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Goblin Chapter 127: Growth
🕑 Added 2025-08-07 18:09:17 +0000 UTCNight deepened.
The chill of autumn crept in quietly through the window cracks, the air crisp and clear like spring water. The world outside had fallen into an unusually serene silence.
Aside from the occasional distant barking of dogs and the soft, rhythmic chirping of autumn insects in the grass, there were no other sounds. Everyone else had long since drifted into sleep.
That’s exactly why Gauss chose to study at night.
At this hour, he could truly settle his mind—no distractions, no stress.
The noise of the day, the tension of combat, the fatigue of the body... all of it faded into stillness.
And meditation required precisely this state of being:
Clear. Calm. Free from mental clutter, so one could truly perceive the subtle rhythm flowing between spirit and mana.
Of course, this kind of late-night study only suited someone like Gauss—a full-blown night owl.
For those who dozed off the moment they opened a book, it was probably best to pick a different time.
Under the soft flicker of the oil lamp, Gauss stared at the arcane symbols, the complex diagrams charting mental flow, and the ancient spell chants.
These were fragments of knowledge passed down from ages long gone. For ordinary people, just looking at them would give them a headache.
But to Gauss, they were becoming clearer—almost... familiar.
He ran his fingers lightly across the page.
As expected.
Just as he’d anticipated, the leap to 9 INT had transformed his learning speed and comprehension, allowing him to tackle even these brain-breaking concepts with confidence.
Mental focusing techniques, mana sensing tricks, the difficult parts of building an internal cycle...
Once Gauss had pushed past the final barriers, he closed the book and followed its guidance, sinking into concentration naturally.
Meditation begins with stillness.
One had to cut off all distractions—sight, sound, smell, touch—and slowly close the gate to the noisy world outside.
After his INT upgrade, Gauss found that his ability to focus had dramatically improved.
So this first step, one that had stumped so many, was surprisingly easy.
Before long, he crossed the threshold and entered a state of pure, quiet self-awareness.
Then came “inward vision.”
His senses turned inward. He wasn’t relying on sight or hearing anymore—he was using his spirit, the sixth sense, to perceive his inner self.
He followed the faint, formless flow of mana inside him, observing every corner of his body.
Throughout him, tiny glowing points of warmth and life pulsed gently with his breath. And at the center of his sea of consciousness hovered his Class Cup, glowing steadily, calmly—acknowledging his gaze.
Now for the hardest part.
He had to construct arcane runes, guiding his thoughts to channel the scattered mana into specific, complex circuits—and finally, funnel it all into the Class Cup to form a perpetual internal cycle.
This required absolute precision. One misstep could result in failure or worse—mana backlash.
That’s why The Meditation Manual was reserved for professionals. Even if a genius apprentice could read it, without access to a Class Cup, there was no way to form the proper loop.
Gauss placed the thick tome on his lap.
Not just a book of knowledge—it also served as a basic magical focus to assist in meditation.
“Here we go.”
He willed the arcane runes to form.
In his body, the ancient glyphs began to glow softly.
His mana responded, beginning to move along the path he had just constructed.
He’d tried this step before, but lacking full understanding of the symbols and control over his mental focus, he’d failed every time.
But now? It was a completely different story.
The mana flowed obediently, gliding through his carefully drawn circuit like water through a newly cleared canal.
A “galaxy” was born inside him.
At first, it was clumsy—like a river newly dug—but under the steady guidance of Gauss’s enhanced mind, the flow smoothed out.
And finally, the stream of magic poured into the Class Cup.
“WOMMM—”
A clear, resonant hum echoed in the depths of his awareness.
It was a feeling of completeness. Of breakthrough.
The runes on the cup shimmered with more harmony and depth than ever before.
Now Gauss understood why every spellcaster said meditation and mana cultivation were the foundation of reaching Level 2.
This was it—the mainstream, stable path to power.
To master meditation meant unlocking the key to growing one’s mana reserves through deliberate effort.
But the cycle required maintenance—constant flow. So Gauss continued, guiding more mana into the cup.
As he did, it began reacting—refining itself, purifying.
The mana inside him grew stronger—just barely—but it was a start.
One full cycle.
Then two. Then three...
In the peaceful rhythm of it all, he lost track of time.
…
“Cock-a-doodle-doo—!!”
The rooster’s cry tore through the silence.
Morning light crept in. The village stirred awake. Farmers hoisted tools. Dogs barked. Kids chased each other down dirt paths.
“Gauss? Are you up?” Alia’s voice came with a light knock on the door.
She and Ulfen had been waiting a while.
There was no answer.
Alia frowned slightly.
She’d deliberately slept in later than usual today. But somehow, Gauss was still asleep?
That didn’t match the image she had of him.
Remembering that they were supposed to head back to Grayrock today, she knocked a bit louder.
After several attempts—
“Click.”
The door creaked open.
Gauss stood there, still in wrinkled pajamas, hair sticking up everywhere, half-asleep and bleary-eyed.
“Sorry to wake you,” Alia apologized. “But it’s almost time to head out.”
“Wrrff.” Ulfen came over and sniffed him curiously.
“Yaaaawn—” Gauss let out a huge yawn and finally woke up.
Right… last night.
He must have passed out mid-meditation.
He’d gotten way too into it and hadn’t noticed how much mental energy he was burning.
Meditation increased mana, yes—but at the cost of mental stamina. That’s why it had to be paced carefully.
He was lucky. If his spiritual reserves weren’t far above average, he might’ve done more than oversleep—he could’ve harmed himself.
“Guess I need to be more careful going forward,” he told himself.
After washing up and changing clothes, Gauss and Alia had a quick breakfast.
Then the two of them—plus Ulfen—set off for Grayrock Town.
As they walked, Gauss checked his internal state.
After a full night of meditation, his mana pool had grown. Not by much, but enough to cast one or two more low-tier Magic Missiles.
The first time meditating always brought big gains.
He knew that growth would slow later—unless he raised his INT even further. But still, this was huge.
9 INT + meditation = overclocked growth rate.
This was the power of raw stats.
He had a strong feeling that over the next few weeks, his mana pool would rapidly expand.
Gauss shook off the thought.
He, Alia, and Ulfen were all carrying full packs—their storage bags packed tight with high-energy Rustfrog meat.
Luckily, splitting the load made it manageable.
Gauss scratched Ulfen’s fluffy head and fed him a few chunks of raw meat.
Then turned to Alia with a smile.
“How’s your Goodberry training coming along?”
At the mention of Goodberry, a subtle awkwardness flashed across Alia’s face.
Gauss caught it instantly.
“No rush,” he said warmly. “But if you want, maybe we could work on it together? I’m running pretty sharp lately—maybe I can help with a different angle.”
Compared to the average INT of 5, his current 9 was like a walking calculator.
Though Goodberry was divine magic, the structure and guiding principles shared a lot with arcane spellcasting.
With his current mental clarity, maybe he could help her spot something she hadn’t noticed.
“Then… I’ll be counting on you.” Alia nodded, a little embarrassed.
She’d asked Gauss earlier why he looked so worn out. Only then did she learn he’d completed his first full meditation cycle the night before.
Alia knew how hard that was. She herself had only achieved it some time after reaching Level 1 as a druid.
So to see Gauss—who was even younger—master it so fast while she struggled with a third Level 1 spell?
It made her feel a little ashamed.
“Honestly, you’re already a genius compared to most,” Gauss reassured her.
Most Level 1 spellcasters could only manage two Level 1 spells.
Druids were no exception.
But Alia? She had Ulfen as a companion, multiple cantrips, and two fully-learned Level 1 spells—Speak with Animals and Entangle—and was now working on a third.
That was already far beyond average.
Besides, Gauss could tell she wasn’t older than him by much. She’d just started adventuring earlier.
“Don’t worry—I’ll help however I can,” Gauss promised.
They hadn’t officially formed a party yet, but in his mind, Alia was already his first teammate.
In the harsh world of adventuring, a druid who could talk to animals and command nature was invaluable.
Especially one who could eventually bond with other beasts—hawks, crows—for aerial scouting.
Gauss didn’t need brawlers—he needed partners who filled the gaps in his skill set.
And Alia was the first piece of that puzzle.
…
In his mind, he began sketching out the future “Monster Slayer Squad.”
Alia was the first cornerstone.
Eventually, they’d need a frontliner—a shield-bearer. Maybe a bard for buffs. A cleric for healing.
Gauss was strong, but if he had to tank while casting, he couldn’t perform at his best.
Still, team-building was about more than stats. It was about trust and chemistry.
He’d rather have a small, tight-knit group than one filled with bad fits.
The last thing he needed was someone who’d say, “I’ve never once enjoyed being in the adventuring party.”
Just the thought made his head ache.
