The Gauss Squad arrived at the riverbank.
There was no sign of human activity outside the town anymore.
Aside from the reports of monsters attacking people that the Crow Squad had been investigating, the increasingly cold weather had also forced civilians to stay in their settlements.
A thin layer of frost covered the ground. It must have formed after the temperature dropped overnight.
"Come out, Hefis!"
Seeing this, Gauss decisively summoned the Red Dragon Beast.
Sure enough, after it appeared, the temperature around them quietly rose by several degrees.
He'd unlocked a new feature of Hefis: one natural "little sun."
Gauss patted Hefis's increasingly bulky frame with satisfaction.
He silently ignored its mournful expression.
As a red dragon, how could it be afraid of the cold?
The more pronounced a weakness was, the more important it was to find a way to overcome it.
"Much better."
Alya and the others also edged a few steps closer to Hefis.
"Splash, splash..."
The weather was cold, but the river kept flowing, so its surface hadn't frozen over.
Sharp-eyed, Gauss immediately spotted several blue-purple heads bobbing up from the water.
"Water ghouls."
Gauss held back, not wanting to alert them.
The ominous presence he sensed wasn't coming from these common aquatic monsters.
It was coming from the river itself.
He drew a water sword made from Holy Water.
When he lowered it toward the surface, the blade quickly began to glow faintly.
That reaction meant the water contained an energy that was naturally repelled by holy power.
He tested several spots, and the sword remained lit.
But the glow was faint, indicating the energy was weak.
Was the surge in monsters related to the water being contaminated?
Gauss withdrew the water sword.
"Let's get to work."
"Monster Kill Count: 10677"
He'd killed several