The pressure is immense!
Beads of sweat kept dripping down Gauss’s forehead.
The bandages wrapped around his limbs were light in volume, but surprisingly heavy in weight.
The reason was the black stones engraved with simple runes on them; by activating the runes, the weight could be adjusted at will.
Afterward, Rachel led him through extensive strength training.
One set down, and Gauss almost lost track of himself.
What did I come here to do?
Forget it, let’s train first.
By the end of the training, Gauss was drenched in sweat.
He lay unceremoniously on the smooth ground, gasping for air.
Sweat rolled into his eyes, blurring his vision.
Suddenly, a woman’s face appeared in his view of the ceiling.
"Not bad."
"Stronger than I imagined."
"I acknowledge you now."
Rachel finally expressed her approval to him.
"Even for a Warrior, your physical qualities are excellent."
Though there was no comparing with her, the comparison was inherently unfair.
It was worth noting that there were almost no people in this city who could surpass her in physical strength.
"Hehe." Gauss gasped heavily.
Fortunately, besides strength, his stamina and recovery abilities were also exceptional.
After experiencing a short period of intense exertion, his body adjusted back as precisely as a finely-tuned machine.
With his breathing gradually calming, he slowly got up from the ground.
"Do you feel anything?"
Not far away, Rachel smiled as she asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground without a care in the world.
Gauss felt the changes in his body; the extreme fatigue was being replaced by an unusual comfort, as if every inch of his muscles and bones were breathing, craving for more.
He simply moved his arms a bit.
"It feels like... my body is lighter?" Gauss was a bit uncertain. "Control over my body seems smoother, and my strength feels more solid."
It was a subtle feeling, not a surge in strength but a deeper change in control.
"Exactly!" Rachel snapped her fingers crisply in approval.
"Pushing past physical limits, allowing muscles and bones to grow through destruction and repair, enhances your control over your body, and..."
"When your spirit intensely focuses to resist fatigue, your spiritual power gets trained as well."
Reminded by Rachel, Gauss immediately looked inward.
Indeed, his Magic Power status had also become more active, as if achieving some balance with his body’s rhythm.
Rachel nodded.
"The spirit resides within the flesh, two sides of the same coin, influencing and achieving each other."
Gauss nodded.
"However, such muscle-tearing training should be done sparingly." Adelle, observing the scene, timely reminded.
Fearing Gauss might get carried away with the training.
"Before training, the Dragon Blood Moss extract Rachel gave you is a rare healing potion," Adelle explained. "It significantly accelerates the repair of muscles and bones, ensuring that such extreme training doesn’t lead to internal injuries and thereby harm your body’s foundation."
Gauss looked enlightened.
No wonder Rachel handed him a glass of green liquid before training.
"Dragon Blood Moss?" The term intrigued him.
It sounded quite extraordinary.
"Yes. It’s a rare moss that only grows in areas where the Giant Dragon has fallen, containing powerful Life Energy. That single cup could suffice to exchange for a decent piece of Magic equipment."
Hearing this, Gauss immediately turned to look at Rachel sitting on the ground.
She merely waved her hand as he glanced over.
Appearing indifferent.
But...
"Does it seem like the effect of the extract isn’t that noticeable?" Seemingly guessing Gauss’s thoughts.
Adelle continued to explain.
"Its effect is continuous and very gentle, which is why this extract is precious. Over time, your training will greatly benefit from it."
"Especially since you are likely condensing a second Profession recently, it can speed up some processes for you."
"Understood." Gauss looked at Rachel, sincerely thanking her: "Thank you, Guild Leader Rachel."
He didn’t expect her to be so generous.
They were practically strangers, meeting for the first time.
He was even somewhat perplexed.
Why was she being so kind to him? There had to be a reason, right?
"Haha! No need to thank me." Rachel laughed loudly. "Someone has already paid for you."
"Who?" Gauss instinctively asked.
Rachel paused for a moment.
"I can’t say. In time, you’ll find out."
"Nevertheless, thank you very much for your guidance, Guild Leader Rachel." Gauss bowed slightly.
"It’s nothing. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to seek my help." Rachel responded heartily. "By the way, Sen City has been a bit chaotic lately, don’t get involved."
...
"How was it? How was it?"
Aaliyah’s eyes widened as she looked at Gauss, filled with curiosity.
The four-member team gathered in Gauss’s room, where a yellowed piece of leather resembling a treasure map lay on the oak table.
Yesterday, he made time to purchase a Spellbook for understanding languages at the Adventurer’s Guild Skill Store.
Since the 1st-level Spell was no longer difficult for him now.
He mastered the spell with hardly any time spent.
"What does the content say?"
Despite Captain Fern advising them not to get their hopes up, saying most treasure maps circulating in the world are fakes, the mere possibility of this one being genuine still sparked their interest.