Meditation

Following a fleeting thought, Rhode quickly climbed a large tree beside the Crypt's exit. The branches were thick, and Rhode could easily stand on them.

Standing on the branches, Rhode found a spot with dense foliage, which he deemed suitable for concealment and offered a good vantage point to observe the ground.

Rhode looked down. The ground within a radius of several dozen meters was clearly visible. Combined with his learned Eagle Eye, he could even see the exact position of every fallen leaf. Further distances were obscured by the foliage.

"This spot... seems easy to be spotted..."

Yes, when Rhode judged that the Necromancer Apprentice was about to return, he didn't plan to escape but intended to stay and find a way to assassinate him.

Due to the nature of Undead Creatures, to Rhode, without the Necromancer's control, any number of Undead Creatures were merely cannon fodder fighting on instinct.

In other words, as long as Rhode could successfully assassinate the Necromancer, the group of Undead Creatures previously controlled by the Necromancer would pose no threat to Rhode, and he could convert them all into his own Experience Points.

This was a good opportunity for the current Rhode to improve his strength, though it carried some risk. Rhode had to successfully assassinate the returning Necromancer. Otherwise, under the Necromancer's control, a group of Undead Creatures with tactics and mutual coordination would not be easily dealt with.

According to Rhode's plan, there were only two suitable hiding places to find an opportunity to strike. One was inside the Crypt. The Necromancer Apprentice would definitely enter the Crypt after discovering someone had arrived, and he could find an opportunity to assassinate him then.

However, the Necromancer's vigilance would be at its peak when entering the Crypt, making the risk of a failed assassination too high. If he were discovered inside the Crypt, escape would be impossible.

The other suitable hiding place was the tree Rhode was currently on. Due to the limitations of human vision, places like tree branches and leaves, if not noticed as unusual at first glance, would generally be ignored.

This was why Rhode chose the tree as his hiding spot. However, Rhode's current position was not particularly concealed; the foliage could hardly hide his exact form, and a glance upwards from the Crypt's exit would reveal any abnormality.

Due to the overlapping foliage, the higher the position chosen on the tree, the harder it would be to be discovered. But if the position chosen on the tree trunk was too high, a failed assassination attempt involving leaping out would likely result in a broken leg.

Without the enhancement of relevant special skills, Rhode himself would find it difficult to choose the optimal hiding spot in a short period.

Without much hesitation, to slightly increase the success rate of the assassination, Rhode decided to use some Skill Points to learn Novice Scout Technique.

(Novice Scout Technique: Through continuous practice, your scouting abilities have improved. You have learned to judge enemy movements by various residual traces. At the same time, you have gained some insights into how to observe enemies safely without being discovered. Detection Range +2, Perception +1.)

After learning Novice Scout Technique, Rhode felt an indescribable improvement. It wasn't like knowledge being directly injected into his mind; this improvement felt more like insights, a kind of instinct.

The previously chosen spot now seemed to have significant flaws to Rhode. Not only could it be seen with a glance upwards from the ground, but it could even be spotted from a slightly further distance.

Rhode quickly moved to another position. The new spot was higher than the previous one, offering a better view of all directions he needed to observe. The surrounding foliage was dense, and the main trunk of the tree was nearby, allowing him to hide behind it if necessary. Overall, it was more concealed than the previous position.

Perhaps it was the perceptual boost from learning Novice Scout Technique, but after settling into his chosen spot on the tree trunk, Rhode didn't want to let time pass idly. He decided to meditate during the time before the Necromancer's return.

Meditation is the foundation for casting spells and the first step for every spellcaster when learning spells.

Meditation can expand a spellcaster's Mana. Whether orthodox spellcasters, warlocks, or Necromancers, they all consume Mana when casting spells. Meditation is the way to increase Mana.

For players, the maximum Mana achievable through meditation is generally Knowledge * 10 of the character's attributes. Certain Treasures and special skills can also increase maximum Mana.

Before meditating, ordinary spellcasters have a maximum Mana of 0. However, there are some beings who are born with Mana, such as Heroes of the Mana lineage and some mutated monsters.

For monsters, casting spells is more like an innate instinct, and they don't need to increase their Mana through meditation like spellcasters do.

Rhode sat cross-legged on the tree trunk, preparing to enter the meditation phase.

Meditation does not require a specific environment or posture, but for beginners, external factors can improve the quality of their meditation. For example, a quiet room can certainly stimulate concentration better than a noisy environment, and sitting cross-legged can focus the mind better than other postures.

Having meditated countless times in his previous life, meditation was not an unfamiliar act for Rhode. The increase in his Perception also allowed Rhode to end his meditation the moment the Necromancer Apprentice returned.

Rhode closed his eyes and sat motionless on the tree. From a distance, only the slight rise and fall of his chest with his breathing could be seen. Other than that, there was no other movement; his entire being seemed still. Even when a few leaves drifted onto Rhode, he showed no reaction.

Time slowly passed, and Rhode's thoughts focused inward on his own senses. The sounds of the wind and the calls of various creatures seemed to fade away, leaving only the center of his consciousness.

This was different from the decrease in external perception caused by mental dispersion when one is drowsy; it was a natural reduction in external perception after concentrating all attention inward.

Even though the surrounding forest environment remained noisy, Rhode quickly entered a state of deep concentration.

For the meditation he was just beginning, his past life's experience was of little use. His past life's experience was more about methods to improve meditation quality and some tips for deep meditation. His ability to enter a state of deep concentration so quickly was more due to Rhode's own willpower.

Once in a state of deep concentration, Rhode's consciousness began to perceive magical elements. Next, Rhode had to do the most important part of meditation: allowing his spirit and consciousness to communicate with the magical elements until he could accept them.

As time slowly passed, Rhode in meditation gradually frowned. Because Rhode's current body had no magical talent, he was not sensitive to the surrounding magical elements and had been unable to effectively absorb them, which made him somewhat irritable.

Fortunately, at this point, the experience of meditating many times in his previous life came into play. The more so at this time, the less he should rush. Realizing his inner turmoil, Rhode promptly calmed his emotions. Even if he couldn't absorb magical elements for the time being, he no longer felt anxious.

Finally, through Rhode's persistent efforts, his spirit began to establish a connection with the surrounding magical elements, and the magical elements began to converge towards Rhode.

At this moment, if Rhode were to look at his status panel, he would find that his Mana had changed from 0/0 to 1/1.