Chapter 79

Gao Dun easily identified the orange energy gathering in Darren's hand as a third-level Evocation spell, Flame Arrow. For every four levels of the caster, this spell could release an additional magic arrow with tracking capabilities, making it a fire-enhanced version of Magic Missile. Among third-level Evocation spells, it was as popular and practical as Fireball, which was known for its area-of-effect damage.

However, Darren did not know that Gao Dun was wearing a Fire Lizard Cloak, which made him immune to his spell attack.

Just as tensions were escalating, a stern and cold voice suddenly rang out, "What are you doing? Are you planning to engage in a magical battle in the Rainbow Spring Manor?"

Darren trembled and immediately canceled the spell, his expression resembling that of a goblin who had seen a dragon.

Gao Dun looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old mage with an ashen face approaching.

"Chief Mage Yolande," Darren respectfully greeted the newcomer with a mage's bow.

Gao Dun merely nodded in acknowledgment, "Mr. Yolande, hello."

Yolande was the Chief Mage and leader of the Rod Lord Mages, a position of great power. However, Gao Dun was not under his jurisdiction. Moreover, their relationship was quite cold due to Gao Dun taking the position of magic assistant from Yolande's nephew. During the week Gao Dun had stayed at Rainbow Spring Manor, he and Yolande had met a few times, but their interactions were mostly superficial greetings.

"Do not let me see what just happened again. If you have any conflicts to resolve, go to the dueling arena."

Yolande, with the air of a powerful mage from the Arcane Federation, made Darren unable to hold his head up. He nervously responded, "Yes, Chief Mage."

After reprimanding his subordinate, Yolande turned to Gao Dun, "Baron Freeman, I hope you will be more mindful of your actions in the future. You are a young man whom Rob values highly, with a bright future. Do not disappoint him."

"As you wish."

The impending battle was averted. Yolande left with Darren, who occasionally glanced back at Gao Dun with undisguised hatred in his eyes.

This minor incident did not affect Gao Dun much. He returned to his small residence just in time for dinner.

The water elemental maid had already prepared a sumptuous meal. Gao Dun, enticed by the smell of salt-baked oysters and garlic sausages, was about to dig in.

However, he was cautious and first cast Detect Poison on each dish and the accompanying wine to ensure no one had tampered with them. Only then did he begin to eat with peace of mind.

Ever since he learned that the water elemental maids could be secretly controlled, he had been extra cautious.

After dinner, Gao Dun returned to his study and took out the scrolls written by the Great Archmage Nether Olor from his dimensional bag. After extensive study, only a small part of the last scroll remained unread.

Tonight, he would complete the reading of the scrolls.

Under the soft, milky white magical light, Gao Dun immersed himself in the wondrous and profound world of magic described by the Great Archmage Olor. Unconsciously, two hours passed.

When he finished reading the last word on the last parchment and carefully rolled it up and tied it, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"The Olor Scrolls have been read. Gained Arcane Knowledge +10, Spellcraft +10, Concentration +10, Use Magic Device +10, Planar Knowledge +20, Nature Knowledge +5, Experience +6000. Learned Feat: Nether Meditation. Note: This feat will replace the existing Arcane Feat 'Shallow Meditation.'"

Seeing the significant increase in his experience pool, Gao Dun felt both happy and somewhat helpless. He now had enough experience to reach level 6, but due to the character template restrictions, he could not level up.

He decided he should make a trip to the Cold Mist Mountains soon to complete the "Alavi Sunriser's Legacy" quest in the Danze Ruins. The autumn hunt scheduled for next week would be a good opportunity. The Rod Lord would surely give him a leave. Moreover, entering the Cold Mist Mountains with a large group of nobles would be more convenient and save him a lot of trouble.

With his mind made up, Gao Dun took off his shoes, lay down on the bed, and assumed the most comfortable position before closing his eyes.

"System, enter meditation mode," he murmured.

In the Ancient Era, meditation was merely a convenient way for players to gain experience and mana. When a player meditated, their screen would go black, and they would enter an offline state. At this time, players could log out and do other things, and when the meditation time was over, they would log back in and receive the experience and additional mana gained from meditation.

However, after being transported to the Telos world, Gao Dun gained a true understanding of meditation.

Meditation, in essence, was the process of using mental energy to communicate with the Weave and deeply understand the core of arcane magic and the essence of source energy. Meditation was a very mentally draining process. After meditating, casters generally felt their mental energy, like a sand wall drenched by seawater, completely collapse and scatter. The feeling of extreme fatigue and inability to concentrate was akin to staying up for three days and being unable to sleep due to insomnia, which was very uncomfortable.

Exchanging mental energy for a deeper understanding and closer connection to the Weave followed the principle of equivalent exchange. It was impossible for meditation to both enhance magical prowess and serve as a substitute for sleep, providing good rest, as described in some novels. This was as absurd as the concept of a perpetual motion machine.

To enter a meditative state, a caster needed strong mental energy and a highly sensitive perception of the Weave and source energy. Many mages would purchase incense that sharpened mental energy to enhance the effects of meditation or to quickly enter a meditative state.

However, Gao Dun did not need to go through such trouble. With the system's assistance, entering a meditative state was as easy as falling asleep.

In a vast darkness, Gao Dun saw faint golden light orbs appearing before him, connected by thin threads, emitting very subtle energy fluctuations.

This was the outer layer of the Weave. Sensing this level allowed one to cast cantrips, the first step into the hall of arcane magic.

Gao Dun's consciousness directed his mental energy to continue advancing. Soon, a world composed of vast, endless golden grids appeared before him. Each grid, formed by golden threads, seemed to be filled with boundless arcane knowledge and wondrous energy.

This was the first layer of the Weave. When mental energy touched this layer, one had the qualification to learn first-level spells.

Continuing deeper, his mental energy passed through the second and third layers of the Weave, where the golden energy threads were even thicker and formed a more complex network.

Then, an invisible barrier blocked his path, preventing him from exploring deeper layers of the Weave. Gao Dun knew he would need to reach level 7 to break through this barrier and touch the fourth layer of the Weave.

Gao Dun shifted his thoughts and, following the method recorded in the Olor Scrolls, let his mental energy spread out like water, seeping into every crevice.

The door to another world opened for him.

The golden magical network gradually dissipated and disintegrated. Before Gao Dun, countless free-floating, disordered, colorful, and varying-sized light points appeared. They were in constant Brownian motion, adorning the deep, dark background with vibrant colors.

Gao Dun recalled the cool summer nights on Earth when he would gaze at the sky from a quiet mountaintop. The Milky Way, composed of countless stars, was so magnificent and grand, leaving an indelible impression on him.

The scene before him was like a more colorful and dynamic energy galaxy.

Gao Dun knew that what he was seeing was the world of source energy. The collective of various source energies formed the Source Sea.

The special meditation method passed down from the ancient Nether Empire allowed him to bypass the Weave and directly communicate with source energy. This greatly benefited his understanding of the essence of magic.

Gao Dun's will surged, gathering his mental energy into dozens of pure energy tendrils, gently touching the light orbs.

Hot, cold, deep, leaping, wild, gentle... Each light orb contained a unique quality. Gao Dun focused his attention, absorbing, feeling, analyzing, and understanding like a sponge...

He did not know how long it had been, but when Gao Dun opened his eyes again, he found that the lights in Rob Antello's mansion had long been extinguished, and the place was plunged into darkness. The Rod Lord and his wives were likely fast asleep.

"Meditation complete. You have gained 50 experience points. Your mana has been fully replenished. After 10 more meditations, your mana cap will increase by 1 point."

Gao Dun rubbed his temples and read the system prompt.

Besides the tangible benefits reflected in the data, he felt his understanding of arcane magic had deepened. However, the feeling of mental exhaustion after meditation was indeed unpleasant.

After washing up and turning off the magical lamp, he went to sleep.

The next morning, Gao Dun got up, had breakfast, and decided to visit Duke Rob's private library. Although his primary task was to investigate whether Darren Hildod VIII was involved in the water elemental maid incident, he thought it would be wise to learn a few third-level spells first. After all, Darren was a third-level mage, and if they had to fight, having a higher-level spell would give him an advantage.

Gao Dun went to the second floor, entered the private library, and walked to the full-length mirror at the far end of the room. He took out the emerald key, held it in front of the mirror, and recited the passphrase Rob Antello had given him: "Knowledge is the balance of reason, emotion, insight, and beauty."

The emerald key suddenly emitted a straight beam of light, illuminating the mirror. The mirror's surface rippled like water, revealing a passage behind it.