Today was going to be a good day, Zeke could feel it in his bones. He had finally been able to give Markus the present he had prepared. The joy he felt upon seeing his friend so happy had lit a new fire in him. Now only the end of the year tournament loomed, but there were no more distractions to impede him. And Zeke couldn't wait to show everyone at Elementium how wrong they had been for looking down on him.

The thought of Sophia coming over today to help him with his Mind Magic practice only added to his good spirits. The two of them had decided that it would be better to meet up here.

With a spring in his step, Zeke emerged from his room and made his way to his training course. As usual, he got into his resistance suit. Moving around in the hellish contraption already felt a little easier to him now. He could feel his muscles strain against the metal of the suit as he stretched before the workout.

The training was grueling, as always, but Zeke pushed himself harder than ever. The exertion felt invigorating, a release of pent-up energy that left him rather feeling filled with energy than drained of it. After the exercise session, he went through his post-workout ritual. He had gotten better at calming down his wildly beating heart.

After returning from the raid on the Feuerkranz family, the boy had confided in Maximilian. He described to the old man the physical reaction he had experienced in Sophia's palace. Maximilian had been intrigued and worried in equal parts when hearing about Zeke's experience. The aggressive behavior and slitted pupils were not something either of them had expected.

They had attempted to replicate the phenomenon in any way they could think of. They were only rewarded with failure in the end, however. In a last-ditch effort, Maximilian had even brought in some maids in lingerie. He was convinced that Zeke and Sophia had been engaged in something scandalous. The old man had gotten it into his head that it was the famous lust of the dragon that was the key to awakening the heart.

After a very awkward few minutes, he told the maids to give it up. The girls left a disappointed Maximilian and a very red-faced Zeke alone in the room. Zeke had refused to take part in any more tests after that incident. With that, the question of his strange transformation remained a mystery to both men. The boy's ears still turned a little red just remembering the event.

Still, the old man had not entirely given up on finding the cause. He had pressed Zeke for a description of what he had been talking about with Sophia. If they had actually merely been talking, then something in that conversation must have triggered the change. But Zeke hesitated to tell his mentor about their exchange. He was worried that the information might unearth unpleasant memories for his mentor.

Nevertheless, after much prodding, the boy still revealed the topic. He confessed that they had been discussing Maximilian and Mara Sonnenstrahl. Upon hearing the name, the old man's expression immediately changed. His face crumpled at the remembrance of the woman in question. He said nothing more on the matter and didn't bring up the topic of their talk again.

Finally, they decided to just observe and wait. There was not much they could do, while unable to even study the phenomenon. Zeke confided in Maximilian that he felt the heart was altering his personality. He was pretty certain that the heart was making him bolder, more aggressive, and more prideful.

"That might not be all that bad," was his mentor's only response.

Zeke was perplexed, he had been afraid to even bring up the fact. But Maximilian had just disregarded one of his worst fears without a second thought. The look on his face must have been quite the sight, as the old man began to chuckle. With a smile still on his face, he explained.

"There are many things that can and will change your personality over time. Experience, traumatic events, aging, and magical affinities, to only name a few. Usually, you can't decide how life shapes you. But those traits you named are far from the worst characteristics to adopt. You, Ezekiel, could especially use a little more confidence and daring. I think this is going to help change your mindset from that of a commoner to that of a noble."

His mentor's words got Ezekiel pondering. He was thinking about the differences between himself and the nobles he knew. He came to realize that he had not even started to consider himself a noble yet. Maybe the old man really was onto something with this. At one point, he would also advance to be a powerful figure in the world. It wouldn't do to still behave like a humble village boy as a mighty Arch Mage.

Several days had passed since that talk, leading up to today's training session. Zeke had resumed his usual routine, the heart had also returned to its usual behavior as well. His personal theory was that only strong emotions triggered the organ, but he had no way to confirm it. Undeterred, he continued to train his body diligently, checking his status after each session. He was pleasantly surprised to see that his training was still yielding improvements in his physical abilities.

The knowledge Zeke had gained from his [Perfect Body Control] let him know that this was not right. The effects of this type of training should have diminished effects after a couple of days. But whatever the heart was doing to his body seemed to be improving its ability to grow stronger. Whatever else Zeke might feel about the heart, for this fact alone, he was grateful.

As he stepped out of the shower and looked into the full-length mirror, Zeke couldn't help but admire his own reflection. He had developed a newfound pride in his appearance, enjoying the fruits of his labor on display. With three training sessions a day and his increased regeneration, Zeke's once scrawny frame had transformed into a work of art. Where he would once see the body of a scrawny kid now stood a warrior, with a thick layer of hard muscles. He didn't look bulky, but his evenly strengthened body was truly a sight to behold.

Zeke couldn't resist flexing his muscles and striking a couple of poses in front of the mirror. A moment later, he broke into laughter at the absurdity of his own actions. He gave himself a playful wink and got dressed, stepping out onto the front yard with newfound confidence. With sure steps, he made his way to the front of the house, where he would await his guest.

Zeke had a few moments to spare before Sophia's arrival, so he decided to make use of the time. He picked up one of the weights Markus had crafted for him and began imbuing it with his spatial Mana. As he worked, Zeke reflected on the night of the kidnapping. He had been in true peril back then, but he couldn't deny the great strides he had made because of his daring escape.

He had managed to teleport himself and gained a far more profound understanding of space during the process. He had learned so much during the brief but endless interval between dimensions. Zeke had started to believe that dangerous encounters truly were the key to rapid progress. It was no wonder so many mages ventured out into the world to challenge themselves when they found themselves stuck at a bottleneck.

The boy completed the task of imbuing the weight with his spatial mana. He was faster yet again, taking only a minute. This marked a significant improvement compared to his previous attempts. Only a few days ago, this had taken him several minutes. He teleported the weight above him, right at the edge of his [Perfect Spacial Awareness]. The weight vanished from his grip and reappeared in the air. He got in position to catch it when a voice caught his attention.

"What are you doing?" A feminine voice asked.

Surprised by the interruption, Zeke momentarily forgot about the training weight in the air and turned to face the source. He found Sophia standing there, the girl seemed to have just emerged from the forest. The moment he was about to greet his guest, he remembered the descending missile and hurriedly dodged out of the way. He only barely managed to avoid getting hit, rolling on the floor gracelessly.

Upon regaining his bearings, Zeke rose to his feet with one smooth motion. He was trying to act like this had all been planned. As casually as he could, he started brushing off the dust from his clothes. When he finally looked up, he found Sophia trying to stifle a grin as she looked at his antics. Noticing that his plan didn't work, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Just messing around with some of the training gear, that's all."

Sophia's eyes flicked from the weights, now half-buried in the ground, to Zeke.

"Really?" she asked, skeptical. "What would possess you to throw heavy objects around like that?"

Zeke didn't want to reveal his recent experiments with teleportation yet. So he just said the first thing that came to mind.

"Super secret special training?" He half asked, half stated.

Sophia chuckled, satisfied with the vague response. Zeke appreciated her respect for his privacy. She almost never tried to dig out his secrets, even though she must have sensed that there was more to it. He found that this trait was what separated her most from Viola. Though the tiny Wind Mage could be overwhelming at times with her persistence, Zeke found that it only made the girl more endearing.

Zeke waved for the girl to follow as he led the way. He guided Sophia a little ways away from the house. The two teenagers entered a serene clearing in the trees. The small meadow was only a couple of meters in diameter, surrounded by trees on all sides. Zeke had placed a handcrafted bench there, right in the middle.

This was his favorite retreat. Here was where he could escape from the world, clear his thoughts, and simply rest. They both sat on the bench in silence for a moment, before Sophia broke the stillness.

"Alright, what do you need to know about Mind Magic?" she asked.

Zeke chuckled, "Are you tired of my company already?"

Sophia's lips started to curve into a smile, but then the expression changed into a scowl.

"No, Zeke," she began. "I do enjoy our time together, but this is this and that is that. I have to prepare for my own exams as well. I can't let that little wind mage outdo me again in the practical exam. She's been insufferable since last semester! You have no idea how smug Viola can get!"

Zeke inwardly smiled at the thought. The boy was imagining how irksome Viola would become if she managed to secure first place again. He made sure to keep the smile off his face, however, and only nodded. In truth, he was extremely eager to ask his questions. He primarily wanted to learn about ways to impede an enemy's ability to think with Mind Magic. But he couldn't reveal his true intentions of developing his own spell based on Sophia's teachings. So, he had to keep his inquiries vague.

Sophia noticed Zeke's unusual reticence in asking direct questions, but she didn't push. With the patience of a saint, she answered his inquiries for two hours. She didn't seem to hold anything back, providing him with all the information he sought.

"I think that is all I need for now," he finally said. "You truly are a lifesaver. There are almost no records about Mind Magic in this school, I have no idea what I would have done without you!"

"Think nothing of it," the girl said while getting up. "It is by design that there are no books on advanced Mind Magic to be found here. I think that my uncle wants to keep Mind Magic exclusive to our family as much as possible.

Zeke watched as Sophia stretched, her lithe form capturing his eyes. He was mesmerized by the way her long blonde hair seemed to shine in the morning sun. A moment later, he regained his composure, but it was too late. The girl had already noticed his momentary lapse. She shot him a playful smirk and a wink.

As usual, his face started to turn red, but in the spur of the moment, Zeke made an unusual choice. He decided to act with confidence in the face of the teasing beauty for a change.

He mimicked her teasing smirk the best he could and winked back at the blonde beauty. The movement came to him naturally after winking at himself in the mirror dozens of times in the past few days.

Sophia was so stunned, she did nothing but stare at him in a daze for a moment. But then her noble upbringing kicked in, allowing her to regain her composure. She cleared her throat, evidently unsure of how to proceed. This was the first time he had seen the usually so confident seductress like that.

Zeke relished this small victory as he got up. But the boy was distracted by something else. He had just learned everything he wanted, and now he couldn't wait to get to work on his new spell. He bid farewell to the girl, who had places to be as well. The two of them hugged for a long moment. Both were aware that the stress of the exams wouldn't give them many opportunities to meet in the next weeks. Before Sophia left for good, she turned to him one last time.

"Your tournament only starts the day after our exams. Viola and I will be there to cheer you on. So you better not disappoint us, alright?"

The words coupled with her radiant smile made the boy feel grateful to have her in his life.

After Sophia had left, Zeke found himself lost in thought. He had just gotten a brilliant idea for the spell he'd been trying to create. Sophia had mentioned that disrupting a person's thought process was extremely difficult for a Mind Mage. It required an in-depth understanding of the human brain. While Zeke had acted disappointed, he was actually filled with excitement at the challenge. If there was anything he was confident in, it was his knowledge of the human body.

Zeke delved into his [Perfect Sensory Recall] and meticulously scoured hours of recordings. He started to analyze the shifts in the brain patterns of his opponents in combat. He started to dream of a Mind Magic spell that would create a sphere of influence around him, rendering all forms of magic useless. However, he soon returned to reality. He recognized the impracticality of such a spell at present.

Undeterred, Zeke sought to harness the knowledge he'd acquired about brain function to craft a spell. At the very least, the spell should hinder his enemies' ability to think and cast magic. Through hours of contemplation and brainstorming, Zeke was able to theorize two spell models that had potential.

The first method explored the brain's function of imbuing mana with intent as a point of interception. In essence, a spell that targeted this mechanism could prevent or slow the rate at which a caster imbued their intent into a spell. Imbuing intent was a vital part of the spell-casting process. This method had the potential to make it much harder or even impossible to cast spells. For this effect to occur, the spell had to be performed at the highest level, however.

The second method Zeke devised was centered on disrupting the general thought process. This was not as effective against spellcasting as the first method. Still, it made up for this deficiency by slowing the reaction time to any stimuli received by the brain. This included slower reflexes, spell casting, and decision-making. What really elevated the second method in Zeke's mind was the fact that he was certain that he could actually pull it off in time. He couldn't say how effective the spell would be by then, but he was certain he could make a working prototype.

Zeke preferred the second method. He imagined that it could prove valuable in addressing his own weaknesses against range fighters. The ability to close the gap against swift opponents was a priority, and this seemed to be a promising solution. He looked out over the forest at the setting sun over the horizon. He had spent all day out here, but he was satisfied with the result. While diving into his recorded memories, the boy had been unaware of the passing of time, so complete had his focus been.

Zeke realized that he now had the key to every piece he needed to make his dreamt-up battle style a reality. All that was left was to invest his time wisely before the tournament.

If he actually managed to get everything working, he was certain that he could take first place once again. With a look of determination in his eyes, Zeke promised himself that he would do all he could to stand at the top in the upcoming tournament.