Vladimir was born in the northern part of the kingdom, where the climate was extremely cold.
Now, Vladimir was visiting the southern part of the kingdom for the first time and found it to be very hot, about ten degrees warmer than the north.
Tall, vibrant green trees lined both sides of the entire street.
The population density far exceeded that of the north. The streets were bustling with crowds of people, and all sorts of shops filled both sides of the road.
Seventh Grandpa, taking Vladimir with him, got off the airship and immediately boarded a waiting carriage, quickly returning to their original large family estate.
Upon returning to the family, Seventh Grandpa sent a young girl named Tiffany to take Vladimir and Winnie to register with the family. Seventh Grandpa, meanwhile, went to the family council to report the good news that Winnie possessed a top-tier, first-grade talent.
Through his conversation with Tiffany, Vladimir learned that she was also a Junior Wizard Apprentice in the family. By seniority, she was actually his and Winnie's aunt. However, this aunt was only twelve years old but was already a true little beauty.
Vladimir also told Tiffany about his own identity.
To his surprise, Tiffany was filled with envy.
"This task must have been given to you by Seventh Grandpa specifically to look after you. Of course, it's also because you're truly suitable, after all, you are Winnie's older brother. It's already very rare for parents who aren't Wizards to have Wizard children. And your family has two, tsk tsk tsk, how strange."
"And you should know, only newborns with exceptionally good aptitude are qualified to have a Guardian Wizard. The task of being Winnie's Guardian Wizard is highly sought after."
"Firstly, there are very few newborns with excellent aptitude in the family, and excellent aptitude means efficient resource utilization, rapid growth, and a very high potential. Such tasks are always in high demand with limited supply; everyone scrambles to do them," Tiffany explained with an envious expression.
"But wouldn't doing this task mean losing some freedom?"
"You would indeed lose some freedom, but compared to the task rewards and the long-term benefits of having a close, powerful Formal Wizard with significant influence in the family, that bit of freedom is practically worthless."
"You'll understand when the time comes." Tiffany's words made Vladimir realize just how good Seventh Grandpa had been to him.
"We're here. This villa is what the family has allocated to you. It not only has numerous rooms but also ten servants who will take care of your daily needs, and a wet nurse for the baby has also been arranged. You just need to move in."
"Additionally, this is our family's Junior Meditation Technique, called the Star Meditation Technique. It is well-known among all meditation techniques in the Wizard World. Although it's a bit more difficult to cultivate, it has many advantages."
"This is my book; I'll lend it to you for now. Later, I'll go collect your allocated supplies for you. You can return this book to me then. I've already memorized most of it."
"Alright, you've had a tiring day, so it's best to get some rest early."
After settling them in, Tiffany left.
At this point, Winnie, cradled in Vladimir's arms, could already take a few shaky steps. Her clumsy movements were quite adorable.
However, Vladimir's attention was now entirely focused on the Wizard Meditation Technique book he had just received.
After entrusting Winnie to the wet nurse and observing her care for an hour, Vladimir had to commend her professionalism. Winnie, who had initially refused to sleep, soon dozed off in the wet nurse's embrace.
He then found a room for himself and began to study the meditation technique without looking up.
The primary method of this family-provided meditation technique was to construct a model of stars in one's mind.
As long as one could construct a stable star model using primordial particles, they would be considered a Junior Wizard Apprentice.
An Intermediate Wizard Apprentice required a constellation composed of five stars.
He began to try, as the meditation technique instructed, to absorb and control the free-floating elemental energy in the surrounding air.
Then, he attempted to arrange the elemental particles according to his will into a specific model.
However, just the first step—finding enough elemental particles—was already extremely difficult.
This was because the particles present in the air were inherently very scarce, and his mental power only allowed him to control particles within about a meter around him.
Even if he attracted most of the surrounding elemental particles, it was still not enough to gather the quantity needed to construct the model.
At this point, he thought of a common Wizard resource mentioned in the introductory basics book: magic stones.
Magic stones are Wizard resources formed when elemental particles solidify within a special type of stone.
Because magic stones are consumed in very large quantities in the Wizard World, they also serve as a form of currency, acting as the general equivalent in the Wizard World.
"Master, a Wizard named Tiffany is looking for you outside the door. Are you free to go out, or should I ask her to return later?"
At this moment, the guard's voice sounded from outside the bedroom door.
Hadn't Tiffany just left? Vladimir went out and realized that it was already dark. He estimated that his recent attempts had taken him at least four or five hours.
Arriving at the villa's entrance, he saw Tiffany again.
"Tiffany, it's good to see you again. Is there something you need?" Vladimir asked curiously.
"Seventh Grandpa directly applied for cultivation resources for you. Usually, we have to wait half a month to a month after applying for cultivation resources to be issued. Tsk tsk, Seventh Grandpa is really good to you."
"Also, this is a family benefit: every new Wizard Apprentice gets a small storage pouch."
"Everything is inside."
Looking at the small pouch Tiffany handed over, Vladimir asked a question.
"Thank you very much. Do these resources include magic stones?"
"Of course! Magic stones are the most essential and basic resource for our cultivation. Without them, our cultivation would be impossible."
"The family provides Junior Wizard Apprentices with two magic stones as basic resources each month. And for the Guardian Wizard task you've taken on, you'll receive an additional five magic stones as cultivation resources every month."
"Here, this is a magic stone."
Tiffany pulled out a translucent, crystal-clear stone that emanated a rich elemental aura.
"Oh, so this is a magic stone. Thank you. Also, I wanted to ask how to use this storage pouch?"
"It's very simple. You just need to envelop the pouch with your mental power. Then you will see the sub-space inside the storage pouch."
"Also, remember that storage pouches cannot hold living creatures, because the sub-space lacks the time dimension compared to normal space, so life, which is measured by time, cannot exist in the sub-space."
Vladimir followed Tiffany's instructions and enveloped the storage pouch with his mental power.
Immediately, he saw a crystal ball, a set of Wizard robes, and some maps lying quietly inside the storage pouch.
"What if I accidentally put something living into the storage pouch?" Vladimir asked curiously.
"You can imagine what would happen if you pressed a watermelon into a sheet of paper. Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking."
"Alright, my task for today is mostly complete. If you have any more questions, you can contact me through the crystal ball."
"Just use your mental power to connect with the crystal ball, and you'll know how to contact me. I've already stored my contact information in this crystal ball. I have other tasks to do, so I won't chat with you anymore. Goodbye!"
"Okay, thank you very much."
After seeing Tiffany off, Vladimir turned and returned to his room.
He eagerly began to examine the supplies.
First, there were the seven magic stones.
He found that although they were called magic stones, they were actually manually processed. Each one was of a standard size, and the elemental energy stored within them felt almost identical.
Vladimir tried placing a magic stone in his hand and then attempted to construct a model again.
This time, the experience was completely different from before.
The elemental particles in the magic stone were very gentle and calm. As soon as he had a thought, those elemental particles obediently came into his meditation space.
He continuously absorbed, but the elemental particles in the magic stone did not seem to decrease significantly.
It seemed that as long as he had magic stones, he wouldn't need to worry about a lack of elemental particles.
This first problem in cultivating the meditation technique was perfectly resolved.
Next, he began to try and control these elemental particles, constructing them one by one according to the angles, distances, and combination sequences required by the model.
But just like building with blocks, if he wasn't careful, a particle's position would be slightly off, and the entire model would instantly collapse.
Vladimir tried five or six more times, each time failing due to one reason or another.
His mind began to feel tired, very tired. He knew he couldn't practice anymore.
So he pulled out the crystal ball, preparing to contact Tiffany to ask if his fatigue was normal.
After his mental power entered the crystal ball, he quickly found Tiffany's contact information. It was like a marker; as long as he touched that marker with his mental power, he would feel as if he could communicate with the other side.
"Hello Tiffany, this is Vladimir. Can you hear me?"
"Not bad, it took you so long to contact me. I thought you'd contact me right away. Feel free to ask any questions."
The young girl's voice came from the crystal ball. Vladimir then realized that it was already daylight outside. He had unknowingly practiced all night. However, with his body as an Intermediate Knight, even practicing all night shouldn't have made him so exhausted. So he continued to ask.
"I tried five or six times to build the model according to the meditation technique's requirements, but each time, a slight deviation in position caused the model to collapse. And now I'm extremely tired. Is this a normal phenomenon?"
"Of course. It's only your first time cultivating; it would be strange if you succeeded immediately. The stronger our mental power, the stronger our control over elemental particles, and thus the better our control over elemental particles, and the smaller the error."
"Moreover, as we continuously practice, our control over particles will also increase. For us Junior Apprentices, it generally takes about a week to get started."
"Of course, the better the aptitude, the stronger the innate mental power will be, and the stronger the affinity for elements, which means elements will be easier to control."
"So it's also possible to get started on the very first try."
"Furthermore, the mental fatigue you mentioned is also a very normal phenomenon. You've tried it; controlling elemental particles is not a simple task; it consumes a lot of our mental power."
"Therefore, the time we spend cultivating each day is limited. During the rest of the time, we can complete various tasks and earn cultivation resources."
"Of course, there is a potion called a mental recovery potion. It can restore our mental power when we feel fatigued."
"But that potion isn't cheap; most people can't afford it, like me, for example," Tiffany said self-deprecatingly.
"Oh, okay, thank you for your explanation. I understand. You can go back to your tasks now."
Vladimir thanked Tiffany for her explanation and then ended the communication.