Inside were over a dozen silver coins.
Quite a few, but not a lot either.
He and his brothers had invested all their saved money into the carriage.
He also knew that this amount of money might be considered an almost "humiliating" token of gratitude for the powerful "Mage" in front of him.
But he was truly short on cash now.
Gauss glanced at these people.
Symbolically, he took out one silver coin from the purse.
"This is enough," Gauss shook his head. "Let’s just be friends."
Before Jimmy could say anything else, he turned around.
"We’ll drink together next time we meet."
He mounted his ride and Gauss’s figure dashed down the road with ease.
Jimmy and the others followed the direction he came from, and found that all the monsters along the way had been cleaned out, leaving no crisis behind.
....
"Monsters killed: Total 5999"
"Monsters killed: Total 6000"
He casually pinned a slime to the ground.
Gauss’s total monster kills finally reached 6000.
The small milestone of 6000 kills was illuminated amidst the major stages of 4000 and 10000.
"Monsters killed: 6000/6000"
"Reward obtained: Professional Talent [Master of Stable Spellcasting]"
The small milestone of 6000 kills didn’t offer spell or attribute point rewards.
Yet it granted a professional talent.
Gauss looked at the talent’s description.
[Master of Stable Spellcasting]: This talent makes your spellcasting more stable and less prone to interruption.
At best, it can be considered a minor talent.
But Gauss was quite pleased.
Being more stable in casting, less prone to interruption — it might not seem to enhance spell strength or offer other direct numerical benefits, but this simple talent is crucial.
With this talent, he would be more adept at handling enemies who use magic to counter or interrupt spells.
Moreover, it reduces the risk of "crashing" while using the Flying Technique in mid-air.
Besides, couldn’t I possibly...
Thinking of this, he prepared to give it a try.
"Give me a moment."
Gauss spoke to his companions.
He cast the Flying Technique on himself swiftly.
The magical effect instantly enveloped his body.
He floated up from the back of his chocobo.
Soon hovering above the height of the surrounding trees.
"Indeed, it feels somewhat different now."
He couldn’t put into words the peculiar feeling acquired after gaining the talent [Master of Stable Spellcasting].
Overall, the change brought by stable casting is beyond what enhancement in Flight Technique proficiency can offer, it’s an advancement in a different dimension.
Stable to a frightening degree.
He gazed into the distance.
The next moment, a few magic missiles fired from his white magic wand.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
The magic missiles quickly exploded in the surrounding bushes.
Indeed... it succeeded!
The ability to cast spells while flying, which Gauss had been practicing, finally made a crucial leap after obtaining this talent.
Then, he tried moving and flying while casting spells.
Overall, there were not too many issues.
But as the speed increased, casting became slightly more strenuous.
Because while casting, one also needs to maintain stable magic output for the Flying Technique, which sounds simple but requires highly precise control over magic power.
To achieve such "freely at will" casting, relying only on [Master of Stable Spellcasting] might not be sufficient; another professional talent [Spell Mastery] probably provided significant help.
Gauss’s lips slightly curled up.
This breakthrough in ability signifies another step forward in his mobility as a mage.
Like an aircraft equipped with a complete weapon system, transforming into a true aerial cannon.
From now on, he could effectively use the Flying Technique for rapid movement and cast other spells to attack enemies concurrently.
Especially against enemies lacking anti-air capabilities, they could do nothing but look on helplessly.
For instance, the petrified bull he encountered not long ago.
If he had mastered the ability to cast spells while flying at that time, he wouldn’t have needed to land on a hilltop.
He could directly unleash a Fireball Technique on its head.
Although his proficiency in Fireball Technique is still somewhat insufficient, at least it avoids considerations for finding a landing spot — it’s not always possible to find the right position for casting spells.
Moreover, not needing to land, in most situations, is inherently safer.
Ordinary enemies won’t easily reach him.
He understood the feeling of the Goblin Bat Knight high in the sky that night.
The feeling of attacking enemies from atop their heads, while they lack countermeasures, is indeed exhilarating.
However, after flying for a while, he quickly cooled down and landed back on the ground.
The sensation of being transformed into an "aerial cannon" was delightful, but the consumption was very noticeable.
Casting spells while flying demands much more magic consumption than traditionally understood 1+1.
Since stabilizing two spells concurrently requires extra energy consumption.
It’s acceptable for short-term use, but prolonged use demands high total magic power on his behalf.
"You’ve already mastered it?"
Aaliyah asked incredulously as she watched him land back on the bird’s back.
After mastering the Flying Technique, Gauss had shared with them his next training target and thoughts.
Being a caster herself, even though she wasn’t directly involved, she could distinctly comprehend the difficulty involved.
The difficulty of the Flying Technique is already not low, let alone maintaining magic stability while flying and casting other spells.
Entering her perspective, she found it nearly unobtainable.
But, Gauss was not her, thus she was willing to believe Gauss could achieve it.
Even if Gauss was the genius in her mind, she thought that it would take some time to ponder and practice, right?
How much time has actually passed?
Moreover, they were practically together day and night.
She hadn’t seen much of him practicing.
Except for those nights when he left the village and went to the surrounding woods to clear out wild monsters.
Perhaps he secretly practiced during those times?
While we were resting, was Gauss silently striving?
Aaliyah gasped in amazement.
This is daunting.
A person more talented than you works even harder in practice.
"Yes, I spent quite a bit of time pondering," Gauss nodded.
Being teammates, there was no need to hide the shifts in combat approaches; they would find out soon enough.
"Quite a bit of time... you’re quite frightening," Aaliyah shook her head.
Even counting Gauss’s time sneaking out at night to practice, it hadn’t been long; the days were clear.
"Fortunately, we’re all one of us, otherwise if some wizards knew about your progress, they might put you on the research table."
She pretended to put on an eerie expression and warned him.
"There aren’t many evil wizards left now, are there?" Gauss rolled his eyes at her.
Being both casters, wizards, mages, and warlocks differ; wizards draw power from more varied sources and possess an exploratory spirit.
In the past, during chaotic times, some wizards even took risks, capturing experimental subjects recklessly for their research.
However, after the Adventurer’s Guild was established and gradually expanded, it intensified its crackdown on these unrestricted wizards.
Currently, apart from those legally registered in the guild, the number of wild wizards is dwindling.
Many legacies have been assimilated by the guild.
Under the threat from the realm of demons, civilized human factions have generally maintained unity in opposition, marking adventurers’ civilization’s golden era in development.
The number of adventurers grew exponentially.
"Continue heading to the next village."
Having achieved the 6000 kills goal, with some distance to the 8000 kills mark, Gauss didn’t continue searching globally for monsters to slay, but began embarking on the next journey.
Amid the forests, the team slowly faded away as they chatted quietly.
...
Soon after, Gauss and the others passed through three villages.
"Lord Gauss, safe travels!"
"You’re always welcome back for a visit."
"I love you, Lord Gauss!"
Who’s taking a chance to confess?
Gauss turned to look at the crowd; he was a bit curious since the voice seemed a bit coarse.
But there were just too many villagers.
Shaking his head, he urged his bird to follow the snickering teammates.
"Why not stay? Someone’s confessing to you."