After completing the basic training for the seven elemental cores, Bumantara felt Astryan's body feel "empty"—as if the incoming energy had been instantly dissipated, being evenly distributed among the seven remaining weak cores. Nevertheless, he didn't stop. A little energy was better than none.
Once his breathing stabilized, he stood and gazed at the small practice space in the room—the cold stone floor, the narrow ventilation, and the few rolls of cloth where Astryan usually sat in meditation.
"Now it's time for body breathing..." he murmured.
Body Breathing
From Astryan's memory, the body breathing technique had three basic levels:
1. First Level – Body Tempering
The goal is to strengthen the muscles and skin to withstand energy shocks and pressure.
2. Second Level – Blood Purification
Cleansing energy impurities and increasing the blood vessels' capacity for the flow of elemental energy.
3. Third Level – Bone Tempering
Making the skeletal structure stronger, more flexible, and able to store reserve energy.
Bumantara tried to imitate the breathing pattern Astryan had practiced: inhaling slowly through the diaphragm, holding it, then releasing it in a steady rhythm.
At first, there was no reaction—just a slight warm sensation in the stomach and chest. But after a few minutes, he felt a faint, thin stream of energy flowing through the muscles of his arms.
"So this is what it feels like… this body is strange, but also extraordinary."
Astryan's "rare" physical body allowed him to execute this technique better than someone with a 10% affinity should. In fact, the thin energy felt easier for the body to absorb than the seven elemental cores.
Mind and Soul Meditation
After body breathing, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
In Astryan's memory, the levels of mind and soul meditation were divided into:
1. Fertilization
Formation of the soul's foundation—organizing the flow of thoughts and consciousness.
2. Morula
Condenses consciousness, making the mind more focused.
3. Blastocyst
Increases memory capacity, mental clarity, and brings out the "core of consciousness."
After that, the levels are unknown, only that the higher the level of meditation, the faster one thinks—even being able to retain many small, detailed memories. At certain levels, the user can launch soul attacks, but… no detailed information is available.
Bumantara took a breath and began to organize his thoughts.
His rhythm was slow but steady.
A faint light appeared in his mind—symbolizing the Fertilization stage.
He felt his thoughts becoming more organized. Astryan's memories and his own began to blend more neatly, no longer overlapping and confusing him.
"If a high level can attack the soul… it means the power system of this world is far more complex than just physical and elemental."
That was the only clue he had, but it was enough to understand that meditation practice was an essential foundation for further development.