After lunch, Lowen stepped outside and sat down with his legs crossed. Now that he wasn't busy, he decided to try the meditation technique he received from Roland. Looking at the cover of the leather book, Lowen touched it carefully and read the title silently.

[Earth Elemental Basics.]

These simple three words seemed to pull you in with interest. Opening the book, Lowen scanned the first page.

[Earth Elemental Basics - Meditation Technique.]

He then began to study this meditation technique with the utmost seriousness. After going over this meditation technique quite a number of times, Lowen slowly shut the book and placed it in on his lap. Sitting quietly, his thoughts ran through the technique over and over and he discovered many similarities with his ki technique. Lowen smiled and thought.

(Hehe, this meditation technique seems so much easier to grasp than my ki meditation technique. Everything from the breathing to the mind and body connection, it all seems too straightforward.)

When it comes to the first time you are trying to gather ki. One of the key factors is to connect your mind, body, and soul. Those that have never felt their soul before would find this to be one of the most difficult things you could ever do. To try and feel something that has no physical form is indeed a difficult conundrum. In Lowen's previous world, there was a certain method to overcome this, to put it simply, you would need to come close to death. When one experiences the edge between life and death, in that single moment of time, only then is there an opportunity to truly discover one's soul.

However, in this Earth Meditation Technique, there was no need to feel the soul, nor was there a need to connect it with the mind and body. For one such as Lowen who could already connect all three this technique was a cake walk.

(Let me give it a try.)

Lowen silently closed his eyes and began to breathe in a particular way. Following the instructions from the book, he took his left hand and pushed it deep beneath the dirt. When it comes to the elements when you first start out you should be in close proximity to the particular element you are trying to absorb. The closer you get to that element the easier it will be to grasp that technique. For Lowen that is the earth itself, touching it directly will increase his chances of sensing earth elemental energy by manyfold. Comparatively, fire elemental energy is much more troublesome. The closer you get to fire, of course, you'll get burned. Lowen wondered what the ratio of Mages is between the different elements.

(If earth and water are easier to adapt to and fire is more difficult, wouldn't that mean there are more earth and water Mages then there are fire?)

As Lowen continued to breathe according to the instructions, he also remembered the mantra from the book and repeated it within his mind.

(The Earth is life itself, beneath its crust flows magmatic blood. In its center lies the core its heart, as it beats it shares its power with me.)

Lowen then placed his right hand over his heart and felt his own heartbeat and while his left hand stayed buried in the dirt, he finished the mantra.

(With my mind and body I connect with you, my heart, it beats with yours.)

As Lowen finished the mantra, a stillness covered him and for a split second. Lowen could have sworn he heard a soft voice quietly whisper in his ear.

*Connect*

Suddenly the ground all around Lowen's left hand began to tremble and shake. That feeling soon traveled all the way up his arm and directly shot into his heart. This weird feeling extremely terrified him and he immediately tried to defend himself, pushing his ki to his heart to guard against this strange sensation. But when his ki entered his heart, Lowen was shocked to find nothing out of the ordinary. The strange sensation as quickly as it had arrived, had just as quickly vanished without a trace. The dirt around his left hand also stopped moving, once more a stillness covered Lowen's entire body. As Lowen breathed a sigh of relief, his vision suddenly went black and his mind as blank as paper.

********BUMP.....BA......BUMP......BA..BUMP..BA-BUMP BA BUMP BA BUMP***********

Lowen's eyes jumped open as his conscious came back like lightning. He quickly shook his head throwing away a fog of confusion.

(What the fuck! What the hell just happened? My mind, I lost consciousness for a second, how?)

Lowen's heart was beating like a large drum and his entire body was reverberating with it. Lowen quickly pulled his hand from the dirt and stood up. As he did, a wave of dizziness attacked his senses almost causing him to fall right back on his ass. Catching himself, he began to calm his breathing as he focused on what just happened. His mind was reeling with thoughts.

(What was that sensation and was that a voice I heard just before? It clearly said connect.)

Lowen wondered what magic really was. what was it and how exactly can it do what it just did.

(This world is strange, so strange.)

Lowen wondered if maybe he had done something incorrectly. This was supposed to be a simple absorption technique, even simpler than his ki technique. Although it was his first time trying this new technique, Lowen felt embarrassed at the mocking tone he had had in the beginning.

But if he did mess up, he couldn't recall from where. He had followed the instructions down to the letter. Just as he was lost in thought, Lowen felt something odd. He couldn't help but look down at a spot between his stomach and chest. As he touched that spot nothing happened but still, he could feel something right there, a strange energy he had never felt before. If ki felt warm, then this new energy simply felt dense. It was hard to explain. It was kind of like someone dropped a small pebble in that spot but no matter how many times Lowen touched that area, there was nothing there.

Lowen took in a deep breath trying to relax but as he did he felt that same energy entering every inch of his body. It felt like invisible drops of rain yet there was no liquid. Lowen curiously looked up to make sure it wasn't raining and sure enough, the sky was a bright blue, the sun shined brightly and there wasn't a single storm cloud in sight. This strange energy felt similar to ki. If one were to get a quick sense of it you might even mistake it for the same energy. Only when Lowen carefully sensed, could he feel small differences here and there.

The strange energy began to enter every pore of Lowen's skin and race to that same spot above his stomach. Lowen could feel its source, looking down he could sense all this energy coming from the ground below him.

(So this is Earth Elemental Energy, Earth Magic.)

Lowen bent down and scooped up a bit of dirt in his hand, as he examined the dirt in his hand it looked normal in every conceivable way. The only strange thing was that Lowen could feel the energy absorption increase from his hand. The more in contact he came with the earth, the faster his body would absorb this magical earth energy.

This energy felt fantastic. He could feel his entirety growing more and more powerful as this energy flooded his body. Even the pace of healing his broken rib, he could feel it speed significantly increase. Lowen could feel that spot above his stomach starting to fill up. The energy flooding in began to slow down rapidly and just as that spot became completely full, the amulet around Lowen's neck began to glow brightly. The purple jewel in its center shined like a beautiful star in the night sky. Lowen suddenly felt a pull from the amulet, the energy within Lowen began to empty at an alarming speed. As quickly as the energy flooded in it, it flooded out almost 3 times as fast. As the energy flooded out, Lowen could feel his mind prickling, it was a very uncomfortable feeling. Just as Lowen's earth energy was around 50% the amulets absorption suddenly stopped. Its shine dulled until finally, it glowed no more.

(So it takes about half huh.)

Lowen's body, sensing that it was no longer full on earth energy automatically began to absorb more and when it reached its capacity, once more the amulet around Lowen's neck glowed and began to absorb energy. Again when Lowen reached 50% it again stopped. This process repeated several times before the amulet finally no longer activated. Lowen sighed in relief and stood up, he could feel that the amulet was full. He didn't understand why Roland couldn't tell the amulets capacity, Lowen could sense it entirely. It had absorbed energy from Lowen nearly a dozen times and now it was completely done.

Lowen took the amulet off his neck and looked it over. He wondered how one might control it and reabsorb the energy back into one's self. With curiosity, Lowen tried moving his earth energy into this amulet. At first, he couldn't move this new energy at all but Lowen was a ki manipulator and ki was the universal energy. If he could move that, then this earth energy should be simple enough.

After focusing, he willed this magical earth energy several times and at first, it wouldn't move. It was stuck as though it were a stubborn mountain but how could Lowen simply give up. Lowen willed his ki and began to nudge his earth energy very gently but that still wasn't enough, so he increased the force of his ki. Now he was slightly hitting it but still no movement. Lowen started becoming annoyed. Now he started hammering his ki energy into his magic energy, striking it repeatedly, finally, it nudged just a bit. Now Lowen was pissed, to not be able to control his own energy. Had he still been in his previous world, everyone would definitely have a fat laugh at his expense. Even someone at the first stage, a body ki refiner could move their very own energy. Although they didn't have magic in that world, your energy was your energy. If you couldn't control it, then you'd be better off just killing yourself because your existence is useless. With all of Lowen's fury, he gathered every bit of ki he had and like a forceful titan, he rammed his ki into his magic energy with everything he had.

*BOOM*

Finally, his magic earth energy began to sluggishly move. With Lowen's will, he started to slowly force it toward the amulet. With his magic energy now under his control, Lowen began to laugh inwardly.

(Hehehe, this little bit of energy, of course, I can move it. I used to be a powerful ki manipulator; For me, this is simple, absolutely simple.)

Just as Lowen was becoming full of himself, his magic energy finally touched the edge of the purple jewel and when it did.

*KA-BOOOM*

A terrifying explosion suddenly went off. Lowen for a moment could see the world around him spinning, it was really quite odd looking, to say the least. Suddenly, his back struck something incredibly hard and the world came to a crashing halt. Lowen was now looking up at the sky through a hole in a roof.

A terrifying scream erupted right next to him.

"KYAHHH!!!"

As Lowen looked over, he was surprised to see Nia and Ben, their faces were filled with terror.

The amulet had some type of protection on it and when Lowen's magic energy touched it, it caused an explosion launching him into the sky before he came crashing down through Nia's roof. Thank the heavens he didn't land on anyone.

Lowen, fortunately, didn't break any bones, he was incredibly lucky but the pain was indeed excruciating. With an already broken rib and having the wind knocked out of him, he was struggling to breathe. The only thing that could come out was shallow breaths and each one was filled agony.

He could hear Nia saying something but his mind tuned her out completely.

(Roland you old bastard, so this amulet has its own secrets, hehe, ouch.)

Nia rushed over to Lowen and held him in her arms still saying something, finally, Lowen heard her.

"Lowen, please don't be hurt, please don't be hurt. Just stay still ok, I'm here. What happened to you, I heard an explosion and then you fell through the roof."

Lowen's body sent wave after wave of misery to him. He looked at Nia caring for him and let out a small smile. He had been too confident and cocky.

(Why wouldn't Roland have some protection on his most treasured possession. But for it to nearly kill me, that bastard has some explaining to do.)

Thinking calmly he finally answered.

"It was my fault, I moved my magic into that magic tool and then!!....."

Lowen's mind flashed like a bolt of lightning, something suddenly stuck out to him.

(I forced my magic to move to a tool. Shouldn't only someone with a Mage Core, be capable of doing that? I'm supposed to have a Mage body physique, Roland said so and that crystal proved it, didn't it?)