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 time of day allowed for peace of mind, free from much restless emotion.

The hustle of daytime, the tension of missions, the fatigue of the body... all emotions settled at this moment.

And the study and practice of the Meditation Method 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 mere sight of a book, choosing another time 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 became 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 mentally 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 meditation.

Meditation 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 came 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 extremely precise mental control—the slightest carelessness would lead to failure, possibly even causing mana disturbance.

This was another reason why the "Meditation Method" was only available to professionals. Aside from ordinary people being unable to comprehend it, even if one possessed exceptional innate mental capacity and could study the Meditation Method during apprenticeship, without advancing to professional rank, constructing this meditation cycle reliant on rank was impossible.

Gauss placed the "Meditation Method" book on his lap.

This hefty tome was not just a paper medium recording knowledge—it was also a simple magical item that could assist spellcasters in meditation 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 mental 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 somewhat stiff, like a newly dug canal. But with Gauss's powerful mental strength "reinforcing the banks," patiently guiding and organizing, the mana flow gradually smoothed, eventually merging into the "Ranked Cup."

"Hum!"

When the first strand of mana, having circulated through his body's major points, successfully merged into the cup, a clear, resonant hum seemed 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 Meditation Method and continuously expanding mana were crucial foundations for advancing to Rank 2.

This was indeed a mainstream and solid path to strength. Mastering meditation meant obtaining the key to actively increasing mana reserves.

However, the core of the meditation 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 seemed to form some connection with his spirit. Within the Ranked Cup, wisps of purer mana essence merged 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 time's passage.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo—!!!"

The bright crow of a rooster shattered the silence.

Daylight gradually brightened;

the village awoke. Farmers 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 some time.

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 seemed inconsistent with the impression he usually gave her.

Remembering they were to set off for Grayrock Town today, she called again, slightly louder.

After several calls,

Finally, movement came from inside.

The door creaked open, revealing Gauss.

He still wore crumpled pajamas, his hair sticking up messily, 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 meditated until passing out.

He'd been too focused.

Hadn't even noticed his mental energy depleting.

Meditation to increase mana came at the cost of mental energy. This was why spellcasters had to moderate their meditation practice and control its frequency.

Excessive diligence could sometimes harm the foundation.

Fortunately, Gauss's mental energy reserves far surpassed those of spellcasters at his level—otherwise, oversleeping might have been the least of his problems;

mental 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 some changes.

In total, it had increased enough to support casting 1-2 downgraded Magic Missiles!

The initial meditation effects were excellent.

But he also understood that such immediate improvements usually only happened at the beginning, especially the first time. Later, unless mental 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 Meditation Method was precisely using mental energy as leverage to expand mana reserves.

Thus, meditating 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 some luggage, as the Storage Bag was filled with precious Rust Frog meat.

Fortunately, shared among them, the weight was manageable, not too exhausting.

Gauss casually rubbed Ulfen's furry head, feeding it some raw meat.

Then he turned to Aria with concern.

"Aria, how's your Divine Berry Spell practice going?"

At the mention of the Divine Berry Spell, a barely noticeable flash of awkwardness crossed Aria's face.

Gauss immediately 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 some 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 methods shared many underlying similarities with arcane spells.

With his current 9 Intelligence analytical abilities, he might notice some details Aria had overlooked.

"Then... thank you," Aria nodded somewhat sheepishly.

This morning, seeing Gauss somewhat listless, she'd curiously asked a few questions.

Only then did she learn Gauss had successfully completed his first Meditation Method session.

She herself had only managed to complete her Druidic Nature Meditation some time 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 somewhat ashamed.

"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 formed a team, in his heart, he already regarded Aria as his squad's first member.

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 immeasurable convenience to the team.

Not to mention 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 became 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.