Not lacking in motivation, William immersed himself in meditation. He knew now that he would have to continue with meditation rather than physical training. His next suffering would probably not be physical but mental.

Two weeks after opening the first meridian, he was able to open the second meridian and a month later the third, the healing meridian. This meridian, just like its name, had increased his healing speed to an insane level. When he cut his hand with a small dagger, he saw that the wound, which normally took a few hours to heal, healed in about half an hour. 'This world is truly magical,' he thought.

Since he had opened all three meridians in a month and a half, he wanted to spend the rest of his time building up spiritual energy to attack the other meridian, but the facts disappointed him. He felt that things were beginning to get difficult. Even the sum of the spiritual energy he had accumulated for the first three meridians was not even half of the spiritual energy he needed to open this meridian. This meant that he would have to accumulate spiritual energy for a long time. He decided to wait for dinner to ask his father how to accumulate more spiritual energy.

Dinner was just a quiet meal as they had been used to for the past few years. For the first time in several years, William broke the silence.

"Dad, there's something on my mind."

Theo took a sip of his wine after swallowing the meat in his mouth. Then he turned to William and said, "What is it?"

"I opened the healing meridian, but my spiritual energy accumulation speed for the pain meridian is too slow."

Theo and Sophia were taken aback by his question. They knew that he could open all three meridians in two or two and a half months, but a month and a half was too fast for them.

Theo smiled slightly, then decided to explain.

"There are many faster ways to accumulate spiritual energy. For example, the potions I gave you work, but they are a little different. What I give you not only contains spiritual energy, but it also gives you the energy that contains the energy needed for your body. Remember, for a warrior, the body is the most important thing, especially for those who are in the meridian opening phase."

"I understand, Father. But I have heard that these potions are very expensive. Is that so?"

Theo sighed briefly. "It is. Raising soldiers is hard work. Especially for nobles like us in the danger zone. This potion is expensive because it contains the blood of powerful creatures. It's cheaper if you just want to buy a spiritual energy potion."

William nodded and continued to ask other questions that were on his mind.

"Well, isn't there a cheaper way? Is a potion necessary?"

Theo answered patiently. "Actually, no. There are cheaper and more expensive ways. Some of these are enough to make you an Iron Rank warrior in a few days, but they are not the healthiest way. You pay for that pleasure by not getting any higher. In other words, a building with a weak foundation cannot rise more than a few floors, think like this."

He took a sip of wine and continued.

"As for the cheaper ways, there may be places in the Black Forest where spiritual energy is concentrated. Even some great cities are built in such 'special' places. The best example in Argos is Jade Wind City, the capital of the Jade Wind Kingdom. It is built on a spirit vein." He said.

Then he straightened his posture as if to give a warning. "But never forget, almost all such areas in the Black Forest are home to powerful creatures. If you want to train there, you have to kill the creature and capture the vein. You've read so many books, you know what I mean."

William nodded thoughtfully.

"By the way, I've read all the books, can you buy new ones?" he said.

Theo smiled again. "Don't worry, Hurim already has enough for a couple of bookshelves. It is on its way now. It will arrive in a few days." He said.

William's reading also made him happy. Most of the books he bought this time were either cultural or about real war experiences. He was sure that William would like them.

"Well, do we have any more of those potions left?" asked William.

Theo frowned. "There are, but not for you." He said.

"Will, if you want to lay a solid foundation and build your house all the way to the top, you have to be completely confident, especially about the Pain Meridian. Potions contain a certain amount of what we call 'impurities'. These accumulate over time and block the pool. Also, compared to those who advanced through potions, those who advanced through the normal ways are stronger. Dig that deep into your mind," he said.

His last sentence was a bit harsh. William felt uncomfortable.

"All right, Father," he said with a slightly offended look on his face.

Theo thought he might be a little upset and wanted to comfort him.

"Don't worry, I can give you another one of those potions after your Pain Meridian. Because the Life Meridian will accept anything as long as there is spiritual energy in it." William was overjoyed, you could see it in his eyes. They were shining like stars in the sky.

Finally, Theo added something else and continued with his meal.

"Also, don't worry. Since you have reached the healing meridian, you can receive your new meditation technique. Tomorrow, your grandfather will teach you privately." He said.

William had a good relationship with his grandfather. He always made him feel loved and cared for. He could not say no to meat, although he always refused the sweets he gave him. He knew his grandfather was also a strong man. When he realized that he loved meat, he had often gone to the Black Forest to hunt creatures as a gift for his beloved grandson.

His grandfather always brought back the tastiest meat. For he hunted much stronger animals. Even the blood of the tiger that his father had given him with his meal was something special. It was so expensive. No one in his family was strong enough to kill a silver level tiger. The best meat he had ever eaten was a bronze level pig-like creature that his grandfather had hunted with twenty soldiers. But he was sure that he was stronger than his father.

So he was full of expectations for tomorrow's training. Then he wanted to ask the questions that were on his mind again. He still had many things to wonder about, and now was his best opportunity.

He turned to his mother, "Mother, how do mages train? What is their strength? What is your strength?" he asked.

Sophia was more excited than Theo. For some reason, they didn't talk much. Normally he shouldn't have left her lap, but she had the feeling that William was always a bit cold. She could understand why. They couldn't see each other very often, because she was always trying to prepare magic scrolls and potions in her room. Sophia also wanted to contribute to the Barony. That's why she tried as hard as she could.

Smiling, she began to speak, "First of all, I would like to say that it is not easy to become a mage. Maybe sixty percent of humans are warriors, but that's only about five percent for mages out there. The knowledge and resources required are many times greater than those of a warrior."

Sophia's excitement was evident in the way she spoke. She spoke fast, without breathing like any mother.

"Whether you can become a mage or not can only be determined at the age of sixteen. The reason is simple. The mind has to reach a certain maturity and the soul has to be fully settled. To give an example in numbers, the soul power of an ordinary person is like a number like 0.5. The minimum Soul Power required to become a mage is 1."

"And how much is your soul power?" William asked as he gasped.

"Unfortunately, my Soul Power is nine. But never underestimate a mage." She straightened his seat, "For Mages Soul Power must reach ten to be considered a true mage. Then you can become a level 1 true mage. (Official Mage) Before that, unlike warriors, there were three levels, 'New', 'Experienced', and 'Advanced' apprentice. It's harder to be a mage than a warrior. You can see that just by looking at me. God knows how many years I've been at this level, yet somehow I can't increase my soul power by one more point. The soul power we absorb is different from yours," she said.

"How different? But they have the same name?" William asked curiously.

"Same name? Is that how you teach him?" said Sophia, looking at Theo. The meat he had been chewing stopped in Theo's throat. He decided to remain silent.

"Anyway, listen carefully. I'm sure they'll make fun of you if you talk like that anywhere else. With the spiritual energy we absorb, yours is different. Ours is usually called 'mana' or 'spiritual energy', while yours is often called 'spiritual energy' or 'qi'. Often simple-minded people just call it 'spiritual energy. Just like you, we accumulate mana and become stronger. The only difference is that we absorb it into the mana pool in our minds. Not our bodies!" she said. She didn't forget to lash out at Theo from time to time.

"It doesn't matter if you're a mage or not, but remember, you should walk one path as best you can. Otherwise, you cannot call yourself 'strong' for the rest of your life. For how can you walk two paths when even one is so difficult?" Sophia added.

William finally understood. The difference between warrior and mage was clear as day. Still, he had to wait until he was sixteen. He wanted to go both ways, but Sophia's words made him hesitate. He knew that he wasn't talented enough in his current state. He looked at the counter of the system in his mind. He still had a long way to go. He would take the mage test before the system fully recovered. He thought that if he found out that he was talented at it, he might stop being a warrior, but he would continue to train until that day. Extra power never meant that it was unnecessary. Power is power. In any case.

"Well, how are the levels of the mages? Same as the warriors?"

Again Sophia answered patiently. "They are all similar, but different in name. Mages thought of it more simply and listed them as Level 1, Level 2, Level 3. My teacher was an Official level 1 mage. By the way, your grandmother is also an advanced apprentice."

"I guessed," William said. "So it goes on like that? How many levels are there?"

"You can only ask that question when you are stronger. For even I have not seen more than 3rd level mages. It's only once. And there are probably no other third-level mages in our kingdom!" he said.

"Why?" William asked, confused.

"Because the resources are not enough. I told you that a mage needs more resources. These resources are both spiritual energy, special herbs, and knowledge. For example, our kingdom does not have the resources to develop even a second third-level magician who has ever grown!" she said.

William now understood why. Just as he had suspected, the place where he lived now was like the starting point in the novels he had read. He had to grow from weak to strong. He accepted this cliché in his heart. But he was still worried. Because he wasn't one of those super-talented and devious geniuses. He was just a relatively talented person for now, that's all.

He was more hopeful about tomorrow. He decided not to rush and walk slowly and firmly.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, Sophia stopped him. "Will, there's something we want to tell you."

"What is it, Mom?"

"You will have a brother." She said smiling.

William was fascinated by the news. Even in his previous life, he had always begged for a brother. But since his family could not give him this brother, he called Mehmet his brother.

"Great news!" he shouted.

Sophia and Theo shared his excitement. The three of them were like a happy family picture.

They ended the day with this happy news.

William, on the other hand, fell asleep immediately with big dreams.

...

At dawn, William was still not awake. He had loosened up a bit in the last month and a half, but that didn't apply to training. He spent almost all of his sleepless time meditating.

His grandfather, Thedo, had been waiting for him at the training grounds since dawn. Since his youth, he had chosen dawn to start his day. It could be said that he was born on a battlefield. Thanks to this, he was able to acquire meditation techniques and climb the ladder of success. After about half an hour, he couldn't wait any longer and went to find William. When he entered his room, he found him sleeping happily, drooling. He frowned and angrily pulled the blanket off him and picked him up by the waist, wearing only his underwear. Without saying a word, he left for the training grounds.

William hadn't expected to wake up like this. He was very surprised. He didn't even know who had picked him up and carried him out of bed. He mumbled something to himself.

When he regained consciousness and looked around at the person holding him, he realized all his mistakes. How could he forget his grandfather's rules? He couldn't make up his mind.

When his grandfather dropped him in the middle of the training ground, he immediately stood up and said, "I'm sorry, grandfather! I completely forgot!"

"Shut up! If you want to learn from me from now on, you'll follow my damn rules! We've always been gentle with you, now look what you've done!" he said.

"I'm sorry! Usually, it's always early..."

"Shut up," he cut in. "I don't want to hear any more excuses."

"Okay, Grandpa!" William said, bowing his head.

Thedo frowned for a moment at the small but grown-up brat in front of him. He really couldn't understand why William would do such a thing. No matter how tired he was from the day he started training, he always came first. After a while, he calmed down. Now he had turned his 'friendly' face back to his grandson.

William smiled too, noticing that his grandfather's nerves were gone.

"Anyway, I'll start then."

"Yes, Grandpa!"

Thedo looked almost identical to Pierce. His facial structure was slightly different, clearly the one Theo got his eyebrows and angular face from. Despite his age, he still stood straight as a spear.

He took off his shirt in front of William. Like Pierce, he began to glow with a gray metallic light. It was clear that he had taught Pierce. For his light was brighter. He knew that his grandfather was the most powerful in their barony. He learned that he was at the top of the Iron Level.

After giving a little demonstration with his iron body, he withdrew the technique and began to speak.

"William, listen carefully. This technique belongs to our family. I found it in the body of my captain when I was in the army." He was sad, as if remembering something from his past. "It was a great war. It was pure luck that I got this technique at the beginning of the war. Until that day, I was an orphan who knew no technique. All I had was a common meridian opening technique. After that, I had great success with this harmonic technique! Gradually, I attracted the attention of my new captain. Then I became an Iron Level and a captain."

After a sigh, he continued slowly. "Since then, I have only practiced this technique. Because my affinity is only with metal, and it was perseverance that brought me to this level. I'm telling you right now, if you can't stand the pain, don't even start this training." Because Thedo is a tough guy, William noticed the occasional change in his face but didn't give it much thought. Why would his grandfather lie to him?

He looked into William's eyes. He felt his perseverance, his determination. So he continued. "What I found was only the iron body. I didn't know about the abilities that give sharpness and piercing power. That's why I always relied on the strength of my body in battle. That was good because stamina is the biggest factor in this technique. It helped me master it quickly."

He remembered the old days again, but this time there was no sadness, only the excitement he felt in battle.

"After the war, I bought these two techniques with my success. Then I spent all my remaining success asking the elders of the kingdom to combine the techniques. Thanks to this, the technique has become what it is today."

"In short, it's a combination of three techniques. In this technique, you have to learn to use your sword or spear as a limb. Either sword or spear. You don't have to learn both."

"But first you have to prepare your body for it." Thedo took a scroll from his pocket and tossed it to William.

William began to read after being caught in the air. The explanation of the technique was exactly as his grandfather had said. Things like how to direct his qi and spread it throughout his body were written.

However, the last note confused him. The more blows the body receives, the faster the training will be and the more resistant the body will become.

After reading this note, he wanted to take down the scroll and ask his grandfather. He wanted to ask him to explain what it meant. But when he took the scroll down, it was his grandfather's fist that greeted him.

He said, "Fuck!" and tried to dodge it, but his grandfather was too fast. He hit him on the cheek(face) like a gust of wind. William took off several feet with a single punch. When he landed, he wanted to get up and stop him, but his grandfather kept picking him up and hitting him.

After a while, he felt he was getting used to his grandfather's punches. It was clear that Thedo was holding back.

The last time he wanted to give up and stay on the ground, he felt his grandfather's voice in his ears.

"Disperse your qi according to technique!" he said.

'Oh, my head! How could I forget?'

William immediately began to use the technique. At first, nothing changed, but gradually he got used to it. He was still in a lot of pain and his body was covered with swellings and bruises, but as time passed, he felt that his body was beginning to harden and become more resilient.

The beating continued until noon. At noon, Thedo boredly put on his shirt. He looked at William, who was lying on the ground for the last time, his body shape changing until he looked more like a creature than a human, and said, "Tch! They can't even be beaten, how are they going to grow up?" He spat on the ground beside him and left.

He shouted after he left. "From now on, someone else will beat you, not me! Be prepared!" he said.

William was still lying on the ground, completely exhausted.

"All right," he said in a low voice.

Every part of his body was in too much pain to touch. He was only able to get up in the evening as he slowly began to recover. He immediately made his way to Mr. Huya's room. He knew that ordinary creams could not heal his body so quickly. The only remedy was a professional mage.

Thus began his painful strengthening routine.

...

Note: Please leave a review.

[1]Qi for warriors.

[2]Mana and Soul power for Mages. (Soul power is actually something else. I don't want to give spoilers, because the story needs to have some twists and turns and sudden hits against the wall.)

[3]I have a hard time separating spiritual power, spiritual energy, and soul power. I hope I can explain properly.

Spiritual energy is what is found on the earth's surface, absorbed by both mages and warriors. With meditation techniques, warriors turn it into Qi, and mages into Mana.

Sometimes we can make mistakes. That's why the important thing is to go back and correct mistakes.

The more you read, the clearer it will be.