I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 89: Condensing the Rank

"What’s wrong?" Gauss asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, I just wanted to say that if you need some supplementary herbs or potions while condensing your rank, I can help provide them."

"Do you actually need herbs and potions to condense a rank?" Gauss asked curiously.

"They’re not absolutely necessary, but having the right supplements can speed up the process and might even slightly improve the results," Lawrence explained when he saw Gauss didn’t understand. "For spellcaster apprentices like us, it’s important to supplement with things that calm the mind and nourish the brain, whether through food or potions. Warriors, on the other hand, need supplements that strengthen the body. Other professions each have their own necessary supplements."

"I see," Gauss nodded. "Then I’ll trouble you to help with the purchases."

Lawrence had a herbal medicine shop at home, and after spending some time together recently, Gauss felt he wasn’t someone who would take advantage of others. Having him handle the shopping would save Gauss a lot of trouble.

"It’s no trouble at all."

Seeing Gauss agree, Lawrence breathed a sigh of relief. This showed that Gauss’s relationship with him wasn’t too distant.

After one dungeon exploration, everyone on the team understood that Gauss’s future was absolutely limitless. He definitely wouldn’t stop at just crossing the professional threshold but would keep moving forward to see sights they might never witness in their lifetimes.

Making friends with him early was like befriending a future high-rank professional.

"I’m paying for this meal, no fighting over it," Edith said, finally catching the meaning and quickly standing up. "Thank you, Gauss, for saving me. If you ever need anything, just contact me anytime."

She said this while winking at Gauss.

Sometimes receiving help could itself deepen relationships. After all, interpersonal interactions thrive on mutual give and take.

...

Inside a simple, unpretentious three-story red brick building

“Bang!”

A glob of acid was hurled at Gauss, splashing deep green acid all over him.

"Beeep beeep beeep!"

The mage armor covering Gauss’s body emitted rippling light, with wisps of white smoke rising continuously from his skin. It looked scary, but the mage armor’s protection was never breached.

Gauss raised his hand to block the apprentice in front of him, who was about to cast another cantrip.

The apprentice gave up on casting. At first, he didn’t understand the excited and joyful expression on Gauss’s face, but after a moment, he looked at Gauss in disbelief.

"Yes, I made it," Gauss laughed heartily. "Thanks for your help."

After practicing for several more days, the proficiency of his mage armor finally broke through level 3, successfully advancing to level 4.

Mage Armor Lv4 (0/100)

Gauss felt the natural magic power of the surrounding world slowly converge toward his body, a gleam flashing in his eyes.

A strange feeling.

It was as if some unknown, supreme force was casting its gaze upon him.

He quickly strode toward the cultivation chamber of the association.

Pushing open the door.

Inside, there were already many supplements and foods that he had asked Lawrence to purchase for him, especially the bright blue potion bottle placed in the middle of the shelf, the most expensive one.

The cost price for a bottle of Nourishing Spirit Potion was 95 silver coins. It could quickly provide the nutrients his brain needed whenever necessary.

Many spellcaster apprentices would prepare a bottle in advance if conditions allowed during the rank condensing process.

It wasn’t that it was indispensable.

Condensing a rank was a gradual phase, also known as the guiding phase.

During this process, the world’s will would bestow gifts upon every apprentice about to be promoted, helping them improve their physical fitness and eventually condense the rank inside their body, officially crossing the professional threshold.

If some targeted supplements were lacking, this guiding process would take longer. The improvement in physical fitness would slowly and subtly increase over time, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and there was even a certain chance of failure.

Gauss sat on the bed in the cultivation chamber.

He felt his condition becoming very strange, his brain unusually active as if refreshed.

New ideas flooded his mind every moment, like a child encountering a brand-new world, filled with all kinds of thoughts.

In front of Gauss, the Adventurer’s Manual’s prompt text also began to refresh frequently.

“Condensing rank in progress.”

“Intelligence slightly increasing...”

“Constitution slightly increasing...”

“Mage Armor proficiency +1”

“Mage Armor proficiency +1”

Gauss exhaled a breath of white vapor.

A mysterious power felt like an invisible giant hand constantly remodeling his body and spirit!

So hungry!

Wasn’t this supposed to be a slow, continuous process?

Gauss had originally prepared for a long battle, ready to stay secluded for several days or even longer.

But he hadn’t expected the feedback from the changes to come so suddenly and rapidly.

Fortunately, this cultivation chamber was fully equipped. It not only stored abundant living supplies and supplements but also had resting and washing areas.

He stood up, grabbed some drinking water and food, and started stuffing it into his mouth in large bites.

So hungry! So hungry!

Gauss felt like he was about to be swallowed whole by an intense hunger! If there were a piece of meat in front of him, he felt like he could pick it up and devour it raw.

Luckily, he had prepared plenty of supplies in advance. Otherwise, following other people’s experiences at a moderate pace could have been fatal for him.

"Phut!" While eating, Gauss suddenly had a nosebleed.

But he didn’t dare stop eating. The hunger inside him kept urging him to consume more food!

Eat! Keep eating!

Gauss didn’t even know how many meals he had eaten, just instinctively continuing to eat without stopping.

Jerky, oatmeal cookies, bread, nuts, water, medicinal cakes, tonic pills, nourishing spirit potions, all gone.

"! " Gauss felt completely full.

The strange thing was, even after eating enough food and supplements to last a normal person several weeks, his abdomen didn’t swell too much.

It was as if the food had simply disappeared.

Luckily, that intense hunger feeling was suppressed.

He was alive again!

Gauss breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as he finished the rations at hand and was about to get more supplies, he looked at his own arm and even wanted to bite down hard on it.

Luckily, he restrained himself in the end.

After eating so much, Gauss soon felt a strong wave of sleepiness.

Every cell in his body seemed to urge him to rest.

Eat and then sleep? Is this my rank condensing process?

Gauss shook his head but also knew that at such a critical moment, he shouldn’t resist his instincts.

Because at this time, those instincts were actually the guidance of the world’s will. Resisting it would mean refusing the help the world’s will was offering.

He locked the door.

Gauss returned to bed and lay down.

He closed his eyes.

After only a few breaths, he quickly fell into a baby-like sleep.

Lying on the bed, his chest rose and fell. Although asleep, his cerebral cortex was unusually active, constantly releasing a large amount of signals and hormones.

After his consciousness sank into deep sleep, his body began to emit a faint pure white glow, like a layer of armor firmly protecting his sleeping self.

Beside him, the Bone Staff also glowed faintly.

Inside his body, the magic power that had originally flowed like a small stream was now being washed and rapidly expanded in a very short time.

Every time the magic power circulated in his body, it rapidly expanded in volume!

The Rapid Digestion talent was perfectly providing massive logistical support to the magic power, which was proliferating like a virus at high speed.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the magic power that was changing.

If anyone else were present, they would feel the air around Gauss on the bed begin to warp, even making it difficult to see him clearly, like viewing flowers through mist.

The dust particles floating in the air around him suddenly disappeared, and ants and mosquitoes crawling under the bed froze completely.

It was as if the entire space was being suppressed by an invisible force!