CHAPTER 65: BREAKING THROUGH TO THE SECOND LAYER! (1)

The training room was completely silent except for the soft sound of Ren’s steady breathing. He lay flat on his back on the smooth floor, his arms relaxed at his sides and his silver eyes closed in deep concentration.

The room around him was dimly lit by magical crystals that provided just enough light to see by without being distracting.

Even after nearly a month in this magical world, Ren still couldn’t get comfortable sitting in the lotus position like he had seen in movies and novels back home.

Every time he tried to cross his legs and sit upright for meditation, his back would start aching and his legs would fall asleep.

Lying on his back felt much more natural and allowed him to focus completely on his mental training.

The smooth floor was surprisingly comfortable against his back. The academy’s training rooms were designed for long practice sessions, and even the floors had been made to provide proper support for extended meditation.

Small grooves carved into the stone helped with air circulation and temperature control.

Ren had been in this position for over an hour already. His breathing was slow and controlled, each breath carefully measured to maintain the perfect state of relaxation needed for deep magical practice.

His mind was completely focused inward, exploring the complex patterns of magical energy that flowed through his body and consciousness.

Suddenly, his calm expression changed dramatically. His brow furrowed with intense concentration, and beads of sweat began forming on his forehead.

Within moments, the sweat was pouring from his skin like he had just finished running a marathon in blazing heat.

The perspiration soaked through his training clothes and began pooling on the stone floor around him.

His breathing became slightly more labored as his body responded to the incredible mental strain he was putting himself through.

Every muscle in his body tensed as he pushed his consciousness to its absolute limits.

It had been exactly one day since all the prospectives had been informed about the upcoming Inter Block Tournament.

The announcement had changed everything for Ren, giving him a clear goal and timeline to work toward.

The promise of Imperial Class placement for the overall winner had ignited a determination in him that burned stronger than ever before.

In just twenty-four hours, he had already made remarkable progress in his magical development.

His training schedule had become even more intense, with longer meditation sessions and more focused practice periods. Every moment was dedicated to pushing himself closer to his maximum potential.

The tournament would test every aspect of his abilities, and he knew that his current level wouldn’t be enough to compete with the best prospectives from all three blocks.

He needed to achieve a breakthrough that would give him a significant advantage over his competition.

Time was running short, and he couldn’t afford to waste a single opportunity for improvement.

His mental range had grown steadily over the past month of training. Through careful practice and gradual expansion, he had finally reached the theoretical limit for his current stage.

The progress felt good, but he knew it still wasn’t enough for what lay ahead.

The Adept stage that he had reached allowed for a maximum mental range of ten meters.

This meant he could now sense and manipulate the threads of the Loom within a ten-meter radius around his body.

For most weavers, this represented a significant achievement that took several weeks or even months to accomplish.

But Ren wasn’t satisfied with being like most weavers. The tournament had shown him that he needed to be exceptional, not just competent.

The Imperial Class placement would only go to someone who could demonstrate abilities far beyond the normal range of prospective students.

Instead of attempting to break through to the next stage of magical development, Ren had made a different strategic decision.

Rather than trying to advance from Adept to Master stage, he was attempting something much more difficult and potentially much more rewarding.

He was trying to break through to the second layer of the Loom itself.

The Loom existed in multiple layers, each one deeper and more complex than the last.

Most weavers spent their entire careers working within the first layer, never even attempting to access the deeper levels.

The second layer required not just more power, but a fundamentally different understanding of how the Loom operated.

Not to mention, it usually slowed down the speed of advancement by a lot.

Ren knew that Mirabella had achieved access to the second layer about a week ago. Her victory over him in their battle had demonstrated the power that could only come from this deeper level of magical manipulation.

She had been able to cast weaves and create effects that were simply impossible from the first layer alone.

He was also certain that some of the other top prospectives from Blocks A and C had likely achieved the same breakthrough.

The most talented individuals from each block would naturally push themselves to reach this advanced level before the tournament.

Without access to the second layer, he would be at a severe disadvantage against these elite competitors.

But there was another reason for his choice that went beyond simple competition.

If he could manage to break through to the Master stage while already having access to the second layer of the Loom, his abilities would be dramatically enhanced compared to normal Master stage weavers.

A typical Master stage weaver operating in the first layer of the Loom had a maximum range of fifty meters.

But a Master stage weaver with access to the second layer could achieve one hundred meters of range in the first layer, plus an additional fifty meters of range in the second layer.

This was how the truly elite weavers gradually widened the gap between themselves and ordinary practitioners.

The mathematics of magical development were clear and unforgiving. Each advancement in both stage and layer created multiplicative rather than additive improvements.

The difference between good and exceptional weavers wasn’t just about talent or hard work, but about understanding how to maximize these multiplicative effects.

Ren spread his mental range out to its absolute maximum extent of ten meters.

It was time to break through to the second layer!