The night deepened.
The autumn chill seeped quietly through the window cracks, the air crisp like clear spring water, the surroundings exceptionally tranquil.
Apart from sporadic barks from dogs and the tireless short chirps of autumn insects in the grass by the wall, there were no other sounds—everyone else had fallen into slumber.
Gauss chose to read and study at night precisely for this reason.
This ti of day allowed for peace of mind, free from much restless emotion.
The hustle of dayti, the tension of missions, the fatigue of the body... all emotions settled at this mont.
And the study and practice of the ditation thod required exactly this state—
Clear, calm, free from distracting thoughts to touch the subtle rhythm flowing between spirit and mana.
Of course, this was only suitable for "night owls" like him who could remain energetic late at night.
For those who grew drowsy at the re sight of a book, choosing another ti would undoubtedly be better.
Under the flickering glow of the oil lamp, Gauss studied the obscure runes, the intricate diagrams depicting spiritual paths, and the chanted incantations—ancient knowledge passed down from distant antiquity that would only give ordinary people a splitting headache.
But in his eyes now, they gradually beca clear and familiar...
Gauss's fingertips lightly brushed across the pages.
Indeed!
Just as he had anticipated, the leap in thinking brought by his 9 Intelligence granted him stronger learning capabilities, allowing him to exhibit astonishing comprehension when faced with these ntally taxing subjects!
The key points of spiritual guidance, the tricks of mana perception, the difficulties of constructing internal and external cycles...
After removing the last few stumbling blocks, Gauss picked up the book and, following its guidance, naturally settled into ditation.
ditation first required stillness of mind.
One had to abandon distracting thoughts, withdraw attention from external sounds, light, tastes, and sensations, continuously turning inward, slowly closing the gates to the clamor of the outside world.
After his Intelligence increased, Gauss's concentration grew significantly stronger.
Thus, this step proceeded unusually smoothly.
Before long, he crossed the threshold of "stillness" that stumped many and entered that pure state of "self."
Next was "internal observation."
All his perceptions had shifted from the external to the internal. Now perceiving his body's interior, he no longer relied on vision—humanity's most depended-upon sense—but instead used "spirit," this sixth sense, to touch the inner world.
Following the originally intangible, ethereal flow of mana within his body, he observed every corner.
Throughout his body, warm and active little points of light scattered, gently rising and falling with his breath. At the center of his sea of consciousness hovered the "Ranked Cup," now emitting a soft, steady glow as if responding to his gaze.
Then ca the most crucial and challenging step.
He needed to construct magical runes, using his will to guide the scattered mana along specific, profound paths within his body, forming complex circuits that ultimately converged into the "Ranked Cup," creating an endless cycle.
The delineation of these paths required extrely precise ntal control—the slightest carelessness would lead to failure, possibly even causing mana disturbance.
This was another reason why the "ditation thod" was only available to professionals. Aside from ordinary people being unable to comprehend it, even if one possessed exceptional innate ntal capacity and could study the ditation thod during apprenticeship, without advancing to professional rank, constructing this ditation cycle reliant on rank was impossible.
Gauss placed the "ditation thod" book on his lap.
This hefty to was not just a paper dium recording knowledge—it was also a simple magical item that could assist spellcasters in ditation training.
"Huu—"
Gauss's will stirred.
The ancient runes constructed within him by willpower gradually lit up.
The mana throughout his body also sensed the runes' call, beginning to flow slowly along the paths Gauss had drawn.
Gauss had actually attempted this step before fully mastering the book's difficulties. But perhaps his understanding of the runes wasn't thorough enough, or his ntal control always fell slightly short—several attempts had ended in failure.
Now, after his Intelligence increased, everything was completely different.
The mana gathered together obediently, flowing precisely and deftly along the complex paths he had outlined.
A "galaxy" was born within him!
The first cycle of operation was still sowhat stiff, like a newly dug canal. But with Gauss's powerful ntal strength "reinforcing the banks," patiently guiding and organizing, the mana flow gradually smoothed, eventually rging into the "Ranked Cup."
"Hum!"
When the first strand of mana, having circulated through his body's major points, successfully rged into the cup, a clear, resonant hum seed to echo deep in Gauss's consciousness.
It was a feeling of completion and clarity.
And a sense that he had crossed an important threshold.
The runes inlaid on the Ranked Cup flowed more smoothly and naturally, their glow more restrained and profound.
No wonder experienced spellcasters always shared that comprehending the ditation thod and continuously expanding mana were crucial foundations for advancing to Rank 2.
This was indeed a mainstream and solid path to strength. Mastering ditation ant obtaining the key to actively increasing mana reserves.
However, the core of the ditation cycle lay in persistence and circulation. Gauss dared not slack off, patiently continuing to control the mana's continuous convergence into the Ranked Cup. In this process, the mana seed to form so connection with his spirit. Within the Ranked Cup, wisps of purer mana essence rged into the circulating river.
The mana grew slightly stronger, almost imperceptibly.
After completing a full cycle!
Gauss pressed on without pause—one cycle, two cycles, three cycles...
In this endless internal rhythm, he lost all sense of ti's passage.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo—!!!"
The bright crow of a rooster shattered the silence.
Daylight gradually brightened;
the village awoke. Farrs carried tools toward the fields, a few yellow dogs chased playing children—a vibrant new day had begun.
"Gauss? Are you up?" Aria's voice accompanied by light knocks sounded outside the door. She and Ulfen had been waiting for so ti.
There was no response for a long while.
A hint of confusion appeared on Aria's face.
She had deliberately gotten up later than usual this morning, never expecting Gauss would sleep even later.
This seed inconsistent with the impression he usually gave her.
Rembering they were to set off for Grayrock Town today, she called again, slightly louder.
After several calls,
Finally, movent ca from inside.
The door creaked open, revealing Gauss.
He still wore crumpled pajamas, his hair sticking up ssily, eyes bleary—clearly just roused from deep sleep.
"Sorry to disturb you," Aria apologized. "But we should get going soon."
"Woof!" Ulfen also approached and sniffed.
"Haah—" Gauss covered his mouth in an enormous yawn before his mind gradually cleared.
Right... last night! He'd apparently ditated until passing out.
He'd been too focused.
Hadn't even noticed his ntal energy depleting.
ditation to increase mana ca at the cost of ntal energy. This was why spellcasters had to moderate their ditation practice and control its frequency.
Excessive diligence could sotis harm the foundation.
Fortunately, Gauss's ntal energy reserves far surpassed those of spellcasters at his level—otherwise, oversleeping might have been the least of his problems;
ntal exhaustion or even backlash could have occurred.
"Seems... I'll need to be more careful in the future," Gauss silently reminded himself.
After washing up, changing clothes, and sharing a simple breakfast with Aria,
The two humans and one wolf officially set off on their return to Grayrock Town.
As they walked, Gauss distractedly observed his internal mana.
After a night of practice, his mana had indeed undergone so changes.
In total, it had increased enough to support casting 1-2 downgraded Magic Missiles!
The initial ditation effects were excellent.
But he also understood that such imdiate improvents usually only happened at the beginning, especially the first ti. Later, unless ntal energy increased significantly, the effects would gradually plateau, eventually relying only on accumulated drops over years.
However, his 9 Intelligence was considered "overpowered" among spellcasters of his rank.
And the essence of the ditation thod was precisely using ntal energy as leverage to expand mana reserves.
Thus, ditating with his extraordinary Intelligence attribute, even if the rate slowed later, his efficiency would inevitably far surpass ordinary people's!
This was the power of stats!
He had a premonition that in the coming period, his mana reserves would likely enter a phase of rapid growth.
Gauss collected his thoughts.
Currently, he, Aria, and Ulfen were all carrying so luggage, as the Storage Bag was filled with precious Rust Frog at.
Fortunately, shared among them, the weight was manageable, not too exhausting.
Gauss casually rubbed Ulfen's furry head, feeding it so raw at.
Then he turned to Aria with concern.
"Aria, how's your Divine Berry Spell practice going?"
At the ntion of the Divine Berry Spell, a barely noticeable flash of awkwardness crossed Aria's face.
Gauss imdiately understood.
"It's fine, no rush," he smiled warmly, not out of pedantry but genuine desire to help. "Maybe we could discuss it more often? My mind works a bit faster now—perhaps I can offer so different perspectives."
Compared to ordinary people's 5 points, his current 9 Intelligence could be called a simple computer.
Though the Divine Berry Spell relied on nature's power as divine magic, its energy structure and guidance thods shared many underlying similarities with arcane spells.
With his current 9 Intelligence analytical abilities, he might notice so details Aria had overlooked.
"Then... thank you," Aria nodded sowhat sheepishly.
This morning, seeing Gauss sowhat listless, she'd curiously asked a few questions.
Only then did she learn Gauss had successfully completed his first ditation thod session.
She herself had only managed to complete her Druidic Nature ditation so ti after advancing to professional rank, making her all the more aware of how remarkable this was.
Thinking how the younger Gauss progressed smoothly while she struggled with a simple Divine Berry Spell made her sowhat ashad.
"Actually, compared to most, you're already a genius," Gauss caught her unease and comforted.
After all, normal spellcasters at Rank 1 typically only mastered 2 Rank 1 spells.
As a special "natural spellcaster," Druids were no exception—most could only master 2 Rank 1 spells or divine magic before hitting limits.
But Aria? Not only had she contracted Ulfen, she'd already mastered several cantrips, was proficient in the Rank 1 Animal Communication and Entangling Roots, and now had spare energy to learn another Rank 1 divine spell—the Divine Berry Spell. This itself was proof of extraordinary talent.
Moreover, Gauss could tell Aria wasn't much older than him—she'd simply started adventuring earlier.
"Don't worry, I'll help you," Gauss said patiently.
Though they hadn't officially ford a team, in his heart, he already regarded Aria as his squad's first mber.
An adventurer's life involved constant interaction with wilderness and nature—a Druid who could communicate with nature and connect with plants and animals would bring imasurable convenience to the team.
Not to ntion her control spells and potential future contracts with other animals like hawks or crows to scout from above.
Gauss knew clearly what he needed were partners who could compensate for shortcomings and cooperate in battle, not just front-line fighters.
He slowly envisioned the shape of his "Monster Slayer Squad"—with Aria as its first crucial piece.
Currently, the squad still had many gaps.
Perhaps they needed a frontline shield guard, a bard providing team buffs, a dedicated priest...
The reason for needing a dedicated shield guard was that when he was on the front lines, spellcasting often beca inconvenient, preventing him from displaying full strength.
But recruiting teammates, Gauss felt, also depended on luck and serendipity.
Beyond ability and strength, personality mattered greatly.
He was the type to prefer quality over quantity—if mismatched, it might create team discord, so he'd rather keep the squad relatively lean.
Otherwise, faced with a "I've never found adventuring in a team fun" scenario, he'd have a real headache.
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