97: Green's mental bottleneck

"Oakes..."

"I think I should know what my Mind Bottleneck is, right?"

Gelin said with an uncertain tone.

"What do you mean 'should'?"

"Either it is, or it isn't."

Oakes said seriously:

"This is a very serious matter; it's no laughing matter."

"Oh, then it probably is..."

Gelin recalled carefully:

"Just a few days ago, after I completed a meditation, I naturally just knew."

"I reached the bottleneck, and a thought emerged in my mind."

"That thought was very strong and aligned well with the records in the academy's library. Perhaps that's my Mind Bottleneck."

..."Gelin..."

"I really don't know what to say about you."

Oakes said with an envious tone:

"To encounter such a one-in-ten-thousand chance, you really are lucky."

"Lucky?"

Gelin also felt some doubt. Previously, the moment he reached the Intermediate Wizard Apprentice bottleneck, information about his Mind Bottleneck also appeared in his mind.

This was the second time, and he didn't know if it was really a coincidence, or if Gelin was special... "Quick, tell me, what is your Mind Bottleneck?"

"See if I can help!"

Oakes looked at Gelin expectantly:

"Once you break through to Advanced Wizard Apprentice, that'll be truly amazing."

"Currently, among our cohort, I haven't heard of any Wizard Apprentice touching their Mind Bottleneck yet."

"You're ahead of everyone this time, including Alice..."

"My Mind Bottleneck, it seems, seems to be a fear of Black Wizards."

Gelin described his inner experience in his own words:

"That feeling of fear, of unease, presses down on my heart, making it hard to breathe. I have an urge to break through that dark cloud, only then can I embrace light and the future..."

"Otherwise..."

"No need for 'otherwise.' We all know the consequences of not passing this hurdle."

Oakes sighed and said:

"Gelin... Gelin..."

"I didn't realize your fear of Black Wizards was so severe, that it's become a psychological barrier for you."

"It seems I can't help you."

"Go find Mentor Jordan; only he can help you."

..."Indeed..."

Mentor Jordan listened to Gelin's account, showing an expression of "I already guessed as much."

"Gelin, you've given me another surprise."

"I also knew that you would have to overcome this Black Wizard hurdle sooner or later."

"I just didn't expect it to come so soon."

"This phenomenon, where one immediately knows their Mind Bottleneck after reaching the bottleneck, is extremely rare. A one-in-ten-thousand chance actually happening to you, Gelin, you truly are a lucky child."

"It seems that matter will have to be moved up."

"Gelin, for now, don't tell anyone else about this. Keep it a secret, don't make a fuss, understand?"

..."Mmm..."

Gelin nodded.

"I only told Oakes, and I also cautioned him not to speak of it."

"I trust Oakes; he's not someone without discretion."

"Oakes is fine, but don't tell anyone else."

"For now, you just follow your normal routine, participate in training as usual, and give me three months."

Mentor Jordan said:

"After three months, I will give you a chance to try."

"At that time, I will teach you how to resolve this bottleneck problem."

"Understood, Mentor."

Gelin replied, as he still trusted Mentor Jordan very much... In the days that followed.

Gelin returned to his normal work and daily routine.

It was as if a so-called Mind Bottleneck had no effect on him.

He ate when he should, drank when he should, not delaying anything.

Moreover, Gelin even increased his time for rest and play.

He also spent more time gathering with friends.

Because... Gelin knew that the Mind Bottleneck was an insurmountable chasm.

Countless wizards had fallen outside this threshold...

Whether you were a genius or a fool;

Whether you came from a noble family or were a lowly serf.

The power of rules treated everyone equally.

To cross this impassable gulf, one could only rely on oneself... To increase the chances of a successful breakthrough.

Gelin went to the library on the fourth floor of the Wizard Tower, extensively consulting the academy's historical records and the experiences of predecessors.

Unfortunately, he found nothing... Just as, in the eyes of a thousand readers, there are a thousand Hamlets.

Everyone's inner obstacles are different.

And the methods of resolution are myriad and strange.

Fear-based Mind Bottlenecks are one of the most common Mind Bottlenecks encountered by wizards.

Gelin consulted the notes of hundreds of predecessors who left records of successful or failed breakthroughs.

The result was that the more he read, the more confused his mind became.

Some did nothing, slept, had a dream during sleep, and then broke through;

Some feared a certain creature and tried to eliminate that fear through killing, but he killed thousands upon thousands, for three whole years, and still didn't succeed;

Others forced themselves to confront the source of their fear every day, and after three years, they went insane;

...Ultimately, Gelin had to give up the idea of searching for information.

"That's right," Gelin realized belatedly:

"If searching for information could lead to a solution, then there wouldn't be so many Senior Intermediate Wizard Apprentices who failed to break through in the academy."

However, Gelin still obtained one useful piece of information.

Among the Wizard Apprentices recorded in the academy.

Low-level Wizard Apprentices had the highest chance of breaking through to Intermediate Wizard Apprentice, at 82.8%.

But currently, only 20.5% of Intermediate Wizard Apprentices successfully broke through to Advanced Wizard Apprentice.

As for Advanced Wizard Apprentices breaking through to Formal Wizard, there were none yet; there were only thirty-odd failed experience notes...

Gelin simply gave up on finding methods from the Wizard World.

Since it involved the spiritual level, Gelin decided to try the folk remedies from Aqua Blue Star, treating a dead horse as if it were alive.

Method One: Standing Meditation.

Standing meditation is a practice where, in a standing posture, one adjusts the body's structure and framework to allow the body to naturally relax, while also coordinating with varying breathing rhythms, to make the mind calm, at ease, and relaxed. This leads to a state different from the usual agitation of work and busyness, and also distinct from the deep rest of sleep.

In this state, all three aspects—"body, psychology, and mind"—can benefit comprehensively.

The standing meditation Gelin practiced was Tai Chi standing meditation, learned from an old man in the park.

He had been unemployed for a while, feeling restless, and went to the park to clear his head. He saw an old man's standing posture that was fluid and graceful, and having nothing else to do, he learned it for a few days.

Method Two: Sitting Zen.

Sitting Zen is a traditional method of Damo Chan (Zen) Buddhism, which involves relaxing the body and emptying the mind by focusing on breath or other senses like hearing and smell. It requires sitting on a cushion in a quiet environment, with a straight back, hands on the knees, and eyes closed.

Initially, it might feel a bit difficult, but with time, the body and mind will become calmer, gradually entering a deep state of Zen meditation, free from self, thought, and conception.

This method is the easiest to start, requiring only a pure focus of mind. However, achieving mastery is difficult, requiring long-term persistence and enlightenment.

Method Three: Fulfilling a Wish.

This is a traditional metaphysical practice, much like a person having a dying wish or regrets upon graduation.

In Gelin's hometown, whenever people were about to undertake something significant, especially matters of life and death, they would employ various methods to fulfill a wish.

Some would go to temples to burn incense and worship Buddha, praying for the Buddha's blessing;

Others would indulge themselves, doing things they normally wouldn't dare but secretly longed for;

Others would use various methods to fulfill their regrets, making amends to people and for things they felt guilty about;

Or simply record their mental journey, writing down their regrets and hiding them within the lines of text;

...Gelin tried every method.

He spent the two days after the special training sensing his mind, and performing standing meditation, sitting Zen, and fulfilling wishes.

As time slowly passed, Gelin's mind gradually calmed down.

Two months flew by, with one month remaining until the three-month deadline Mentor Jordan had mentioned.

But at this time, something very strange happened in the combat team...