Jonas opened his eyes to see Simon in front of him, his back to him, gazing at the rising sun.
He was in the courtyard, tied to a wooden stake, his mouth gagged, unable to move a muscle.
"Wuwu…"
Simon was startled, turning abruptly to meet the boy's gaze, "You're back? Yes, yes, good boy…"
The Troll waved his hand, and the Five-Ring Chain flew back into his palm's Pure Land, then he untied the ropes, removed the gag, and carried the weak boy back to the monastery.
Dilo peeked through the door crack, saw the Troll returning with Jonas, and quickly scrambled back into bed to feign sleep.
"Sir, I'm a little hungry."
"Good, I'll go make you something to eat."
Simon placed Jonas on a chair in the council hall, went to the Pure Land to get ingredients, and prepared to cook a bowl of satisfying beef noodles.
Bone broth was always ready, and braised beef was on hand; the only time-consuming part was kneading and proofing the dough.
The bone broth was rich and milky white, with a beautiful layer of oil floating on top.
The braised beef, sliced vertically, revealed the cross-sections of muscle fibers, with a beautiful texture, and most importantly, it wouldn't get stuck in your teeth.
The noodles were standard, made with alkaline water and ramen techniques, chewy and springy.
Jonas slurped down the noodles, then slowly drank the broth from the bowl.
Simon sat beside him, propping his head with his left hand, his right hand stroking the tabletop.
The charcoal in the brazier glowed faintly red, and the Candlelight flickered slightly; though there was no wind, a chill permeated to the bone.
"Are you full?"
"I want another bowl."
"Good."
Jonas ate three large bowls of noodles and nearly half a pound of beef, finally letting out a satisfied burp.
Simon smiled and slowly said, "This time…"
"You were worried, weren't you? He was very restless, but it's all right now."
"Oh, that's excellent, but your situation was indeed something I hadn't anticipated.
This was my mistake, my fault; it's just as well that you're alright."
"Sir, I will never blame you."
Simon sighed softly, "Good boy."
Jonas broke into a wide, silly grin, "Hehe, I felt the 'Mind Power' you mentioned, it's truly amazing."
"Hmm, go get some sleep.
Your good friend is still worried about you."
Jonas acknowledged, poured the last sip of soup into his mouth, wiped his face with his sleeve, put down the empty bowl, and hurried out of the hall.
Simon watched his retreating figure, feeling a long-lost warmth.
He slipped into the Pure Land, intending to talk with his mother.
…
The next day at noon, a refreshed Jonas came to the training ground in the courtyard.
Dilo was already practicing iron sand palm, his face flushed with pain, completely focused and not looking around.
Simon was talking with the four Greybeards in another spot.
Seeing Jonas, he waved to him.
"Come, lad, tell me, what exactly happened?" Simon smiled and patted the boy's head, realizing in a daze that he had grown much taller, no longer the little radish he had been when they first met.
Jonas blinked and replied clearly, "I had a dream.
I met a dragon, and he ate me.
Then I came out of his belly and woke up."
Simon nodded, "Go practice your punches for now.
I have something to discuss with the masters."
Arngeir praised softly, "The Dragonborn's destiny is already different.
Did you notice his eyes?"
Jonas's irises, originally brownish-yellow, were now becoming increasingly rich in color, with brilliant gold, deep purple, emerald green, light gray, and other vibrant lines slowly filling the circular irises, a dazzling display, magnificent yet majestic.
Simon speculated, "Originally, the dragon's power was only in his soul.
Now, it's acting upon his body through Mind Power.
Dragon blood boils within him; he will be a natural-born war god, feared by his enemies."
"Worthy of the name Dovah."
Arngeir closed his eyes, seemingly imagining the boy when he grew up, "Master Baishan, we have an unwelcome request."
"I'm listening."
"We wish to take the Dragonborn to meet a great being when the time is right."
"And the reason?"
"There will naturally be a bond of kinship between equals."
"Dragons are not exactly a loving and affectionate race."
"He is different."
"Let Jonas decide this matter himself."
"But he will heed your advice."
"What, are you uneasy about that dragon? Or about me?"
"Not at all."
Arngeir shook his head; the conversation ended there on a sour note.
The four Greybeards said no more and dispersed to begin their daily prayers.
Simon and Jonas delved into the methods of using Mind Power.
"The foundation of Mind Power techniques is learning to manipulate Mind Power, just like controlling a cup of water.
You must make it flow according to your will, controlling its fluctuations, speed, and so on.
"Beginners can practice attaching Mind Power to their bodies.
This will cause some consumption, but it will also bring many wonderful effects.
Your speed will increase, your strength will be enhanced, your body will become resilient, your reactions more acute, your mind clearer, and your spell resistance will improve accordingly.
"Let's assume the result of covering the body with Mind Power is called a Mind Power Shield.
Then, when you can use the shield even in your sleep, you'll be considered proficient."
"Can anyone really defend themselves in their dreams?"
"I can."
…
The crude application of Mind Power is actually a very uneconomical trade-off, because Mind Power is directly related to stamina and sanity.
Using it like internal energy will lead to overall weakness.
However, the Mind Power Shield is ultimately a relatively unique skill.
The difference lies in that it can be stacked with the Tattoo Shield.
This is a remarkable concept, because different spells generally do not interfere with each other; they all operate under specific configurations, without overlap or interference.
Therefore, his Tattoo Shield actually has six layers: four layers of magical resistance against fire, frost, lightning, and spells, plus the physical resistance of Ironflesh spell and the active magical defense shield of Ward spell.
With his current enchanting level, the upper limits of these shields are not too high.
Generally speaking, an expert-level Destruction spell can break through the Ward spell and penetrate the four layers of magical resistance, causing him minor injuries, while spells below expert level are harmless to him.
The Mind Power Shield and spell configurations belong to different systems.
By activating the tattoo effects with Mind Power and then constructing the Mind Power Shield, it can provide a bonus effect to all six layers of the defense system.
Even expert-level Destruction spells would find it difficult to inflict effective damage on him, and the Ward spell enhanced by Mind Power is even more outstanding, with its maximum defensive strength currently untestable.
Simon's Mind Power Shield is invisible; apart from imparting some subtle psychological pressure to nearby creatures, there are no other signs, but Jonas's is different: his Mind Power Shield is a dazzling dragon armor.
Very, very magnificent.
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