Chapter 213: The Phantom in the Mind
[Medicinal Herbs]
[Frostbloom Petal] (25 Points) – Key ingredient for meridian restoration
[Veinroot Extract] (30 Points) – Accelerates cellular regeneration
[Soulmend Sprig] (15 Points) – Stabilizes spiritual backlash
Total: 70 Points
And beside them:
[Beginner’s Alchemy Manual] (200 Points) – Teaches fundamental pill/potion refinement techniques
...Damn.
The herbs alone would cost a significant chunk and the manual? Half my current funds.
But...
Both Baron Nusayel and Lady Luthaire needed these, and if I could learn to refine them myself, I wouldn’t have to rely on the Shop forever in the future.
Still...
I glanced back at the Special Prize Box.
500 Points now (with the discount).
I had 400 + 150 (loan) = 550.
Enough for either the box or the herbs + manual... but not both.
Choice time.
Gamble on the box – Potentially get something more valuable than the other choice, or get ’scammed,’ though I doubted the System would outright scam me. It had said "guaranteed to get the prize you need."
Play it safe – Buy the guaranteed solutions for now.
My jaw tightened.
...No.
I still had a chance to find these specific herbs in the real world. Even an alchemy manual wasn’t impossible to acquire through conventional means, though it might take considerable time and effort.
I had money now, something I didn’t have to worry about for a while, as it was the only thing Virion wasn’t stingy about when I was leaving.
Moreover, I would have to participate in more scenarios to collect Scenario Points, but there was no information on when the next one would occur.
It would probably take a few months before I could collect the required amount for the box, and it wasn’t certain whether the discount would still be available by then.
I could also buy just the two main herbs instead, one for each of them, and let old man Avir handle the rest. As long as I didn’t buy Frostbloom Petal and Veinroot Extract together, I would still be left with 5 points.
"..."
...I’ll trust it once again.
With a deep breath, I focused on the golden box.
[Do you wish to open the Special Prize Box?]
My finger hovered for only a second before tapping [Yes].
The box exploded in a shower of light, fracturing into countless shimmering fragments that swirled like a blizzard before reforming into a single, pulsing orb.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[You have won a SPECIAL PRIZE!]
[Click to receive your reward.]
No hesitation this time. I reached out and clicked.
And the world whited out.
A torrent of information, cold and crisp like an arctic wind, surged into my mind. It wasn’t just data; it was understanding, instinct, intricate pathways of energy.
It felt like a thousand years of accumulated knowledge was being compressed and woven into the very fabric of my consciousness, yet paradoxically, I couldn’t clearly articulate or differentiate its countless threads.
Ugh...
My vision blurred as my skull throbbed, the sheer volume of information making me gasp for air.
For a moment, I couldn’t even think .
Only feel, the weight of something vast settling into the depths of my being.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the pressure eased.
I took deep, steadying breaths, my heartbeat pounding in my ears like war drums. Slowly, the world came back into focus.
And with it... understanding.
As I delved into the newly imprinted memories, a single word slipped past my lips, barely a whisper:
"Amazing..."
The System hadn’t lied.
The reward I’d just received was, without a doubt, the best one I could possibly get, precisely what I needed right now.
[Loci Stabilization Art: Nexus Equilibrium]
A technique that would finally allow me to synchronize my loci, the first, most crucial step toward true resonance. And it wasn’t just some basic method; the knowledge hinted at multiple stages, each unlocking as I progressed.
Stage 0: Stabilization – Grounding and preparing the loci for alignment, creating a stable foundation for future growth.
Stage 1: Harmonization – Aligning my loci into perfect resonance.
Stage 2: Circulation – Refining and directing aura through stabilized pathways.
Stage 3+: Absorption/Refinement/etc – The deeper mysteries, still blurred, waiting for me to choose my path.
My hands trembled.
This... this was priceless.
If this had been in the Shop normally, it would’ve cost 10,000 Points, maybe even more. And I’d gotten it for 500.
Another jackpot.
A disbelieving laugh bubbled up in my chest.
...Thanks for gaslighting me into this, System.
The grin that split my face felt foreign yet exhilarating. If Zephyr or Virion saw me like this, they’d probably think I’d been body-snatched.
Me? Smiling like an idiot?
...Wait.
...Virion would probably imprint it and then annoy me with it all the time.
I shook my head, forcing a deep breath through my nose.
Focus.
With a mental flick, I dismissed all System windows, leaving only the crisp imprint of [Nexus Equilibrium] glowing in my mind’s eye.
Start from scratch.
Even though my loci felt stable after the first day and Virion’s brutal training, this wasn’t about mere functionality; it was about perfection. The difference between a shack and a fortress. Between surviving... and thriving.
I sank into a cross-legged position, hands resting on my knees, and began reviewing Stage 0. Honestly, it wasn’t that different from before.
The first step wasn’t about power. It was about balance. Before harmonizing anything, each Locus had to be settled, clear, stable, and silent.
[Step 1: Anchor Each Locus]
I needed to anchor each of my three Loci in place: Body, Energy, and Mind. Since I had already done this many times before, it was easier this time. Only the mental loci made me struggle for a while.
A wry smile touched my lips as I recalled my first encounter with my mental locus. After experiencing the First Thread’s memory fragment, I’d sensed it, a faint, elusive pulse flitting through the shadows of my consciousness.
Honestly, I should and had been joyous at getting what I wanted, but the process had been... maddening.
Unlike my body and energy loci, which anchored predictably near my core, the mental locus had been... alive .
A slippery phantom that darted between neural pathways whenever I tried to pin it down. At times, I’d sworn it was watching me, assessing my intent before vanishing again.
It felt like trying to catch smoke with bare hands.
But now?
Now I knew its tricks.
Closing my eyes, I didn’t chase it.
Instead, I waited, letting my awareness diffuse through my mind like mist.
Minutes passed.
There.