(Rodova Military Academy, The next day)
Leo never heard back from Alric or Ladina after he walked out of the cabin yesterday, which he took as a positive sign that they had finally decided to leave him alone.
He had really felt himself being cornered when Ladina began using his unknown past against him, however, thanks to [Monarch's Indifference] keeping him calm at all times, he was able to think of a solution quickly enough to flip the situation on her.
'Well... None of it matters anyway. I was never going to agree to stay here another year, no matter what they said. But thankfully, I could resolve it without too much trouble—' Leo thought to himself, as he made his way to the Meditation Manual Selection Archive, with today's goal being clear in his mind.
He needed to pick a meditation manual that would guide him towards reaching the transcendent stage, and it wasn't a choice he could make lightly, as his whole foundation as a warrior would depend on it.
"Good Evening Mr.Skyshard, we have been expecting you— I have received the holographic copy of the previous meditation manual you were practicing, and the records do confirm that you have reached the next stage, which makes you eligible to access the next meditation manual—" The assistant dressed in Rodova's standard uniform said, as he pushed open the doors to the meditation manual selection chamber, and gestured for Leo to follow.
"As a Monarch-tier student, you are eligible to select from the unrestricted section of our Transcendent-grade meditation manuals, I hope you find something you fancy today." The assistant said as he handed over a data slate to Leo.
"Thank you," Leo replied curtly, taking the slate and moving towards one of the small lounge chairs placed near the holographic book shelves.
The room was quiet and smelled faintly of old books and energy crystals, a fitting place for those about to make serious decisions about their future cultivation paths.
Hundreds of options unfolded before him as he began swiping, finding everything from manuals crafted by ancient masters, to those forged by mythical warriors, and even some created by gods themselves—all available within the Rodova Archive.
He sifted through them methodically, eliminating anything that was too elemental-specific, too restrictive, or simply didn't fit his vision for his future self.
As after about an hour of careful reading, he managed to narrow it down to four options.
Four manuals that called out to him for different reasons.
---
1. [Crimson Tyrant Physique]
—Originated from Helmuth the Berserker, one of the three founding gods of the universal government.
This meditation manual focused entirely on reinforcing the body beyond mortal limits, saturating the flesh, blood, and bones with mana so dense that the user's body itself becomes a weapon.
It emphasizes on physical regeneration, brute strength, and overwhelming resilience— at the cost of slowing down mana control and sensitivity.
Pros:
Immense physical durability and strength boost.
Passive regeneration abilities even in combat.
Cons:
Mana becomes harder to manipulate delicately.
Energy-intensive, unsuitable for people with a shallow mana pool.
---
2. [Monarch's Breath]
—Designed personally by Wade the Enigma.
This technique emphasizes on achieving balance above all— merging mind, mana, and body into a single seamless existence, which helps reduce the thinking and response time behind any action.
It enhances both spiritual awareness and combat adaptability, creating a practitioner capable of responding to threats instinctively rather than logically.
And while It doesn't specialize in any single area, it still creates terrifyingly well-rounded warriors.
Pros:
Boosts overall adaptability and combat instinct massively.
Perfect for someone pursuing versatile battlefield supremacy.
Cons:
Slower initial progress compared to hyper-specialized manuals.
Requires extreme emotional control to fully synchronize.
---
3. [Soul Hook Meditation]
—A sinister and intricate technique crafted by Mauriss, the Eternal Deceiver.
Rather than focusing purely on power, this manual focuses on strengthening the user's soul, anchoring their existence so tightly into reality that killing them becomes exponentially harder through methods unknown to anyone but the practitioner of this method.
Known benefits include incredible resistance to mind control illusions and soul attacks— basically making a user immune to anything that targets the consciousness directly.
Pros:
Near immunity to illusions, mental attacks, and soul destruction.
Increases survivability against cursed and spiritual opponents.
Cons:
Slows physical and magical power growth slightly.
Requires constant meditation maintenance or soul destabilization occurs.
---
4. [Sevenfold Revelation Codex]
—A Mysterious and Peerless technique created by Kaelith The Eternal Sovereign.
The Sevenfold Revelation Codex trains the user to slowly unlock the ability to perceive seven hidden layers of intent behind every living being's actions. These layers are said to represent emotions such as anger, joy, ambition and killing intent, to name amongst others.
At early stages, practitioners experience faint emotional ripples when observing others. But as mastery progresses, these subtle hints evolve into a vivid, almost instinctual awareness, letting the user see through lies, treachery, and even predict attacks moments before they happen.
However, despite its allure, very few have ever made any progress training in this method and none except the Eternal Sovereign himself has ever mastered it, fully unlocking all seven layers.
Pros:
Grants the ability to instinctively perceive hidden intentions and emotions during social or combat encounters.
Allows early warning against ambushes, assassinations, and betrayal attempts.
At high mastery, gives a decisive edge in both battlefield command and duels, reading opponents like open books.
Cons:
Extremely slow and difficult progression; each "layer" requires monumental mental fortitude and endless practice.
Incorrect interpretation of perceived intents can backfire, causing mental breakdowns.
Overuse during early stages can cause mental fatigue or emotional instability if the user is overwhelmed by too much external information.
—
Leo leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping lightly against the edge of the slate as he studied the four glowing profiles before him.
Each manual offered power.
Each one had clear strengths— and clear dangers.
But which path aligned with the man he was striving to become?
The Crimson Tyrant Physique was tempting.
The idea of forging a body strong enough to walk through storms and shrug off mortal injuries was appealing— especially after he experienced firsthand during the circuits as to how often overwhelming force could decide the difference between life and death.
But at the same time, he knew brute strength alone didn't suit him. He fought with precision, instinct, and deadly control. Hence, sacrificing finesse for bulk wasn't his path.
In contrast, [Monarch's Breath] was far closer to his natural style.
The thought of merging mind, body, and mana into one seamless existence resonated deeply with him.
As becoming someone who did not need to think before reacting, who simply moved with the flow of battle, was a future that excited him. However, it was still not the best option.
[Soul Control Meditation] held undeniable allure too.
Resistance against mental corruption and soul attacks was rare— and valuable.
But the maintenance requirement, the constant need for meditation just to hold himself together, was a heavy chain to bear, and Leo didn't want to live shackled to rituals.
Which brought him to the final and most dangerous option:
[The Sevenfold Revelation Codex.]
A technique chosen by many, but mastered by none.
None, save for Kaelith, the Eternal Sovereign himself.
And although it was undeniably the riskiest choice, something about the promise of seeing through the layers of human intent stirred a sharp, almost primal yearning within Leo.
Having lost his memories, he had been forced to place blind faith in Muiyan Faye and the handful of instructors who surrounded him.
But moving forward... he no longer wanted to rely on anyone.
He didn't want a future dictated by the words of others, by facades and half-truths.
He wanted to see.
To peer into the hearts of men and grasp the truth hidden behind smiles, lies, ambition, and betrayal.
For in a universe as treacherous as this one, strength alone was not enough.
Trust could be a blade sharper than any dagger, and ignorance could be a noose tightened without warning.
And so, for him—
The ability to read intent was not a luxury.
It was survival itself.