Unfortunately, he rarely encountered skeletons.
For some reason, he hadn’t come across skeletons very often, and when he did, their numbers were limited.
During those few times he met them, it was in old graveyards, and the most he found at one time barely exceeded ten.
Moreover, this wasn’t just a coincidence for him; he had consulted others before, and they too seldom encountered large numbers of skeletons.
To encounter hundreds of them in one place like this was already considered a rare "spectacle."
He couldn’t help but think about the contents of the commission intelligence.
It’s said that Goat Village was once a battlefield long ago, so did something happen during the war that led to the corpses buried here having a high "yield rate"?
What exactly happened?
It sure isn’t simply about the quantity; if it were, he wouldn’t have encountered so few skeletons.
"Clack, clack!"
The villagers around didn’t think as much as he did.
They gathered in small groups, cautiously using farming tools to smash the skulls of skeletons on the ground and then wrapped the bones in cloth, seemingly ready to transport them back.
"What are you doing?"
Gauss was curious.
The young man he asked was named Eric, the one Gauss had asked to demonstrate with a machete on the first day.
He was also the village chief’s grandson.
He did not hide anything and quickly answered.
"Lord Gauss, these bones are good stuff. Once crushed into powder and spread onto the fields, crops grow stronger. We just have to remove those that are toxic."
"As for the slightly harder arm and rib bones, we can process them into tools, spindles, bone needles, or even weapons, which are more durable than ordinary wood."
"It seems like you’re familiar with these skeletons." Gauss said thoughtfully.
The village located on special terrain, yet the villagers found ways to utilize the monsters on this land in their daily lives.
Of course, this assumes ordinary skeletons are relatively weak.
"Yes, we previously organized people to clear out the weakest monsters, but to avoid injuries, we only lured out a few, unlike your high efficiency."
"Since you need these bones, let me help you take them back."
Gauss patted his medium-sized Storage Pouch.
This storage tool could hold a volume of 10 cubic meters and a weight of over 3 tons, more than enough for these skeletons.
With Gauss’ help, the skeletal fragments on the ground were quickly cleaned up.
"Let’s explore the surroundings, and if we don’t find anything, we can head back."
....
At dusk, the residents of Goat Village welcomed them at the village entrance.
Seeing everyone safe and sound, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Some villagers noticed that after the day’s "adventure training," many in the team had undergone significant changes in their demeanor.
Eagerly, they inquired about the day’s experiences.
Gauss safely brought Rhine back to her parents.
Filled with joy, she jumped into her parents’ arms, happily recounting her day’s adventures in a slightly childish tone.
Gauss couldn’t help but reflect on whether the training she underwent during the day was too harsh for a child.
Ah...
But on the other hand, he felt that experiencing harsh scenes early might be beneficial for someone aspiring to become a professional.
After all, when he first faced goblins, he was mentally prepared for a long time.
"Rhine didn’t trouble you today, did she?"
"Lord Gauss... Lord Gauss?"
Rhine’s father, feeling uneasy by Gauss’ silence, called out a few times.
Gauss snapped back to reality, giving the honest father before him a reassuring smile.
"It’s nothing, I was just thinking about something else. Rhine was very brave and clever today; she learned a lot."
....
Late night.
Inside the foldable house.
The four of them were all delving into their respective skills.
Gauss was still pondering over the [Fireball Technique].
Actually, after mastering the 3rd-level Spell Flying Technique, he found the difficulty of Fireball Technique seemed slightly reduced.
His recent learning progress had clearly improved.
The spell model for [Fireball Technique] was mostly constructed, with only a few key nodes remaining.
Once he sorted them out, he should be able to master the renowned 3rd-level attack spell.
Gauss wasn’t impatient about this process.
Because the learning and mastering process itself is a journey of self-improvement.
Much like when he mastered the Flying Technique, his understanding of magic reached another level, making learning Fireball Technique easier.
Upon further mastering the second 3rd-level spell, learning other 3rd-level spells in the future would almost pose little difficulty.
As he sat on the bed with closed eyes, concentrating, a precise and complex model slowly constructed at the depths of his consciousness.
He tried it several times.
Gauss took a deep breath, opened his eyes.
As long as he solved some problems each day, no spell would be insurmountable.
He stepped out of the room to the living room.
Aaliyah sat on a chair, pondering over the Skill Book in her hands.
Gauss poured a glass of water and placed it in front of her.
Seeing her look up, he spoke.
"How’s the learning going?"
Back then, Aaliyah had exchanged skills of 2nd Ring attribute enhancement and 3rd Ring plant growth.
She was currently studying attribute enhancement.
The difficulty of this skill seemed harder than expected.
Plus, having executed commissions in between, she hadn’t completely mastered it yet.
"Almost there." She closed the Skill Book. "Want to see the effect now?"
Gauss nodded.
"Go for it."
He was actually a bit curious.
In his mind, he began recalling the information about this Druid Spell.
This spell was a beneficial spell for professions like Druid and Bard, primarily used to enhance teammates’ combat abilities.
It strengthens teammates in certain capacities through enhancement.
In particular, there are four directions.
The Bear enhances constitution.
The Cat enhances agility.
The Bull enhances strength.
The Eagle enhances charm.
The spell’s diverse enhancement directions were the reason for the high learning difficulty.
Aaliyah rubbed her hands nervously.
This spell couldn’t be used on her animal companion, otherwise she would have used Ulfen.
Excluding her animal companion, Gauss seemed to be the only suitable "guinea pig" around.
He was strong and healthy, not likely to have issues.
But even so, she wanted to master this skill better before having Gauss try it.
"I’m going to start now." Aaliyah took a deep breath.
Standing up, she moved to a slightly spacious spot in the living room.
"Okay."
Upon getting Gauss’ approval, an invisible aura began to spread centered around her.
"Enhance Attribute!"
She softly chanted the simple activation spell.
Instantly, a stream of pale golden light emerged from her Magic Staff, like thin vines, quickly winding its way around Gauss’ limbs and body.
The flowing energy circulated over Gauss’ body following some mysterious trajectory, ultimately gathering into a light spot in front of his heart and merging inside.
Throughout, Gauss showed no resistance.
His innate magic resistance, even for beneficial spells, could repel them at the first instance if he wanted.
And rather, friendly enhancements were easier to "interrupt" than enemy’s negative curse skills.
Because beneficial spells are very gentle, aiming not to harm the target, while curses are the opposite.
"Eh? Any change?" Gauss sensed his body.
The feeling of strength, constitution, and agility didn’t seem enhanced, so what was enhanced was...
"I used the Eagle’s enhancement, focusing on charm.... It’s the branch I’m most skilled at, so I used this." Aaliyah explained.
She glanced at Gauss, under the magical lamp above, Gauss indeed appeared more attractive.
The skill succeeded....
"Alright, alright, let’s switch to the next one." After a few glances, Aaliyah quickly ended the skill.
"I haven’t had a chance to look in the mirror at the effect yet." Gauss shook his head.
Enhancements by skills like this didn’t show on the Attribute Panel.
He had discovered early on that the Attribute Panel seemed to indicate stable improvements.
At least, they had to be long-lasting equipment bonuses.
So to experience the effect, he had to rely on his own feelings to judge.
"Nothing much to see, let’s test the next one." Already raising her Magic Staff again, Aaliyah said.
"Alright then."