A surging torrent of mana seemed to burst through an invisible floodgate.
The mana he had built up over time flowed again and again, washing through the channels in his body.
The Mana Cup released a bright white glow.
"Vmmmm!"
Centered on Gauss, a sudden wave of air stirred by the fluctuations in mana surged outward. The grass bent low, and the once-gently flowing stream was thrown into turmoil, sending ripples across the water.
The unusual commotion caught the attention of Alya and Cicero, who were wading by the stream and catching fish.
"What's wrong with big brother?"
Cicero looked bewildered. The little white fish in her hand slipped into the water before she noticed.
"Let's move farther away first." Alya's pupils narrowed slightly. She had a pretty good idea what was happening. Taking Cicero by the hand, she called to Ulfhen and Ike, and led them a good distance away so they wouldn't disturb Gauss by accident.
At the center of the mana vortex, Gauss's sea of consciousness was trembling violently.
The Mana Cup, the core of his power, was undergoing a tremendous transformation. As mana washed over its sides in wave after wave, the walls gradually expanded and grew more resilient.
Ordinarily, it wasn't easy for a regular class holder to advance from level 2 to level 3. It was a minor threshold between stages.
Gauss was different. Though he hadn't been level 2 for very long, his accumulated experience was no less than that of class holders who had remained at that level for years. In fact, because his attributes were far stronger than those of others at the same level, he had barely felt any meaningful resistance.
"Vmmm, vmmm, vmmm!"
The mana in the cup swirled, compressed, and grew purer, until a tiny drop of liquid