Return to the inn.
The layout of the inn hadn’t changed since he left.
Strangely comforting.
As if no matter how long he’s been gone, he can still find memories of the past here.
"I’m back."
"Welcome back."
"Want some food? There’s still some in the kitchen."
"I ate before I came back."
"Little Gauss, you..." Sofia suddenly noticed something was off, her bright eyes suspiciously scanning him.
After many days without seeing Gauss, they meet again.
She felt that Gauss seemed a bit different, more attractive than before.
But when asked to pinpoint the changes, she couldn’t quite say what had altered.
His eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth seemed the same but more harmonious, as if he suddenly grew into his features.
Could it be that during the exchange with peers in Bitter Wormwood Town, he did some special care?
She recalled that Bitter Wormwood Town was known for various herbs and medicines.
But why suddenly care for appearance? This point puzzled her.
All of a sudden, a guess popped into her mind.
Could it be that he likes a girl? So he started paying attention to his looks?
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing." Sofia, thinking she guessed the truth, did not uncover it, but smiled warmly and said. "Did you encounter something good this time out?"
"There is a big good thing, but I’ll keep it a secret for now. I’ll tell you after there are official results."
Gauss didn’t intend to share that he had advanced in his profession with Sofia for now.
He thought mentioning it casually after officially being certified as a bronze-level adventurer would be more effective.
Bringing it up deliberately seemed a bit forced.
As if trying to boast about something.
After hearing him, Sofia became more convinced of her guess.
However, for some reason, she felt a slight bitterness in her heart.
As if her son or daughter was about to start dating.
But since she never married, she wasn’t sure what kind of complex emotions that would truly be.
....
Walking on the street, Gauss’s steps were light.
The dungeon exploration indeed replenished him a lot.
Pockets filled with over four gold coins, looking at shops on the street made him feel more assured.
Before officially setting off, he still needed to update his gear.
First, buy a better one-handed crossbow and a quiver of special arrows.
In the final battle of the dungeon, he realized he still needed a handy one-handed crossbow.
Although he used Magic Missile, which still provided long-range attack capability, spells consumed MP, while a one-handed crossbow only needed arrows, and after some simple practice, it could have decent accuracy.
And the fired arrows could be recovered.
Secondly, a basic healing potion and a basic magic potion, one of each.
Magic potions might not be needed, but they shouldn’t be absent. Having two potions on hand provided more security.
In life-and-death moments, dead gold coins can’t help, but magic potions can; they quickly replenish life and magic power, and sometimes that might be the critical moment.
Gauss, with the rapid digestion talent, could restore magic power faster through eating, but this effect wasn’t instant, not yet.
Besides these items, Gauss also replenished the basic survival gear he used up previously: waterproof tinderbox, salt block, climbing hook set for crossing terrain, snake and insect repellent, medical first aid kit, a roll of multi-purpose long hemp rope, and so on.
He spent over one gold coin in total on this shopping trip.
The one-handed crossbow and two potions took up most of the expenditure.
Packing all the gear and equipment into his backpack, which was so full it reached half his height.
Fortunately, with his current 7 points of strength, carrying it wasn’t tiring.
...
Two days passed in a flash.
During these two days, he wanted to visit Andri to express his gratitude, but she seemed to be out on business and wasn’t at the Thorny Hut.
So he had to go out to continue the commissions.
After resting for two days, the fully recovered Gauss stood refreshed outside Gray Rock Town.
The last time he went to Jade Forest, it was when he first arrived in this world.
Now, months later, embarking on the same journey again.
Gauss’s mindset had completely changed, lacking the intense thrill he felt after his first gear purchase.
He remembered that, back then, to calm his excitement and nervousness, he went to a tavern and luxuriously ate a big bowl of noodles, stewed meat, and pickled fish.
Thinking back now, that decision might have been somewhat inappropriate.
Luckily, there wasn’t any discomfort from suddenly indulging too much.
Beside the main road in Gray Rock Town.
Gauss had a neatly packed bundle on his back, a rapier hanging at his waist, a White Bone Magic Wand tucked inside his clothing lining, and he stood steadily leaning on a black Metallic Staff.
Young bottom adventurers kept passing by him in small groups.
When passing by him, they glanced several times, but once they saw the giant staff in his hand, their eyes couldn’t help but show some envy.
With all his well-equipped gear and that exaggerated-sized metallic staff in his hand, he hardly looked like a bottom adventurer.
Gauss indeed noticed the gazes from the passing pedestrians but didn’t pay too much attention.
In a daze, he somewhat understood the feelings of the armored professional he encountered a few months back when he was just starting out.
"Clack-clack-clack!"
The sound of carriage wheels on the ground echoed, eventually stopping in front of Gauss.
Gauss boarded the carriage.
Inside, there were several others.
The outskirts of the Jade Forest were roughly half a day’s walk from Gray Rock Town.
Even with Gauss’s abundant stamina, it might take two to three hours of walking.
To save some energy, he reserved a seat at the town’s carriage service for a ride to the Jade Forest.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one with this idea.
Walking into the carriage, he found the only vacant seat and sat down.
He began to cautiously observe the other passengers in the carriage.
They might have all restrained their profession aura, as he couldn’t discern their strength; he could only roughly judge their abilities by their appearance and attire.
Sitting directly opposite him was a pair of lightly armored warriors, a man and a woman, seemingly very close, possibly a couple.
A man in a black robe covering his face, inconspicuously curled up in a corner.
Beside Gauss was a white-haired young man, with a medium-sized suitcase at his feet, continuously flipping through a finely bound hardcover book.
Lastly, there was a blue-haired woman, with a quiet demeanor, a wooden staff beside her, leaning against the window watching the scenery outside.
While he observed the others in the carriage, they too were subtly sizing him up.
This included the white-haired boy absorbed in his reading, who was no exception.
Warrior? Mage?
The rapier showed clear signs of use, the giant metallic staff appeared like a melee weapon, yet it was embedded with a crystal stone—is it still a magic wand then?
A tall and muscular build, solidly strong.
Can’t figure it out....
After a brief side glance, the white-haired boy quickly withdrew his gaze.
The elders had warned him not to stir trouble, especially when facing someone they couldn’t comprehend.
Six people in the carriage, apart from the warrior couple occasionally exchanging whispered conversations, only the sound of the coachman managing the horses outside remained.
Gauss closed his eyes lightly amidst the gentle jostle, beginning to rest.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve arrived at the Jade Forest."
After resting for some time, at the coachman’s shout, Gauss opened his eyes.
He stepped out of the carriage.
The familiar green forest appeared in Gauss’s view.
In the morning, the hazy, milky white mist hadn’t completely dissipated, just like ribbons twining between the woods.
Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, scattered in rays on the moss-covered ground.
A gentle sniff detected a moisture-laden plant and decomposed earth aroma lingering in the air.
Once everyone exited the carriage.
Gauss discovered the blue-haired woman and white-haired boy, who didn’t communicate during the ride, were actually teammates.
Thus, the six in the carriage were divided into two groups of two-person teams, with Gauss as the lone ranger, and lastly the black-robed man.
None of them intended to exchange pleasantries or even make eye contact.
The black-robed man’s figure swiftly vanished into the deep green shadows of the Jade Forest’s path.
After securing his bundle, Gauss quickly strode into the forest.
"Chirp-chirp!"
Noises continuously echoed from overhead, made by some unknown, noisy bird.
Gauss released his Armor Spell, then while cross-referencing the mission map in his hand, he continued along the forest path.
Occasionally encountering crossroads, he would stop to compare in detail, leaving a mental map mark before proceeding.
Soon, he was deep into the outer zone.
The Adventurer’s Guild’s task map generally divided the Jade Forest into several concentric circles based on distance.
The outermost circle was relatively safe; the deeper you ventured, the higher the danger level increased. It’s said that in the deepest parts of the forest, adventurers might even encounter mighty adult Green Dragons.
Fortunately, Gauss’s mission location this time only just departed from the outer zone, without necessitating deep exploration into the Jade Forest.
Of course, compared to his past trap-setting areas in the outermost part, this mission location was relatively further inside, with a greater chance of encountering "dangerous creatures."