LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 44: Chapter 44
A few days had passed, and Alex found himself in the usual rhythm of his life—crypto trading, mediating, and staying in touch with family and friends. On a quiet afternoon, he leaned back in his chair, staring at his computer screen. He had just finished placing a few trades, effortlessly analyzing the market in mere minutes using his Cognichip's smart mode. Now, with the rest of the day open, he picked up his phone to call his family.
"Hey, Mom," he greeted, the warmth in his voice clear. He had been calling more often lately, reassuring his parents that his work-from-home lifestyle was paying off. They still worried from time to time, but his consistent earnings and the gifts he'd showered them with had put most of their concerns to rest.
His mom's voice, filled with her usual blend of care and excitement, came through the phone. "Hi, Alex! How's everything going? Are you eating well? Getting enough sleep?"
He chuckled softly. "Yeah, yeah, everything's good, Mom. I just wanted to check in and say hi. I'm thinking of visiting next week if that's okay?"
"Oh, of course! Your father and I would love that. He was just talking about how we haven't seen you in a while."
After a few more minutes of catching up, Alex hung up and decided to check in with one of his old colleagues from the bookkeeping firm. It had been a while since he left, but he still enjoyed hearing about what was going on there, even if he didn't miss the workload. He dialed the number of his old colleague, Kyle.
"Hey, Alex!" Kyle answered, his voice upbeat. "How's the world of crypto treating you?"
"Pretty good, can't complain. How about things back at the firm?"
Kyle sighed. "Busy as ever. The new boss is still a piece of work, but we manage. Jane's been hanging in there too. Actually, there's a bit of a pool going on about who's leaving next. It's getting chaotic with all the extra work."
Alex laughed, shaking his head. "Sounds about right. Hopefully, you're not the next to go."
"Who knows? Maybe I'll follow your lead one day. Anyway, let's grab a drink sometime soon, yeah?"
"Definitely," Alex agreed, promising to meet up before ending the call.
Afterward, Alex took a moment to relax, sitting cross-legged in his meditation corner. As his breathing deepened, his mind wandered to a familiar question—one that had been nagging him since he reached Level 2 of mental strength.
Why had no one else talked about it?
It didn't make sense. In an age where information spreads like wildfire, why was there no mention of anyone else breaking through to Level 2? The method of visualizing the cosmos wasn't exactly unique. People had been meditating on the universe, the stars, and the mysteries of existence for centuries. So why now? Why him? If others had reached the same fundamental changes—those of Level 2—surely they would have spoken about it. And in today's world, even a rumor of such a breakthrough would have made its way into meditation circles, forums, and communities. But as far as Alex could tell, nothing of the sort existed.
His brow furrowed as he delved deeper into his thoughts. Could it be that no one else had actually reached this level? That didn't seem possible. The world was filled with people practicing meditation, some likely far more experienced than he was. The odds of someone else discovering the same pathway should have been high.
So why had he never heard of anyone experiencing the same profound shift?
"It's too big a coincidence," he murmured to himself. "There has to be more to this."
Alex's breathing deepened as he drifted further into his meditation, his thoughts swimming around the core mystery. Why now? Why hadn't anyone else talked about Level 2?
He knew he wasn't the first person to visualize the cosmos. Countless meditation techniques focused on the vastness of the universe, using it as a tool for expansion of the mind. So if anyone else had reached the same level of mental change, they would have mentioned it, right?
There were so many meditation groups out there—forums, books, gurus, experts—but none had ever hinted at the same results. Why?
As he sank deeper into meditation, the question lingered like an unsolved riddle, gnawing at the edges of his mind.