The Thunderborn Chronicles: Rise of a Healer

After breakfast, Paramita took Ranav to their personal library. It was a spacious room on the first floor, adjacent to the stairs. As they stepped inside, Ranav was dazzled by the rows of books lining the shelves. Jessica, within his consciousness, was so excited she felt like a child in a candy shop.

"You can read any book you want," Paramita said. "Just make sure to put them back in their place after reading. Dad painstakingly arranged the books according to his preferences."

"Got it," Ranav replied. "I'll make sure the library looks untouched when I leave."

"Thank you. I'll be in my room. If you need anything, just knock on my door," she said, closing the door as she left.

Ranav stared at the books for a while, then asked, "Jessica, where should we start?"

"We can start later," Jessica replied. "First, send your consciousness into the ring. I have some things to show you."

"Alright," Ranav said, closing his eyes. He sent his consciousness into the ring and found himself standing in the familiar corridor. He looked at his ethereal body, examining his hands and feet.

"Head to the library first," Jessica's voice chimed.

Ranav nodded and pushed open the door to the library. Inside, the space was vast… much larger than the library in the count's house.

"I don't know how many books we can store here," Jessica said, "but I have a feeling it will expand with each upgrade. The first upgrade occurred when you reached Level 1 of the Light Magic Star Circle. I suspect the next upgrade will happen when you unlock another Level 1 Star Circle. In the meantime, we should collect as many books as possible about magic and this world."

After a pause, she added, "We're still unfamiliar with so much about this world. Whether it's your previous memories from the Earth or my recent upgrade, I believe we should remain cautious about your abilities. You awakened two magical elements at birth. While we don't yet know what the purple-colored stars represent, we'll discover their elements eventually. Now that you've awakened two additional elements, you have four. If this trend continues, you might awaken at least twelve elements during the basic awakening process. That's what people call a 'monster.'" She giggled.

Ranav argued, "The six elemental affinities are considered basic, but not every mage can awaken all of them. Many mages stop at two or four. After the age of twenty, no one can awaken any more elements. I have fifteen more years, so while I may have a head start, accidents can happen. As long as I keep my additional elements hidden, I'm just a regular mage."

Jessica agreed. "Exactly. We need to keep your abilities a secret until you're strong enough to protect yourself. Now, back to the task at hand. When you or I read a book, it will appear in this library. It's not a real library… it's more like a database by your Earth's terms. Books you read will be imprinted into your memory. Books I read will also be stored here, but you'll need to search for them if you haven't read them yourself."

She continued, "For example, if you receive a blue mana crystal as a gift, but you don't know what it looks like, this database won't provide any information. However, if someone identifies it for you, all related information will become instantly accessible. That's why I suggest you read as much as possible."

Ranav nodded. "If storing more books is a priority, your faster reading speed is more efficient. You should read first, and I'll go through them here when I have free time."

Jessica replied excitedly, "Oh! I almost forgot… my reading capabilities have improved. With this upgrade, I can now scan a book by enveloping it with my consciousness. This will save a lot of time, but I'll need to use your body to handle the books."

Ranav chuckled. "You've already cast spells through me before. Holding books is hardly a big deal."

"Great! If there's nothing else, we should get started," he added.

"Wait," she interrupted anxiously. "You haven't visited the meditation room yet. Let's check it out first. It's on the next door."

"Alright," Ranav agreed and headed to the next room. Inside, he found a spacious chamber with a stone platform at its center.

"This is the meditation room," Jessica explained. "If you sit on the stone platform, time will move ten times faster for you. Ten minutes of meditation here will equal only one minute in the outside world. Additionally, while you're inside the ring, time is halved when you return outside. This means ten minutes here is equivalent to five minutes in the outside world. This feature will double your reading speed when you read in the library."

"What happens to my body in the outside world?" Ranav asked.

"While your consciousness is here, your body will be unprotected. However, I can monitor your surroundings while you're inside. If there's an emergency, I'll alert you immediately. That's why I suggest only staying here when I'm around. If I'm undergoing an upgrade or unavailable like before, avoid lingering here for too long."

"I understand. Anything else I should know?" Ranav asked.

"No. The other rooms are locked. I can't access or sense them yet. They'll probably be available after future upgrades," Jessica replied.

"Alright, let's start reading," Ranav said.

Jessica took control of his body and moved to the first shelf. She picked up a book, enveloped it with her consciousness, and placed it back. This process repeated countless times until Ranav's body began to ache from fatigue.

"Jessica, let's take a break. My body is sore, and I'm exhausted," he said.

"There's no need for a break. Don't forget about 'Regenesis,'" Jessica said.

"What about it? I'm not trying to strengthen my body," Ranav replied, confused.

"You'll see. Follow my instructions. Begin the Regenesis process, but don't draw mana from your dantian. Instead, gather mana from the environment and channel it to every cell in your body," Jessica guided.

Ranav followed her instructions and was amazed as his fatigue vanished, replaced by a surge of energy. "This… feels incredible."

Jessica said smugly, "With Regenesis, exhaustion won't hold us back anymore. Our progress will be even faster in the future."