Wizard Bloodline

"Meditating excessively has caused a large accumulation of energy particles in the body that can't be expelled, gradually eroding the organs and impairing physical functions to varying degrees?!" 

Ronan sifted through the fragmented memories of the body's original owner and finally discovered the cause of his "symptoms."

"Meditating too much can harm the body?!" 

His expression turned grim.

Now he understood why this body was in such poor condition.

He initially thought it was due to the original owner's status as a young noble, indulging excessively and weakening his body through indulgence.

But now it appeared the primary reason was prolonged exposure to energy particle erosion.

"Due to poor aptitude, more time was spent on meditation than others. 

The energy particles accumulated excessively in the body, and without the means to afford potions to dissolve them, his health deteriorated, worse even than an ordinary person."

Ronan's mood darkened.

His recollections were fragmented and incomplete, and coupled with his previous lack of meditation proficiency, he hadn't noticed this issue.

Looking back now, he realized many wizards suffered from energy particle erosion.

Yet it wasn't given much attention.

This was due to the opening line of "Basic Meditation Techniques"—the soul is the immortal abode.

For wizards, the ultimate goal of cultivation was the pursuit of so-called soul immortality, and nothing else was considered indispensable.

Even their physical body.

Furthermore, when a wizard apprentice advanced to a full-fledged wizard, their body would receive a slight enhancement.

Additionally, spells could later be used to modify the body.

"No wonder those wizards I've seen in his memories looked either extraordinarily old or bizarrely ugly... Is this the state of lower-level wizards?"

For a moment, Ronan felt powerless.

He wasn't someone overly concerned with appearance, but he could accept looking a bit rough, not looking like a sixty-year-old at sixteen.

If he continued on this path, it wouldn't be long before he needed a cane to walk.

Climbing trees would be out of the question, leaving him confined to living entirely in the treehouse.

"That would be awful..."

Ronan imagined himself trembling on a tree branch, accidentally wetting his pants, and found the thought unbearable.

Solving the issue of energy particle erosion was relatively simple.

One option was to control the frequency of meditation.

By reducing how often he meditated and increasing the intervals between sessions, allowing the body to naturally expel excess energy particles, he could alleviate the situation considerably.

However, this would undoubtedly slow down his cultivation, making his already dismal talent even worse.

The other option was to use potions.

But this was even less feasible.

The cheapest potion to dissolve energy particles cost over ten low-grade magic stones. That money could be better spent on potions to directly enhance mental strength.

If he wanted to maintain his cultivation pace without spending money, then...

"Exercise."

Ronan exhaled sharply, muttering, "From now on, exercising will be part of my daily routine."

This was the simplest solution.

Strengthen the body, and fight against the invading energy particles!

For the impoverished, self-reliance was the only option.

After about thirty minutes of work, Ronan collected a full jar of morning dew.

Morning dew was a relatively easy-to-obtain wizard material, and after reading several books the night before, Ronan began collecting it intentionally.

He placed the jar of morning dew in a cool spot, grabbed a handful of sage leaves, crushed them in his mouth for a makeshift toothbrush, and then prepared his breakfast.

Breakfast was simple—a small pot of mixed grain porridge.

There were no side dishes for the porridge, so he added a bit of the stone honey the original owner had left behind, unsure how long it had been there. Surprisingly, it tasted quite good.

Ronan squatted at the small house's doorstep, sipping the porridge and opened his character panel.

**[Name: Ronan Damien]**

**[Age: 16]**

**[Affinity: Non-Elemental]**

**[Level: Level 1 Wizard Apprentice (86%)]**

**[Skill: Basic Meditation Techniques (Beginner 5/100)]**

Overnight, his level progress hadn't budged, but his meditation skill proficiency had increased by five points.

By now, Ronan's excitement and joy from last night had subsided.

Mainly because after researching the panel all night, he discovered its only function was to display his cultivation status in real-time.

"So it still comes down to self-effort."

Feeling a bit down, Ronan quickly finished his breakfast, washed the dishes, and climbed down the vine in front of the house.

It was the perfect time for a morning workout.

Building physical strength was urgent, and Ronan took immediate action.

He planned his morning run route.

"Along this path, go straight, then right at the fourth oak tree, and loop left around a mud pit."

"If danger arises, return the way I came!"

Feeling confident, Ronan began jogging along the forest path.

The forest trails were uneven, with stones and fallen trees occasionally blocking the way.

But they provided excellent exercise opportunities.

After running for a while, Ronan started sweating, his breathing becoming labored.

For exercise, the grassy area by the lake would have been ideal.

But after witnessing the wizard duel there yesterday, Ronan decided to avoid that area for now.

The open grassland offered little cover should anything happen.

His robe was soaked with sweat, clinging uncomfortably to his skin, and its oversized sleeves and hem were cumbersome.

Ronan thought about changing clothes next time. He remembered the original owner had a set of lightweight hunting attire more suited for forest activity.

"At this point, who cares about wizard etiquette? Wearing a wizard robe doesn't make you a wizard."

Ronan was panting heavily, his hair damp with sweat.

Pushing through a thicket, he saw water bubbling from a hollow in the base of a large tree ahead, and he slowed his pace.

"About seven or eight miles, I think."

Ronan wasn't sure and pulled a golden pocket watch from his pocket to check the time.

Nearly an hour and a half had passed since he left the treehouse.

Several spots on his body had been scratched by branches, leaving bloody streaks that stung when mixed with sweat.

"Thankfully, there aren't any large beasts in this area, or I'd never dare venture this deep."

As he thought, Ronan approached the water-bubbling tree hollow.

He scooped up some water to drink and found it refreshingly sweet.

After a quick wash, he removed his shoes and soaked his feet in the cool water.