...
The next morning, Shin wake up on the usual time. Even though he got his sleep a little late because of Arthur and Leonard's pestering, he still need to do his morning practice if he don't want his strength to detoriate.
After all the is a saying in this world that 'If you slack on your training then you will never reach the apex of Martial-Art'.
After taking a shower, Shin directly go the forest garden not far from the hotel. He do three sets of foundation training to warm himself up, then he start practicing his Martial-Arts Skill after.
He train for two hours before going back to the hotel, for him to have his breakfast. After that he go straight back to the forest garden to start his Mentalism training.
"Base on what Alice have said, different person have a different kinds of way to start practicing their Mental Energy. It is because each person have different kinds of personality and have their own way of thinking. Maybe that is also why the 'Four Symbol Scripture' didn't mention about how to start practicing Mentalism." said Shin while sitting in a lotus position on the small grass field at the forest garden.
Shin picked this place to train his Mentalism because from what Alice have said, environment is also important for the first entry on the Mentalism.
"In Mentalism, someone need to find their true self first, for them to know how they can start their own training." muttered Shin to himself before closing his eyes and calming his mind. And then after few minutes he start entering Deep Meditation.
Even though there are different kinds of training method to train someone's Mental Energy, they still need to set their foot first in this kind of state for them to properly start practicing it.
After all Mentalism is different from Martial-Arts where everyone can have similar starting points and can start their training immediately. Because in Mentalism everyone are required to have their own entry points before they can start learning it.
It is also because Martial-Arts is a way of communicating with the Nature by borrowing its force and transforming it into someone's personal energy and becoming their inner 'Qi', while Mentalism is the way of communicating with personal spirit and strengthen its force to have a powerful Mental Energy.
Shin empty his mind and try to reverse the effect of his Deep Meditation. Instead of sensing his surroundings, he try to feel himself.
This is the method that Shin come up, after a careful thinking. Since he thinks that if he want to know himself, he need to look at himself on a different perspective. Just like an angle in the third person point of view.
After training on this state for almost an hour, Shin started to clearly feel the movements inside his body.
The breathing of his lungs, the pumping of his heart, the circulation of his blood and others. All of these are starting to clearly reflected on his eyes. He felt like he transformed into a God that overlooking the world that he created.
Then few moments later his vision turned dark. After that he turned around and look at his surroundings trying to know which part of his body is this place.
*Swoosh*
*Tssst* *Tssss* *Tssst* *Tssss*
Then suddenly the area above him formed a bunch of shining diamonds, transforming that space like a starry sky at night. Some of those are staying still, some are moving in a fast to slow motion while others are appearing and disappearing like a shooting star.
"So I am in my brain. No... it is more like my Sea of Consciousness." said Shin while admiring the sight around of him.
Then he saw an avatar of himself in the middle of the stars sitting on a lotus position
Shin stared at it for a few seconds before saying to himself. "That should be my spirit. And for me to start, I need to gather the scattered Mental Energy here and refine my spirit with it."
Then Shin close his eyes trying to feel the moving formless energies around him and attracting it to himself.
And when all the Mental Energy gathered around Shin, he started twisting it in a spiral motion forming a huge whirlpool.
And when that Mental Energy whirlpool gain its peak speed, Shin send it straight to his spiritual avatar.
"Ahhh...!!!!!!"
Shin felt an intense pain coming from his mind when that Mental Energy whirlpool come in contact with his Spiritual avatar, it felt like his head is being place on a meat grinder.
This is a technique that Shin got from the 'Four Symbol Scripture', it is use to strengthen ones mind and spirit. So that it can release an even more powerful Mental Energy.
The stronger the Spirit that one have, the more powerful the Mental Energy it can release.
And since this is the first time that Shin train his spirit, the pain that he felt is even more intense. If not because of his strong willpower then he should have been forced out from his 'Sea of Consciousness'.
After that brief pause, Shin gritted his teeth and continue refining his spiritual avatar with the same method.
An hour later, Shin is forced out from that state and return back to his actual self.
"Hou.... Haaa.... Hou.... Haaa.... Hou..... Haaa... Hou... "
Shin inhaled and exhaled repeatedly in a hurried manner, for him to catch his breath. His back is drenched with sweat while some were falling from his forehead.
He is gasping because he have exhausted his Spirit through repeated hammering of his Mental Energy.
"So refining one's Spirit put a heavy toll on it." said Shin to himself while laying on the grass.
"I didn't know that a Mentalist need to go though this kind of torture just to become strong. What is more is that this is just the enhancing ones Spirit to become a 'Psychic Mentalist'. I wonder how much pain need one to suffer to become a 'Kaleidoscope Mentalist', after all they also need to strengthen their body using their Mental Energy." said Shin while looking at the moving clouds in the sky. Then he muttered to himself. "Good thing that I have already refining my body using the 'Force of Nature' and my inner 'Qi'."
"Tsk, sure thing being a Mentalist is much more harder than being a Martial-Artist." said Shin while clicking his tounge.
What Shin didn't know is that refining someone Spirit consumes a lot of willpower and not the other way around. He only manage to hold himself until his Spirit is exhaust, was because his willpower is almost unlimited.
Then Shin raised his right hand in the air before gathering a revolving Mental Energy on top of it.
After that he pull his shoulder downwards while closing his hands, then he thrust it upwards throwing a palm strike in the air.
*Bang!!!*
A strong sound is exploded on top of Shin, then it send a weak gusting winds in all direction.
Shin look at his hand and smirks to himself. "Heh! With this, I have officially entered the ranks of a Mentalist. Even though I haven't set foot on the 'Grandmaster Realm' yet, I can still be treated as one once I have learned a few Mentalism Arts. Good thing that I didn't lack any of it, since the 'Four Symbol Scripture' have a bunch of Mentalism Arts."
Shin stayed on the ground for him to regain some of his Spiritual strength. Then after an hour of resting, he get up from his laying position and immediately stand up to start learning Mentalism Arts.
He didn't resume on refining his Spirit, because it might cause more harm than good if he do.
...
In the meantime Alice just finished her morning routine together with her spiritual meditation.
She looked at the sky before taking a deep breath. Then she opened her Advance Watch before dialing a number.
After few rings the one that is on the other side of the line answered the call.
*Shoosh*
A virtual screen appeared in front of Alice, showing a handsome middle age man with a long black hair. He look at Alice affectionately before saying with a gentle tone. "What did my beloved daughter need to call me this early in the morning."
Alice stared at her father with a determined look and said. "Dad, I think I am ready to perform the Bloodline Ceremony."
Her Father is gotten off guard on what Alice have said. He looked at her with disbelieving eyes and said. "Why so sudden? The last time I asked you about that, you said that you still have some rooms to grow."
Alice bit her lower lip and said. "It just that suddenly felt that I need to do it now."
The handsome man on the screen look at his daughter with a questioning gaze and asked Alice with a doubtful tone. "Is that so? But why do I get this feeling that you are not saying the truth?"
Alice panicked a little when she heard what her father have said. But after few seconds she glared at him and said. "You are doubting me now? If you don't want me to do it, then just tell me and don't have some baseless assumption."
'This girl.' The corner of the handsome man's smile twitch when he heart that. Then he look at her helplessly before saying. "OK, OK, I'll start the preparations now. And I will also inform your mother when I'm it."
Alice immediately end the call when she heard that. Then she release a sigh of relief unconsciously.
....
On the other side of the call. Alice father stared blankly at dark virtual screen in front of him before saying to himself. "That lass sure is acting suspicious. I guess I need to ask Peter for the update this time."
After that he stood up from the boulder that he is sitting before jumping high up in the air. Then suddenly a pair of large transparent wings materialize on his back, and they are extending for 10 meters each.
He spread those wings causing for him to stay still on the air. Then he take a look at giant valley under him and clicking his tounge before saying. "Tsk, too bad I didn't manage to see you this time. But I promise you that the next time I come back to this place will be the time of your death."
After that he turned around and flap his formless wings sending him forward with a great speed and disappearing on the horizon in a blinked of an eye.
.....
Going back to the forest garden not far from the Lake Heart Hotel.
Shin just finished familiarizing himself with the basic Mentalism Arts of 'Four Symbol Scripture'.
And then he got startled when he look at his Advance Watch. "What! it's already afternoon? Sh*t! I need to hurry up and or else I will be late on Auntie's event."
Shin sprint towards the hotel in a hurried manner. And when he reach the hotel lobby, a receptionist called him. "Young Master Shin!"
Shin stopped his tracks and turned around to take a look at the receptionist that running towards him. The receptionist is catching her breath when she arrive in front of Shin.
Shin wait for the receptionist to regain herself before asking. "Yes?"
"Young Master Shin, the Young Miss is looking for you since the morning. She asked us to tell you that you have to go to her office the moment you come back." said the receptionist to Shin, after she regain her breathing.
'Big Sis!' Shin froze when he heard that his Big sister is looking for him. He didn't wait for the receptionist to say more, he hurriedly turn around and go straight to Shiella's Office.
When Shin arrived at the office, he knock at the door gently before opening it in a careful manner.
"Bi- Big Sis, the- they said tha- that you are looking for me." said Shin stutteringly the moment he entered the office.
Shiella is glaring at Shin the moment she turned around, making Shin's body to shivered uncontrollably. She took a deep breath before saying to Shin with a chilling tone. "So you now have the guts to hide from me now?"
"Bi- Big Sis, it's not like that! It's just that I am so engrossed with my training earlier." replied Shin immediately, not daring to dillydally. But deep inside he is cursing on himself. 'And why is it my fault? You can just call me in my Advance Watch, if you really want to look for me."
"So is it my fault?" said Shiella as if she can heard what Shin have said in his heart. She pause for a moment before continuing. "OK, let's forget about that. I summoned you here because I want to discuss something. But since we are running out of time, I'm going to directly reassign your job."
Shin stared blankly at Shiella for a moment, before asking. "Eh!? Why? And reassign to what?"
Shiella massage her temples while saying to Shin frustratedly. "The performers that I've contacted for this event were gotten involved on an accident, resulting for them to not be able to attend tonight. I manage to find a substitute for one, but failed to find another. So you will be the one that will take that place."
"But... Big Sis... that's a little..." said Shin stutteringly the moment he heard that.
"No buts! If only you come back earlier then maybe we still have a choice! And what is more is, it is going to be a big waste if you didn't showcase your talent. So go now and start preparing your piece for later." yelled Shiella at Shin, ignoring his protest.
Shin just release a helpless sigh when he see that attitude of his Big Sis, after all he know that he can't do anything about it once Shiella made up her mind.
All he can do is walk out the office with lowered head and dropped shoulders while saying to himself. "What a bad luck."
....