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Chapter 218 : Secretly Watching
Chapter 218: Secretly Watching
The night veiled the wilderness. A cold wind blew as the retreating crowd marched in silence. The atmosphere was so heavy that only the disordered footsteps and the muffled groans of the wounded could be heard.
Whether it was soldiers, cavalry, adventurers, or non-combatants like blacksmiths, laborers, and merchants, every face was etched with dejection and fatigue.
Gauss rode upon a Chocobo. 【Hardened Scales Bloodline】 had already cooled down; the energy scales and dragon claws around his body faded, returning him to normal. A wave of exhaustion followed, though fortunately, it was not overly severe.
Arya timely handed over several pieces of pre-prepared Magical Berries.
Е̊n̈um а̊
「Want some?」
「Thanks.」
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Their relationship required no words. Gauss accepted the berries and put them into his mouth.
A gentle warmth spread within his body, alleviating some of the fatigue, yet the heaviness in his heart could not be easily dispelled.
「In a bad mood?」 asked Andini, the halfling who rode the same Chocobo with him. Sensitive to his emotions, the experienced adventurer lowered her voice.
「A little.」
Е̃ n u ḿа̄ . і̄ d́
Andini shook her head, her gaze sweeping over the drooping soldiers and the adventurers supporting each other. She sighed. 「You’re still young, Gauss. How could the road of adventuring ever be smooth sailing?」
「I understand. I just feel that life is too fragile…」 Gauss recalled those who had been too slow to retreat and were brought down by the monsters.
His heart surged with mixed feelings.
Just moments ago, the camp had still been steeped in tranquility, yet in the blink of an eye, everything had shattered like an illusion.
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The dead all had families waiting behind them.
「That’s right. You must remember this unwillingness. Gauss, you have the potential to change all of this. Digest the gains from this battle well—especially that… new power of yours.」 Andini turned her head, locking eyes with him. For once, her gaze carried solemnity, her tone unusually serious.
Ẅе̃ b̆n о v el Ёnu m ä
「Gauss, I have experienced many adventures and seen countless geniuses. But you are different. The potential and talent for power you possess are unlike anything I have seen in my life. Given time, this borderland—no, even the wider world—will not be your final destination.」
This was her first time witnessing Gauss in true combat. From her close observation just now, she was convinced: Gauss was an absolute genius. Both his rate of growth and his frightening combat talent far surpassed the ordinary.
「Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You are already exceptional.」
By the time the group left the Emerald Forest, dawn had broken.
Because they had to guard against monster attacks along the way, and because the convoy slowed the pace, the overall progress was not fast.
They traveled for some time until the green outline of Canopy Town gradually came into view. Only then did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.
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「Da-da-da一—」
The enormous convoy naturally aroused the vigilance of Canopy Town’s town guards.
Several scouts rode out to meet them.
After learning what had happened, unease spread across their faces.
Outpost Eleven had been completely wiped out.
The impact of this event was profound—especially for Canopy Town, so close to the incident.
Еn̄ū ḿ ä
「How could this happen?」
By now, Gauss had collected his thoughts. He listened quietly to the conversation not far away.
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He turned his head back to glance at the direction of the Emerald Forest.
The knight commanders responsible for the rearguard had returned safely last night.
However, President Rich and the other knight commanders and cavalry, who had left the camp earlier, never appeared again. Their whereabouts were unknown.
Judging by the surprise on the scouts’ faces, clearly no other information had reached Canopy Town. Which meant—at the very least—they had not returned.
Е̊ n ŭ m̌ а̊ . ĭd
And then…
He suddenly recalled the noble scions’ mysterious party on the road.
During the chaotic retreat, they had seemed to vanish into thin air.
That middle-aged man called 「Uncle Mo」 was at least of master-level strength.
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A powerhouse of that level might not be able to change the entire battle, but escorting even one person out should not have been a problem.
Had they retreated early? Or was it related to those missing cavalry?
Ēn úm а.i̇ d
Gauss shook his head. No one could answer his doubts.
He organized his thoughts. After every major event, he had the habit of reflecting and replaying the sequence. Even if no answer came, it helped keep his mind clear.
Unconsciously, he linked this incident with the poisonous Venom Wyvern attack they had encountered during the Winter Hunt.
Though the two incidents differed in time, place, scale, and target, the timing of the monsters’ assault had been suspiciously precise.
Was there an insider?
His gaze swept across the crowd.
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If there was a mole among them, it would not surprise him.
Whether in the Winter Hunt or this mobilization, there had been many participants. It was easy for ill-intentioned people to slip in unnoticed.
Or perhaps the monsters possessed special reconnaissance or prophetic abilities, allowing them to obtain information in advance?
This was, after all, a supernatural world—anything could happen.
The mighty crowd surged into Canopy Town.
The news of Outpost Eleven’s fall spread among the townsfolk like wildfire in autumn fields. Concealment was impossible.
Ẃе b.n̄ ȯ v е̄ ľ Е nu.mа
Fear spread swiftly through the crowd.
「A monster tide… how terrifying!」
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「Will those man-eating monsters flood into Canopy Town?」
「Should we flee to another town for safety?」
「So many adventurers couldn’t hold the line—what on earth is going on…」
「Is war coming again?」
Е ń üm̌ а .і̀ ḋ
Gauss left the convoy, walking along the streets. He listened to the townsfolk’s chatter and silently shook his head.
In this age, ordinary people were like duckweed adrift in the storm—their fates seldom their own.
The threat of monsters, the loss of their homes, disasters that could shatter peaceful lives at any moment—these could only be resisted by the strong.
Even the most basic information they received was half-known, like gazing at flowers through fog—obscured and unclear.
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「Senior Andini, will you be staying with us?」 Gauss looked at the halfling before him.
She yawned all the way.
Е́ n ũṁ а . i d̃
Although her strength was great, she was, after all, a mage. Her stamina and energy could not compare to a warrior of the same rank. After rushing overnight, she too was rather weary.
「Mm.」 She drowsily nodded her head.
Gauss searched along the street for a while before finally finding an inn with a decent environment to rest.
Everyone entered their own rooms to recuperate. Compared to the others, Gauss’ condition at this moment was still fairly good.
Perhaps due to just having gained the racial talent 【Hardened Scales Bloodline】, his body still felt highly energized.
That mysterious Giant Egg within him, which had originally sunk into silence, now showed faint signs of awakening after the Crawler-type had advanced into the Hardened Scales Bloodline.
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From time to time, it secretly devoured a little Magical Energy.
Thinking of the Hardened Scales Bloodline, Gauss summoned his Attribute Panel.
After rushing all the way, he had not had time to carefully analyze it since last night. Now that he had finally returned to the safety of town, he could properly take a look.
Racial Talent: Blue-grade 【Hardened Scales Bloodline】 (Elite-level)
Without affecting the purity of your own bloodline, you will gain partial advantageous traits of a dragon:
Activating the Hardened Scales Bloodline will temporarily and significantly increase your Constitution and Strength, granting greater adaptability to complex environments.
Е n úmа
Gain the Hardened Scale Energy Layer: greatly enhanced defense and resistance against strikes, with strong resistance to physical attacks and low-level elemental assaults. (Note: Can be combined with the talent 【Magic Resistance】 and the core skill 【Gauss Force Field】.)
Advanced Darkvision and Thermal Sensing: your vision will be strengthened, even allowing you to a certain extent to perceive the flow of Magical Energy.
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Predator Instincts: you will possess the powerful autonomous combat instincts of a predator, though your mental state will also be influenced.
Regeneration: accelerated healing of wounds, with increased resistance to toxins and diseases.
Draconic Presence (Weak): your aura will instinctively terrify low-grade monsters (especially effective against Goblins and Kobolds), and may also exert slight pressure upon intelligent creatures.
Dragon Claw Mimicry: through 【Gauss Force Field】, 【Magic Resistance】, and 【Hardened Scale Energy Layer】, you can condense a high-density energy dragon claw,
E n̈úḿ.ã . і̀d
possessing devastating destructive power.
Gauss quietly read the description of his advanced racial talent.
He prodded his skin with a fingernail.
Even without activating the Hardened Scales Bloodline, he could feel that his skin had become tougher.
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He even suspected that now, even if he offered no resistance and allowed an ordinary man to attack him with a metal weapon, breaking through his defenses at non-vital points would be extremely difficult.
And this was merely blue-grade…
Ẽnú m̊а̄
Gauss thought to himself.
Blue-grade was not the limit of this talent.
For after 【Crawler-type】 advanced into 【Hardened Scales Bloodline】, there was still a note behind it: 「Upgradeable.」
This meant it still had the potential to climb to higher grades.
If it reached purple-grade, gold-grade, or even stronger, what form would this talent evolve into?
A half-dragon? A true dragon?
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Gauss shook his head.
Judging from this advancement experience, if he wanted to further enhance the Hardened Scales Bloodline, he would likely have to set his sights on extraordinary monsters that even master-rank professionals had difficulty handling.
But that was still too far away for now.
Besides, even the current blue-grade Hardened Scales Bloodline already felt somewhat beyond his level’s capacity to control.
At present, he possessed two blue-grade racial talents.
One was 【Fiend Form】, and the other was 【Hardened Scales Bloodline】.
W̃ е̃ b̈nоv еl̆ Ӗn̈ ú m̂à
Both carried their own side effects.
Fiend Form consumed too much and could not be self-regulated—it demanded that battles end within an extremely short time.
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The latter, when activated, seemed to be influenced by Predator Instincts, making his mind more aggressive and violent. In the opening moments, bestial instinct even overwhelmed rational thought.
If the Hardened Scales Bloodline grew too strong, surpassing what his own attributes could bear, he worried that some rather unpleasant situations might occur.
For now, all he could do was continue slaying monsters, leveling up, and strengthening himself.
His fingers unconsciously tapped against the table as he fell into deep thought.
W̆ е̇ b̈ n ô ṽ e l̂ È n_ǔ m̈ã
After organizing his gains, he cleared his mind and finally lay down to rest.
The next morning.
The air of Canopy Town carried a slight chill, but was also all the fresher for it, somewhat dispelling the weariness and oppression of recent days.
Gauss pushed open the window and saw more patrolling soldiers and cavalry on the streets than usual. The atmosphere was tense—clearly the fall of the outpost had pushed the town into a state of heightened vigilance.
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「Morning.」
Arya and Serandur from the room next door were already awake.
En̊ûm̆a
After a night of proper rest, everyone’s spirits seemed to have recovered quite well.
Gauss noticed Ike at Arya’s feet, but beside him now trailed several small, fluffy young ravens, following closely.
These little ravens had sleek, shiny black feathers and quick, watchful eyes. They huddled against Ike as though seeking comfort.
「Arya, are these your new pets?」 Gauss asked curiously, thinking Arya had perhaps gone to the market early.
「No, not at all.」 Arya shook her head, a trace of helplessness on her face.
「It was after we rested yesterday— I think Ike slipped out on his own and brought these little ones back. They seem to be chicks that lost their mother.」
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Raising birds was troublesome, but since Ike had brought them back, she could not bear to abandon them.
At her words, Ike proudly lifted his head and made several gurgling sounds in his throat, as though demanding praise for a good deed.
「Oh, I see…」
Gauss studied the raven Ike’s sleek black feathers more carefully.
Unknowingly, this pet that had followed Arya had already grown considerably.
Now, Ike’s talons resembled polished obsidian, gleaming with a metallic sheen.
Ĕ nŭm̆à
His size was also several times larger than when they had first met.
Crouched there, it emanated an extraordinary aura that did not belong to ordinary creatures.
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「Then let’s raise them.」 Gauss nodded. 「Ravens hand-raised are also more obedient. In the future, perhaps you could keep more of them, sending them out to gather information.」
「That’s the only way.」 Since Gauss had said so, Arya nodded with delight.
She had always liked small animals, but without Gauss’ approval, she would have felt uneasy.
Those few young ravens, after Gauss appeared, instinctively shrank further behind Ike, not daring to show themselves.
W еbn̂о́ṽ ё l̊ E nů ṁa
Was it because of the Hardened Scales Bloodline?
「Let’s eat first.」 The last to rise, Andini, yawned as she came out of her room, looking listless.
Her petite frame was wrapped in a slightly oversized mage’s robe. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she looked harmless, even a bit lazy.
Arya and Serandur still carried a trace of restraint toward her.
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Though she looked harmless now, they had seen with their own eyes two nights ago the terrifying power hidden within that small body.
The magical might that summoned a rain of fire with a wave of her hand was enough to inspire awe in most.
We̊bnо̊ v̆ӗ l Е̂ǹ u mа
Breakfast was taken simply on the first floor of the inn.
Just after they finished eating, several soldiers wearing the uniform of Canopy Town’s garrison, who had been waiting at the door for some time, stepped forward.
Their eyes fell upon Andini, their faces showing nervousness and reverence.
「Miss Andini, forgive the interruption. The Town Mayor and Knight Commander Filon are holding a meeting in the council hall regarding the beast tide incident the day before yesterday. They earnestly request your attendance.」
「All right. I’ll be there shortly.」
The soldiers, hearing this, breathed a sigh of relief, bowed respectfully, and quickly departed.
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「Looks like there’s no time for leisurely rest.」 Andini rose, bade farewell to the three, and left the inn.
Gauss and the other two were not high-ranked enough to take part in such meetings, and so, for now, they were left idle.
「I wonder if our commission is still valid.」 Gauss held the mission paper he had accepted earlier from President Rich to investigate the Black Forest.
He had originally planned to submit the mission results to Rich, but now that he had not returned, there still had to be some explanation.
「Let’s first go to Canopy Town’s Adventurer’s Guild and ask.」
The three left for the street after breakfast.
Е̇ nuḿa.
Along the way, Gauss noticed many people whispering about him in secret.
From their words, he occasionally caught terms like 「dragon」, 「not to be provoked」, and 「transformation」. Some even began to call him Dragonman.
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「Captain, it seems after that battle the other night, you’re starting to get a bit of fame.」 Serandur said beside him.
Ordinary Tier 3 professionals could never receive such treatment, but the combat power Gauss possessed now had already far surpassed the bounds of a Tier 3.
Those renowned adventurers had all risen the same way—through perilous battles, time and again resolving crises, even standing out in great wars, before gradually building up their prestige and titles.
Such titles were like medals for the strong—the stronger the adventurer, the louder and more numerous the titles they bore.
Ėnǔ.m̆ӑ
Much like the lengthy titles of nobles, though in the case of nobles the titles symbolized status, whereas for adventurers the titles signified strength and experience.
As they neared the Adventurer’s Guild, Gauss suddenly felt a warning chill. He turned his head sharply to look back.
Behind them, the street bustled with people.
「What is it?」
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「Nothing.」 Gauss furrowed his brows slightly, withdrawing his gaze. 「It just feels like someone is secretly watching me.」
「Perhaps they just want to see the ‘Dragonman’ of rumor?」 Arya teased with a smile.
Еn umа̇
「Maybe.」 Gauss scratched his head.
But his instincts told him it might not be so. Unlike ordinary stares, that gaze carried hidden malice, making his back prickle with unease.
Yet with the crowded street, he could not confirm his suspicion.
The three stepped into the Adventurer’s Guild hall.
After his figure disappeared, from the shadows of an alley corner, a gray-furred little mouse poked its head out again.
「Squeak!」 In the cracks came a chorus of sharp cries.
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In the darkness, the shadows began to wriggle. Countless black minions spun and wove through the air, gathering at the end of the alley, slowly merging into a vague, twisted humanoid outline.
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