A Hospital in Another World?

Garrett couldn't take shortcuts this time. He had to patiently spend two days diligently copying books. On the third day, as he made his way to the Mage Tower again, before he could even rein in his horse in front of it, he heard a familiar sound.

"Boom!"

It was still on the fourth floor of the Mage Tower, the same window, the figure in robes dancing, flying out in a parabolic arc.

Garrett: "..."

This time, he rode much slower. Arriving at the landing spot, sure enough, it was Elliott, wobbling and descending, grumbling all the while:

"You little rascal, resorting to blasting when words fail... Aren't you afraid of blowing yourself up... Oh, why are you here?"

"Mr. Elliott..." Garrett looked at him helplessly. "I came to see if you needed help..."

Elliott wanted to tell him to scram. Last time he flew out of the Mage Tower, it was only with Garrett's help that he returned, otherwise, who knows how long he would have had to hop on one foot. At this moment, unable to voice harsh words, he grumbled as he struggled to get up and walked away.

He didn't cause trouble, but trouble didn't spare him. A clang from the fourth floor of the Mage Tower, a window pushed open, a young lad popped his head out, golden hair shining, shouting in a peculiar tone:

Elliott glanced up, remained silent, and kept walking with his head down. Garrett accompanied him, circling a quarter of the way around. As the golden hair of the youth disappeared from sight, Garrett asked softly:

"Couldn't win?"

"Who said I couldn't!" Elliott's voice rose suddenly. "That brat and I are on the same level! How could I not win!"

Garrett remained silent. Elliott walked a few more steps, slumped his shoulders, sighed:

"Just a little bit more!... Humph, that kid comes from a prestigious family, had the best meditation methods since childhood, stronger mental power than me. Just a bit more, and I could cast four spells like him!"

"Meditation methods?" Garrett's heart skipped a beat. He seized the chance to ask, "What kind of meditation methods are better?"

"Kid, trying to gain an advantage again?" Elliott raised an eyebrow at him. Without waiting for Garrett to lower his head in repentance, he sighed:

"Since you bothered to come and get me, I'll tell you... it's not really a secret anyway. With your mental power, becoming a mage is just a matter of time; these things aren't hard to know."

Garrett immediately perked up his ears. The mage Elliott slowly explained:

"Listen, kid. Meditation has three parts: 'core,' 'shell,' and 'threads.' The core is shaping a mental core, the more it resembles yourself, the better, that way, it can support your physical body; the shell is forming an exterior shell, the better its shape, the more it can attract and filter useful forces for you, while also resisting outside impacts; threads teach you how to extend your mental power, perceive the world, and influence it. Good meditation techniques have unique skills in these three aspects. Ordinary mages either use the book 'Basic Meditation' or learn from a teacher, exchange with the Magic Council."

It sounded like fundamental theoretical knowledge. Garrett was fully focused. But just as he wanted to listen more, Elliott's voice paused, and he stopped talking.

Was that it? Or was the next part for a fee? Garrett hurriedly asked, "Mr. Elliott, about shaping the mental core to resemble oneself, does it mean every detail should be as similar as possible?"

"Yeah..." Elliott sighed. "But who can do that? Features, limbs, a few bones, where are the organs placed, it's tough to get those right. Even the detailed parts, I'm not sure... Why do you ask?"

In the morning light, in front of the Mage Tower, Garrett stood straight, holding the horse's reins, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"I think I might know... how the details of shaping the mental core should be."

"You?!"

Elliott's eyebrows shot up. He grabbed Garrett, rushing outside, dragging him until they were near the stable before letting go:

"What do you know? You don't even know how to meditate!"

"I meditated last night," Garrett insisted. He shrugged off Elliott's pull, sidestepping a pile of horse dung:

"Yesterday afternoon, you cast 'Language Proficiency' for me. I used that time to memorize the 'Basic Meditation' from the bookshelf. I tried it when I got home.

—I first built the mental core according to the human body framework in the book, then adjusted the details according to my own understanding. After the adjustments, I felt my mental power became much more solid."

Elliott frowned. He stared fixedly at Garrett, leaning forward unconsciously, fists clenched. He looked as if his eyes could shoot knives to dissect Garrett and see his mental core.

Garrett stood firm, letting him look. One minute, two minutes... Suddenly, Elliott jolted, eyes as if waking from a dream. He stepped back, staring at Garrett with a new gaze, exhaling deeply:

"Yes, yes, you're a healer... You already know what the human body looks like... You know..."

Elliott murmured, stuttering, a myriad of thoughts churning in his mind. Ordering, coercing, enticing—any means, really. After all, Garrett had just started learning magic, didn't understand anything, and couldn't even produce ten gold coins—

Give him a little benefit, or as he requested, help him cast the copying spell a few times, he'd surely spill the beans... If afraid of being exposed, just tell the teacher about the meditation, everyone benefits, surely they could keep the secret together...

No knowledge comes without a price. And meditation, something so foundational to a mage's power, its value even exceeded many spells.

In the Mage Tower, spells from levels one to three were all openly available to the mages inside. However, regarding meditation, except for the introductory 'Basic Meditation' book, not a single word about the other techniques could be found.

That was a price he couldn't afford.

He stared at Garrett, torn between conflicting thoughts. Trying to obtain the meditation technique through some means would be easy, but...

But aside from the fact that the other was a healer, someone who had just stepped into the realm of magic like him, it wasn't right to take advantage in such a way. Elliott's sense of morality and adherence to principles didn't allow him to do such a thing.

After hesitating for a while, gritting his teeth, Elliott turned and left. —Observing the human body in the way healers do, then adjusting the mental core based on those observations. Just this single approach, a unilaterally proclaimed effective approach, was worth him giving up everything he had.

Even if Garrett was willing to tell him more, he couldn't offer something equivalent in exchange.

The young mage hurried away, his black robe billowing, almost creating a wave. Garrett stood behind, smiling slightly, watching the black-robed mage who had always looked after him hurriedly

 leave. When the mage was three to five steps away, Garrett called out loudly:

"Hey!"

"No time!" The person ahead rudely replied, not even turning back, as if afraid of regretting it. Garrett chuckled even more:

"Don't try it yourself, I'll tell you how!"

With a thud, Elliott tripped and fell flat on the ground.

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