Mental defense.
That’s what Nova addressed the book.
The method of guarding one’s mind from attack was, in a way, easy to understand but also difficult at the same time.
A person without an affinity for the mind would probably never even consider such a method, and if they did, it would be extremely hard to figure out how to protect themselves.
How could they guard their minds? Where would they even start?
These were questions that those without talent or a natural connection to their mind typically faced when contemplating such problems.
On the other hand, those with talent in this area found the process as easy as breathing. Almost instinctual.
It was as if they knew they could perform these actions from the start, without instruction or training.
They were the ones who trailblazed the path.
From them, manuals on mental defense quickly made their way into the hands of those without talent, and thanks to the manuals, these people learned quickly.
This is where the real difficulty in learning arose.
It was hard to acquire such knowledge, but once obtained, it was only a matter of time before one managed to learn the basics.
Nova held the book in his hands and muttered, bafflement evident in his voice, “Does this mean the soul truly exists? This would have answered so many scientific and existential questions about our bodies…”
Due to the many promises scientists had made about progress that were never fulfilled, Nova didn’t trust them too much, but that didn’t mean he didn’t trust science.
Humanity had long been researching what the human body was composed of, yet they never truly reached a consensus about the existence of a soul.
Some said memories made the person; others claimed it was an intrinsic aspect of each individual, determined from birth; and still others believed the soul was what a person was at the deepest level.
While such theories were difficult to disprove, due to the subtlety of the matter, they were not without foundation.
This made the book in Nova’s hands all the more important… if scientists still cared about such studies, at least.
Despite that, knowing that the soul truly existed gave Nova a new perspective on life, and with it, new ideas began to form in his mind.
Could he control people? View someone’s memories? Change one’s personality?
With each subsequent thought, the matter became harder to even fathom.
After daydreaming for a while, he took a deep breath.
His gaze landed back on the book, and he thought, ‘This method involves creating a cocoon made of energy around the soul, acting as a barrier to block attacks. It doesn’t specify if it has to be mana or aura, just energy…’
A look of realization on his face. ‘Before I entered the Purple portal, I never would’ve caught this detail, but now I know that not everyone is able to control mana, and that other types of energies exist in the world. It’s making me wonder what other energies exist besides aura and mana.’
A smile spread across his face, and his hand shook slightly.
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If there truly were more energies, and if he could learn them, then his strength wouldn’t just increase. It would skyrocket.
The thought of finding new ways to strengthen himself excited him.
It was as if the world always had something new to show, things he couldn’t even imagine in his wildest dreams, and the concept of boredom seemed not to exist.
Soon, his focus went back to the book.
“I need to send the energy between my brows, where the soul resides, and envelop it,” he murmured. As he repeated the process written in the book, he came across many warnings, detailing how delicate the procedure is and how any mishap might have tremendous consequences.
Shaking his head, he couldn’t help but say, “If not for the danger of not having my soul guarded, I wouldn’t dare mess with it either, but I have no choice.”
He placed the book down and closed his eyes.
The mana core inside him spun quietly, and threads of mana slowly made their way toward the spot between his brows.
His actions were careful, he didn’t want to rush and risk damaging himself.
When the mana reached the spot between his brows, it disappeared, and before Nova could ready himself, he felt a tug on his mind.
He couldn’t see anything, but he could sense that something was there. Like a blind man feeling the heat from a fireplace, he knew its presence and general location but had no idea what lay between them or its size.
‘How am I supposed to envelop my soul when I don’t know where it is…’ he thought wryly.
On the outside, his senses could detect what was meters around him even with his eyes closed, but inside, he couldn’t see a thing.
Nova was so focused that he didn’t even notice the beads of sweat matted on his forehead.
With no way of knowing the true size of his soul, he could only guess. He decided to spread his mana thinly around it.
As time passed, his mana slowly surrounded his soul, forming a barrier that protected it.
/////
A cup filled with wine, firmly held in a hand, was thrust into the air, spilling some of its contents everywhere.
“Hahaha, drink with me!” Thomas hung his free arm around Samuel’s neck and shouted.
Samuel smiled helplessly and clinked cups with Thomas before the two of them downed their wine. But not even a second later, the cups were filled again.
Once again, Thomas lifted his cup and shouted, “Jack, you too!”
Seated to the side, Jack clinked cups with Thomas, tilted his head back, and downed the wine.
The cup didn’t stay empty for more than a second before it was filled once more.
Seeing this, Jack’s lips twitched involuntarily, but he decided against saying anything and clinked cups again. The cycle continued.
On another sofa, Rachel and Amelia were chatting with each other, their complicated gazes sometimes falling on the scene nearby, sometimes meeting each other wryly.
“Why every meeting turns into a drinking contest continues to baffle me,” Amelia said, shaking her head lightly.
Rachel took a sip of juice from her cup and said, “I don’t know, but Thomas refuses to say why he started.”
She sighed. “It’s been so many years since he began, and I still can’t get used to it. His ability to fill cups has only gotten better. I just hope Samuel and Jack can last until he passes out or it’ll be our turn.”
A panicked expression flashed across Amelia’s face. “Should we knock him out?”
“We can’t,” Rachel said, her gaze growing serious. “When we tried it only got worse.”
“But I don’t want to drink…” Amelia murmured softly.
“Don’t worry,” Rachel said with a smirk. “Today all we have to do is relax and have fun. Someone else will take care of this.”
Amelia’s eyes shone with understanding, and her lips curved upward. “Right, right! I didn’t think of that!”
The two of them exchanged a grin.
Meanwhile, Samuel shot Jack a subtle glance and mouthed, “When is he coming? I can’t do this anymore.”
Jack shrugged and shook his head.
Samuel’s mood immediately hit rock bottom. Despite being used to this situation, when Jack had shared that he found a solution to the problem, Samuel couldn’t help but look forward to it. A sliver of hope had formed in his eyes.
But now… now that hope seemed to be slowly fading, leaving him stifled.
Unaware of what was happening, Thomas said, “It’s been more than a week since we last partied, we ought to make up for it!”
Make up for it? At this point, I can’t even blame Victor for not coming to our meetings anymore. You keep turning them into drinking parties… Samuel inwardly grumbled, though his expression remained unchanged.
He was about to down another cup when—
Click.
The door of the apartment opened. Evidently, Jack hadn’t locked it.
Nova slowly entered the room. Heavy bags hung beneath his eyes, but that didn’t stop him from looking around. He glanced at his friends in surprise.
He’d only expected Jack, not everyone else, this was why he hadn’t bothered knocking once he found the door unlocked.
Jack, Samuel, Thomas, Rachel, and Amelia turned toward the entrance. When they saw him, their eyes turned to the size of crescent moons, shining with an unmistakable light.
A hidden glint danced within them.
Although Nova felt so tired he could collapse on the floor and immediately fall asleep, his senses still picked up the strange way they were looking at him.
‘What’s this feeling I’m getting?’ he wondered.
Then Thomas shouted, “Nova! It’s been so long! Come, come, drink with us!”
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