Of course, this confidence is for the friends, Albena and Ivan, even if the finished products aren’t personally forged or brewed by them, the craftsmanship of the apprentices under their guidance is surely much stronger than most ordinary shops in the market.
For adventurers, the quality of weapons, armor, and potions is a lifeline.
This is also why Gauss emphasized to the production personnel to strictly control the quality when opening the shop.
On one hand, he doesn’t want adventurers to die unexpectedly because they bought equipment and items not meeting expected quality; on the other hand, focusing on product quality and developing long-term customers is more important than making quick money.
...
In the coming period, Gauss isn’t planning to go out.
In the room, he looked at the Door of Choice lv4 (1/100).
Through his relentless efforts, the proficiency level of the Door of Choice finally advanced to lv4.
Compared with lv3, the prep time has seen a reduction again, from the original 1 second to a range of approximately 0.4-0.5 seconds.
This time is barely usable in actual combat.
Besides the breakthrough of the Door of Choice, the magic power in Gauss’s body has also reached an extremely active state.
He’s not unfamiliar with this; he has experienced this several times.
Almost before each profession level breakthrough, he would have such an experience.
Feeling the surging magic power within his body, he remained calm.
Originally, he felt that the breakthrough to Level 7 was not far away some time ago.
And after the advancement of [Tough Scale Bloodline] to [Dragon Kind] enhancing him once again, the feeling of the cup being full was even more pronounced.
"Notify the others for me that I may need to leave the station for a few days."
Gauss said to Ivan.
Ivan has gotten used to Gauss’s comings and goings.
Before leaving, he also explained the upcoming breakthrough situation to several teammates.
After politely refusing their offer to accompany him, he went to the Adventurer’s Guild to apply for a high-level cultivation chamber.
He would certainly not choose to continue the breakthrough at the station.
While it may not have affected him at lower levels, as his level continues to rise, he needs to be more cautious.
First, he already carries many secrets, more importantly, he is too dangerous for ordinary people. Normally, he can control his power well, with little impact on city activities, but during the transitional period of level breakthrough, he’s unsure if there will be any overflow affecting others.
To be safe, he should go to a safer place.
"Here is your room."
The receptionist led him to the front of the cultivation chamber.
Mage professionals like Gauss have 15 days of free usage time annually, but exceeding this period requires extra gold coins for renting, specifically 8 gold coins per day.
"Mr. Reese, your room is next door."
Gauss nodded to the elderly caster accompanying him.
This elderly gentleman is a regular borrower of the cultivation chamber, having had a brief exchange with Gauss prior to the visit.
He rents at least over a hundred days each year.
The annual rent alone is unimaginable wealth for most people.
This is why those powerful mages often appear very wealthy, because it’s tough for the poor to become powerful mages.
Gauss entered his cultivation chamber.
The stone door inscribed with magical patterns slowly closed, and the whole world instantly fell silent.
He placed the ten pre-prepared mid-level magic stones into a small magic circle, quickly filling the entire room with a strong yet gentle magic power group.
In addition, there was prepared food, water sources, and magic fruits.
Different from the breakthrough from Level 5 to Level 6, Level 6 to Level 7 is merely a small level not crossing rank, comparatively easier.
Ensuring everything is ready, Gauss sat cross-legged on the cushion at the center of the room, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.
Not suppressing the "impulse" for a breakthrough any longer, all his magic power surged.
"Boom!"
Like water bursting from a dam, the magic power inside him surged.
"Buzz buzz!"
In his deep consciousness, the flawless cup-like artifact emanated a dazzling light.
Magic compressed into a "liquid" state kept rippling.
Massive magic power emerged from it, then continuously circulated within Gauss’s body along a specific trajectory.
Each cycle strengthened the magic power’s aura slightly.
One round... two rounds...
Gauss’s consciousness kept sinking.
His Moonlight Robes undulated continuously in the calm and windless high-level cultivation chamber.
A layer of semi-transparent dragon scales, unknowingly awakened, tightly adhered to and wrapped around his skin.
Magic power groups floating in the air slowly approached Gauss’s body, greedily absorbed by him.
As the magic power group became thin, the magic circle began autonomously operating again, consuming the energy within the magic stones, transforming it into mist-like energy.
This cycle repeated over and over.
Until one mid-level magic stone was completely drained.
Then followed by the second, third...
Time slowly passed amid such monotonous cultivation.
...
Meanwhile.
On the outskirts of the Jade Forest, a thousand miles away.
A figure standing only up to the waist of an average adult male was stationed in front of the forest, taking a deep breath.
In front of her was the Jade Forest she had seen countless times.
Yet never before had this forest brought her such pressure, as if it was not a forest but a massive abyssal mouth that could swallow her.
"Let’s rest for a while."
The halfling, Andri, swallowed her saliva.
Though she had prepared thoroughly, both mentally and materially, until this day finally arrived, she realized she could still feel fear.
She was already over fifty.
This age is definitely not young, even for halflings who have longer lifespans than humans.
Moreover, she is different from her clansfolk in the peaceful homeland; she has traveled far and wide, experienced much, and has excellent psychological qualities compared to those centenarian halflings, she reckoned she was not lacking.
"Hoo——"
Sitting atop the giant rock, she took a deep breath, constantly taking out one magic staff after another from the storage pouch, caressing them, putting them away, and bringing out the next.
As if by doing this, she can draw an unknown power and courage from the collected staffs.
After a while, she ended this special ritual.
Suddenly she sighed again.
Unfortunately, the staff she likes the most is missing here.
The staff that never belonged to her from beginning to end.
"Well, at least it was just a useless big stick while in my hands. Now, it has at least found an owner who can wield its power."
Thinking of that young man, her thoughts drifted far away.
Ever since the farewell in Forest Crown Town, she had not seen Gauss again, and didn’t know where he had gone.
She had even made a special trip back to Gray Rock Town a few days ago, but unfortunately, Gauss seemed to have left for some time.
Now, recalling the magical staff, she couldn’t help but think of Gauss again.
But this can’t be blamed on her, can it?
Every caster desires a powerful magic wand; ultimately, she gave that magic wand to Gauss, thinking more about it doesn’t break any law, right?
She feels she did just as flawlessly as she could.
"It’s rare to find a halfling as generous as me."
However, she did deceive Gauss on one point, which is that the bone staff was not picked up from the cave by her. In fact, it was entrusted to her by an elderly gentleman for safekeeping.
Back then, she was young, living among halfling companions in her homeland.
Though described as entrusted for safekeeping, when she asked who and when would retrieve it, the gentleman only smiled and shook his head, never giving a definite answer, allowing her to deal with it as she wished.
Whether she took it for herself, discarded it, or handed it spontaneously to a beggar on the road, he accepted it graciously.
At first, she thought safekeeping was just an excuse for the gentleman to give a gift, but it wasn’t until decades later she realized the magic wand truly was not meant for her.
The old man couldn’t have intended for me to hand it to Gauss, could he?
Facing this absurd notion that popped into her mind, Andri shook her head.
This spans over thirty years; there are countless variables that even omnipotent deities couldn’t navigate through, isn’t it?
"Time to hit the road."
After a round of wild imagining, Andri’s mood instead calmed down.
She leapt off the rock, faced southward, and with the casting of [Andri’s Invisibility Spell], her body disappeared instantly without a trace.