Chapter 37: The Discovery

Luca sat down to read the books. As he went through them, he found all sorts of information. One book had the history of the kingdom of Waldria, which Luca found interesting.

But one book caught his attention more than the others. It had some pages missing and looked old and worn out. Luca had bought this book because it had some exercises that he thought might be helpful for his training.

As he started reading the book, Luca found that it had detailed explanations on how to improve physical strength gradually. The book had a set of exercises that were supposed to help increase strength, and they had to be done with Luminis. Luca was curious, so he decided to try the exercises.

He started doing the exercises, following the instructions in the book. He circulated Luminis along with the movements, just like the book said. But to his surprise, he could only do it for 30 minutes before he got tired. Luca was amazed. He didn't get tired easily, but these exercises had exhausted him. After some time, he felt a little comfortable.

Luca was excited and surprised. The exercises looked simple, but they were actually very effective. He went through the book again, looking for more information. The book had herbal combinations for each stage of training, up to the harmonization stage. There were also formulas for healing.

Luca wasn't sure if the combinations were true or not, but he thought that since the exercises worked, the combinations might be good too. He decided to find some of the herbs mentioned in the book and test their efficiency. Luca thought that if the exercises were real, the formulas probably weren't poisonous.

He made a mental note to visit the herbalist in the village and ask about the herbs. Luca was eager to see if the formulas would work and if they could help him with his training. Luca continued to read the book, eager to learn more about its secrets.

The book also contained practice methods for the awakened, essence flow, and harmonization stages. It had a detailed description of breaking through to each stage. Luca was particularly interested in the harmonization stage, so he read through that section carefully. However, since he was not yet at the harmonization stage, he couldn't fully relate to the information. He could understand the words, but he couldn't grasp the true meaning behind them.

Luca safely kept the book, thinking that he could use the methods when he reached the harmonization stage. 

The next morning, Luca ate his breakfast with his mom, Rhea. As they finished their meal, Rhea turned to Luca and handed him the key to their house. "Luca, I'm going to work now. Here's the key. If you want to go out, don't forget to lock the door," she said.

Luca gazed at his mother with a concerned expression, his eyes filled with a deep-seated desire to see her happy and carefree. Now that he had a steady income, he felt that it was his responsibility to support her, and he didn't want her to have to work anymore. "Mom, you don't have to work anymore," he said, his voice laced with a sense of protectiveness. "I'm earning enough to take care of both of us, so you can finally take it easy and focus on your own well-being."

Rhea's face lit up with a warm smile as she was touched by Luca's concern. "Luca, to be honest, work has become a habit for me," she replied. "If I were to stop working, I think I would feel a bit restless and uncomfortable."

Luca didn't know what to say to that. He looked at his mom, feeling a mix of emotions. He wanted her to take care of herself, but he also understood that she needed to work. "Just don't overwork, Mom. Come home early, okay?" he said.

Rhea smiled and nodded. "Ay, ay, don't worry about me, Luca. I'll be fine. You just focus on your training and take care of yourself," she said, before heading out the door.

As Luca watched his mother leave, he felt a deep sense of responsibility towards her. He knew that the best way he could repay her love and care was to work hard and achieve a good position in life, making her proud of the person he would become.

Luca decided to practise the book's exercises. He practiced the movements, and as he did, he felt a sense of warmth and comfort spreading through his body. The exercises in the book were indeed showing their effects. The effects were prominent than yesterday. 

Luca locked the house and made his way to the village herbalist's residence. The herbalist, a man of average height, greeted Luca with a curious expression. "Who are you, and what brings you here?" he asked.

Luca introduced himself, explaining that he was a villager interested in purchasing some herbs. The herbalist's eyes lit up with interest as Luca mentioned the names of ten specific herbs that could be used for the awakened stage. "Are these herbs available?" Luca asked.

The herbalist nodded, "Yes, they are available, but I only have them in dried form. If you're looking for fresh herbs, you'll have to wait two days." Luca considered the option for a moment before deciding to purchase the dried herbs. "I'll take the dried herbs for now," he said. "If you have fresh ones available in the future, I'll be happy to buy them from you."

The herbalist smiled, pleased with the sale. He had been storing the dried herbs for a while, and it was good to finally make some money from them. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, nodding in appreciation. "Come back anytime you need more herbs, and I'll be happy to help you."

With the dried herbs in hand, Luca left the herbalist's residence, feeling satisfied with his purchase. He was eager to try out the herbal combinations mentioned in the book and see if they would enhance his training.