Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Changes Flash City, Inner Castle. In the quiet Meditation Room, Sherman sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes tightly closed. In the invisible void, energy particles drawn by an unseen force vanished into his body, disappearing without a trace. After about half an hour, Sherman opened his eyes and let out a long breath. He stood up, pushed open the door, and walked outside. Glancing at the lush flowers and plants in the courtyard, a momentary daze flashed across his face. Since the day of the assessment, his life had undergone dramatic changes. A daydream fantasy of more than ten years had come true overnight. Living in a long-desired castle, enjoying the service of servants like a noble, and receiving a Gold Coin each month. During this period, Sherman went home once, listening to old Roger mention that after he moved into the castle, many people came by to inquire about him, even bringing gifts to win over old Roger. When mentioning this, old Roger couldn’t stop laughing, constantly praising Sherman for his success. Seeing the happy and gratified expression on old Roger’s face, Sherman felt very joyful inside. But what made him happiest and most amazed was the knowledge imparted by Lord Sunan—now to be addressed as "teacher". A wondrous knowledge named Meditation! After twenty-five days of effort to successfully get started with the Star Ring Meditation Method, Sherman first sensed the energy particles. Since then, he felt like he had touched upon a whole new world. In just two months of Meditation, he transformed from a frail child into a robust youth. The formerly frail body, with ribs clearly visible at the waist, visibly grew stronger. According to Lady Amy, he now had the physique of a sword-bearing squire! Carlo, the blacksmith at the Fire Hammer Forge in the north of the city, used to boast in front of him about once being a sword-bearing squire. If Carlo knew that a twelve-year-old like him already possessed the strength of a sword-bearing squire, would he be so shocked his jaw would drop to the ground? Sherman suddenly had a slight urge to witness that scene. But it was merely a thought; currently, he didn’t have the leisure for it. After getting started with the Star Ring Meditation Method, the teacher formally took him as a student, then handed him a pile of books to study diligently, mentioning that there’d be a monthly assessment of learning progress. If he satisfied the teacher, there’d be rewards. To be honest, the content of those books was very complex and unheard of. Titles like "Basic Magical Plants", "Magic Plant Cultivation", "Basic Alchemy", "Biology", "Mutation Science", "Magic Principles", "Wizard Origin"....left Sherman dizzy and confused. He could read, but only at a basic level, making tackling such massive tomes quite challenging for him. To keep up with the progress, he had no choice but to secretly seek help from Lady Amy, at the cost of having to massage her for half an hour every day. Sherman was lost in thought when the door in the distance suddenly opened and Attila walked out. Seeing Sherman, Attila revealed a gentle smile and said, "Just finished meditating?" "Mm." Sherman glanced at the book in Attila’s hand, nervously nibbling his lip. Today was the monthly assessment. In a bit, the teacher would come to check their learning progress of the month. Every time it came to this, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. Noticing Sherman’s unease, Attila softly comforted, "Don’t worry, you’ve always been studying hard, there’s nothing to be afraid of." Others might not know, but Attila was aware of Sherman’s diligence. She and Cole occasionally took breaks due to the monotonous studying, but in her memory, Sherman was never seen resting. Every time she saw Sherman, he’d be earnestly studying a book. Such dedication and consistent effort made Attila secretly admire him. Sherman might not be as efficient in studying as her and Cole, but his progress was by no means slower. "Thanks." Sherman nodded in gratitude toward Attila. At that moment, another door in the hallway opened, and Cole stepped out. Seeing Attila and Sherman standing in the hallway, he paused in his steps, cast a glance over Sherman with an almost invisible frown, then nodded slightly at Attila, walking silently towards the courtyard entrance. Seeing this, Sherman couldn’t help but smile wryly. Previously, Cole somewhat looked down on him for his plebeian status, and ever since Sherman entered the Star Ring Meditation Method two days earlier than Cole, the latter seemed even less favorable towards him. As if a competitive spirit was stirred, every time the teacher assessed their knowledge, Cole seemed to carry an air of rivalry, which made Sherman helplessly amused. "Don’t mind it, Cole isn’t a bad person, just a bit competitive." Attila whispered. Sherman nodded in understanding. He had encountered many nobles with far worse temperaments, and compared to those, Cole was quite decent. At least Cole didn’t openly call him a little bastard or a peasant. Since it wasn’t early, Attila and Sherman also approached the courtyard entrance, preparing to welcome the teacher. Soon, the sound of footsteps approached from a distance. Before long, Sunan’s figure appeared in their field of vision. "Teacher!" Sherman, Cole, and Attila all bowed in greeting. "Mm." Sunan’s Spiritual Power spread out, scanning around the three, nodding slightly. "It seems like none of you have slacked on your Meditation lately, well done." Receiving Sunan’s praise, Sherman and the others all showed delighted expressions. "Meow, Sunan’s here!" Amy suddenly sprang from somewhere, landing on Sunan’s shoulder, the bell around her neck chiming gently with a clear and pleasant sound. Sherman and the others watched this scene calmly. Initially, witnessing Amy’s ability to teleport astounded them. But after seeing it often enough, they got used to it. Yet, another presence still kept them on edge. As they were thinking, a massive figure silently and suddenly appeared before them, its black and red scales and sharp claws gleaming with a chilling light under the sun. The primal and savage aura instinctively made Sherman and the others tense. Heavens above, they had never seen such a terrifying beast before! The first time seeing the true form of the Hidden Dragon, they were so scared they nearly fell to the ground. The Hidden Dragon ignored the three youngsters, letting out a low hiss, then moved closer to Sunan. Sunan patted the rough head of the Hidden Dragon, smiling, "Been running out of the city lately?" The Hidden Dragon: "Hiss hiss!" Amy: "Meow, I’m not afraid of going out alone; I just thought you might be bored staying here, so I took you out together!" The Hidden Dragon: "Hiss hiss!" Amy: "What’s so good about sleeping? You’re not really a dragon, why lounge around all day?" Sunan chuckled silently, interrupting the bickering between the cat and the lizard. "The base outside the city has been completed, I’ve reserved a place for you to stay there; it’s more spacious, you can move there." Hearing this, the Hidden Dragon had no objections. Amy glanced at the three students: "Meow, what about them?" Sunan glanced at his three students and said, "Once they finish learning as required, they can move into the base." After hesitating for a while, Amy shook her head and said, "Then I’ll stay here for now, meow." Sunan looked deeply at Amy, nodded, and said nothing more. After waking from a millennium-long sleep, Amy’s master and friends had vanished entirely, leaving it almost friendless in this world. Besides Sunan and the Hidden Dragon, only Sherman, Cole, and Attila—the three newly-minted Wizard Apprentices—barely counted as part of its little ’circle’ with whom it could communicate. Therefore, in times when Sunan was busy and often absent, Amy preferred staying with the three of them.