Alfred had spent so much time meditating, focusing solely on harmonizing with his surroundings, that it became much easier and more natural for him to stay in one place without moving.
He had no idea if he was having a hard time connecting to Spirit Energy due to his being a person who was not from this world or if he was just lacking talent. Nevertheless, he was determined to achieve his goal.
If he lacked talent, there was nothing he could do but work hard. But if it was because of his alien identity, he must show his sincerity and be patient until it accepted him, like when he gave the ball to the child.
Time passed much faster, and he lost count of how many days he had been meditating. But surprisingly, he wasn't losing focus or becoming impatient. So, everything he had done wasn't for naught, as he was improving as a person.
As he sat down in the middle of his tent, like he always did, with neither expectation nor desire, a sudden change was immediately noticeable while concentrating on his breathing. He felt warm air entering his nostrils.
Although the environment around him was always hot, what he had just inhaled was unlike any other, as if it were steam from boiling water, but instead of an unpleasant scorch, what he had experienced was a gentle air that energized his whole body.
'Could it be…'
Alfred instantly grabbed the sensation and held onto it, memorizing it with his mind and body.
As he continued to guide the strange air to his lungs, it suddenly changed course and moved towards his head.
At first, he was concerned as he had no idea what would happen. But then, when the energy reached his brain, something inside him bloomed.
No, it was the ancient book, to be precise.
New knowledge was unlocked.
The forceful wave of new information disoriented Alfred, almost waking him up from his deep meditation. He didn't let it happen, though, as he had no clue when his next chance would be.
Thereby, he mustered all his attention and devoured the knowledge drilling in his mind.
Several seconds later, his wrinkled eyebrows unknitted, his rigid breathing stabilized, and his foggy brain cleared up.
'This knowledge… It's not about the Rune. It is a breathing technique on how to store Spirit Energy in one's mind and a method to sharpen one's eyesight!'
Even though Alfred tried his best to remain calm, the shock of the new knowledge was so overwhelming that he was instantly kicked out of his own meditation.
With his abruptly opened eyes, he was welcomed by the familiar old woman sitting before him.
"You are back," Shaman Catori casually said. "Do you know that you almost died?"
Alfred blinked for a few seconds. "What do you mean?"
"You do not even realize." The old woman shook her head. "Harmonizing and absorbing the Spirit Energy is a harmless activity, but storing it in your body is an entirely different matter."
"How so?" Alfred frowningly asked.
"I did not teach you how to store it because of the danger. Storing Spirit Energy is not usually dangerous, but if it is your first time doing it, you will need someone to look out for you. You have already experienced how amazing it is to absorb Spirit Energy.
"In doing so, you completely fall into a trance, which makes you not realize that your body is storing too much energy that it can handle."
Alfred tilted his head. "What do you mean? I have only been meditating for a few minutes."
The old Shaman sighed. "Look at your surroundings."
Sliding his gaze to the side, he finally noticed that everything was covered in darkness and the only source of light was the mysterious stone—he was unsure what it was made of—hanging above him. Aponi called it the Sun Stone, but she, too, couldn't explain what the stone was made of.
"How can this be?" He asked with widened eyes. "I started meditating early in the morning; how come it's night already?"
"That is why I told you, you have fallen into a trance. Luckily, I have come to check on your progress; if not, your body might have exploded by now."
"E-explode?" His eyes quivered as he questioned. "I didn't know that could happen."
"Yes, it could. I guess I am to blame too. I should have known the ancient book could do something like this. In any case, now that your spirit veins have opened up, there is nothing to worry about anymore. Tell me, how did the book manage to do that?"
"I don't exactly know. The Spirit Energy just suddenly shifted direction and went straight to…" Alfred halted in the middle of his sentence with a blank expression.
"Young lad!" Shaman Catori called.
"Oh, what am I saying again?" He asked with a confused look.
"Keep your head straight; you are explaining what happened while you are meditating."
"Ah, yes, when I absorb the Spirit Energy, it suddenly changes direction and…" Like earlier, Alfred started to drift off again with the same deadpan expression.
A few seconds later, Alfred woke up and scanned his surroundings. "What are we doing again?"
The old woman's eyes narrowed. "I see, it appears the book does not want others to know its knowledge. Do not bother mentioning it. It seems the book has some kind of protection, preventing you from sharing information with other people."
"That's right, I'm about to explain to you what happened." Alfred touched his chin and nodded slowly. "I guess that's reasonable, considering it has the ability to choose its owner. It will be pointless if one can just share the content with anyone."
Alfred returned his eyes to the old Shaman and inquired. "Then what should I do? Are you going to teach me how to store Spirit Energy?"
"What is the need for that if the ancient book has already taught you? Just follow the book's instructions. I am sure it will lead you to a much greater path than we are taking."
The old woman fixed her sitting position, and a spark ignited within her all-knowing eyes. "Never mind that for now; let us talk about the Rune. Now that you have Spirit Energy in your body, do you think you can make one now?"
Alfred lingered for a while, seeking the hidden knowledge within him. "The book says I need Spirit Energy to draw and a power source to activate it."
"You already have the first requirement; the second one is a bit vague." Shaman Catori remained silent for a few seconds before continuing. "…What is this power source? Does the book mention it?"
Alfred nodded. "I don't exactly know if this is literal, but the book stated that the best source of power is a beast's heart."
"A beast heart?" The old Shaman furrowed her eyebrows and lingered for a while. "…I think the book means a Beast Core, as the heart does not have much Spirit Energy in it."
"That's probably it!" He exclaimed. "Do you have one? I think I can create a Rune once we have that."
Shaman Catori snorted. "Lad, do you understand the value of a beast core? Even if we have one, we will never give it to you just to see if you can make a Rune. Does the book say any alternative?"
"Well, it mentions that monster blood can be used, but the effect will be much weaker."
"It does not matter if it is weaker as long as it is doable." Shaman Catori removed her attention from Alfred, then turned it to the exit, and ordered a hunter guarding outside. "Go to my tent and grab a monster's blood."
A sound of rushed footsteps answered the old woman's command as the hunter followed it without question.
A few minutes later, the hunter returned, bringing with him a water skin made from the black hide of an unknown animal.
After handing it to the Shaman, the hunter went back to his post without uttering a single word.
He must admit. The devotion and loyalty of the people of this tribe had surprised him a lot. Although it was a simple order, following it blindly without a single question or a word was something he had never seen before. This only solidified the fact that the people of this world were far different from his previous one.
"Hey, kid! Stop daydreaming and do what you have to do."
"Oh, yes." Alfred crawled out of his bed and moved closer to the dirt. "I don't know if I can create a Rune anywhere; the book didn't clear it up. I will try on this dirt first."
Shaman Catori stood up and watched Alfred with full curiosity.
Alfred looked behind him and asked the old woman. "What do you think I should make first? There are a lot of choices."
"Anything, just do it."
"Okay, I will create fire then."
'There are two Runic Symbols of Fire. I don't know the difference between them, so I will just pick one at random.'
Upon making a decision, Alfred carefully carved the Rune Formation on the dirt, ensuring to copy every line in his mind and reproduce it as closely as possible.
After a few grueling minutes, the finished product was done: a Formation Circle with a Fire Runic Symbol inside. A moment later, the Rune glowed in a bright light and dimmed as fast as it shimmered.
Alfred felt a sudden drain on his energy, weakening his body to the point of heavy breathing.
'What was that? Is that why I need Spirit Energy before I can create a Rune? God, that was exhausting!'
"I-I think I'm done." He gasped and then wiped the sweat on his forehead.
"Here's the blood," Shaman Catori excitedly stated, extending his wrinkled hand to Alfred.
Although he was tired, he still didn't waste time, as he knew the old Shaman was too eager to witness the making of his first Rune. Who knows what kind of threat she would say if he lingered for too long?
With shaky hands, Alfred uncorked the wood out of the waterskin. A foul stink of blood instantly assaulted his nose, flinching his head away from the waterskin.
It took a few seconds before his nose got used to the smell.
When he was ready, he tilted the waterskin, spilling the thick and foul contents on top of the Rune Formation he had made.
Shaman Catori and Alfred watched the first drop of blood falling towards the Rune Formation, their breath on hold.
Then, finally, the blood made contact.