative state, his forehead covered in a fine sheen of cold sweat.

"At this rate, when will I ever achieve anything?" Leon sighed, feeling somewhat discouraged. According to the book, for a beginner to meditate stably for half an hour was already remarkable, and significant improvement in Spiritual Power required years of diligent work. He didn't have that much time to dawdle. The Imperial Capital was rife with undercurrents, and his reputation as a "profligate son" and his identity as the heir of Hohenzollern were like sitting on a powder keg. Without strength, he might not be so lucky next time as he was in the duel.

Just then, a faint, familiar sound of footsteps approached from the corridor, growing closer until it stopped outside his room. Elisa had returned from her evening lesson.

Leon's heart stirred, and a thought uncontrollably surfaced. During the day, Elisa's cool fragrance could calm his mind and make it easier to enter a meditative state. So, at night... what if he got closer? Would the tranquil aura emanating from her "Tranquil Body" have a stronger auxiliary effect on the condensation and cultivation of Spiritual Power?

As soon as this idea appeared, it grew like wild grass. The original host had sneaked over every night out of fear of the dark and dependence, but now, Leon had found a more "respectable" reason – for cultivation!

"Free benefits, why not use them..." Leon licked his slightly dry lips. The sliver of seriousness and restraint that had arisen from his studies during the day was instantly washed away by this highly tempting thought. Moreover, after their shared bath last night, Elisa's attitude seemed to have softened subtly. Perhaps making a request for "sharing a bed" now... wouldn't be so unacceptable?

He took a deep breath, suppressing his apprehension and a trace of guilt (using someone else's talent for cultivation seemed a bit immoral?), but the desire to become stronger overwhelmed everything. He tiptoed to the door, pressing his ear against it, listening to the sound of the adjacent door opening and closing, confirming Elisa had returned to her room.

After waiting a few minutes, estimating she should have finished her evening routine and prepared for rest, Leon, like a thief, pulled open his door and tiptoed to Elisa's room. He hesitated for a moment, but as the original host used to do, he didn't knock. Instead, he pushed the door open just a crack, barely making a sound, and slipped inside.

Only a dim bedside magic lamp remained in the room, casting a hazy, warm glow. Elisa was already lying in bed, her back to the door, covered by a soft down quilt, seemingly asleep. The unique scent in the air, crisp with a hint of cool fragrance, was even more concentrated and tranquil than during the day, as if tangible, flowing slowly through the room.

Leon's heart rate involuntarily quickened. He held his breath, took off his outer robe, wearing only thin sleepwear, carefully lifted a corner of the quilt, and slipped in. Then, as quietly as possible, he slowly pressed himself against Elisa's back.

When he finally embraced that warm, soft body again, burying his face in her fragrant hair, an indescribable sense of peace and comfort instantly enveloped him. The mental fatigue and restlessness from his daytime cultivation were like being washed away by a gentle tide, quickly subsiding.

But this time, Leon's goal was not just for a peaceful sleep. He forced himself to resist the urge to fall asleep immediately and began to attempt meditation in this very state!

He adjusted himself into a relatively comfortable position, still holding Elisa from behind, then closed his eyes and began to guide his Spiritual Power according to the methods in the booklet.

A miracle happened!

The meditative state, which previously required his full concentration to barely enter, now felt almost effortless! His consciousness sank into the dark golden spiritual nebula almost instantly! Moreover, the nebula's rotation was more stable and smoother than ever before! Guiding his intent also became much easier, as if an invisible hand was helping him smooth out the agitation of his Spiritual Power and sort out those chaotic "ripples"!

What shocked him even more was that he clearly "felt" the various colored elemental light points in the air, which had previously ignored him, seemed to have become much "docile" under the influence of Elisa's tranquil aura! Although they still didn't approach actively, the sense of repulsion had clearly weakened. A couple of blue water elemental light points and green wind elemental light points even began to curiously hover and dance at the edge of his spiritual perception!

His cultivation speed had more than doubled!

Leon was ecstatic! This was simply a cultivation accelerator! No, it was a divine artifact! Elisa's "Tranquil Body" was a treasure that magic cultivators could only dream of!

He greedily inhaled the magical cool fragrance, immersing himself completely in meditation. Although the growth of his Spiritual Power was still slow, the clear and tangible condensation and purification effect, several times faster than usual, left him intoxicated. He could even feel his Spiritual Power tendrils becoming more solid and sensitive.

Time flew by in focused cultivation. Leon was completely immersed in the pleasure of this high-speed "cultivation," forgetting his fatigue, forgetting time, and forgetting... that he was holding someone.

Elisa had actually been awake the whole time.

She had woken up when Leon, like a cat stealing fish, had sneaked in. She had initially thought he was back to his old habit of fearing the dark and wanted to "borrow" some sleep aid. The sliver of goodwill she had felt due to his decent behavior during the day faded, replaced by a familiar sense of helplessness and resignation. She couldn't be bothered and planned to treat him like a human-shaped pillow, as usual, until morning.

However, she soon noticed something was wrong.

Leon's breathing behind her became unusually long and regular. Although his body was pressed against hers, there were no restless movements. Instead, he exuded a peculiar focus and a tranquil fluctuation. This was not the state of sleep; it was more like... deep meditation?

He was meditating? Holding her while meditating?

This realization completely stunned Elisa. Her violet eyes opened in the darkness, filled with incredulous astonishment.

She was certainly aware of the effect her "Tranquil Body" had on stabilizing Spiritual Power. Her teacher, Margaret, had also said that her existence was of great benefit to mages. But she had never imagined that Leon... this fop who had previously only used her aura as a sleep aid, would actually use it to assist his cultivation?

And judging by the faint but indeed condensing and active Spiritual Power fluctuations coming from behind her, the effect seemed... quite good?

An extremely complex and indescribable emotion spread through Elisa's heart. There was a hint of displeasure at being used as a "tool," but more than that, there was a sense of absurdity and... a faint touch of something she herself was unwilling to admit.

This Leon seemed truly different from before. He was no longer just seeking sleep, but trying to... become stronger? And in a way she had never imagined.

She lay quietly, not moving, nor speaking to expose him. She could feel Leon's complete focus on cultivation, and could even vaguely sense his originally superficial and restless Spiritual Power slowly but surely becoming more solid.

The night passed without incident.

As the first hint of dawn appeared in the sky, Leon slowly withdrew from that exhilarating state of cultivation. He felt not fatigue, but a clarity and exhilaration akin to being fully nourished! The cultivation results of this one night were probably equivalent to several days of hard work!

He sighed contentedly, subconsciously tightened his arms, hugging the "human-shaped cultivation accelerator" in his embrace even tighter. He nuzzled his cheek against her fragrant hair with satisfaction, then fell into a deep sleep – this time, a true, deep sleep.

Feeling the steady, long breaths coming from behind her, and the undisguised closeness filled with satisfaction, Elisa's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. In the darkness, she gently bit her lower lip, a barely noticeable blush flashing across her face.

This guy... is really... pushing his luck.

But in the end, she merely sighed very softly and closed her eyes again. The light outside the window gradually brightened, illuminating the two figures sleeping in each other's arms on the bed, their atmosphere strange yet possessing an indescribable... harmony.

In his sleep, the corners of Leon's mouth unconsciously curved into a smile. He had found a shortcut to quickly establish himself in this world, and this shortcut seemed... quite comfortable.

Elisa, amidst a jumble of thoughts, drifted back into light sleep. She began to feel that this sudden "fiancé" might be much more... troublesome, and also... much more interesting, than she had imagined.