Initial Assessment of Meditation Method Training Progress

Before the others could digest the matter of tuition fees, Sally continued, "Starting tomorrow, I'll give you seven days to practice the meditation method. During that time, raise your spiritual energy as much as possible."

"Seven days later, your spiritual energy will be tested."

After confirming that no one had any further questions, Sally arranged accommodations for them.

Leo arrived at his room. It was spacious, but contained only a bed, a stack of bedding, a round table, and a chair. There was a cup on the table. Food and water could be obtained from the servants at Esmond Lodge.

Leo went to the bed and began practicing the meditation method.

The Basic Meditation Method Codex was still undergoing optimization toward inferior quality.

Leo closed his eyes and began cycling through the meditation.

After roughly three cycles of the meditation method, he opened his eyes.

"As meditation efficiency rises, the rate at which my spiritual energy grows is also speeding up."

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Leo continued meditating in his room.

During the days since arriving at the gathering, Leo had been meditating in his room.

Other than getting food and water, he steadily practiced the meditation method the rest of the time.

He was now very close to mastering the inferior-quality Basic Meditation Method Codex.

"Lord Danville, Wizard Sally wishes to see you."

Leo got up and headed to Sally's office.

"Wizard Sally."

"Come in."

Leo entered the room and saw Sally, whose face looked somewhat haggard.

Esmond's disappearance appeared to have affected this teaching assistant greatly.

There were three desks in the office.

The desk in the middle looked more luxurious.

Sally sat at the desk on the left, while a short, stern-faced man sat at the desk on the right.

In front of Sally stood Chris, Molly, John, and Sono—the four wizard seedlings who had entered the Tower of Dawn alongside Leo.

Leo said, "Sorry, Wizard Sally. I'm late."

"No, this is just the right time." Sally smiled, then pointed to the man beside her. "This is Teaching Assistant Tesla. When I'm not around, you can also ask him about any problems you encounter in your training."

Leo, Chris, and the others greeted Tesla.

Leo looked at Tesla and said respectfully, "Greetings, Wizard Tesla."

Tesla looked at Leo's short silver-white hair and frowned slightly. "Sally, is he the wizard seedling with third-level spiritual aptitude you took in from Wizard Nova?"

"That's right."

"Sally, you never said he was a Prossian."

Sally smiled. "Wizard Tesla, if Mentor Esmond were here, he wouldn't mind taking a Prossian as his disciple either."

Tesla frowned, but in the end, he still said, "Fine."

"I called you here today to determine the results of your seven days of meditation method training."

Sally suddenly noticed something. She examined Leo carefully, her expression turning grave as she asked, "Danville, have you come into contact with any potions recently?"

Leo asked in confusion, "Potions? Wizard Sally, do you mean the potions mentioned in potion studies?"

Seeing that Leo's confusion did not seem feigned, Sally said, "That's right. Your spiritual energy has grown very quickly. It has even nearly reached the level achievable by someone with fourth-level spiritual aptitude... This doesn't match the result of your third-level spiritual aptitude test."

Sally said sternly, "If you took a potion, you must tell me what potion it was. Improper use of potions can damage a wizard's spiritual aptitude. I need to determine what potion you took and see whether it can still be remedied in time, reducing the side effects it has brought you."

Teaching assistants were evaluated on their work as well.

For Sally, who had only just become a teaching assistant, the evaluation of this batch of students was crucial.

Sally did not want one of the two third-level spiritual aptitude students she had painstakingly found for this batch to be ruined by something like this.

Leo shook his head. "Wizard Sally, I haven't taken any potions. I've stayed in my room these past few days and haven't gone out."

"Is that so..." Sally pondered slightly, but did not entirely believe him. "Let's test your spiritual energy values first. Danville, you go first."

A crystal ball sat on the desk in front of Sally.

Leo walked over, stretched out his hand, and placed it on the crystal ball.

A number appeared within the crystal ball: 0.8.

Sally pondered slightly and said, "Danville, your spiritual energy has already reached 0.8. I'll write this on your profile. This is a very good bonus point. Some wizard seedlings with fourth-level spiritual aptitude may not have improved their spiritual energy as quickly as you in these first few days."

"Of course, I hope this is truly your own ability, rather than you overdrawing your spiritual aptitude in advance." Sally emphasized again.

Leo said, "Yes. I can guarantee that I haven't taken any potions, Wizard Sally."

Seeing Leo continue to deny it, Sally said nothing more.

Then Sally said, "Next is Chris."

"Spiritual energy: 0.5. Very good."

"If you maintain this progress, your comprehensive assessment score at the end of the first month should reach 30 points."

Chris asked, "Wizard Sally, roughly how many magic stones can 30 points earn?"

"Thirty magic stones, perhaps."

Chris's face filled with delight. "That's nearly one-third of the tuition fee. So much!"

"Next, Molly."

"Spiritual energy: 0.1. A little barely adequate."

"Next, John."

John, who carried himself with noble bearing, looked tense as well. He took a deep breath and stepped forward for the test.

"Spiritual energy: 0.04... You need to work harder."

John's face turned pale in an instant. He had not expected that, despite both having second-level spiritual aptitude, there would be such a vast gap between him and Molly.

"Sono."

"Spiritual energy: 0.08. You need to work harder."

Sono kept a stiff face, and her mood appeared terrible.

John's pupils dilated, his face filled with disbelief.

He had not expected that, as a noble, he would be completely inferior to the other four. Especially Molly and Sono—both had the same second-level spiritual aptitude as John, yet John's spiritual energy was at the bottom.

John said, "Wizard Sally, with spiritual energy like mine, how many points can I receive in the first month's comprehensive assessment?"

"No bonus points."

John suffered an even greater blow upon hearing that.

Sally looked at John, wisdom that seemed to see through everything in her eyes. "John, during these seven days since you came to Esmond Lodge, you went out every day to socialize with others at the Esmond Gathering."

"But when you first arrived, I already told you to raise your spiritual energy as much as possible during these seven days. Yet you still maintained the social habits you had as a noble."

"And Sono, while you didn't go out as often as John, you still left the gathering several times, and each time you took a long while to return."

"You wasted your limited training time. Getting such results is perfectly reasonable."

Sally's words were like icy blades, piercing straight through John and Sono.

John especially opened his mouth, wanting to argue, only to find that Sally was entirely right.

Sally's assessment of Molly was that she was a little barely adequate, while her assessment of Sono and John was that they had not worked hard enough.

Sally said, "The Tower of Dawn is not the kingdom you once lived in. Here, strength is everything. Noble titles and noble socializing are utterly meaningless. Your aptitude is lacking, so you have no right not to work hard. All you can do is work hard."

John and Sono lowered their heads.

Sally said, "Spiritual energy is tested once every seven days. Seven days from now, I'll conduct the second round of testing. I hope that during these seven days, you won't slack off in practicing the meditation method again."