Helag's meditation session lasted eight hours, yielding results equivalent to a week of meditating with the Starry Sky Potion.
Originally, he needed over a month to complete the eighth star meditation, but now it would only take about a month.
When Helag opened his eyes, it was already evening. Elisa, seeing him meditating, didn't disturb him. Instead, she got dressed and arranged for some food.
She had expected Helag to finish by noon and had placed some food in the room.
However, Helag meditated until evening, so the food had cooled and was taken away, with preparations for dinner starting instead.
"You really work hard," Elisa said, sitting by the bed as Helag woke up.
She wore a low-cut dress, barely covering her hips.
Helag felt a stir within him. "If I hadn't looked at you, I would've finished my daily meditation last night."
"Did I force you to look?" Elisa retorted playfully.
Helag thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes."
Elisa was momentarily stunned, then playfully punched Helag.
***
After having dinner at the Lord's castle, Helag left. Elisa tried to persuade him to stay, but he refused.
While he was naturally inclined to stay and indulge, Helag didn't want to waste too much time on such activities.
With the Moonstone Grass obtained, Larry's task was complete. Now, he just had to wait for news from Moonlight Forest.
Once things settled there, he could return.
Being outside had too many inconveniences. At least Moonlight Forest was safe.
He could access any knowledge he wanted and had ample resources as long as he had enough magic stones.
For wizard apprentices, wizard organizations provided a relatively stable training environment.
Returning to his courtyard, Helag found Ed diligently trimming the lawn.
Hearing the door, Ed looked up and ran over excitedly. "Master, you're back."
"Yes," Helag replied, continuing to his room.
Judy also came running, her hands wet from washing clothes.
Helag noticed the clean surroundings, showing they regularly cleaned meticulously.
Inside, Helag began sorting his gains: a piece of Moonstone Grass, a frozen Stone Giant's heart, and the Ice Spike spell model.
These were valuable, especially the frozen Stone Giant's heart, crucial for Helag.
Now, he just needed to meditate until his mental strength met the requirements for advancing to a third-level wizard apprentice, and then he could make the Dawn Dusk Potion.
Making the Dawn Dusk Potion wasn't much more complex than the Dawn Potion. With higher mental strength now, Helag felt more confident.
He also planned to learn the Ice Spike spell. More spells meant more options, always beneficial.
His battle with the masked man highlighted the advantage of having multiple spells.
Just his three shields had troubled the masked man. Most wizard apprentices didn't have the time or energy to master three shield spells.
However, for Helag, analyzing the ancient slate was also crucial.
One major discovery from this trip was the true use of the Starry Sky Potion.
Helag realized it needed to be combined with certain activities to release its full potential.
He planned to accumulate at least seven days' worth of potion effects, and then visit Elisa to release them.
Since Elisa was a first-level wizard apprentice, her body was stronger than an ordinary person's, able to handle his boundless energy.
To avoid leaving offspring, Helag used magic to contain certain things.
He suspected Elisa's intentions might be related to this, trying to conceive a child with wizard potential.
Helag's wizard aptitude was decent, and Elisa had some wizard potential. Their offspring would likely have wizard potential.
But Helag was cautious, ensuring Elisa's plans would fail.
After inventorying his gains, Helag resumed his usual training routine.
Daily, he took the Starry Sky Potion and meditated, visiting Elisa every seven days.
He continued analyzing the ancient slate and had Deep Blue construct the Ice Spike spell model, adding another offensive spell to his arsenal.
***
Twenty days later.
"Deep Blue, scan my body data."
[Helag Merlin: Strength 4.8, Agility 4.9, Constitution 6.1, Spirit 13.5, Magic 100%.]
Completing the eighth star meditation, Helag's stats improved again.
His mental strength was close to the third-level wizard apprentice standard, but Helag wasn't in a rush to advance.
With the Starry Sky Meditation Technique, he could complete two more star meditations before advancing, ensuring his mental strength exceeded 15 points, increasing his success rate.
Life in Ryan City was peaceful. Helag spent his days meditating, making potions, and visiting Elisa to release the Starry Sky Potion's effects.
Elisa gifted him the house, which he later learned was part of her property.
***
Half a year passed quickly, and Helag turned sixteen, marking his third year in this world.
[Helag Merlin: Strength 6.7, Agility 6.3, Constitution 7.8, Spirit 16.8, Magic 100%.]
Helag completed the tenth star meditation, lighting up all ten points on the dot matrix in his mind.
He then understood the dot matrix's function.
Once all points were lit, it could store 50% of Helag's total magic.
This acted like a magic storage tool, giving Helag access to 150% of his usable magic.
This was a significant boost for Helag, benefiting him in battles, potion-making, and Deep Blue's various tasks requiring magic.
The dot matrix's storage capacity would increase with Helag's strength. The magic stored at 16 mental strength differed from that at 20, but the dot matrix would adjust accordingly.
This was just one dot matrix. Helag imagined having ten or a hundred, providing nearly limitless magic.
Helag began contemplating combat strategies leveraging the dot matrix's effects.