"Is that the leader of the Red Dragon Corps?"
"If Gray Wolf’s Fang also gets merged, the Red Dragon Corps’ power will become terrifying."
"Do you think we have a chance if we sign up to join?"
The expansion of the Red Dragon Corps wasn’t concealed at all. Many people, even though they didn’t fully understand how the Red Dragon Corps managed to achieve such feats, couldn’t deny the fact that the Corps seemed to be on the verge of entering a rapid development phase.
They thought, if even the second-in-command of the former wolf group is willing to "commit" to joining Gauss’s team, then the Red Dragon Corps must have hidden strengths that are not yet known.
So, many people harbored thoughts of joining the Red Dragon Corps.
Fortunately, those with this idea weren’t foolish enough to approach directly for a recruitment interview. Instead, they headed in small groups in the direction of the Red Dragon Corps’ base.
Gauss didn’t turn his head, but he listened to what the people around him were saying.
His body and perception had reached an inhuman level. Unless he deliberately blocked out information, he could hear clearly everything happening within hundreds of meters around him.
Of course, when he was in crowded places, he would generally reduce this perception range to just a few dozen meters.
Because generally speaking, beyond that range, it’s all useless noise. If too much information rushes into the brain continuously, dealing with it becomes exhausting.
"Sir, would you like a copy of the latest Kingdom Times? 30 copper coins per copy."
"I’ll take one."
Gauss casually took the newspaper from the young vendor.
As an adventurer, he needed to constantly stay updated with the news around the provinces, and even nationwide, to remain alert and informed.
Every now and then, when he was in town, he would buy a copy.
Anyway, the price was a mere trifle to him.
He quickly skimmed through it, flipping a page in just a few seconds.
Though it looked like he was browsing for interesting content, he actually had already read it thoroughly.
With his current reading speed, he could almost read ten lines at a glance and clearly organize all the information in his mind.
"Hmm... interesting."
He read through the entire newspaper in ten seconds, then casually tucked it into his storage pouch, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Though everything seemed calm around him, if you expanded the view nationwide, you could say that earth-shaking news emerged every few days.
First was the turmoil in the borderlands.
The borderlands aren’t a specific place but a general geographic concept.
It refers to the expansive buffer zone where demons and the Human Kingdom border each other. Theoretically, the borderland lords pledge allegiance to the Demon King, acknowledging its supreme authority and leadership status.
But in reality, their relationship isn’t entirely unified. Borderland lords still maintain a rather independent special status.
And the Jade Forest is one of the seven such borderlands; thus, the lord of the Jade Forest, the Green Dragon Queen, is also known as the Lord of the Forest.
In contrast, the Lord of the Mountains of the Great Fang Plateau, which borders the neighboring Ancestral Province, is a King of the Mountain Giants possessing the ancient high Titan bloodline.
The news Gauss read related to the borderlands came from the Great Fang Plateau. The awakening of the slumbering Mountain Giant caused tremors spanning hundreds of miles, leading directly to the destruction of nearby villages and human settlements in the seismic zone, resulting in the deaths of many low-level adventurers and residents active there.
"This is the terrifying nature of this world’s strong. They can easily cause natural disasters... The lives of ordinary people are just too fragile."
Gauss shook his head, and that’s the reason he didn’t dare stop and rest, continuously pursuing strength.
He couldn’t entrust his life to the illusory fate and the mercy of the powerful. Actually, with a bit of effort, even though he could now destroy a town, only by becoming stronger can he protect himself and rescue others in such turbulent times.
Besides the turmoil in the Great Fang Plateau, the newspaper also mentioned another piece of empire news that caught his attention.
Is the Holy Sword of the Legendary Sword Saint still unclaimed?
Thinking about this news, he was somewhat surprised. It had been over a year since the Empire released the "Universal Adventurer’s Decree" about the Holy Sword.
For some human powerhouses and high-ranking figures, they received the intelligence even earlier. A year should have been enough time for most people aspiring for the Holy Sword to go and attempt it.
It seems that the Holy Sword indeed has very high and unique requirements for its next owner.
Merely relying on sheer strength isn’t enough to conquer it.
After all, its previous owner, the Legendary Sword Saint, was just an ordinary farmer when he pulled it out and didn’t possess any profession-related abilities. His strength was gradually acquired after pulling out the Holy Sword.
It’s said that before Sword Saint Roland pulled out the Holy Sword, the selection process for its successor also lasted quite a long time.
But that was over a hundred years ago, and by now has become part of history, with no one recording precisely how long that selection ceremony lasted.
Just like how people rarely care about the trivial details before a story happens.
Gauss took out his map.
The six kingdoms surround the central Empire, and the capital of the Holy Sword, Golden Holy City Aurelian, lies at the heart of the Empire’s territory, the central zone of human civilization. Meanwhile, his location in Cold Jade Province is on the southern border. Counting rest and detours, it could take several months of flying to head north.
Similarly, the gap between nations has vast areas devoid of human life, equally treacherous for humans.
He heard that some major cities also have long-distance teleportation circles.
If travel relied on these teleportation circles, it might save a lot of time on the journey.
Unfortunately, not even one exists in the entire Cold Jade Province, or perhaps there is, but Gauss’s current level doesn’t yet know.
Cold Jade Province borders the realms of demons. Building and maintaining a large teleportation circle demands extensive resources. If the province falls and it has a teleportation node, it would jeopardize the whole of human civilization, hence the site selection for such teleportation circles is said to be extremely cautious.
Moreover, not everyone can use a teleportation circle. The farther the teleportation distance, the more "objects" carried, the more energy consumed, coupled with earnings submitted to the circle owner’s family, this figure can become quite exorbitant.
Even if financial resources allow, one must apply in advance, submit personal credentials, the travel purpose, and other information. Subsequent approval must wait for confirmation from both departing and destination cities before usage is possible.
This series of procedures screens out the vast majority of people who then choose traditional means of travel.
"When I break through to the Extraordinary tier, if the Holy Sword is still unclaimed, I’ll give it a try."
Gauss thought to himself.
When his level breaks through to Extraordinary, which is Level 11, he would probably already possess the combat ability of Levels 14 or 15.
Moreover, the meaning and social status of being an Extraordinary Professional would undergo drastic changes, as one can tell from its name.
Everything below is mundane.
Crossing this threshold is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, and being a strong figure in any province.
He had no thoughts about inheriting the prestige and legacy of the Holy Sword from the Legendary Sword Saint—this was naturally impossible.
It’s just that now he is in a period of rapid growth, if he traveled all the way to the imperial capital Aurelian, and succeeded in pulling out the Holy Sword, achieving his goal, that would be fine.
But what if he failed?
By then, if he lost much precious time and resources, and gained nothing, and even had his strength growth stalled, that would be a huge loss.
Simply put, his current level of risk resistance is still too low, much like when he first ventured out, envy of others’ plated armor, which, at that time, cost more than he was worth. But now? Plated armor seems mundane to him, and the reason he doesn’t buy it is because it’s too heavy, unsuited to his combat style.
Therefore, when he ascends to the Extraordinary level, reaching a higher platform in strength and status, many problems now blocking him might be easily resolved.
Of course, he has this confidence, believing he can ascend to the Extraordinary level in a short time.
If these words came from another adventurer’s mouth, it would be akin to directly giving up the journey to the imperial capital.