Fortunately, the egg's mana consumption didn't last too long.

After conveying a sense of satisfaction, it fell silent again, as if falling asleep.

Gauss breathed a sigh of relief and stopped eating as well.

He felt the active state of the mana within his body.

Rubbing his chin, he fell into contemplation.

Actually, moderate mana consumption wasn't necessarily a bad thing sometimes—this process was beneficial for accumulating rank experience.

To effectively consume mana, most of the time it could only be done by using spells, but spellcasting required concentration. Even with ample mana, one couldn't release spells without limits.

Did this mean he had gained another simple training method?

"Next..."

Gauss looked at the unfamiliar forest around him.

Aria and Serlandul should have come out too.

But for now, he didn't know where they were in the forest.

To avoid them worrying and taking other rescue measures, he decided to return to Outpost 11 as soon as possible to reunite with them and submit the mission along the way.

This mission could be considered completed now—he had already investigated the monster tribes and their habitat locations in the forest. He just needed to submit the report upon returning.

After glancing at the map and locking onto the direction of Outpost 11, Gauss didn't rest and instead got up to continue his journey.

Since he was traveling on foot and the location was quite a distance from the outpost, it was already past noon by the time Gauss returned to Outpost 11.

"Tap tap—"

Walking hurriedly toward the camp, Gauss watched as squad after squad of heavily armored cavalry continuously deployed along the road.

A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.

"Did something happen here?"

It couldn't possibly be because of the commotion he caused in the Dark Forest, could it?

Gauss shook his head with a wry smile.

He quickly walked into the camp.

Laborers inside and outside the camp were building the outpost with bustling activity.

Arriving at the temporary address of the Adventurers Guild, he indeed saw the figures of Aria and Serlandul in front of the building.

"Aria! Serlandul!" Gauss called out.

"Gauss! You returned safely! That's wonderful!" Aria, who had been pacing back and forth with her head down, heard his voice and looked up in his direction. The gloomy worry on her face dissipated, replaced by pleasant surprise.

"Are you two injured?" Gauss walked over.

Ulfen came to his side and licked his palm with its tongue.

"No, those monsters all chased after you and didn't pay attention to us," Aria shook her head. "Are you alright? Gauss, did you manage to shake off those monsters?"

She scanned Gauss up and down, confirming that aside from looking travel-worn from the journey, he had no obvious injuries. While completely relieved, she also felt somewhat puzzled.

Gauss vaguely explained what happened to Aria and the other.

"Thank goodness," Aria patted her chest. "Is that thing still with you now?"

"Yes," Gauss nodded. The egg was inside him and had fallen into a deep sleep after eating its fill.

Currently at the temporary Adventurers Guild outpost entrance, he didn't want to go into too much detail.

The two shared an unspoken understanding and mutual understanding.

Although they could communicate through the cantrip message spell, it was after all just a cantrip. There might be special methods that could "crack" its effects, so they needed to be more careful with important matters.

"Shall we go in to submit the mission first?"

"Okay," Aria nodded.

She and Serlandul had actually just returned not long ago.

They were waiting here for Gauss to reunite. The original plan was to wait a bit longer, and if Gauss still hadn't returned, they would go in to report the situation and request assistance.

Now they could skip that process.

Entering the hall.

In the middle of the hall were some table and chair sets for resting, along with benches against the wall.

Some adventurers were reviewing commissions while resting, chatting, and sharing information—it seemed they were using this place as a temporary rest area, though the staff didn't mind this.

Some were even selling alcoholic drinks and beverages.

Gauss glanced around before withdrawing his gaze.

Their "elite team" didn't submit or accept missions in the main hall;

instead, they went into Guild Leader Richie's office to communicate with him specifically.

"Knock knock."

Arriving at Richie's office door, he knocked twice, but after a long time, no sound came from inside.

A staff member noticed and walked over, looking at the three of them before speaking respectfully.

"Are you three adventurers here to submit a mission to Guild Leader Richie?"

"Yes," Gauss nodded.

"I apologize, but Guild Leader Richie went out temporarily at noon today. Perhaps you could come back another time?"

Went out at noon? Gauss was taken aback upon hearing this.

Guild Leader Richie had previously told the three of them that barring special circumstances, he would be stationed in this office.

It wasn't that they really needed him to be physically present here, but rather that he himself was one of the important combat forces for Outpost 11 and shouldn't leave easily, to prevent insufficient high-level defensive strength if monsters attacked.

Thinking back to the squads of cavalry he saw deploying on his way back, Gauss had some guesses.

Could it be that some place urgently needed elite-level or higher combat strength?

Did the wyverns from the wyvern nest make a move?

Gauss could only make such guesses, as the most powerful monsters nearby were those few sub-dragons perched on the cliffs.

Though puzzled, he glanced at the staff member before him, knowing he wouldn't get answers, and said nothing more.

Walking out of the temporary building.

Gauss noticed that the number of cavalry at Outpost 11 had indeed decreased significantly, and he couldn't help but frown.

What situation required deploying so many personnel?

And if you really thought about it deeply.

The Adventurers Guild and the cavalry regiment were two different systems. Even Guild Leader Richie had no authority to command them—the cavalry regiment had its own commander.

The two were roughly at the same level, and in fact, the cavalry regiment's knight commander held a higher position than Richie, because Richie was just the manager of a local civilian organization, while the knight commander belonged to the provincial military institution.

"Let's find a place to rest first," Aria said with concern.

"Okay," Gauss was indeed somewhat tired.

The long journey, careful reconnaissance, desperate escape, and subsequent almost non-stop walking back—

After all that, even an iron man would inevitably feel exhausted.

"Are there any places to rest in this town?"

"Yes, there are," Aria nodded. "I saw a few inns and taverns opened by trading companies that have officially started business on my way here."

The masses of people hustle and bustle, all pursuing profit.

Where there are people, needs naturally arise.

Especially in a newly developed place like Outpost 11, full of opportunities and dangers, keen-nosed businessmen always arrive first to provide essential services and goods for adventurers, soldiers, and laborers.

Whether it's weapons and supplies, warm beds, a tasty meal, a mug of ale, or gentle intimacy to relieve stress.

The three walked along the somewhat muddy main road, avoiding a team of pack animals transporting lumber.

They soon saw several buildings with simple signs hanging on them in a relatively flat open area. Most were wood and stone structures, with workers still working overtime on exterior wall decorations.

But judging by the bustling crowd coming and going through the doors below, they had clearly already started business.

The consumers were mostly adventurers, but you could also see some resting laborers.

"Handsome, want to come in and relax? It'll be very enjoyable."

By the roadside, a scantily clad woman leaned against the doorway, giving Gauss a seductive look, her eyes like silk.

After speaking, she even stuck out her tongue to lick her flame-colored red lips, deliberately pulling down her collar a bit.

Her gaze lingered on Gauss—fine equipment, a tired but still handsome face—clearly a quality customer with spending power.

Although there were good-looking men and women among adventurers who were better than average, most were rough, burly men. Someone as charming as Gauss was relatively uncommon overall.

Gauss didn't stop walking, just glanced at her indifferently, shook his head with a look of pity, and continued forward.

Having too sharp perception wasn't always a good thing.

He could smell the mixture of cheap perfume, sweat, and even a subtle hint of sickness on her, and could sense the weak life energy within her body.

All of this made it difficult for him to have any romantic thoughts.

Aria, however, frowned slightly and looked at the woman a few more times.

Then she quickened her pace to walk beside Gauss, blocking the woman's line of sight.

Serlandul remained indifferent to all of this.

Seeing that Gauss had no interest, the woman felt somewhat regretful, then turned her attention to other passersby.

No matter how good-looking someone was, it couldn't put food on the table—she needed to find her next customer.

The three searched along the street and finally chose an inn that looked relatively proper, with a wooden mug and bed symbol on its sign. The name was very plain: "Lucky Rabbit's Foot."

Pushing open the door, the interior space wasn't large, filled with the mixed scent of ale, tobacco, and stewed meat.

About a dozen rough wooden tables were randomly placed, with some adventurers eating while talking in low voices.

Behind the counter, a slightly overweight middle-aged man wearing an apron was wiping glasses. Seeing the three enter, his eyes lit up as he warmly greeted them: "Welcome, adventurers! Here for food or lodging?"

"Both. Three adjacent rooms, some food, and hot water for bathing. Make it quick." Gauss glanced at the price list above and placed a small bag of coins on the counter, speaking concisely.

He wasn't very hungry, but his two companions were still hungry.

"Right away," the innkeeper's smile widened as he took out keys. "Rooms are on the second floor, three connecting rooms at the end of the left corridor. Food will be brought up immediately—we have freshly stewed venison soup and bread today, plenty to go around."

Gauss nodded and took the keys.

After eating and finishing his bath.

Gauss felt even more tired.

"I'm going to rest in my room first. If anything special happens, come get me," he said to Aria and Serlandul.

"Don't worry. Rest well."

Gauss entered his room and closed the door.

The room was quite simple—a hard bed, wooden cabinet, table and chairs—but relatively clean.

After confirming nothing was unusual, he finally relaxed and threw himself onto the bed.

He closed his eyes, sensing the giant egg that had fallen silent within him.

It rested quietly near his chest, emitting an extremely faint, gentle warmth.

It was no longer actively absorbing mana, instead sleeping, as if the previous "big meal" would take some time to digest.

"What exactly are you?" Gauss asked silently in his heart.

Especially that abnormal feeling of accelerated heartbeat—he had only experienced that before when he first encountered the bone staff.

Was there some special connection or involvement between it and himself?

Unfortunately, he couldn't communicate with it now.

Thinking back to the simple consciousness he briefly felt during his escape, he estimated that even if it "regained consciousness," it probably couldn't engage in complex communication to get the answers he wanted.

However, the only thing certain was that no matter what this oval egg-shaped object was, its preciousness was undeniable.

After all, it could instantly strongly control so many monsters. Even though those monsters might have been closely related to it, it still wasn't a simple feat.

Monsters, especially wild ones, were difficult to tame creatures, yet they showed almost instinctive reverence and obedience when facing this egg.

This kind of absolute suppression at the power level far exceeded what ordinary magical items or monsters could achieve.

For the time being, he couldn't let others know of its existence.

This feeling arose from Gauss's subconscious.

His thoughts were chaotic and yielded no results.

Mental exhaustion washed over him like a tide, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

...

Night fell.

The light from torches along the road illuminated the path.

A short woman, barely reaching an adult's waist height, stood by the roadside, putting away the map in her hand.

"Hey, kid, get out of the way! This is no place for you!"

A drunkard who had just come out of the inn staggered and almost bumped into the short figure, shouting loudly.

As he spoke, he reached out trying to push the person aside.

But the short woman sidestepped slightly, nimbly avoiding the drunkard's movement, her sharp gaze sweeping over the man.

Then a wooden staff taller than herself appeared in her hand.

With a gentle swing, the staff tip tapped the drunkard's abdomen.

The next moment, as a slight ripple flashed through the air.

The man immediately flew several meters away, falling onto the roadside and getting a mouthful of dirt.

"Who are you calling a kid?" The short woman didn't turn to look at him, pulling down her wide brimmed hat as she walked past the drunkard expressionlessly.

Those who witnessed this scene were quite surprised, especially the now completely sobered man who didn't dare even breathe heavily.

After all, he was a level 1 warrior. To be sent flying so effortlessly, even while drunk, indicated that the other party's strength far exceeded his own.

Only after she entered the establishment.

Did he sheepishly stand up.

"What are you all looking at? Get out of my way!" the man roared in shame and anger.

Eliciting laughter from the surrounding onlookers.

However, having learned his lesson, he didn't dare get into physical conflicts with anyone else. After snorting coldly, he quickly left the inn.

Second floor of Lucky Rabbit's Foot.

Gauss stretched lazily and sat up from the bed.

He had slept extremely soundly.

Looking out the window at the completely dark sky, it was already evening.

Faintly, he could hear lively conversation coming from downstairs.

He walked to the next room and knocked on the door.

"It's me, Gauss."

Aria opened the door.

She had woken up earlier, with a book spread open on the table.

"Awake?"

"Mm."

"Aria, where did Serlandul go?" Gauss had already been to the next room—he wasn't inside.

"He took Ulfen and Eck out for a walk and to gather information," Aria replied. "This afternoon, it seems another batch of people arrived at the camp."

"Then let's go downstairs to eat something."

The two walked downstairs.

At this moment, the first floor was almost full of diners.

Adventurers exchanged today's gains with each other.

Noticing the changes at the outpost, especially the large-scale cavalry deployment, wasn't something only Gauss and his group had observed—other adventurers had noticed too.

Most qualified adventurers could recognize the importance of information, especially in this dangerous frontline where battles could break out at any moment. No activity escaped the adventurers' notice.

"...They don't seem to be heading toward the wyvern nest direction."

"Yes, looking at their target, it should be Misty Path."

"Wasn't that area sealed off by the cavalry regiment a few days ago? Why are they sending people there again today..."

"Who knows? Maybe some rare treasure appeared."

"Really annoying..."

"I heard someone found that the fog in that area has dispersed."

Gauss quickly picked up information from everyone's conversations, somewhat understanding now. Meanwhile, his gaze wandered around the hall, trying to find empty seats.

Suddenly, his eyes stopped at a certain corner, his expression turning pleasantly surprised.

Sitting there was a petite figure.

She had smooth black hair, a child's height, but the face of a beautiful adult woman.

Her body proportions were well-balanced, completely different from those rough dwarves.

He never expected to encounter her here!

Walking over quickly, the corners of Gauss's mouth lifted slightly, giving him a feeling of meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land.

"Senior Andni, I never expected to meet you here."

Before him was none other than the owner of Thorn Cottage, the halfling mage Andni.

"It's you, Gauss," Andni waved her hand. "Sit down and eat together, I ordered extra anyway."

Compared to Gauss, her expression was relatively calm.

Gauss glanced at the food in front of her—most of it hadn't been touched yet.

Clearly she had sensed he was here and ordered extra in advance?

"Counting it up, it's been several months since we last saw each other," Gauss brought the somewhat awkward Aria to sit at the empty seats. "Senior, where have you been all this time?"

Since last autumn, he had hardly seen her at Thorn Cottage in Grayrock Town.

Every time he went, she wasn't there.

So he figured she must have gone on a long trip.

"As for me, it's a long story," Andni speared a piece of roasted meat into her mouth, her eyes looking at the quiet Aria beside Gauss. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your teammate?"

Only then did Gauss realize she had never met Aria before.

"This is Aria, we've been teaming up since last autumn."

"This is Senior Andni, a powerful mage."

Aria, like Gauss, also addressed her as senior.

Although Andni had concealed her aura, noticing how Gauss addressed her upon meeting, she had long realized this child-sized halfling wasn't simple.

"I have another half-snake person teammate too. I'll introduce you to him when there's time."

"Okay."

Andni nodded.

Her gaze paused for a moment on the three six-pointed stars on Gauss's adventurer badge, her expression somewhat dazed as she sincerely praised.

"I never expected you'd already advanced to level 3, Gauss."

When she said this, her tone was quite emotional.

Her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to when she first met Gauss—back then he was just a rookie low-level adventurer who didn't know much about professions.

Although he had already shown extraordinary magical talent, he seemed too green in her eyes at the time.

After all, having talent didn't guarantee successful realization.

The reason Gauss left a special impression was because his unique mana happened to match the bone staff she had collected for years, which led to subsequent continued contact.

Who would have thought that after just this much time.

The former little rookie had grown into a level 3 professional.

She even had the illusion that actually a long time had passed.

"Not bad, this advancement speed is pretty average," Gauss laughed.

"..." Andni thought about her own leveling experiences and couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"I left Grayrock Town to visit some old friends I hadn't seen in years, just to stretch my limbs, and incidentally went on a journey," Andni briefly explained her whereabouts, as it wasn't some unspeakable secret anyway. "This is my habit too—every once in a while, I travel around, otherwise my mana might start deteriorating."

Although retired, she wasn't old yet.

If not for her team disbanding due to an accident, at fifty years old she would still be in her prime fighting years.

Halflings lived longer than humans—normal halflings typically lived to 150 years old, and if they became professionals and took care of themselves, they might live even longer.

"By the way, Andni. I have good news to tell you."

Gauss suddenly remembered something and looked up to speak.

"Hmm?" Andni chewed her food, her gentle brown eyes looking at Gauss.

"That bone staff you gave me last year—I've already replenished the staff core."

"Cough cough!" Andni originally hadn't paid too much attention, but upon hearing what Gauss said, she coughed several times in succession.

Her face was filled with disbelief.

"What did you say?"

Gauss repeated it again.

After confirming she hadn't misheard, Andni stood frozen in place.

How could the staff that showed no movement after decades of research in her hands change so quickly with Gauss?

Sigh...

Andni sighed inwardly, becoming even more certain that she had no connection with this item.

Could she not know this thing had significant origins?

But unfortunately, that staff just didn't suit her at all.

"Take it out.... Never mind, let's eat first," Andni initially wanted to say to see it, but realizing they were in a mixed crowd in the hall, she swallowed her words.

But she was indeed extremely curious about the changes to the bone staff.

The staff becoming complete with Gauss, although she had no connection with it, in a way could be considered as fulfilling a certain long-cherished wish.

The meal finished quickly.

After eating, Andni immediately pulled Gauss upstairs to his room.

At the hall entrance, Serlandul who had finished walking his pets watched Gauss being dragged upstairs and scratched his head.

....

Inside the outpost, lights shone brightly.

But out in the wilderness.

Under the ink-black night sky, sporadic flames flickered in the darkness.