The instructions were written in an incredibly simple and straightforward manner, yet for some reason, they carried an inexplicable sense of authority that made Ethan instinctively believe every single word.
According to the book, the very first step toward changing the fate of a low-ranked Guide was neither cultivation nor absorbing spiritual energy.
As an F-rank Guide, Ethan’s first objective was mastering the ability to enter his own Mental Sea at will. To be more precise, he first had to successfully enter his Mental Sea.
As an F-rank Guide, his Mental Sea would be extremely unstable and difficult to access, which was why the book instructed him to do nothing else until he could enter it successfully. Once he was capable of remaining inside his Mental Sea for at least ten consecutive minutes without being forcibly expelled, only then would he be qualified to proceed to the second step, which involved guiding spiritual energy into it.
Ethan nodded absentmindedly as he absorbed every line.
"So that’s the first step..."
Ethan nodded thoughtfully before he eagerly turned the page, expecting to find a detailed explanation of the rest stages.
Instead...
He froze.
The following page was completely blank.
Not a single word was written on them.
The only thing visible was the same translucent line of floating text he had seen earlier, except this time, the words had changed.
Next instructions will only become visible after the previous step has been successfully completed and detected.
Ethan stared at the page for several long seconds before the corner of his lips twitched.
"...You’re kidding."
He stared at the book for a long moment.
"What the hell are you exactly?"
First, it had tested him.
Now it was somehow capable of detecting whether he had completed its training.
Was this some kind of spiritual artifact? Or system?
"Whatever..."
Whether it was demonic, magical, or haunted it didn’t matter, it clearly possessed intelligence far beyond an ordinary book. Although Ethan found the secrecy slightly irritating, he couldn’t deny that it had already given him something no other book in the library had managed to provide.
Hope.
That alone was enough.
Closing the book carefully, he placed it on the floor in front of him before taking a slow, calming breath.
"Well... no point complaining."
"If entering my Mental Sea is the first step... then let’s start there."
He adjusted his posture until he was sitting comfortably on the floor, crossing his legs naturally before resting both hands lightly on his knees. Remembering the breathing rhythm described in the book, Ethan slowly closed his eyes and allowed the outside world to fade from his awareness.
His breathing gradually became slower and steadier.
Every inhale filled his lungs calmly.
Every exhale carried away a little more of the tension lingering throughout his body.
At first...
Nothing happened.
All he could hear was the faint hum of the academy outside his dorm room, the distant footsteps of passing students, and the occasional rustling of leaves beyond his window.
His wandering thoughts refused to settle. One moment he was thinking about the scholarship.
The next, his mind was drifting toward Drey’s annoying face before immediately remembering Leon and wanting to punch him all over again.
Then his mind drifted toward the zombie apocalypse from his previous life before abruptly jumping back to the mysterious book lying in front of him.
Again and again, he forced himself to let those thoughts pass.
The process was far more difficult than he had expected. Several minutes slipped by before the surrounding sounds gradually grew quieter, almost as though someone had slowly lowered the volume of the world around him.
His breathing unconsciously synchronized with the rhythm the book had described. His heartbeat became strangely clear.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The sensation was peculiar.
It felt as though his consciousness was becoming lighter and lighter, almost separating itself from his physical body.
Then...
Darkness.
A vast, endless darkness stretched before him.
There was no sky.
No ground.
No sound.
It was simply an infinite black space that seemed to have no beginning and no end.
"So... this is my Mental Sea?"
Ethan instinctively tried to look around, only to realize he couldn’t feel his physical body anymore. His consciousness floated weightlessly through the darkness, unable to determine direction or distance.
It wasn’t frightening.
Just...
This was his first time seeing the very foundation of a Guide’s power. It was beautiful.
Yet strangely lonely.
He recalled the book’s instructions and resisted the urge to panic, instead focusing on remaining calm.
One minute passed.
Then another.
Time seemed to lose all meaning within the strange space.
Gradually, Ethan began to feel a subtle pressure pressing against his consciousness. It wasn’t painful at first, merely uncomfortable, like trying to keep his eyes open after staying awake for several nights.
As the minutes passed, however, that pressure steadily intensified. His head began to ache as his concentration wavered.
Sweat slowly formed across his forehead despite the cool temperature inside his dorm room. Maintaining his consciousness inside his Mental Sea was far more exhausting than he had imagined.
"No..."
"I can’t lose focus now..."
He gritted his teeth and stubbornly maintained his concentration, refusing to let himself be pushed back into reality.
The invisible pressure only continued to increase. It felt as though something was trying to eject him from the Mental Sea, rejecting his very presence there.
His breathing grew uneven.
More beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face. His tightly clenched fists trembled slightly on top of his knees.
Still...
He endured.
Just a little longer...
He could feel it.
He was close.
Very close.
If he could just remain here for a few more moments—
Ding!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A barrage of notification sounds suddenly exploded from his phone. The sharp noise shattered his concentration instantly.
His eyes flew open.
The endless darkness vanished and his Mental Sea slammed shut before he could react.
Ethan sat there motionless, breathing heavily as sweat dripped from his forehead onto the floor. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a full second before burying his face in both hands.
"What the fuck?!"
His voice echoed through the tiny dorm room as he snatched up his phone in disbelief.
He had been so close. So unbelievably close. Of all the possible moments...
Why the hell did his phone have to interrupt him now?
"And who the hell is blowing up my notifications anyway?"