Magic power and spiritual power are intricately linked and mutually reinforcing.


    The upper bound of spiritual power sets the limit for magic power, and through meditation, one can cultivate magic power and expand its ceiling.


    As magic power grows, it, in turn, spurs the growth of spiritual power.


    Despite having mastered an offensive spell, Kael still lacks confidence in this treacherous Spirit Realm.


    If he were surrounded by goblins or a horde of zombies, a few invocations of "The Bone Tooth" would hardly prove sufficient to extricate him.


    After vigilant observation for an extended period, with no immediate signs of goblins in pursuit, the knot of anxiety in Kael''s heart began to gradually unwind.


    Leaning against the window, he slipped into a state of shallow meditation to restore his magic power and spiritual energy.


    Meditation exists in two forms: shallow and deep. In the shallow state, Kael remains attuned to the external world.


    Any unusual occurrence will prompt an immediate response from him.


    In contrast, during deep meditation, all his external perceptions are blocked.


    He will only rouse from this state when the meditation concludes or when he is attacked.


    However, the efficiency of shallow meditation pales in comparison to its deep - state counterpart.


    Previously, Kael had habitually engaged in deep meditation.


    But now, having identified two significant threats, the goblins and the zombies, he could no longer afford to be so foolhardy.


    The appearance of a few goblins or zombies during his deep meditation would spell disaster.


    The silver lining is that both deep and shallow meditation can substitute for sleep.


    The circulation of magic power within his body can effortlessly dissipate physical fatigue, a fact that brings Kael a sense of relief.


    Now, he can not only rest through meditation but also maintain vigilance against potential external threats during this time.


    ...


    As night deepened, rustling sounds gradually emerged on the otherwise deserted street.


    Glancing out of the window, Kael failed to spot the source of the noise.


    Caught off - guard for a moment, he then recalled his newly acquired spiritual - power ability.


    With a faint smile, he activated his spiritual - power scan.


    Eventually, he located the source of the sound downstairs, diagonally opposite—a small, scrawny mouse.


    The discovery of a mouse in this forsaken city, alongside the ever - present zombies, came as a complete surprise.


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    Unlike zombies, which instinctively absorb the magic power of the Spirit Realm to sustain their bodily functions despite their lack of intelligence, this mouse evidently lacks such an ability.


    So, how does it manage to survive in this desolate place?


    Before Kael could fully ponder this question, the faint patter of approaching footsteps reached his ears.


    Looking up, he saw another horde of zombies advancing.


    Zombies seldom move alone.


    Their highly developed auditory senses enable them to pick up a plethora of sounds unconsciously, including the footsteps of their fellow zombies.


    To their ears, these sounds are indistinguishable from those made by potential prey.


    Thus, when one zombie begins to move, others will gradually converge, and over time, a large horde forms and continues to grow.


    Another zombie horde was passing by downstairs, causing Kael to hold his breath.


    This city was aptly named a "city of the dead," as zombies emerged to roam the streets every night.


    In stark contrast to Kael, who remained hidden and silent, the mouse downstairs continued to scurry about heedlessly, occasionally emitting a few high - pitched squeaks.


    A knowing smile crept across Kael''s face; he knew the mouse was in trouble.


    As Kael had anticipated, the zombies, still over a hundred meters away, detected the sound made by the mouse.


    Several lead zombies lifted their heads, halted in their tracks, and cocked their ears to determine the origin of the sound.


    In no time, they pinpointed the mouse''s location and charged towards it.


    These zombies were stark naked, their emaciated frames paradoxically filled with sinewy muscles.


    Their skin, pale from long - term lack of sunlight, made them resemble ghosts as they sprinted towards the unsuspecting, foraging mouse.


    The movement of the leading zombies was like a spark igniting a powder keg.


    In their wake, the rest of the horde took off running.


    "Rumble!" The thunderous sound of the charging zombie horde reverberated, the pounding of their footsteps deafening.


    The terrified mouse immediately scurried towards its lair.


    But by then, the leading zombies had closed in.


    They pursued the mouse into the building, their pursuit setting off a chain reaction.


    The entire horde, a seething mass of bodies, followed suit, squeezing into the building like a writhing dragon of humanity.


    Kael quickly deployed his spiritual power to monitor the mouse''s situation.


    The panicked rodent scrambled up the staircase railing, emitting shrill, terrified squeaks. Hot on its heels, several zombies thundered after it, their heavy footsteps kicking up clouds of dust.


    Just as the poor mouse rounded a corner and reached the mid - point of the second - floor landing, a massive hand shot out and grabbed it.


    "Smack!" The mouse let out a final, desperate squeal as it was ensnared by the zombie.


    In an instant, its short life came to an end.


    The zombie''s gaping maw, filled with yellowed teeth, opened wide, and the mouse disappeared inside, leaving only its twitching tail protruding.


    "Crunch!" As the zombie''s teeth clamped down, a jet of the mouse''s blood spurted from its mouth.


    The sound of the zombie''s chewing was almost audible to Kael, who watched in horror.


    The spilled blood was quickly lapped up by another zombie, which crouched on the ground, licking the steps clean.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the frenzied horde of zombies finally quieted down.


    Kael, who had recoiled in fear as soon as the chase began, was left shaken.


    The sight of hundreds of zombies in full - throttle pursuit had been terrifying.


    Ordinarily, zombies shuffled along at a snail''s pace, akin to feeble old men.


    But when on the hunt, they transformed into sprinters, capable of astonishing speed.


    By Kael''s reckoning, if a single zombie were to chase him, there was no way he could outrun it.


    Discovery by zombies would undoubtedly mean certain death.


    With a large number of zombies congregating downstairs, Kael dared not move a muscle.


    He could only intermittently use his spiritual power to scan and scout the area.


    The zombies gradually calmed down, a jumbled mass of bodies after the chase.


    The horde lingered downstairs for a while before slowly dispersing, resuming their journey along the road.


    This finally allowed Kael to release the breath he had been holding.


    The pressure exerted by the hundreds of zombies downstairs had been overwhelming.


    He had been so tense that he dared not even let his heart rate accelerate for fear of being detected, nor did he dare to sweat, lest the scent attract the zombies'' attention.


    It took over an hour for the zombies downstairs to finally disperse, and they staggered away, one by one, into the night.