Magic Power Revealed and Unexpected Recognition

In the following days, Leon's life fell into an unprecedentedly disciplined rhythm. Each day was strictly divided into several parts, each aimed at the same goal—to become stronger.

At dawn, with the first hint of light, he would wake up, driven by his biological clock. He wouldn't get up immediately, but would first spend half an hour in basic meditation, stabilizing his mental nebula and attempting to perceive and guide the faint "ripples" of Spiritual Power more clearly. Though progress was agonizingly slow, each successful session made him feel a little more familiar with his control over his own Magic Power.

During breakfast, he was no longer groggy or absent-minded as before. Instead, he forced himself to concentrate, paying attention to the occasional snippets of conversation between Aunt Margaret and Elisa about magic, politics, or developments in the Imperial Capital. Like a dry sponge, he greedily absorbed any potentially useful information, storing it away even if he couldn't understand it at the time. Facing Aunt Margaret's seemingly casual yet sharp gaze, he learned to maintain a moderate level of respect and silence, no longer talking back or fawning like the original owner of his body.

Mornings were invariably spent at the City Guard's barracks, enduring Captain Hans's "torture." The training remained brutal. Every sword swing, every weighted run, every sparring session made his muscles burn and his bones groan. Captain Hans's sarcastic remarks and relentless goading never ceased. But Leon's mindset had changed. He no longer saw these as mere punishments, but as a furnace to temper this frail body. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed all the pain and exhaustion, his eyes now holding a rare determination and focus. He even began to try, under extreme conditions, to mobilize his faint Spiritual Power to sense his body's exertion and the subtle flow of Battle Qi. Although the results were minimal, this active "thinking" and "attempting" was progress in itself. Captain Hans seemed to notice this subtle change as well. While he continued to be verbally harsh, a barely perceptible hint of surprise occasionally flashed in his eyes.

Afternoons were his own, dedicated to magic. He spent most of his time in the Count's Mansion's vast, sea-like library. He no longer wandered aimlessly but had clear objectives. He first meticulously studied Elisa's basic meditation method booklet, until every annotation and every diagram of Spiritual Power circulation routes were memorized. Then, he began to systematically consult introductory magic theory books: An Introduction to Magic Elements, A Preliminary Exploration of Spiritual Power's Essence, Basic Rune Analysis... These texts, which were like learning the alphabet to formal Mages, were a difficult mountain for him, a "magic illiterate," to climb. The obscure terminology, complex theoretical models, and various seemingly contradictory doctrines often left him dizzy. But he didn't give up. If he couldn't understand it the first time, he'd read it a second, a third time... He used the most rudimentary method, forcing himself to memorize, understand, and ponder. When he encountered insurmountable problems, he would carefully record them, but dared not disturb Elisa or Aunt Margaret, fearing exposure of his "ignorance" and unusual learning progress.

Evenings were his most "luxurious" time of the day. He would slip into Elisa's room punctually for his unique "Pillow Cultivation Method." With the aid of Elisa's miraculous "Breath of Serenity," his meditation efficiency far surpassed practicing alone. He was no longer content with passively absorbing the tranquilizing aura but began to attempt active guidance. He carefully separated a wisp of Spiritual Power, like the most delicate tendril, attempting to "touch" and "understand" the magical properties contained within the cool fragrance that enveloped Elisa. He discovered that this aura was not of a single attribute but an extremely refined, gentle Spiritual Power field that effectively calmed mental agitation and enhanced perceptual sensitivity. He even fancifully attempted to simulate the fluctuations of this Spiritual Power field. Of course, this was undoubtedly wishful thinking, and every attempt vanished like a stone into the sea, but his Spiritual Power and control were solidly honed through this subtle exploration.

Days turned into weeks, and Leon, like a spider quietly spinning its web, was silently weaving his own network of power. His body gradually grew a bit sturdier under Hans's beatings. Though still far from being a true Knight, he was at least no longer as weak and unstable as before. More importantly, changes were happening in the magical aspect.

About half a month after starting this routine, late one night. Leon was immersed in deep meditation, his Spiritual Power highly concentrated, guiding the dark golden nebula to rotate slowly and steadily. After this period of hard work, his control over Spiritual Power had become significantly more proficient, the nebula's rotation smoother, and the "ripples" spread more regularly.

Just then, a sudden thought struck him. According to the descriptions in Basic Rune Analysis, the most fundamental "Light Spell" magic model was composed of an extremely simple rune structure representing the intent of "gathering" and "releasing." Its essence was not to create light, but to disturb the Magic Elements in the air through Spiritual Power, causing them to become temporarily active and emit light. Although he couldn't even sketch half a rune now, the concept of "disturbing elements"...

A bold idea emerged. He stopped pushing the nebula and concentrated all his intent outward, no longer guarding inwardly. He tried to extend his awareness outwards, targeting the faint white specks he often "saw" during meditation—the ones representing basic light elements that were elusive to him.

Recalling the principle of the "Light Spell," he discarded the complex rune construction and, in the simplest, most direct way, wrapped his "intent"—a strong desire to "light up"—around a sliver of Spiritual Power, like casting an invisible stone, and shot it towards the nearest white speck!

This was purely driven by intent, devoid of any technique, more like an instinctive cry.

However, a miracle occurred!

That white speck, which had been lazily drifting, flickered violently upon contact with Leon's "impact," which contained strong intent and Spiritual Power! Immediately after, a pale light, dimmer than a firefly and lasting less than half a second, suddenly lit up before Leon's tightly closed eyes, in the darkness of his Spiritual Sense! Then it rapidly extinguished!

Did it work?!

Leon jolted awake from his meditation, his heart pounding wildly! Although the light was so faint it was almost negligible, and its duration pitifully short, this was undeniably the first time he had actively influenced external Magic Elements using his own Spiritual Power!

This wasn't by relying on Elisa's aura, nor any external object, but entirely his own power! Though this power was pitifully small, it was an unprecedented, milestone breakthrough from zero to one!

Immense joy and a sense of accomplishment washed over him, almost making him want to cheer. He subconsciously tightened his arms, hugging the "cultivation accelerator" in his embrace even tighter, his cheek unconsciously nuzzling contentedly into Elisa's fragrant hair.

Just then, Elisa, who had been facing away from him and seemed to be fast asleep, stiffened almost imperceptibly. Then, her cool voice echoed in the darkness, slightly hoarse as if she had just woken up, yet exceptionally clear:

"You just... manipulated light elements?"

Leon's body instantly froze, his elation doused by an icy splash, instantly cooling! She felt it?! Wasn't she asleep?!

"I... I don't know..." Leon's voice was dry from nervousness. "It was just... just during meditation, I seemed to... seemed to see a flash of light..." He dared not admit it, resorting to vague words.

Elisa was silent for a moment, as if sensing something. Then, she slowly turned around. In the dim night, her Violet eyes calmly gazed at Leon's face, inches away. Her gaze was no longer completely indifferent, but held a clear trace of inquiry and... surprise.

"Spiritual Power projection, elemental resonance... though it's the lowest form of disturbance," she stated plainly, her tone unreadable. "It seems Teacher Margaret's decision to send you to the training class wasn't entirely blind."

After saying this, she turned back, resuming her position facing away, and fell silent.

But Leon's heart, spurred by this brief evaluation, began to beat violently once more, this time with an indescribable excitement and... hope.

Elisa's words were tantamount to an indirect acknowledgment of his insignificant "progress"! This meant his efforts, his direction, were at least not wrong! Moreover, she mentioned the training class! This implied that Aunt Margaret had already informed her of the arrangements?

That night, Leon couldn't fall asleep for a long time. The fleeting light on his fingertips and Elisa's unexpected acknowledgment were like embers in the darkness, faint but truly illuminating the path ahead of him.

Magic Power's first glimmer, the future holds promise.