A warm current instantly flowed into Gauss's body. It wasn't a scorching sensation, but rather a perfectly balanced, gentle yet vast energy that made him feel as if he were soaking in a hot spring. An unprecedented comfort swept through his entire body, with his brain experiencing the most intense sensation.
His thoughts became exceptionally clear as a tranquil yet strangely vibrant energy slowly spread, nourishing his brain cells. His soul seemed to detach from his body, entering a mysterious and grand higher-dimensional space where he perceived countless tiny light-like existences.
Some of these "tiny lives" expressed childlike affection toward him as if facing their mother, while others radiated pure fear. Most, however, remained in a state of chaos and ignorance. Unfortunately, this miraculous "vision" lasted only a brief moment.
Soon, his consciousness withdrew from that realm of scattered light points and returned to his body. His awareness gently settled back into place, finally stabilizing. The mental fatigue remaining from activating [Ghost Form] had completely dissipated under that energy's nourishment.
Gauss now felt his brain cells joyfully pulsating, his entire mind feeling freshly polished. Moreover... he had gained a new talent.
Closing his eyes, he carefully sensed it—a cold, precisely operating perceptual network that naturally integrated into his consciousness core like a newly formed organ.
Racial Talent: [White Quality] Proto-Hive Mind (Upgradeable). This information clearly appeared on Gauss's personal panel.
With a thought, he directed this newborn power. An invisible "energy field" quietly expanded outward from him. Instantly, countless fragmented voices flooded his hearing.
"So hungry! So hungry!"
Simple, pure unconscious instincts kept repeating. Gauss followed the sounds to their source—tiny crawling insects on the ground.
Were they speaking? But what use was this? These simple utterances were nothing but useless garbage information, conveying the most primitive instinctive desires of small bugs. There was no way to gather any meaningful intelligence from them.
Just as Gauss felt slightly disappointed, he suddenly heard a relatively clear voice among the noise: "King... awaits the king's command." The voice gave Gauss a familiar feeling—simple, pure, and loyal.
Following the sound's direction, he found it came from the white clay spider. Simultaneously, a faint pulling force emanated from it. Following that connection, a peculiar scene gradually unfolded in Gauss's mind.
In this vision, three enormous "giant" figures appeared, one of whom was unmistakably himself. Everything around seemed to have shrunk. Is this... the clay spider's vision? Gauss instantly understood.
The experience felt marvelous. While perceiving visual information from the clay spider's perspective, his main consciousness remained freely active, as if his mind had split into multiple screens. An invisible thread connected the clay spider to his true self, enabling this phenomenon.
Gauss attempted to issue movement commands to the clay spider. The instructions transmitted perfectly through the mental thread, far clearer than his previous vague orders. The Sticky King Spider immediately crawled across the ground, moving precisely as he intended.
Beyond sharing visual information, the clay spider also transmitted simple intelligence through their mental link. Gauss amused himself experiencing the world from an insect's perspective before ending the vision sharing.
Returning to his body, he smiled faintly. This reward greatly satisfied him. In addition to granting the [Proto-Hive Mind] talent, that energy had nourished his entire being, especially his mental faculties and Rank. He vaguely sensed that advancing to Rank 3 wouldn't be far off.
Moreover, he intuited this talent's potential extended far beyond its current capabilities, with more peculiar effects awaiting discovery. After organizing his personal changes, he turned to Aria and Serlandul.
He wasn't the only one who had received rewards. Both Aria and Serlandul had also absorbed light orbs. Their faces now radiated joy, clearly pleased with their respective gains.
The trio quickly exchanged details about their rewards. Serlandul obtained a skill: Swift Insect Wings. Its passive effect permanently slightly increased movement speed and evasion capability.
Additionally, it possessed an active effect: Burst Sprint. When activated, it greatly boosted movement speed and explosive power for a short duration while leaving behind brief afterimages to interfere with enemy skill targeting.
While it might seem strange for a healing-class priest to gain such a skill, considering Serlandul's existing exceptional mobility—which had been crucial during Gauss's rest periods in battle—this reward perfectly enhanced his capabilities. Whether for close combat or ranged harassment, the skill proved beneficial.
At first glance, a "healer" receiving mobility enhancements seemed mismatched. But upon reflection, it made perfect sense. What mattered most for a healing class? Healing output? Recovery versatility? Buff provision?
Of course not. Before preserving teammates' lives, the priority was preserving one's own. Only by maintaining battlefield presence could one provide continuous healing and buffs. The constitution boost and stamina from [Waist] equipment, the half-snake person's innate mobility, and now the [Swift Insect Wings] skill—combined, these effects maximized displacement capabilities.
The phrase "serpentine movement" became literal for Serlandul. Such a "healer" would likely give enemies massive headaches.
Aria, meanwhile, gained a natural spirit-bonded companion: a Scale Powder Butterfly. This palm-sized translucent creature was covered in moss-like scales that emitted a soft emerald glow.
Its shed scales possessed multiple functions: first, they could briefly create optical camouflage-like effects to conceal allies; second, they released "Life Spore Dust" that slowly purified negative impurities from targets while enhancing ongoing healing effects; finally, they could accelerate plant growth.
Compared to Ur and Eck, the Scale Powder Butterfly, as a magical creature, possessed more mystical abilities. While lacking direct combat capabilities, it provided crucial support.
Brief optical invisibility. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
Negative effect removal and healing enhancement.
Plant growth acceleration.
The second function proved particularly significant. The Divine Berry Spell, Serlandul's healing magic, and Gauss's innate regeneration should all benefit from its enhancement.
The plant growth acceleration also aligned perfectly with Aria's professional identity. Beyond daily cultivation, combining this ability with her Entangling Roots in combat would yield substantial reinforcement.
The arena's rewards had elevated the entire team's combat effectiveness by a full tier. These newly acquired talents, skills, and bonded creatures would require time for assimilation and coordination—especially Gauss's talent and level experience. Once fully absorbed, they should smoothly facilitate his advancement to Rank 3.