Of course, he had another concern he didn’t mention.
The identities of Sorin and the other two were clearly not simple, and Gauss even suspected that they weren’t ordinary free adventurers, but had hidden identities; otherwise, how could they receive information on such a divine commission?
This raises the question of whether they can freely choose such special "missions," or if they are assigned by superiors to execute them obligatorily.
In Gauss’s judgment, it should be closer to the latter.
If he joins them, his actions will also be correspondingly restricted.
"Haha." Sorin’s face showed a hint of regret, but he laughed heartily. "It seems you have great ambitions, young man."
"But that’s okay, even if we can’t be teammates, we can still be friends."
Nancy handed Gauss a pre-prepared note: "Here’s our address in ’Wine Heart City.’ Our team will mostly be active in that area. If you pass by in the future or need a hand or help with some small trouble, you’re very welcome to find us."
"I’ll be sure to visit when I have time." Gauss took the note.
Yet another unfamiliar city.
Judging by the map location, it’s already outside the jurisdiction of Cold Jade Province, and quite a distance from Gray Rock Town and Forest Crown Town.
Elton looked at Gauss with a gentle expression, unlike Sorin and Nancy, he wasn’t obsessed with inviting Gauss to join the team.
He was more concerned about the mysterious power Gauss used to destroy the evil god’s aura a few days ago.
With a tone of caution, he said, "Gauss, although I can’t fathom that power you hold, excessively strong power often brings great danger, so please be careful using it. If you feel any discomfort, don’t hesitate; the Lord of Dawn’s temple will always be open to those who seek light and hope, and faith might help you harness that power."
He added a gentle sermon at the end.
Gauss nodded, but his consciousness again plunged deep within his body, where the mysterious giant egg had absorbed and purified the evil god’s power, then after feeding it back, fell into slumber again.
This time, however, its eggshell surface had become even shinier, along with intricate golden patterns flowing through.
Afterward, the few of them no longer talked business, but while eating, exchanged adventure stories and cultivation experiences, with time passing swiftly.
An enjoyable dinner ended in a lively atmosphere.
After this gathering, the two teams establishing initial trust were once again about to part ways.
...
At the town gate, they bid farewell to Sorin and his dwarf companions.
Serdur also told Gauss he needed to leave the team for a few days.
"Captain, I feel the level 3 bottleneck that’s been holding me back has loosened; I might need to leave for a few days to prepare for breaking through to level 4."
"Breaking through the level? That’s great news." Gauss was thrilled to hear this.
According to Serdur himself, he’s been stuck at level 3 for over two years, nearly three.
"I really have to thank you, Captain." Serdur said gratefully.
"Why thank me? It’s all due to your own efforts." Gauss smiled and waved, thinking he was being overly courteous.
But Serdur shook his head, with an exceptionally serious expression: "No, Captain. I can feel that if it weren’t for this mission, I might have needed a good while longer to break through. Especially when you purified that aura at the end... I felt a sudden surge of pure energy within me that could enhance my strength; it must be intimately related to you, Captain."
Aaliyah upon hearing this also nodded repeatedly.
"I felt it too, a sudden influx of energy into the profession tier."
She blinked, feeling very curious.
Gauss looked at his companions who had been through many adventures together, lost in thought.
Although venturing out for exploration and adventure itself can imperceptibly boost profession and profession tier levels for all adventurers, such growth is typically smooth and barely discernible to the individual.
This sudden rise is the first for them upon coming to his side, considering he also seemed to have gained much "experience."
A hypothesis gradually surfaced in his mind.
Could the mysterious white egg share extra team experience with its teammates?
His mind kept flashing with scenes from the Black Forest he’d seen before, and the whispers he occasionally heard.
The egg’s devotees, Tree-men, the increasingly vital energy deep in the forest, the numerous evolving insects...
It seems to possess some ability to initiate "evolutionary enhancement."
Its secrets appear far deeper than he initially thought.
"It should be related to that egg." Gauss rubbed his temples and shared his guess with the companions.
Hearing Gauss’s explanation, the two were momentarily stunned.
Actually, if Gauss hadn’t mentioned it, the two of them almost forgot about this matter.
After concluding the Black Forest investigation commission, their team went through the defense of the 11th station, retreat, reaching agreements with Sorin’s team, exploring ruins, and purifying evil god’s aura.
Every event was significant for an ordinary adventurer and worthy of remembering.
Despite the span of time not being too long, the experiences were so rich that it almost scattered those memories.
Seems they were reminded of something, Aaliyah and Serdur first felt shock, then subtly showed expressions of vague understanding.
"Nonetheless, thank you, Captain." Serdur thanked again.