Chapter 45: Days of Rain and Professionals
"Finally, the sun’s out!"
Gauss opened the window, watching the bright sun shine outside, with a smile on his lips.
A few days ago, after submitting the quest, each member of the squad received their respective rewards, and it was originally agreed that they would take on another quest in two days.
But unfortunately, it had been raining continuously for several days.
So, the original plans had to be postponed.
He always felt there was something strange about this rain, but he couldn’t figure it out.
"Could it be that the rainy season has already started?" Gauss pondered as he walked down the street for the first time in ages.
During the days cooped up in the inn, apart from practicing with his rapier in his room, he could only chat with Sofia in the lobby to pass the time.
After staying a few more days, he felt like his body was starting to rust.
Now that the weather had finally cleared, he naturally wanted to go out and stretch a little.
He was not the only one with that thought in mind.
The streets of the town were bustling with busy pedestrians and caravans.
"Hey, you all! Move faster! Otherwise, clear a path for your lord!"
A tall, bare-chested half-beastman was shouting angrily at pedestrians walking side by side in front of him.
Gauss heard the noise behind him and turned his head to see what was happening.
He wasn’t involved, just curious about the commotion.
As rumored, most half-beastmen were easily angered and irritable.
This one was no exception, with eyes bulging like copper bells, seemingly displeased by the slow pace of pedestrians ahead, he scolded loudly.
If it were a regular civilian being yelled at by such a burly and unusual figure, they might choose to keep the peace.
But the man in front of him didn’t seem easy to deal with either.
When he heard the half-beastman’s road-rage-like shouting, he stopped in his tracks.
Turning to face the half-beastman, he gave a smile laden with provocation.
The difference in size was vast; the human man was about 1.7 meters, while the half-beastman was nearly 2 meters tall, standing there like a sturdy wall.
But the man showed no sign of fear.
"You punk!"
Already irritable, the half-beastman, provoked, turned red with anger, and couldn’t hold back any longer.
"Boom!"
A massive fist, with a furious blow, swung directly toward the man’s face.
Nearby pedestrians, scared by the scene, quickly scattered, staying far from the two.
"Bang!"
Surprisingly, the half-beastman’s powerful punch was easily caught by the man’s seemingly ordinary hands.
The fist couldn’t surpass the hand at all.
The half-beastman’s eyes twitched, and his previously red, menacing face suddenly squeezed into a friendly smile.
"Sorry, buddy..."
He was about to apologize, but before he could finish, a lightning-fast knee strike hit his abdomen in an instant.
"Ugh!!"
The man retracted his leg, and the half-beastman knelt to the ground, retching continuously.
Gauss watched from a distance, his expression turning serious.
"A Professional..."
The ability to ignore size differences and unleash such terrifying power was clearly something only a Professional could possess.
Truly formidable.
Gauss recalled the kick just now, so fast that he hadn’t even seen it clearly.
Even though he wasn’t in a Thought Acceleration state, it was frightening enough as it was.
The naked eye couldn’t even capture the muscle movements of others.
No wonder people say that Professionals are walking weapons.
The gap between ordinary people and them is truly insurmountable.
Even a half-beastman with inherited bloodline strength couldn’t withstand a casual kick from him.
For regular people, it would be even worse.
Could I react at such a close range? The thought popped into Gauss’s mind.
No.
The answer came quickly to him.
Even with Thought Acceleration, he could perceive the attack trajectory, but his body couldn’t respond in such a short time.
If there were enough distance, perhaps he could use Magic Missile to attack.
However, Gauss was concerned that with the opponent’s physical prowess, there might be difficulties in targeting during Casting.
"I’m still too weak."
In contrast to the Night Owl Squad, Gauss, who had thought he had made some progress, realized his strength once again.
Facing a Professional, he might not be much different from an ordinary person.
The crowd dispersed, no longer lingering, afraid trouble would find them.
Gauss also looked away, picking up his pace to leave.
He wasn’t afraid like the other bystanders; he just had a strong desire to become stronger.
He needed to arrange a quest quickly.
"Knock, knock!"
After informing the receptionist of Levin’s name, he walked up the stairs to the second-floor room of the tavern.
"Room 3."
Levin had a long-term lease here.
Before long, a voice called from behind the door.
"Who’s there?"
"It’s me, Gauss."
Immediately after, the sound of a chair dragging was heard from inside, and soon Levin opened the door.
"You’re here to discuss the quest, right? I was just about to come find you."
Levin stepped aside, signaling Gauss to come in.
Although not very fancy, Levin’s room was fully furnished.
When Gauss arrived, it seemed Levin was maintaining his weapons.
The Oak Great Shield sat at the center of the table, surrounded by beeswax, resin, a bristle brush, and a small metal spatula.
"I was planning to go find you at your place today," Levin continued, slowly and steadily maintaining his Wooden Shield. "Wanted to tell you, if it’s still sunny tomorrow, we’ll meet at the Adventurer’s Guild."
"Now that you’re here, it’s just one less trip for me."
Levin stretched lazily, the continuous rainy days also testing his patience.
For a Professional, not practicing their skills for a long time leads to degradation, although it wouldn’t happen after just a few days, it still made Levin feel uneasy.
He always felt like a few days of rest would decrease his chances of advancing to a Professional.
"Should I go and inform the others for you?"
"No need, I’ll head out myself this afternoon and get some exercise."
Gauss stayed in Levin’s room for a while, learning about maintaining a Wooden Shield.
With a good memory, he quickly engraved the relatively simple maintenance knowledge and steps into his brain, satisfied, he departed.
The next day.
The weather remained clear.
Gauss equipped himself and left the inn.
He arrived at the bustling Adventurer’s Guild.
The tasks pinned to the walls seemed more numerous than usual.
"What quests should we take on this time?" Doyle rubbed his hands excitedly. "I feel like my Cross Slash is about to be fully mastered, this premonition is strong."
"You said the same thing last year." Medvedeva reminded him expressionlessly from behind.
"This time it’s really different!"
"Hmm, that response is exactly the same as last year."
Many adventurers often have the illusion that their skills are about to reach mastery, about to step into the guidance phase.
After all, there’s no clear quantitative way to show their progress, everything is based on personal feeling.
But feelings change with moods and subjective thoughts, leading to significant misjudgments.
"You should keep calm. Be careful, I’ve heard some adventurers become delusional about nearing mastery, and in the end, mentally collapse, going insane." Oliver also patted Doyle on the shoulder.
Gauss stood to the side, observing silently.
Once again, he marveled at the fact that his skill proficiency could directly display progress, it was truly exceptional.