In the depths of his consciousness, the Magic Cup emanated a bright light, and the flow of magic power became faster.
A burst of abundant energy quickly filled it, making Gauss feel immensely satisfied.
It was as if he could see an invisible experience bar rapidly increasing.
However, the pure energy returned by the white egg was not entirely used up; a portion remained in his body, subtly nourishing his body and spirit.
"Phew—" Gauss opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction on his face.
In just a few seconds, he could detect that his profession tier experience had been significantly advanced.
Considering that this energy could continue to nourish him, after some tasks and adventures, he might soon see the threshold of level 4.
Is it truly the power of the gods? Even a mere hint of its breath is enough to advance a professional’s progression.
It must be known that advancing as a professional is challenging. Some levels might take a lifetime to cross, and cases of taking ten or even more years to advance a single level are common. Even those with superior talent might need several years.
He had only recently broken through to level 3, and now suddenly half of the progress had been forcefully advanced; the pace was indeed rapid.
On the other side, about ten meters away from Gauss, both Aaliyah and Serdur shuddered simultaneously.
The two exchanged a glance and then looked towards Gauss.
"You..."
"You too..."
"Let’s talk about it when we get back." Aaliyah swallowed, her throat bobbing.
"Alright."
Serdur initially wanted to say that he seemed to have broken through the barrier from level 3 to level 4, a threshold that had held him back for a long time, but now he had suddenly broken through.
Countless insights became clear in an instant.
He thought that after returning this time, it wouldn’t be long before he completed the upgrade.
Although it happened suddenly, tying it to Gauss’s actions earlier, he vaguely speculated that his change might be related to his captain Gauss.
"Haha! Gauss, my boy, though I still don’t quite understand how you managed to do it, well done!" Sorin’s booming voice first broke the silence.
Their team’s objective in the Jade Forest was achieved. Although the process was full of twists and turns, and ultimately it relied on Gauss’s power to clear the evil god’s presence, it was completed after all.
Even without considering their team’s mission, it was a joyous matter for him, and any blow to anything related to the Gray Dwarves was good news.
Nancy and Elton also showed expressions of relief.
The overwhelming intensity of the evil god’s presence earlier made them think at one point that they wouldn’t complete the mission and would need to retreat.
Fortunately, they had Gauss in their team.
Thinking of this, they looked back at the dwarf Sorin.
It must be said, his second brain’s instinctive judgment was indeed useful.
At the time, Sorin persuaded them to invite outsiders for this commission, saying it would help the task. Initially, they were hesitant and wavered, but considering his talent, they eventually agreed.
Unexpectedly, it was more than just helpful; it played a decisive role, and in contrast, their purification team became mere accessories.
"Let’s get out of here." Gauss glanced at the team members and said.
When he blasted the rock wall earlier, the entire cavern trembled. Although it had stabilized now, it still felt like it was on the verge of collapsing.
"Yes, yes." Sorin agreed wholeheartedly.
Soon, they retraced their steps.
Cracks had sprawled across both sides of the passage along their path, and as they moved, the cracks slowly extended, with chunks of rock falling from all directions.
"Move faster!" Watching this scene, everyone quickened their pace.
They managed to escape to the surface along the entrance’s cracks just before the ruins fully collapsed.
"Boom!!!"
A dull thud echoed from underground, burying the cracks and tunnels within completely.
"I think... we can’t rest yet. We must keep moving." Gauss advised the somewhat exhausted Elton. "After all, with such a commotion, the adjacent monster camp must have detected it too."
"Hiss—"
With this reminder, everyone broke out in a cold sweat.
Having ventured into the underground ruins for a while, they almost forgot what dangers awaited outside; it certainly wasn’t safe out there.
The level of danger outside could even surpass that of the underground ruins.
"Run!" They all reached a consensus in their hearts simultaneously.
Worried that a patrol of monster teams might arrive soon, they dared not linger, racing in the direction away from the monster camp.
During their flight, they occasionally heard the sound of horns echoing through the forest, apparently signaling a massive gathering of monsters from the camp.
This drove Gauss and the others to run more than ten kilometers before daring to slow down and stop for a brief rest.
Being surrounded by such a massive monster crowd would surely mean certain death.
Even with the ability to teleport several hundred meters temporarily, it would be impossible to escape such a vast enemy formation.
After some detours, they returned to where they had left their mounts, mounted them, and headed out of the forest.
At the deepest part of the Jade Forest.
A forbidden land that ordinary adventurers might find hard to set foot on in their lifetime; the scenery was not terrifying at all. Instead, it was filled with magnificent and splendid views.
Ancient trees, surpassing the realm of the life norms, towered into the clouds, standing like ancient giants having lived through numerous epochs over the sea of green.