Energy Missile!

Thinking of this, Matthew also felt a hint of regret.

He remembered the staff's effect on the panel was “slightly increases the cultivation efficiency of the meditation method,” but he also recalled its equipment requirement of “Spirit 6.5.”

Although it seemed like a difference of only 0.5, it was precisely this tiny yet crucial gap that temporarily prevented him from using this equipment.

After a brief moment of disappointment, he snapped out of it and refocused his attention on the descriptions of the 0-Circle spells recorded in the notebook—【Energy Missile】, 【Fireball spell】, and 【Detection Spell】.

He began to seriously study the specific contents and methods of these basic spells.

After reading through them carefully, Matthew ultimately selected 【Energy Missile】 as his primary target for the near future.

First of all, among the three spells, only Energy Missile and Fireball were offensive spells, making them his natural first choices.

On the other hand, the description of the Detection Spell stated that it was used to detect surrounding mana fluctuations. Although practical, its sensory function partially overlapped with the sharp Perception he gained from the upgraded 【White Snake Breathing Technique】, so its priority was slightly lower at this stage.

Secondly, his panel made it clear that his best path was to specialize in a single skill—to master one move to conquer all. By concentrating his limited Spirit to increase its proficiency, he could achieve strength far surpassing anyone else.

The final point, and one that Matthew considered heavily, was the concept of “elemental affinity.”

From the information he had just read, he learned that elemental affinity could affect the efficiency and power of spell cultivation.

Since he was unsure if he possessed a fire-attribute affinity, rashly choosing the Fireball spell might not only slow his learning progress, but he might even find it difficult to master due to a lack of affinity, wasting his precious time and energy for nothing.

In contrast, 【Energy Missile】, as the most basic offensive spell, was non-attributed. Its barrier to entry was much friendlier, making it a safe fallback option.

With his panel, taking things one step at a time was the most secure approach.

Having clarified his goal, he did not delay any longer. It happened to be the quietest time of the morning in the village, with only the occasional crowing of roosters and the whistling of the wind, leaving him virtually undisturbed.

Matthew decided to immediately attempt his first cultivation session of the 【Elemental Meditation Method】.

Sitting cross-legged in the posture described in the notebook, he naturally straightened his back and rested his hands flat on his knees, letting himself relax as much as possible.

Matthew closed his eyes and quickly adjusted his breathing and state of mind. Thanks to his experience practicing the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】, clearing his mind of stray thoughts and entering a state of internal focus was not unfamiliar to him.

He quickly focused his mind between his brows. The brief sting and strange perception he had felt when first reading the notebook last night seemed to have left behind a subtle guidance.

Recalling that sensation, his consciousness stabilized much faster than expected.

Over and over, he pulled back his drifting attention, like stabilizing his mind in a turbulent current. Gradually, a peculiar sensation of “internal focus” emerged, and he could vaguely perceive the faint flow of his own blood and Spirit.

‘Is this the meditative state?’

Though Matthew had doubts in his heart, he began to execute the second step—extending his Spirit to perceive elemental molecules.

Matthew kept the description from the notebook firmly in mind: “Extend your consciousness into the space around your body as gently as possible, like invisible tentacles.”

He began to try.

He attempted to extend his condensed Spirit outward, but felt an unprecedented sense of sluggish resistance. It was as if he possessed the power but had no idea how to finely control that formless, quality-less intent to “touch” the elemental molecules that theoretically existed around him.

This was because Matthew could not even condense his Spirit.

Naturally, extending it was out of the question!

‘I already have six points of Spirit! And it's still this difficult?’

Matthew felt a wave of frustration.

He had even forgotten that this was his very first attempt.

Additionally, the numerical value of Spirit was merely a foundation. Controlling it was like wielding a newly acquired, heavy greatsword; it required entirely new techniques and intent to swing, rather than relying solely on brute force.

After struggling for a while, he felt a wave of mental exhaustion and distraction. The meditative state he was maintaining began to waver, and even his sense of “internal focus” gradually faded, as if he might slip back into the waking world at any moment.

‘No! I'm about to slip out!’

Fortunately, with the foundation of the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】, he was barely able to steady his mind.

Just at this critical juncture when his mind was about to scatter, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him: ‘The White Snake Breathing Technique?’

He recalled the feeling of circulating the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】—that subtle sense of control that allowed him to guide the life energy within his body with absolute precision, making it flow along specific paths as easily as moving his own fingers!

‘Can Spirit... also be controlled like this?’

He began to mobilize his Spirit, slowly extending it outward like threads of spider silk.

At first, it was merely a vague “feeling.” But as his spiritual tentacles expanded slightly, he “saw”... or rather, he “perceived” a world entirely different from the one seen through physical eyes.

The air was not empty.

Thin, tiny “spots of light” or “particles” of various colors floated quietly. They were nearly motionless, yet they faintly emitted different energy fluctuations.

Red, blue, green, yellow, and some pure, colorless spots of light...

‘Are these the free magical elemental particles described in the notebook?’

Matthew was not greedy. He kept the warning firmly in mind: during the first attempt, one must avoid impatience at all costs.

He began to attempt the next step—absorption and conversion.

He carefully and gently extended that faint spiritual tentacle toward the area closest to him, which felt the most peaceful and stable.

A small number of pure, colorless, faint spots of light floated there.

‘Let's try this...’

He mimicked the “drawing” method described in the notebook, his spiritual intent transforming into an invisible “straw” or “small net,” extremely gently and tentatively attempting to “scoop up” a few of them.

The moment they made contact, a cool, pure sensation carrying a faint trace of magic was channeled back through his spiritual tentacle.

‘It worked!’

Just as a wave of joy rose within him, he immediately suppressed it and concentrated his entire mind.

Following the path prescribed by the meditation method, he attempted to guide these few “wrapped” elemental particles, carefully “pulling” them along the “channel” constructed by his spiritual tentacle toward the condensed core of consciousness between his brows. This process was extremely slow and mentally taxing.

Those tiny particles seemed to possess an invisible resistance; every movement made Matthew feel his Spirit depleting at a noticeable rate.

‘So heavy... This is much harder than I imagined!’

He gritted his teeth, focusing all his attention on maintaining this fragile spiritual channel.

The final result was successful. One by one, the various elemental particles were delivered to his spiritual core, which was located right inside his brain.

At the same time, Matthew did not dare to relax in the slightest. He immediately attempted the final “conversion” according to the method recorded in the third stage of the 【Elemental Meditation Method】—using his own Spirit as a “furnace” to assimilate and absorb these external energy particles.

Holding his breath and concentrating his mind, he prepared himself to face a new wave of difficulties.

However, the expected friction, blockage, or conflict did not occur.

On the contrary, when his spiritual core instinctively began to contact and envelop those few foreign particles, the conversion process went unexpectedly smoothly.

His Spirit seeped in quietly like warm water. Those pure particles seemed to naturally lack any strong “rejection reaction,” quickly becoming docile within his spiritual field. Their energy structures were gently dismantled and absorbed, transforming into trickles of warm current that nourished his spiritual core.

The entire process felt exceptionally easy, almost like a natural progression.