MJ— 3

Title: Crystallization of Studies

The ordered meal was relishing. After cleaning out his table, Razael made his way to the first floor of the house and unlocked the entrance to his research lab. Unlike the ground floor which was barely furnished, the research lab looked well taken care of.

Instead of the floor being divided by rooms, the research lab occupied the entire floor and was divided with glass doors and structures. The first section to greet Razael's eye was a shelf of books that he had been given by the Academy to study. These past ten years, the books that filled the seven shelves were the material of various examinations.

The books contained various sources of information and expanded upon many concepts and subjects to make the students well-read and less ignorant of the world. On top shelves, Razael gazed at the three thick binders dedicated to etiquettes.

'Ahh... I'll even miss these books...' He sighed internally as he wore the lab coat and walked into the lab. Bypassing the glass containers filled with untagged liquid and holding various flowers and stems, Razael sat on his chair next to another table with a bookmarked diary.

"I have six days to bring out the energy core into the physical realm," Razael thought for a moment and placed his pen on the table once again. As much as he wished to study more plants, the interview due next week was far more important.

This was also the reason why he came to the lab. His lab was the only location where Razael felt calm and peaceful. Even his own bedroom made him restless at times but to sleep in one's own research lab was a form of disrespect in Razael's book.

'The thesis of Mage Rihok suggests that the summon an energy core into the physical world, one must think of being an energy core himself.'

Razael recalled a particular record in the study of Energy core he just read downstairs.

'Let's see,' closing his eyes, Razael thought of the event in the classroom where he activated his energy core.

His wandering thoughts came to a standstill and he opened his eyes once again, finding himself in a blank and dark space.

"True enough," Razael mumbled, "It is easy to envision one's energy core but it is extremely hard to take the energy core out of the body. Though dangerous, I only need to expose my energy core once, and for the remaining portion of my life, I can just project the energy core instead of taking it out."

As the center of one's existence, the energy core was situated right inside the heart of a living being. What Razael was experiencing right now was a form of astral projection but instead of mobilizing his spirit, Razael happened to be looking 'inwards' upon the plane that held his energy core.

"Every living being has two sides of life. Physical and Spiritual. For almost three years, I had to read so many scriptures and tomes on the spiritual plane but..." As Razael spoke, he extended his palm as the glowing ball of energy in front of him slowly moved closer to him. The fist-sized core finally settled on his palm and Raz could finally feel the rotation of the extremely smooth orb.

"... but I can finally put all that knowledge to good use. The steps of taking out the energy core include entering the spiritual plane of the body which can be easily accomplished by the connection with the Energy Core. Then, an acolyte must also be able to move the energy core according to his wishes. Done. Finally, I need to grab the core firmly and try to leave the spiritual plane."

As Razael thought of leaving, his vision changed once again and he was in front of his desk once again. His fist fell full and the moment he opened it, he saw his energy core spinning. The touch was extremely smooth and felt real while Razael gazed at the watch and sighed.

"A minute and 7 seconds. Now, all I have to do is practice this continuously until I can reach the target of thirty seconds."

---

The next day.

Razael's body would instinctively reset after seven hours of sleep. It had become a habit of his.

Then came the bane of Razael's existence.

Brushing his teeth and bathing.

Though reluctant, Razael would rather have a few minutes of cold minty mouth and a shower than letting his teeth rot and his body smell sour. The disadvantages were simply too great but today, he wouldn't have to hurriedly change his clothes, comb his hair, or put on his pair of socks. Instead, he wore a warm robe and went to sit in his study. Breakfast was already ordered while Razael read the book— The Energy Core— once again.

He read through the contents and relished half-an-hour of pure bliss until the bell rang.

Sighing, Raz stood up and accepted the delivery of his breakfast while also completing the task of taking the trash out. Of course, as usual, the breakfast was certified and tested to be free of any contagious substance but Razael couldn't help but feel a little depressed.

The facility of feeding the students comes to an end after their graduation and even if Raz happens to stay within the Academy, he will no longer be provided free meals. Instead, he would have to pay for such facilities out of his own pockets.

The breakfast consisted of two small packets of apple juice alongside a bread toast stuffed with shredded cheese and aloe cucumber— a staple crop researched within the Academy with great nutritional properties and skin-care effects. This was the breakfast presented to every student for ten years straight and Raz was hooked on it.

"The interview for graduation will only contain a few basic questions standard to the mage society but to become a Junior Researcher, I need to prepare a structure of spells I will be carving on my energy core. Everything depends on the next seven days but really, the students are trained for this subject from the moment we began studying spells seven years ago," slurping the apple juice through a straw poked into the packet, Raz thought with a carefree mindset.

He had long thought of his spell structure and that is the very reason why he was confident in appearing for the interview meant for the position of junior researcher.

"Let's read the guide book once again," Raz smiled after finishing his breakfast.