Chapter 11: Qieluo’s First Lesson

The effect of that previous achievement was to synchronize lucid dreams while in a meditative state. This implied that even a momentary lapse into meditation could afford me an immediate opportunity.

Was this cheat perhaps too powerful?

Upon closer reflection, it didn’t seem so extraordinary. After all, meditation was a skill everyone would eventually master; it represented the very threshold of the supernatural. If one couldn’t even cross that initial barrier, how could they ever hope to wield extraordinary power?

Yet, some races could command supernatural abilities without any meditation techniques, which suggested I was undoubtedly inferior to them in terms of sheer mental energy reserves. Even if a meditation technique leveled the playing field at the outset, their subsequent refinement of mental energy would likely swiftly outpace my own.

My mental energy currently stood at just over two points. By numerical estimation, one point represented the average for a normal person, and two points were clearly inadequate to harness any supernatural energy.

Was the meditation technique truly the fundamental principle, then?

Just as these thoughts occupied my mind, Teacher Qieluo strode into the classroom.

She had, quite literally, entered precisely on cue.

My gaze instinctively swept across the classroom. It appeared someone was still absent.

Just then, a sudden thud echoed from the doorway.

By sheer coincidence, I was seated at the very front, right beside the entrance.

I watched clearly as the late students crashed into the doorway. The classroom door wasn’t actually closed; they had merely collided with the air itself. At that moment, the air at the entrance seemed to transform into the hardest substance in the world, effectively barring them from entering the classroom.

I observed the two figures outside the door, both males. While their names didn’t register in my memory, a wave of secondhand embarrassment already washed over me.

“In my class, tardiness is unacceptable, particularly for the very first lesson,” Qieluo declared, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the two boys outside the door. “Should you ever dare to be late again, whether it’s my lesson or not, I will personally ensure you are castrated.”

Following Teacher Qieluo’s words, a ripple of laughter spread through the female students.

“You may continue to laugh,” Qieluo stated, “but if it’s a girl next time, I shall be equally unforgiving.” With a flick of her hand, the invisible barrier at the doorway dissolved.

“Thank you, Teacher! Thank you, Teacher!”

The two boys swiftly attempted to dart back to their seats, but before they could take more than a few steps, Qieluo halted them.

They then stood utterly still beside the lecturer’s podium, one on each side.

“You didn’t seriously think I’d forgiven you, did you? Being late for *my* class?” Qieluo’s voice was sharp. “You’ll make excellent teaching material for me. The next time I require an example, I shall summon you two once more. Pray that someone else is late next time, or it will always be the two of you!” These words sent a shiver down the boys’ spines, leaving them with a profound sense of despair regarding their future academic careers.

“Alright, let us formally begin our lesson,” Qieluo announced loudly from the podium. “I won’t bother with self-introductions. This morning, I allotted you a period for self-study, and I trust that in that ample time, many of you have finished reading ‘Introduction to Meditation Techniques.’ Excluding the informal sections, the core content of meditation itself isn’t particularly extensive. Has anyone attempted meditation?”

Qieluo’s gaze swept across each student’s face, meticulously observing their expressions. From these subtle cues, she could infer that a considerable number had indeed attempted meditation.

Thus, without waiting for a response from the class, she prompted, “Speak up, then. Have any of you encountered problems?”

Qieluo was acutely aware of the inherent difficulties in meditation. Primarily, the challenge lay in merely *entering* the meditative state; only once achieved could one begin to cultivate and refine mental energy. Following that came the arduous task of *sustaining* the meditative state. This was profoundly difficult, as life itself was an instinctual, continuous engagement with external information. To achieve the ultimate theoretical state of meditation—”no thought, no desire”—was, in the end, impossible. No, perhaps it *was* possible, for someone like the Primordial Witch?

But such a level was certainly beyond her purview.

Consequently, meditation was an incredibly demanding endeavor. A slight misstep could lead to a seamless transition into deep sleep.

While sleep itself could be considered a unique state of meditation, it wasn’t a controllable form, thus rendering it ineffective.

This line of thought brought to mind the research on meditation related to lucid dreaming, a field that, to date, had yielded precious few results.

Returning to the matter at hand, Qieluo observed that while some students in the class appeared eager to speak, none actually rose to answer.

“Are you all truly so shy? Very well, then, let my class representative be the first to speak.” Qieluo descended from the podium and approached my desk, as Kereiya Akareiya was, after all, my deskmate.

Though her name was called, I, sitting beside her, felt a surge of tension.

“Me… during self-study, I attempted meditation, but the effects weren’t very pronounced. It felt quite different from how I’d previously communed with nature beneath the World Tree. That experience was a continuous resonance with the World Tree, almost as if I were visualizing it as described in the texts. Yet, despite employing that method, I still couldn’t enter a true meditative state…”

“Are you attempting to find the meditative state by drawing an analogy to the resonance between elves and the World Tree? That’s a clever shortcut, but please remember this: from this moment forward, you are a witch, a probationary witch. Meditation demands the shedding of many distracting thoughts, and that includes your concept of the World Tree. The World Tree is a tangible entity; it cannot be equated with a mere visualization diagram. To speak plainly, if you cannot relinquish your attachment to the World Tree, you are welcome to pursue life as an elf—assuming, of course, you are ever given that opportunity.” Qieluo’s words were sharp. Whether the student’s problem was truly resolved held little importance. Even the specific question she’d raised was secondary. What truly mattered were the underlying ideas, the outdated notions. Meditation techniques represented a technology poised to revolutionize the supernatural world, and clinging to antiquated methods was a fundamental error.

Why, despite such vast differences in strength, does the class remain a single unit? It’s because their starting lines are identical. The strength they currently value is fleeting, even of negligible worth. It’s akin to every student in a class being equal, yet if one brings an extracurricular book, does that truly create a significant gap between them?

In reality, there’s little difference, and the gap won’t widen significantly. The current atmosphere is akin to a group of elementary schoolers boasting, “I brought an extracurricular book!” while another proudly declares, “Mine is a classic!” and yet another proclaims, “Mine is a rare, unique edition!”

To Qieluo, this entire display was utterly laughable. Yet, from the students’ perspective, it served as an excellent means to acquire prestige, forge connections, and cultivate friendships.

But its utility extended no further than that.

Whether Kereiya Akareiya had grasped her meaning or not, Qieluo’s hand now rested on my desk. “And you, the little boy whose name escapes me?”

“Me… I?” I stammered, rising to my feet under immense pressure. ‘Kereiya Akareiya has truly doomed me,’ I thought.

“Indeed. Do you have any questions?”

“I… um…” I began. ‘If you want me to ask a question, then you should also have a solution, shouldn’t you? Can you truly help me dispel distracting thoughts? Probably not, right?’ After a moment’s consideration, I decided to verify my own hypothesis. “What exactly is the meditative state like? After entering meditation, will there be some kind of… meditative space, a psychic realm, in that form?”

“If the meditative state could truly be described with mere words, then it ought to be carved onto a stone tablet and erected in the most prominent location within the Witch Academy,” Qieluo stated, her tone almost jocular, eliciting laughter from some students. “However, a ‘meditation space’ was not mentioned in the introductory text. Have you, by chance, already entered meditation?”

“Huh? No! No!” I hastily denied, my voice tinged with panic. ‘I certainly couldn’t have achieved something that even the class representative failed to do. If such a genius persona were to be established, I would be utterly burdened!’

“Is that so?” Qieluo remarked, her gaze betraying her amusement at my clumsy acting; she didn’t even bother to expose it. “The meditative state does indeed evoke a sensation akin to being within a distinct space. Only after entering this state does the subsequent practice of meditation techniques become possible. I suspect you may have momentarily entered meditation. This is a promising beginning, but it is merely that—a beginning. Meditation demands sustained maintenance, and a fleeting instant holds little true significance.”

I sank back into my seat, a little flustered, and worked to calm my wildly thrumming heart. I had, for now, managed to muddle through.