40: Life is not easy, flowers and wine are your companions

...The three of them remained silent for a long time, all lost in thought.

Ever since Glynn posed that question, their expressions had been constantly changing, clearly indicating their agitated state of mind.

After a long while...

"Glynn..."

Oakes was the first to break the silence, saying,

"I reckon you've been under too much stress lately."

"I've also heard about your performance at Old Sam's Lab."

"Your skill in refining semi-finished magic potions has improved very quickly, which must mean you've put in a lot of effort behind the scenes."

"Also, it's not your fault that you openly flattered your direct superior at Old Sam's Lab; you did it for better development."

"I believe your life in the lab isn't as glamorous as rumored; there must be untold blood and tears behind it, and the inner pain and torment have also put you under great pressure."

"I understand all of that about you."

"Glynn, you need to learn to release your stress; you can't let it build up and explode."

"I don't have much good advice, I can only tell you this."

"Don't forget the path you came from. Think, has your dream come true?"

"Are you going to fall halfway? Are you willing to accept that?"

...Glynn nodded seriously and said,

"Of course I'm not willing to accept it."

"No one can willingly self-destruct."

"Neither can I!"

"I've always held onto my dream."

"It's just that sometimes I still harbor a lucky mentality, wanting to take shortcuts."

"Thinking that perhaps fate would suddenly favor me, and unexpected wealth would fall from the sky, making me financially free all at once, so I wouldn't have to live such a tiring life."

"Hence, I developed a feeling of boredom towards this monotonous study."

"Glynn, you must not take shortcuts."

"Beneath every shortcut lies the blood and bones of countless failures. You mustn't think of doing anything rash."

..."The Crown of the Scales of Truth's philosophy: All gifts of fate come with a price tag."

..."This sentence was the biggest piece of advice our Mentor gave to every newcomer on the wizard's path during our first lesson."

"You must not put yourself in danger."

Oakes said anxiously, as if Glynn had already embarked on a path of no return.

"Glynn, you need to think clearly, you only have one life, you know." Ally said calmly, not believing Glynn had the guts.

"Oakes, I'm just thinking, I haven't done anything yet."

"Don't worry, I won't go courting death. I haven't lived enough, nor have I eaten enough." Glynn quickly reassured him.

"Hmph, Glynn, you'd best not even think about it. Back then, my third uncle was greedy for shortcuts... Never mind, let's not talk about that."

"Anyway, I'm telling you, you must constantly remind yourself not to forget your dream and original intention."

..."Glynn, let me tell you my approach; you can use it as a reference."

"Glynn, do you think I'm very good at studying, learn everything quickly, and nothing can stump me, so I haven't experienced such things?" Ally asked.

"Isn't that the case? Sometimes, I really want to open your head and see how it's made, it's so amazing?"

"The gap between people is even greater than the gap between humans and dogs."

Glynn said with some resentment.

That study plan had really hit Glynn hard...

"Haha..."

"Glynn, are you calling yourself a dog?" Oakes, that guy, popped out again to liven up the atmosphere.

Ally didn't laugh; she simply recounted a period of her psychological journey in a calm tone.

"For a while, I also felt that studying was so tiring."

"I was so annoyed with studying, I didn't want to continue."

"I felt that life was all about studying, with no meaning at all."

"There was no joy of singing and dancing..."

"No sightseeing, no appreciating the beauty of nature..."

"Nor was there the companionship and laughter of family..."

"At this time, my Mentor Serena enlightened me, saying:"

"The exploration of the wizard's path is destined to be solitary..."

"The persistence of the path of learning is also destined to be solitary..."

"This is an essential path of growth for an individual..."

"In the early stages, there are familiar Mentors, good friends, and comfortable environments that can accompany us through beautiful times."

"The further you go on the path of life, the fewer familiar faces there will be, until, in the end, only you are left, a solitary figure."

"In this process, you must learn to love studying and get used to solitude."

"You also need to cultivate one or two spiritual anchors; this can slow down the aging of your soul."

"Maintaining a heart that is forever young and vibrant is very important for us wizards."

"Oh, and one thing to note:

Never place your spiritual anchor on a specific person!"

"Otherwise..."

"You won't be able to bear that person's departure; at that time, your spiritual anchor will be gone, and your heart will die..."

..."Ally, I think I understand what you mean."

Glynn exhaled heavily, as if to release all his unhappiness.

"Life is not easy; let's have wine as our companion."

"I think..."

"Maintaining a good way to release stress and a habit that keeps our mindset young and vibrant are things we need to stick to in our daily lives."

"I was being narrow-minded, I shouldn't have confined myself to a limited way of thinking."

"Haha..."

"I think I already have a good habit for soothing my soul."

"Food, my eternal companion!"

"Come, cheers..."

"To food!"

Glynn laughed heartily...

"Cheers..."

The three reached a consensus that food was indeed very suitable for Glynn. With his appetite and corresponding bloodline talent, nothing could be more fitting for him than food.

The atmosphere lightened...

Oakes began to tell interesting anecdotes from the academy, while Glynn listened and heartily chewed angus steak, interjecting a word or two now and then. Ally also participated in the lively gossip session with a faint smile.

More than two hours later,

The few of them had talked to their heart's content, exchanged enough, and their moods were relaxed. They decided to go their separate ways and get back to their own business.

In summary:

This was a successful gathering.

This was a unifying gathering.

This was a gathering worthy of being recorded in history.

Under the guidance of his two good friends, Glynn reaffirmed his devotion to seeking the path, promptly resolved the stumbling blocks on his wizard's path, found a spiritual anchor in his life, understood the meaning of solitude, and his state of mind was elevated.

Finally, at the end of the gathering, Glynn also borrowed Ally's course preview plans for her third and fourth years.

Glynn would be a fool not to use readily available resources.

Ally generously agreed to lend Glynn the plan, only hoping that this 'scum' Glynn wouldn't be too disheartened.