The method to use [Lightning Seed] that the demon showed me in the dungeon is very simple in theory. You just need to compress the lightning to increase its power.

However, it was not so simple in practice.

I tried to compress the lightning over one hundred times inside the dreamland, however, I did not see any improvement.

Every time, the lightning exploded before I could compress it.

“Am I doing anything wrong?” I asked the demon, who was lying on the ground in the distance, but he did not reply.

It seemed that he was not planning to tell me anything else.

I sighed before focusing on the task again.

Once more, I tried to compress the lightning. I focused all my senses on the strands of lightning coming from my Lightning Seed to see if I could find the reason for my continuous failures.

The result was another failure, even so, I tried again.

Finally, after more than two hundred attempts, I seemed to find a clue.

“Part of the lightning goes out of control when it’s compressed, causing a chain reaction that detonates the rest of the lightning. Is it the problem?”

I tried again while observing the lightning carefully, only to notice the same situation.

“As expected, this is the problem.” I nodded to myself and my lips curved into a smile.

It looks like I finally found the problem.

If I’m not wrong, there won’t be an issue as long as I can stop the lightning from going out of control.

I tried to compress the lightning again, but this time, I used only a tenth of the lightning I had been using until now. At the same time, I did my best to control it carefully.

As expected, the lightning tried to go out of control again, but under my careful suppression, it gradually compressed, becoming denser.

My expression became excited. That is it!

But in the next moment, I felt the lightning going out of control again.

Then–

*Bam!*

With a loud explosion, the lightning exploded, blowing off my entire arm.

I was stunned.

One second later, my body was restored to normal.

However, I was still in a daze, thinking about what was wrong.

Could it be that I was mistaken?

Helpless, I looked at the demon again to ask for help.

But just like before, the demon was lying on the ground. He did not seem to have the intention to help me.

That bastard.

I gritted my teeth and tried again.

*Bam!*

This time, I blew my entire upper body.

*Bam!*

My arm.

*Bam!*

Half of my chest.

*Bam!*

My entire body.

Just like that, and after dying over one thousand times, I finally got an initial grasp of the technique that the demon showed me.

This technique should be divided into three steps.

Control, compression, and release.

In the process of control, if I fail to control the lightning, then the lightning will go out of control, making the lightning burst.

During the second step, compression, I must make sure to compress the lightning only to the point where I can control it, otherwise, the lightning will explode, blowing off a part of my body (or my entire body in the process).

Finally, after the lightning is compressed, I must release it as quickly as possible, otherwise, my body will be unable to endure the compressed lightning and burst apart.

The first step is the easiest, and the least dangerous. As for the second and third steps, both of them are equally dangerous.

Right now, I can complete the three steps in around five seconds, but because it takes too long, my body receives a heavy burden, and I will end up injured after using this technique once.

I estimate that I need to reduce the time needed to complete the three steps to one second before I can use this technique in a battle. Otherwise, trying to use it will only give the enemy a chance to defeat me.

[Great progress, boy. I’m impressed.] The demon finally spoke after seeing that I managed to shoot a small ball of compressed lightning.

“How was it?”

[It’s still crude, but you progressed a lot faster than I expected. You managed to complete the entire process in just a session of training. I thought you would need ten or twenty sessions before showing results. Your talent in lightning techniques is pretty good.]

I smiled. It feels good to receive praise.

The demon always goes about how untalented and foolish I am, so hearing him praising me feels pretty neat.

[This should be everything for today.] The demon said. [I will teach you some tricks to control lightning the next time.]

I nodded. Almost at the same time, I felt the dreamland fading away.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Ley’s black eyes staring at me fixedly.

“Are you awake, brother?”

“Mm.”

“Mom is back, and she is preparing lunch. Let’s go to eat.”

I followed Ley to the first floor and saw my mother in the kitchen. She smiled as soon as I appeared.

“Did you sleep well, Jane?”

“Yeah. I feel much better after resting.”

“I can’t believe Ley and you are still sleeping together at your age. You must be hungry. Dinner is ready.”

Ley and I nodded and sat at the dining table as our mother served the food before sitting across us.

While we were eating, mother suddenly brought up a topic.

“By the way, Jane, one of the women trapped in the dungeon committed suicide last night. Apparently, she was depressed after losing her loved ones inside the dungeon.”

I was startled, but quickly, I understood mom’s meaning.

So she already got rid of the last member of the robbers, huh.

“I see.” I nodded to express to her that I understood.

As expected of my mother.

Afterward, we talked about several other topics. Finally, my sister mentioned a topic I was interested in.

“Brother, the entrance examination for Sanctuary’s First is in two weeks. Are you going to participate?”

“Of course. If I miss it, I will have to wait until next year.”

My mother frowned.

“Jane, I don’t think it’s appropriate. You just awakened recently so you could not pass the exam. Don’t worry, if you want to go to Sanctuary's First, I have a way to make it happen.”

I smiled wryly and shook my head.

“Don’t. Mom, I plan to take the examination. Don’t worry, it’s not too late to use your connections if I fail to pass.”

“Are you sure?” My mother frowned.

I nodded and looked at her with a determined expression.

My mother hesitated briefly before nodding.

“I understand. Very well, I will wait then.”

 

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