The only drawback is probably its limited "size," which prevents it from condensing into full-body protection like armor.
After slaying the unlucky goblins he encountered on the road, Gauss’s total monster kills have reached 9,625.
Getting closer and closer to the milestone of ten thousand kills.
In his understanding, ten thousand kills should be a milestone stage, probably earning him a nice reward?
...
The first village he encountered came sooner than Gauss had anticipated.
It was nestled in the dense forest.
The village entrance had a crooked wooden sign that read "Herb Village."
When Gauss ventured inside, he found that it was more of a larger settlement rather than a village.
A few dozens of small houses, half-buried in the forest soil, were arranged in a circular pattern around the village.
In front of and behind the houses, as well as on the rooftops, various herbs were being dried.
The air was filled with complex herbal scents, some sweet, some bitter, but not unpleasant, instead giving a peculiar sense of peace.
Even travelers who had just arrived could immediately guess the locals’ primary livelihood.
This was a village primarily inhabited by medicine gatherers.
As Gauss rode into the village, a few medicine gatherers with baskets on their backs were chatting and laughing while walking along the village paths.
One of them, a dark-skinned girl who looked like a little skinny monkey, turned her head and caught a glimpse of Gauss on his mount and quickly tugged on her companion’s sleeve.
"Someone’s... someone has arrived."
As she reminded, she secretly looked up to peek at Gauss and the others behind him a few more times.
She had never seen such a handsome human being in her life.
Sunbeams filtering through the trees cast a glow over his white robe, making him appear like a heroic figure stepping out of a story.
Although caution should be taken when encountering outsiders, it was difficult for a girl who had scarcely seen the world to harbor ill feelings toward the person before her.
"Hello, this is Herb Village. May I ask why you’ve come here?"
"I am an adventurer from Yuge Town, can you take me to see your village chief?"
Gauss dismounted and asked softly.
He mentioned Yuge Town thinking they might be familiar with it, rather than Gray Rock Town, which they likely didn’t know.
"Oh! Yuge Town..."
The young girls whispered to each other.
Then the slightly dark-skinned, mushroom-headed girl cautiously replied.
"Adventurer sirs, please follow us."
Leading the mount, they walked into the village.
The medicinal fields between the houses were planted with many herbs.
When some adult villagers saw them bringing strangers into the village, they cautiously asked from a distance.
"Grey, who are you bringing in?"
"Adventurers looking for the village chief."
The adult villagers, seeing Gauss and the others’ attire, were hesitant to speak but ultimately dared not say much.
They allowed them to proceed.
Such significant "figures" are unlikely to harbor ill intentions toward their small village.
Or perhaps, even if they did have bad intentions, it would be difficult for these medicine gatherers to organize any effective resistance.
Suddenly, while Gauss was silently observing the small village.
A disheveled man rushed out from a nearby house.
The young girls instinctively wanted to stop him.
But the man pounced in front of Gauss just in time.
"Sir! Sir! Have you seen my daughter?"
"She’s this tall... has golden curls, beautiful golden eyes, her favorite candy is kumquat candy, afraid of the dark..."
The man’s grimy hands clutched Gauss’s immaculate robe.
His incoherent manner made him seem somewhat mentally unstable.
Seeing this, Grey and the other young girls wore expressions of mixed sympathy and helplessness, as if this scene was not unfamiliar to them.
Or rather, every time strangers arrived, he would inquire about his missing daughter.
They quickly pulled the man away from Gauss, to prevent him from disturbing the honored guests.
"Adventurer sir, sorry, this is Uncle York from our village..." Grey whispered in explanation. "Ever since his youngest daughter Abby went missing, Uncle York has become like this."
Gauss nodded silently.
"Serdur, could you check on the uncle’s health?"
He looked to Serdur, intending to have him evaluate if there was still a chance to cure the mental trauma.
"This is our team’s doctor; let him take a look."
Gauss explained.
The villagers nearby also nodded when they heard this.
Although they were not hopeful, these adventurers seemed extraordinary; maybe their examination would be more reliable than the village’s own doctors.
While Serdur was conducting his examination, an elder approached.
Despite his full head of gray hair, he was quite spirited, leaning on a smooth, shiny wooden staff.
"Honorable guest, I’m sorry you had to witness this. I am Hodder, the village chief of Herb Village.
"Hello, village chief."
Gauss handed the commission letter he had taken in Sen City to the village chief.
This typically worked well in most villages.
After reading its contents, learning that Gauss and his team were adventurers helping villages along their journey, village chief Hodder breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, there is nothing in our village that requires assistance." Hodder returned the commission letter to Gauss.
"The village’s defensive structures seem a bit weak?" Gauss surveyed the surroundings, noticing the lack of substantial fences.
"We’ve scattered a lot of powders around the village to drive away beasts and monsters, which we replenish regularly, so it’s rare for monsters to invade the village." Hodder explained.
"Besides, we have some sturdy lads in the village who regularly venture out to clear away monsters lingering nearby."
Every village has its own survival strategy.
For a community relying on natural resources for herb gathering, herbs are not only their economic livelihood but also a means of village defense.
And although their village doesn’t seem particularly large, frequent visits from merchant caravans to purchase herbs keep their economic conditions quite favorable.
Thus, they have the means to acquire equipment and skill books to train talented young villagers.
"I see..."
"Could you provide a piece of land for my team and me to stay for a few days? We’d like to rest in the village."
Gauss nodded, showing he understood the situation.
It was his first time encountering a village so direct about not needing assistance.
But since he was already there, he planned to stay nearby with his companions.
The village itself is a natural lure to the demons outside.
Although powders are spread around the village, their purpose is merely to repel, not to kill them.
Thus, the monster density around here is still relatively higher compared to other untamed areas.
He needed fewer than four hundred kills to reach ten thousand, so he wouldn’t miss any place potentially harboring monsters.
"Of course, Lord Gauss, please go ahead."
Though they had no requests for Gauss and his group, having them stay, in Hodder’s view, wasn’t a bad thing.
Gauss had left a very good first impression on him.
While Gauss was talking with the village chief, Serdur had already conducted an initial check on Uncle York.
"Indeed, he’s suffered mental distress." Serdur shook his head.
The brain is the most intricate part of the human body; if it were an issue with another part, he might be able to heal it, but brain issues were a lot more complex.
"His mind is too tense; he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time. I’ve adjusted things for him."
"Let him get some good sleep, and I’ll run another check when he wakes."
Serdur handed York, now asleep with his eyes closed, back to the other villagers.
Gauss squinted slightly, observing York with some thought as he watched him being helped inside by the villagers.
"What’s up?" Aaliyah noticed his gaze.
"Nothing..."
Gauss withdrew his gaze from York and the villagers, not saying much for now.