The Last Thunderborn

After Camilla left his room, Ranav sat there quietly, his mind preoccupied. He was deep in discussion with Jessica about the next steps.

"I have completed all my tasks here. Acupoint Opening is done, the house has been paid for, I visited my master, and I even uncovered Camilla's identity. What should be our next move?" he asked.

Jessica replied, "Now that you have successfully completed Acupoint Opening, your next level is Grandmaster. However, you must tread carefully from now on with body training. Although you have opened all the acupoints you could, your mana pathway has only just been formed. It is still too fragile to withstand the pressure of another breakthrough. From my understanding, your mana flow is not yet smooth. There are several narrow pathways hindering its constant circulation. You must continue applying pressure to your mana pathway by actively gathering mana from the world. This will gradually strengthen both your mana pathway and acupoints. When you reach the point where you feel capable of withstanding a sudden surge of mana, which will forcibly expand your mana pathways and acupoints, you can proceed with your next upgrade."

She paused before continuing, "I have compiled a list of medicinal herbs that will assist you in this journey, in addition to the normal Lifebreath technique. There is no need to worry about this for now; I will inform you when the time is right. For now, make sure to practice Lifebreath for at least half an hour daily."

Ranav nodded. "Understood. What's next?"

"You need to buy some new items for your house, but that can wait until we reach the city. There's nothing urgent here. However, Ganesh still hasn't informed you about the cost of the wall. You should visit the construction site one last time before leaving."

Jessica suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Did you notice that your control over fire magic has improved since opening your acupoints?"

Ranav thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, yes. I do feel that controlling fire has become easier. I think my overall magic control has improved as well. I should test it later."

Jessica nodded in approval. "Good. That means the Acupoint Opening has strengthened your elemental manipulation. Now, before we leave, I suggest you inform Camilla and Vivita about your unique method of star circle creation. It is quite different from what we've read in books. They should know that they have the freedom to develop their own style instead of strictly following written instructions. Also, we can provide them with some books on the basics of magic. We have plenty now."

She took out a few books and held them out in front of Ranav. He took them and placed them on the table to give to his sisters later.

"You should also purchase a cheap storage ring when we reach the city," Jessica continued. "It will make it much easier for you to keep your belongings organized and your original storage ring hidden. Usha might be able to help you find one. And if we receive enough money, we should also consider buying a communication device. It will help you socialize more efficiently, just like mobile phones."

Ranav agreed. "Alright. I'll leave all that to you. Let's help my sisters and then return to the city."

He called Vivita and Camilla into his room and explained his insights on star circle creation. After sharing his experiences, he handed them the books Jessica had prepared. Later, he visited the construction site, only to learn that Ganesh had already returned to the city. Deciding to speak with him there, Ranav had lunch with his family before bidding them farewell and setting off on his journey.

By the time he reached the Count's estate, it was almost evening. After exchanging pleasantries with the Countess, he retired to his room. He freshened up, changed into comfortable clothes, and settled into the library within his ring to read. The collection of books from Kuldeep Krushna was vast, and although Jessica could provide knowledge at any time, Ranav preferred to learn on his own. He knew that he couldn't always rely on her presence, as he had experienced before, and he didn't want to be caught unprepared again.

That night, he read tirelessly, only pausing for dinner. When the early morning light crept in, Jessica reminded him to take a break. He could feel the strain on his mind; reading in the ring's library doubled his effective study time. Two hours in the library equated to one hour in the outside world, making his learning process incredibly efficient but also taxing.

Reluctantly, he exited the library and took a refreshing bath. He decided to go outside and meditate for a while. It had been days since he last meditated, and now was the perfect time to practice Lifebreath and prepare for the next stage of Mana Body Training.

Ranav headed to his usual meditation spot… small hill in the back garden. The sun was just beginning to paint the sky with soft hues of orange. The treetops shimmered golden in the morning light, and the lush greenery around him seemed almost ethereal. Small birds chirped in the distance, and butterflies danced over wildflowers, creating a serene atmosphere.

Taking a deep breath, he sat cross-legged and began practicing Lifebreath. He needed to steadily increase his mana reserves and reinforce his mana pathways.

It felt refreshing to meditate after such a long break. He remained in deep concentration for nearly an hour before moving on to practicing basic Light, Darkness, and Fire magic. As he finished, he thought to himself, "I still haven't formed a star circle with my purple stars. Although I have a level-1 silver star circle, I still can't use summoning magic. Now, I need to form a star circle with the golden stars while also leveling up the red star circle. My workload keeps increasing."

Jessica, sensing his thoughts, chimed in, "Don't let it overwhelm you. Just keep working at your own pace. Everything will fall into place eventually."

Ranav sighed. "Were you listening in?"

Jessica chuckled. "I was observing your practice. So, naturally, I heard you."

He smiled wryly. "It just reminds me of all the piled-up work I had back on Earth. But you're right; there's no strict deadline for this."

Just then, his stomach let out a loud growl. Jessica burst into laughter. "That's our cue to wrap up! You need breakfast. You used up a lot of energy last night with Regenesis while reading. It's time to replenish your reserves."

As they made their way back, Jessica reminded him, "Don't forget, you need to visit the Magic School and meet your master's friend."

"I haven't forgotten," Ranav assured her. "I was planning to go after breakfast. If we can evolve Midnight to a level where he can cast magic, it will be a great advantage for us."

Jessica agreed. "Indeed. Surprisingly, Kuldeep's extensive collection doesn't include any books on beast taming or summoning. Either they are incredibly rare, or he simply had no interest in the subject."

Ranav pondered for a moment. "Given his background, rare books wouldn't have been a problem for him. It must be disinterest."

Jessica nodded. "That makes sense. Still, I'm grateful for the enormous collection he left us. Before, we were stuck at a limited level of knowledge. Now, I think our library could rival the Academy's. That said, I have a feeling we're nearing our library's storage limit."

Ranav raised an eyebrow. "Can we replace existing books with new ones?"

"Not right now. But once we hit the limit, we can try," Jessica replied.