Al hummed in thought before saying, "If I had to put it into words, then your cultivation has a vastness, all-encompassing feeling to it."

He then turned to Jean and added, "While yours is more measured, precise and focused. It also feels spotless."

"That's not helpful," Markus commented while shaking his head. "What if we compare our insights - what we observed and assimilated that induced the advancement? Maybe that might reveal more."

Jean furrowed her brows in contemplation.

"It was less of a revelation, more of an inspiration for me," Jean started. "I've read through all of my mother's journals thoroughly. I can confidently say that I know everything she has documented down to the minute details. Everything was so well researched and extensive. It covered a myriad of diseases, illnesses and traumas - it was like the pinnacle of medicine in my eyes."

Jean's eyes sparkled brightly as she shot a firm gaze toward Al and Markus. "But then, I was shown a vision. No! I was made to embody a vision - a fully immersive experience - where I was presented with an incredible possibility. I was given a mere glimpse of the realms that medicine could achieve in the hands of mortals and non-magical humans."

"Curing diseases, treating illnesses, and assuaging traumas all without the application of mana. Can you even believe that?" Jean exclaimed.

"Ironically, it was magical," she added.

"The moment my mind assimilated this vision, I could feel the limits in my psyche disappearing," Jean revealed. "I realised that by setting my mother as my benchmark, I had put up barriers in my mind that inhibited my growth. Medicine could achieve so much more, I was just too narrow-minded and tunnel-visioned to fathom it."

"However, I still don't understand something," Jean said with a perplexed intonation. "I don't get how Teacher Larks was able to show me that vision. Everything was just so unbelievable and foreign, I don't think it could be created through the workings of a human mind, that too within such a short time frame."

Jean then proceeded to explain every detail she could recollect about the experience. She covered the foreign clothes, the compact yet highly functional machines that worked through some as-of-yet unknown magic, the practised movements and synchronised behaviours, and the systematic ambience.

"Uncle Jeeves, you've travelled far and wide. Have you ever seen anything like this?" Jean inquired.

"Not to my knowledge no," Al said while shaking his head. "But you seem to be forgetting something, Jean."

Al leaned forward and spoke with a low voice, "These visions aren't the machinations of a regular human mind, as you've said. They are the workings of a mind that has transcended humanity. You should know about Teacher Larks' inheritance."

Jean and Markus nodded hurriedly.

"These are probably excerpts from what Teacher Larks has experienced through his assimilation of the teachings in the inheritance. We cannot judge them through a common lens. There are definitely layers of subtlety and implied meanings within that short vision you were exposed to, that you might have missed due to your limited understanding. Maybe, if you could unravel the whole truth, you might achieve an even greater breakthrough. Since it was a |Soul Imprint| the entire vision should be etched into your mind, I suggest that you revisit it frequently and decipher it to the best of your ability," Al advised.

"Teacher Jeeves is definitely correct there," Markus interjected. "The vision I was shown that allowed me to achieve perfected resonance contributed significantly in my advancement to Foundation Establishment."

"I will definitely keep that advice in mind," Jean responded. "Thank you, Teacher Jeeves and Senior Brother Reva," she bowed.

"It truly is a shame that your cultivation differs from Markus," Al said with a bitter smile. "It would have been an interesting opportunity to learn more about Markus' unique cultivation."

"Teacher Jeeves. Why don't you |Extrospect| Jean's cultivation?" Markus suggested. "Maybe a closer inspection may reveal similarities that could have been missed through a cursory glance?"

"Ha!" Al scoffed. "I'm not falling for that again."

Markus and Jean tilted their heads synchronously, displaying blatant confusion.

"*cough* I mean-" Al quickly corrected, "I don't think it's advisable with Jean."

"But Teacher Jeeves did it with me," Markus pointed out. "I'm perfectly safe."

"It's different!" Al quickly parried. "Jean is... Jean is... That's right! Jean is a girl!"

"How does that make a difference?" Markus retorted.

"Well... I have to maintain contact with Jean on her exposed stomach," Al reasoned while sweating profusely. "It's immoral!"

"It's all for science," Jean shrugged. "Besides, I treat you like family, Uncle Jeeves. It's not offensive."

Al cycled through plausible excuses on his end but to no avail. Truthfully, he was a little scared. It just hurt his ego too much to admit that out loud. The last time he ventured into Markus' core, he nearly died. He had convinced himself back then that it was purely a result of his negligence and lack of caution that caused it. However, frequently during meditation, he would be reminded of the sheer terror he felt when facing that monstrosity inside the boy's core.

Being reminded of it once again, Al's eyes drifted carelessly over Markus' abdomen. A bone-chilling feeling of fear crept up Al's spine. 'Now that he's stepped into Foundation Establishment, how would his core have changed?' Al immediately shook that alarming thought and exhale loudly.

"Alright, let's get on with it then," he acquiesced reluctantly. "I'm not as capable as your Teacher Larks, so be warned."

Al reached towards Jean's abdomen and carefully rested his palm on her skin. He gradually started to calm his thoughts to enter an unperturbed state of meditation. He then proceeded to channel his mana through his palms and started to navigate through the girl's spiritual barriers. Again, because his intrusion was consented, there was no opposition when he passed through them. He quickly found the girl's nascent core and proceeded to settle his blurry senses.

It was a slow process, but once his vision cleared Al was presented with a completely bright visual. Compared to the darkroom in Markus' core, Jean's core space was unbearably bright. The floor was an iridescent white which blended perfectly into the walls, which were also emitting a spotless blanket of white into the room.

"This is the exact opposite," Al commented. "The two are totally unrelated in every sense of the way..."

This should have been enough of a hint for Al, and at this point, he should have simply exited the core space. But curiosity is a pervasive human quality. Al's eyes drifted towards a small puddle at the centre of the room. The mass of water could have been easily missed if not for the minor ripples that formed on its surface when Al walked around.

A small part of Al's subconscious wanted to peek into Jean's cultivation. The moment this thought took form, Al's cultivation started to whir with excitement. This was because his cultivation was largely reliant on him learning new things and amassing new knowledge - exploring the unknown. Although Al had nearly died inside Markus' core, something good did come out of it in the form of a substantial leap in his cultivation.

At this point, an archaic proverb manifested in Al's consciousness: "Every crisis has both its dangers and its opportunities."

historical

Droves of mages flock towards inheritance grounds, unearthed sites with abundant resources, treacherous zones filled with horrific beasts and elixirs, and so on, knowing full well just how dangerous these places could be. These mages know that they may not make it out alive. But they still choose to compete because they recognise that in facing danger, they are often presented with great opportunities to grow and achieve breakthroughs.

Apprehensively, Al approached the small pond in the ground and prostrated himself. He could not enter completely, so once again he was forced to only shove his head in.

The moment his face pierced through the strangely pleasant and warm surface of the liquid pond, which was once again in stark contrast to the chilling cold experienced when interacting with Markus', Al was shown a strange vision.

It was a dimly lit tunnel. It wasn't mechanically built but appeared alive and undulating. The walls twitched periodically, as a loud and rhythmic bellow echoed through with a muffled boom and with a strangely familiar beat.

DUB DUB...

DUB DUB...

DUB DUB...

"That sounds like... a heartbeat?"

Al narrowed his eyes to sharpen his vision and observed the dim tunnel more carefully. With every beat, odd doughnut-shaped red units pumped past him.

"What are these... things?" Al muttered as he reached forward, grabbed one of these doughnuts and squeezed them. The unit in his hand was extremely fragile. Maybe it was because Al applied excessive pressure, but the moment he pressed it, it burst magnificently.

Al frowned and reached for another one. This time he applied lesser pressure and carefully inspected it, taking note of every detail he could glean from it.

As he was doing so, Al failed to notice a small army of spherical, blueish-white blobs with minuscule protrusions jutting out of them approaching him with sinister purpose.