The magic power quietly grew slightly, almost imperceptibly.
After completing a full cycle!
Gauss continued without pausing, one circle, two circles, three circles...
In this endless internal rhythm, he was completely unaware of the passage of time.
...
"Cluck-cluck-cluck——!!!"
The loud crowing of a rooster pierced the silence.
The sky gradually brightened, and the village awoke. Farmers carrying their tools headed to the fields, a few yellow dogs chased after playful children, and a vibrant day began.
"Gauss? Are you up?" Aaliyah’s voice accompanied by a gentle knock sounded at the door. She and Ulfen had been waiting outside for a moment.
There was no response for a long time.
Aaliyah’s face showed a hint of confusion.
She had intentionally gotten up later than usual this morning, yet Gauss was even later than she was.
This seemed somewhat out of character compared to the impression he usually gave her.
Remembering that they were setting off for Gray Rock Town today, she raised her voice a bit to call out again.
After several calls.
Finally, there was a rustling sound from inside the room.
The door creaked open, revealing Gauss’s figure.
He was still in his wrinkled pajamas, his hair sticking out messily, and his eyes bleary, clearly just awakened from deep sleep.
"Sorry to bother you." Aaliyah apologized. "But we need to be on our way."
"Awwooo!" Ulfen also came over to sniff around.
"Ha——" Gauss covered his mouth and let out a big yawn, his mind gradually becoming clear.
Oh right... last night! It seemed like he fell asleep while channeling magic power.
He had been too focused.
Without noticing the exhaustion of his spiritual power.
Meditation to increase magic power comes at the cost of expending spiritual power. This is why casters must regulate and control the frequency of their meditation practice.
Overzealousness can sometimes damage the foundation instead.
Fortunately, Gauss’s spiritual power foundation far exceeded that of other casters at the same level, otherwise, it might not have been just oversleeping; he could have faced mental fatigue or even backlash.
"Looks like... I need to pay more attention from now on." Gauss silently warned himself.
After washing up and changing clothes, he had a simple breakfast with Aaliyah.
The two of them, along with the wolf, officially started their journey back to Gray Rock Town.
As Gauss walked, he divided his attention internally to feel the magic power inside him.
After a night of training, his magic power indeed showed some changes.
In terms of total amount, it had increased enough to support the casting of 1 to 2 downgraded versions of a magic missile!
The effect of the first meditation was very good.
However, he also understood that such immediate enhancements typically only occur at the beginning, especially the first time. As time goes on, unless there is a significant increase in spiritual power, the effects would gradually flatten, ultimately relying only on accumulating bit by bit over the years.
Nevertheless, with his intelligence attribute of 9 points, he was considered "superior" among casters at the same level.
The essence of the meditation method is to use spiritual power as a lever to pry open and expand the upper limit of magic power reserves.
Therefore, with his exceptional intelligence attribute, it was inevitable for him to achieve far greater efficiency in meditation practice!
This is the power of numbers!
He had a hunch that in the coming period, his magic power reserves might experience a rapid growth phase.
Gauss withdrew his thoughts.
At the moment, he, Aaliyah, and Ulfen were all carrying some luggage because their storage pouch was filled with precious rust frog meat.
Fortunately, with the load shared, the weight was still manageable, not too tiring.
Gauss casually rubbed Ulfen’s furry head, feeding it a few pieces of raw meat.
Then he looked at Aaliyah with concern.
"Aaliyah, how is your divine berry technique practice going?"
Mentioning the divine berry technique, a fleeting hint of embarrassment crossed Aaliyah’s face.
Gauss immediately understood.
"No worries, no rush." He smiled gently, genuinely wanting to help rather than to instruct. "Perhaps we can discuss it more often? My mind might be working faster now, and I might be able to offer you different perspectives."
With his intelligence now at 9 points compared to the average person’s 5, it was not too far-fetched to call him a simple computer.
Although the divine berry technique relies on the power of nature, its energy structure and guidance methods share many fundamental similarities with spells.
With his current intelligence level’s analytical ability, he might discover some details Aaliyah had overlooked.
"Then... I’ll trouble you." Aaliyah nodded a little embarrassedly.
This morning, she noticed that Gauss seemed a bit listless and curiously inquired a little.
Only then did she find out that Gauss successfully completed his first meditation practice.
She herself had only managed to complete Druidic nature meditation after advancing to being a professional for some time, so she understood how valuable this was.
Thinking about the much younger Gauss advancing swiftly while she was stuck with a divine berry technique made her feel slightly ashamed.
"Actually, compared to most people, you are already a genius." Gauss reassured her, catching that hint of unease.
It’s worth knowing that a normal caster, at level 1, could typically only master 2 first-level spells.
Even Druids, as a special kind of "nature caster," were not an exception; most could only master 2 first-level spells or divine arts before struggling to go further.
Yet Aaliyah, not only contracted Ulfen, but she had also already mastered several tricks, was adept at first-level spells like animal communication and entanglement technique, and now had the extra capacity to learn another first-level divine art, divine berry technique. This itself was a testament to her exceptional talent.
Moreover, Gauss noticed that Aaliyah was not much older than him, she had merely embarked on the adventurer’s path earlier.
"Don’t worry, I’ll help you," Gauss patiently said.
Although they hadn’t officially formed a team, in his heart, he already considered Aaliyah the first member of his small squad.
The adventurer’s life frequently deals with the wilderness, and a Druid capable of communicating with nature and connecting with flora and fauna brings immeasurable convenience to the team.
Not to mention, she mastered control spells, and she could later contract other animals like falcons or crows, circling above the squad for aerial reconnaissance.
Gauss knew clearly that he needed companions who could cover his weaknesses and cooperate effectively rather than purely seeking raw combat strength.
He gradually sketched the image of the "Monster Slayer Squad" in his mind, and Aaliyah was the first important piece of the puzzle.
For now, the squad still had a lot of room for improvement.
Perhaps they also needed a frontline shield guard, a bard to provide team buffs, and a dedicated priest.
The reason for needing a dedicated shield guard was because, on the front lines, he often found it inconvenient to cast spells and couldn’t bring out his full strength.