Gauss and Aria rested in Grayrock Town for several days.

The nightmares did not return.

Both Gauss's physical and mental states gradually recovered to their peak during this respite.

"Alright, thank you and Ulfen for your help." Gauss set down his staff, concluding another magic coordination practice session.

"No problem. We were just idling around anyway. It's good to let this guy stretch his legs. If we kept him cooped up any longer, he'd start demolishing the house." Aria rubbed Ulfen's wolf head affectionately.

Ulfen seemed to understand she was talking about him, letting out a small whine of protest before nuzzling Aria's hand with his damp nose.

Over the past few days, Aria would occasionally accompany Gauss outside town for magic practice.

Sometimes Aria assisted Gauss with his training, other times Gauss helped Aria with hers, with Ulfen often joining to help.

Time passed swiftly, and the days were quite fulfilling.

Both had made significant progress.

"Speaking of which, you've mastered so many abilities."

Aria began counting on her fingers.

"Magic Missile, Fire Bolt, Mage Hand, Message, Mage Armor, Magic Cantrip, Light... and that new one you just learned. How many is that now? I've lost count."

She felt like she could hardly remember them all.

"Most are just basic cantrips."

"That's still impressive."

Gauss smiled wryly.

Just yesterday, after reaching level 3 with both Fire Bolt and Magic Cantrip, Gauss had visited the skill shop on the second floor of the Adventurers Guild headquarters to carefully select three new cantrips.

As always, practicality and tactical synergy were his primary considerations.

The first was Charm.

This cantrip could make any visible, non-hostile creature capable of hearing the caster subconsciously trust them during interactions. The effect's potency depended on the caster's charisma.

The spell would end if the target took damage or was attacked.

It couldn't be used in tense combat situations or against hostile targets - not only would it fail, but it might worsen relations.

The proper usage scenarios were short-term information gathering or emergency negotiations in daily life, not situations requiring long-term relationships.

Its drawback was that after the spell ended, targets would realize they'd been magically influenced, potentially developing hostility toward the caster.

Nevertheless, it remained quite useful.

For instance, when dealing with town guards to defuse sudden conflicts, or gaining temporary trust during information exchanges to extract key details... Used at the right moment, it could prevent numerous troubles.

Moreover, since the spell's effectiveness relied on the caster's charisma, it suited Gauss particularly well.

The second and third cantrips were Poison Spray and Gust.

Gauss planned to use these in combination - Poison Spray created toxic fumes while Gust manipulated air currents.

The pairing might not be effective in open areas, but in confined spaces like low caves, winding tunnels, or sealed warehouses, they could produce excellent results.

Even if the poison wasn't lethal, it could flush out low-level monsters hiding in complex cave systems.

After all, Gauss had no desire to squeeze into tight caves himself.

Additionally, Gauss had another purpose for Poison Spray - studying its toxins to analyze their composition and mechanisms.

He hoped this might help his Gauss Field develop some toxin resistance. Deeper understanding of poisons could potentially enhance the Gauss Field further.

His concern about toxins wasn't unfounded - from disease-spreading ratfolk to venomous green dragons that reigned supreme in toxicology, this continent teemed with poison-specialized monsters.

While adventurers could prepare antidotes, gas masks, and detoxification spells in advance, such measures had limitations.

It was best to prevent toxins from entering the body entirely.

Surveying his growing "magic library" of cantrips and spells, Gauss decided to pause further learning for now.

Mental "capacity" wasn't infinite - he needed to reserve space for more powerful, complex 1st-level spells in the future.

If he overloaded himself with too many cantrips, he might have to painfully discard some later when wanting to learn new spells.

...

A gentle breeze swept across the wilderness.

Unnoticed, autumn had arrived.

The wind carried a crisp chill.

This wasn't obvious in inhabited towns, but out in the open, unobstructed wilds, the cold became markedly apparent.

Thus, both had independently added thick overcoats over their tunics.

"Haa—"

They walked leisurely along a country path.

Golden wheat fields stretched endlessly on both sides, heavy ears swaying in the autumn wind with soft rustling sounds. The air was rich with the sweet fragrance of ripe grain.

The bountiful scene naturally evoked joy.

"Are you cold?" Aria exhaled a small white cloud into the cool air, rubbing her hands together.

"I'm fine." Gauss shook his head. "If you're cold, I can get you a coat from the Storage Bag."

"Nevermind... too many layers would make traveling inconvenient."

"Speaking of which, that caravan leader earlier was quite nice." Aria recalled their recent ride. "Even though it wasn't on his way, he specially detoured to drop us at this crossroads."

"Yes, a kind soul." Gauss nodded in agreement.

The trio walked on at a relaxed pace.

Gauss unconsciously glanced at his Monster Encyclopedia.

The "Common" page now displayed many illuminated images:

1. Goblin

2. Slime Slimes

3. Common Skeleton

4. Water Ghost

5. Goblin-like creature

6. Mushroom creature

7. Zombie

8. Walking Corpse

9. Small Fishman

10. Mud Slime

11. Giant rodents

12. Ratfolk

The "Elite" page only had the lonely mantis man.

Seeing so many entries lit up in neat rows filled Gauss with pride.

These were the fruits of his continuous efforts.

Some were mission targets, others encountered during dungeon exploration, and some random meetings along the way.

When he'd passed 10 types, Gauss had started paying attention to the collection count.

He hadn't forgotten that collecting 20 common monster types would let him draw a new racial talent from the encyclopedia, just like when he obtained the Rapid Digestion talent.

Both Rapid Digestion and its advanced version Energy Storage Gland had benefited him tremendously till now.

Unlike individual spells, such racial talents often provided comprehensive benefits.

So who would be next when he reached 20?

Gauss thought slimes would be nice - perhaps he could gain their gelatinous abilities. Goblin-like creatures weren't bad either - though their claims of possessing extremely diluted dragon bloodlines were likely exaggerated, what if he actually obtained some draconic power?

Mushroom creatures were exciting too - gaining their regeneration abilities would be incredible, drastically reducing injury concerns and boosting survival capabilities.

Of course, there were less appealing options like zombies, walking corpses, giant rodents, and ratfolk. Although the panel would adapt any obtained talent to suit his physiology, the idea still felt somewhat distasteful.

But such speculation was pointless - the selection would ultimately be random.