Zhang Ye returned to the cave, checked on Leona, and began meditating. He meditated until evening.
A flash of white light. Zhang Ye opened his eyes, his pupils glowing.
"Nice! Second rank!"
At the second rank, there were three copy slots. Without hesitation, Zhang Ye turned to Leona and began using Copy and Analyze.
[Golden Blade: Second-rank magic. Forms a metallic blade. Limited lethality.]
[Wooden Snake: Second-rank magic. Summons snake-like vines for whipping and entangling. Low power.]
[Water Cannon: Second-rank magic. Forms a water cannon. Low power, short range.]
[Fireball: Second-rank magic. Forms a large fireball. Low power, short range.]
[Rock Armor: Second-rank magic. Forms a rock armor. Limited defense.]
[Paralysis: Second-rank magic. Releases electricity to paralyze. Limited effect.]
The copy duration for second-rank spells was still fifteen minutes, but the analysis time had increased to thirty minutes.
Zhang Ye spent a long time copying and analyzing three spells every fifteen minutes until he had analyzed all of Leona's second-rank spells.
Afterward, he went outside to take care of some personal business and then returned to the riverbank in the dark. Using the crabs' phototaxis, he cast Light to catch several stone crabs, two fish, and some shrimp. With the mushrooms and wild vegetables left over from lunch, he made a pot of river delicacy soup.
As usual, he fed Leona first before enjoying his own meal.
By evening, Gu Jiu had finished digesting, its size now as big as half a basketball. It looked like a giant QQ candy. Zhang Ye couldn't stop hugging it, grinning as he prepared for another round of meditation. At this rate, he estimated he'd be ready for third rank in another day or so. Then he could copy and analyze some third-rank magic and head out to level up by hunting monsters!
Full of excitement for the future, Zhang Ye entered his meditative state.
Late at night, while Zhang Ye was deep in meditation, Gu Jiu also fell asleep in his arms. Sleep wasn't necessary for Gu Jiu, but it felt comfortable in Zhang Ye's embrace, so it fell into a deep slumber.
The moonlight bathed the forest in a soft glow, casting a mysterious veil over the night. The occasional chirp of insects, the calls of birds, and the roars of beasts echoed through the trees.
Suddenly, the insect sounds ceased. The forest outside the cave became unnervingly quiet, as though someone had pressed the mute button.
Leona's eyes snapped open.
Her right eye gleamed with a fiery red hue, while her left eye was purple, with black veins creeping into the whites of her eye, giving her an eerie look. The red and purple eyes flickered in the darkness as she turned her gaze toward Zhang Ye.
Her expression softened gradually.
Though her body had been unconscious, her mind remained fully aware. She could sense everything around her—everything Zhang Ye had done for her.
She knew Zhang Ye had saved her. She knew he had taken off her clothes. She knew he had called her heavy. She knew he had carried her to the cave, fed her soup, and spoken to her. All of it.
When he carried her, she wasn't actually getting heavier because her magic was draining—she had deliberately made herself heavier to test him. She wanted to see if he could carry her as her body grew heavier. It was also a small punishment for his comment about her being heavy.
In the end, he had done it. He had never given up on her, and he hadn't done anything improper to her.
She hadn't woken up earlier because her body had been fighting the invasion of demonic power. It had been a battle for her soul. The demonic power was so strong that she had nearly lost control. If she had succumbed, her soul would have been devoured, and her body would have been turned into a demonic killing machine.
"...So you better survive the magic corruption. Don't die on me."
Suddenly, Zhang Ye's voice reached her ears. His words snapped her consciousness back from the brink of collapse, allowing her to regain control of her mind and force back the demonic power.
She had almost failed, but Zhang Ye's words had saved her.
"Thank you..." she mouthed silently, her lips forming the words, though no sound escaped. Then, she closed her eyes again, still fighting the encroaching demonic power.
The slightest smile curved her lips, a smile so subtle that it seemed to radiate a stunning beauty.
"Will I offer myself to you?" she mused. "Let's see if I survive first."
Demonic power, kneel before me!!
The next morning, Zhang Ye stretched lazily and hurried outside to relieve himself.
He waved his hand confidently. "I'll probably be third rank tonight! Let's go!"
He grinned and added, "Now, let's eat!"
Zhang Ye summoned a few Fireballs for Gu Jiu's breakfast, then headed to the riverbank. Seeing the stone crabs in the water, his lips curled into a smirk.
"Heh, this time I won't even get my pants wet to catch you guys!"
He stretched out his hands, and the water in the river stirred, lifting the crabs, fish, and shrimp from the bottom. The critters struggled, but it was no use. Eventually, they were gathered into small water spheres and floated up to Zhang Ye, who laughed triumphantly.
"Ha, perfect control! No more struggling with water to catch them."
Zhang Ye's magic control had become effortless. With the system's Analysis, he now had perfect mastery over his spells. He could release them instantly, even multiple spells at once without chanting, guiding, or drawing magic circles. All he needed was his mana and willpower.
For instance, to gather river delicacies, he used Water Cannon to form water spheres around the creatures.
He was enjoying his newfound power, and soon, he used Metal Rod to prepare skewers for grilling. He planned to use half of the river critters for soup and the rest for grilling—variety was key.
After gathering some wild fruits and spicy peppers for seasoning, Zhang Ye even went to borrow some honey from the Flower Bees. With the bees' help, he added honey to his barbecue, making it even tastier.
Back at the cave, Zhang Ye set up a couple of bonfires and began cooking. The scent of the honey-glazed meat filled the air, and Zhang Ye sighed contentedly.
Meanwhile, Leona, still unconscious, caught a whiff of the delicious scent and instinctively twitched her nose, swallowing her saliva.
"It should be ready." Zhang Ye picked up a skewer of grilled shrimp, blew on it, and took a bite, his face lighting up with satisfaction.
"Delicious!" he exclaimed, devouring it hungrily.
"Gu Jiu~" Gu Jiu watched him eagerly.
"Here, Gu Jiu. Try my cooking!" Zhang Ye grinned, offering the skewer.
At first, he thought Gu Jiu would devour the entire skewer, but instead, Gu Jiu extended two small hands, grasped the skewer, and, imitating Zhang Ye, started munching on it with gusto.
Zhang Ye blinked in surprise and then burst into laughter.
"Haha! Gu Jiu knows how to eat skewers now!"
The two of them—one big, one small—gorged on the grilled food. Shrimp, fish, mushrooms, wild vegetables—all of it.
Afterward, Zhang Ye fed Leona her soup, asking, "When will you wake up? I'm still waiting for you to teach me magic."
Once Leona had been fed, Zhang Ye returned to meditation. By nightfall, a flash of white light signaled his advancement to third rank.