The dinner table buzzed with liveliness as young sorcerers chatted about various fascinating trivialities. Through a day of communication and interaction, both had displayed their respective charms, and Glenn and Hermione had integrated seamlessly into this collective. Hermione, talkative and eager to perform, naturally never ceased speaking, while Glenn occasionally responded to questions others posed. In such leisurely, comfortable surroundings, everyone devoured two massive rice pots alongside delicious dishes, eating to complete satisfaction.
The tent group, feeling perpetually unhelpful, volunteered for dishwashing duties. After remaining members strolled around the campsite, they gathered at the camp center, retrieving various personal cushions, arranging them in orderly patterns before settling upon them.
"What are we doing?"
Confused yet conjuring two cushions through Transfiguration, Hermione positioned them beneath herself and Glenn respectively, observing surrounding young sorcerers with curious eyes as she inquired puzzledly.
"Meditation. This should constitute evening practice, but cramped camp space forces compromise—abandoning evening practice for direct meditation training."
The voice belonged to Lin Yu seated beside them, cross-legged with hands folded before his lower abdomen, spine erect, eyes slightly closed, breathing adjusted to imperceptible rhythms. Though already entering meditative states, he still addressed Hermione's confusion.
"Meditation? Glenn, I recall you practice this too?"
Hermione seemed partially comprehending, yet mimicked surrounding postures, sitting properly cross-legged before regarding Glenn.
"Indeed, it's an excellent method for adjusting physical and mental states while focusing consciousness. Hermione, you should attempt it."
Glenn nodded slightly, then repositioned beside Hermione, helping the girl adjust her bodily posture while sharing personal experience.
"Adjust your body to the most relaxed, stable position you find comfortable, but maintain spinal straightness. Empty thoughts, relax spirit, stabilize mind, relax muscles, drop shoulders, adjust breathing frequency—gentle respiration. Imagine your soul breaking free from corporeal constraints, becoming weightless, overlooking all existence..."
Under Glenn's conscious guidance, Hermione, never having encountered meditation previously, surprisingly entered meditative states rapidly. The childishness and impatience perpetually gracing the girl's features completely dissipated, replaced by tranquility, serenity, and sanctity.
"I didn't realize you possessed this skill."
Glenn's meditation guidance for Hermione inevitably surprised Lin Yu, because Glenn's words had enabled even him to achieve deeper meditative levels—depths never previously attained.
"Useful. Learned it."
Glenn provided this concise response.
Lin Yu shrugged. Sensing implications within Glenn's words, he remained too indifferent to investigate further, closing eyes, stabilizing consciousness, continuing to experience the meditative state just accessed.
The camp returned to peaceful quietude, featuring only crackling firewood sounds, rustling winds through dense foliage, and constant insect chirping from shadowy corners—gentle melodies in everyone's ears. Rather than creating disturbance, these sounds enhanced collective tranquility.
However, meditation practice didn't persist excessively long. After approximately one hour, young sorcerers gradually emerged from meditative states.
Extended meditation would prevent tonight's sleep.
Glenn opened his eyes, then gently patted Hermione beside him. Only then did the girl awaken from deep meditation, luminous radiance flowing through her brown pupils.
"So miraculous! I feel today's long journey fatigue dissipated tremendously in an instant."
"Since your meditation commenced, one hour, two minutes, seventeen seconds have elapsed."
"That duration?! I felt nothing!"
"First meditation experiences typically involve forgetting time's passage."
Hermione nodded, then suddenly regarded Glenn with displeasure.
"Excellent Glenn! Why didn't you inform me about such superior cultivation methods previously? Meditation's fatigue-elimination effects are so remarkable—had I known earlier, how much rest time I could have conserved for studying!"
"Could it be... you intended secretly outworking me?! Glenn, you schemer!"
Confronting Hermione's baseless accusations, Glenn experienced mild headaches. He spoke expressionlessly:
"This constituted my precise concern. Meditation can restore mental vitality and eliminate fatigue briefly, but cannot replace normal rest and sleep. You absolutely cannot reduce sleep duration for studying purposes—that represents complete reversal of priorities."
Regarding Glenn's comprehensive understanding, naturally this stemmed from his previous existence consistently employing meditation to substitute sleep, gaining additional training time. Though unclear about specific reasons or proportions, Glenn remained certain his past life's seventeen-year lifespan resulted not only from various physical injuries and potion side effects, but also this factor.
He wouldn't permit Hermione to repeat identical mistakes, hence concealing such rest methods.
Now that the girl knew, Glenn couldn't refuse instruction, evolving into current circumstances.
"...I, I wouldn't do that..."
Hearing Glenn's warning, Hermione guiltily averted her head. What coincidence—the girl had just contemplated exactly as Glenn predicted. Now receiving direct, serious warnings from Glenn embarrassed her considerably.
"Come, declare: 'I absolutely will not reduce normal rest time due to mastering meditation.'"
Observing Hermione's guilty behavior, Glenn's heart sank. Subsequently cupping Hermione's face with both hands, turning it toward himself, their gazes meeting, Glenn spoke like instructing children in learning.
"Wh-what are you doing, Glenn? So many people around are watching!"
Witnessing Glenn's face approaching increasingly closer, Hermione felt no oppressive sensation, only successive warm breaths flowing across her face, while surrounding young sorcerers' half-smiling gazes focused entirely upon her, causing the girl's facial temperature to rise immediately.
Unable to push away or escape, Hermione now shyly desired only cat-like shrieking. Her internal intentions of muddling through directly shattered—she ultimately succumbed to Glenn's charm offensive. Almost shouting, Hermione closed her eyes and screamed:
"Alright, alright! I understand, I promise you, I absolutely will not reduce normal rest time due to mastering meditation! Is that sufficient?!"
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