Max and Sophia were then directed to the side room where Iris was regulating her breathing after finishing her exercises, which she practiced before starting her meditation.
Iris noticed that Max and Sophia had arrived, so she instructed them to practice the techniques from the book. Practicing these techniques would deplete their body's energy, and during meditation, the energy they absorb would directly replenish their bodies, enhancing their physical attributes.
According to the book, this practice must be approached with great caution. Repeated draining of body energy values may leave them replenished after meditation, but the fat and other nutrients in the body become depleted. Therefore, consuming monster meat is recommended to quickly restore the lost fat and nutrients.
Soon, Max opened the book and started following the instructions, performing various bizarre movements that twisted his body into strange shapes, causing the energy in his body to burn up more quickly.
while Sophia opened her book to find a strange diagram. She repeatedly observed it until she felt her focus waver. She continued the exercise until her spirit power was depleted, her eyes spinning. Only then did she stop and begin meditating to replenish her spirit energy.
Soon they both felt quite tired, but according to the instructions in the book, they were not supposed to stop, as it stated that meditating while tired was the best time to act. So, they sat cross-legged at an even distance, assumed the meditation stance, and began performing the breathing method. Gradually, they found a rhythm where their bodies relaxed, yet their spirits-maintained control, keeping them upright and allowing the energies to circulate properly.
Iris, having completed her exercise, nodded in approval as she watched them slip into meditation with ease.
She began to wait for them to complete their first meditation, as the initial session often provides the greatest benefits compared to subsequent ones.
An hour passed, and both Max and Sophia's breathing fluctuated, their brows furrowing as they emerged from meditation.
They soon opened their eyes to find Iris waiting for them. Immediately, they began regulating their labored breaths and got up to meet her.
Iris happily skipped towards them and asked about their first experience meditating. They both began describing how tiring exercise they had done beforehand, and how, once they entered into meditation, it felt like soaking in a hot and soothing sauna after a hard day's work.
Iris laughed at their description and asked them to check if their attributes had increased. Max and Sophia quickly opened their system panels to check and discovered that Max's all-round attributes had increased by 20 points, while Sophia's spirit attributes had risen by 30 points, bringing both of them to the late stage of level 1 extraordinary.
Those who have just reached the extraordinary stage are called initial stage extraordinary. If they achieve 50 points in any one of the attributes, they are considered middle stage extraordinary. When they surpass 70 points in any attribute such as body, spirit, or endurance, they reach the last stage of first-level extraordinary.
Seeing their condition, Iris guessed they had achieved good results. She clapped to get their attention and asked them to follow her as she would take them to the hot spring at the back of the castle, which she had built for relaxation. After the bath in the hot spring, she planned to take them to dinner, as their bodies had just expended a lot of energy and needed to be replenished.
Soon they followed Iris, changed into bath clothes, and got ready to dip into the bath, which made them feel like they were in heaven. Afterward, they got out and dried their bodies, knowing that staying too long in the bath when tired could make them fall asleep and potentially harm their health.
Soon, they changed into new dresses arranged by Iris and followed her into the castle's dining room. They were asked to be seated, and soon delicious food was served. Iris encouraged them to eat with relish, mentioning that she had specifically instructed the cook to prepare dishes that would help them easily replenish the energy they had used.
Max and Sophia started eating like they hadn't had a meal in ten days, which made Iris laugh as she remembered her first time practicing and realized she had been no better than them.
Max and Sophia initially thought only about eating, but as their food was prepared and completed, new dishes were presented. They were grateful they hadn't sold all the food they had obtained through hunting on the ocean for gold coins. They had wisely kept some for themselves, knowing it wouldn't spoil in the system storage. Otherwise, they would have had to either purchase more meat for future consumption or hunt again to obtain fresh meat.
They also decided to hand over the entire meat in their possession to the castle, as they didn't want to freeload after realizing how much food they had consumed tonight.
Soon they finished all the food on the table, burped with satisfaction, and Iris, having completed her meal, cleaned her hands. She then asked them to stay in their rooms as she still needed to attend to the other ship captains who had just arrived on the island.
Max and Sophia immediately agreed, not wanting to trouble her. They followed the maid to the room, climbed onto their bed, and fell asleep quickly as soon as they decided to rest.
The next morning, Max woke up with body aches he hadn't felt in years. He got out of bed, freshened up, changed into nice clothes, and went downstairs to the hall, where Iris and Sophia were laughing and chatting together.
Max slowly walked next to them and sat on the free sofa with great effort, which made Iris and Sophia, who noticed his struggle, laughed at him.
Max noticed that Sophia seemed fine but then remembered their exercises focused on different aspects, which could lead to varying effects. Annoyed by this thought, he glared at her, causing her and Iris to cover their mouths to stifle their laughter. Frustrated, Max grabbed the teapot, poured himself some tea, and drank it while continuing to glare at them angrily.