Equipment Procurement

Gauss left home determined to kill a monster.

But after wandering around town for half the day, he realized it would not be as simple as he had imagined.

First of all, as a weakling at the Ordinary Person Level, his ideal target was naturally a low-level monster that ordinary people could handle, preferably alone. The closer it was, the less traveling he would have to do, the better.

But after making a round of the area, he found that his initial plan was basically impossible.

There was no environment near town suitable for low-level monsters to survive in.

The Town Defense Force's periodic extermination campaigns and the frequent passage of adventurers had plowed through the area several kilometers around town again and again, making it relatively safe.

So if he wanted to kill a monster, he could only leave the town's jurisdiction and try his luck at the outermost edge of the nearby Emerald Forest.

Before setting out, he planned to buy some "expensive" equipment he had never purchased before.

Without suitable armor, hunting monsters would be too risky, even if his target was only a low-level monster that ordinary people could deal with.

He only had one life. He had to be extremely careful.

At several of the busiest, most popular shops, he bought the equipment he needed for the time being.

50 copper coins: an Oak Small Round Shield, thirty centimeters in diameter, with a ring of riveted metal around its edge.

1 silver coin: a set of Cloth Armor, made from several layers of fabric and cotton lining. It felt fairly tough and should be able to withstand a few attacks.

20 copper coins: one dose of Paralysis Poison made by the herbalist's owner. It could be applied to a weapon in advance and left to dry. According to the shop apprentice, monsters struck by weapons coated in Paralysis Poison would become relatively sluggish for a period afterward.

40 copper coins: one dose of topical herbs. Applied to a wound, it could temporarily stop bleeding and ease the injury.

30 copper coins: Linen Cloth, Wooden Boards, bandages, and other simple medical supplies.

All told, it came to 2 silver coins and 40 copper coins.

After the shopping trip, his savings had fallen to 1 silver coin and 25 copper coins.

Naturally, he did not dare spend every last coin. If the adventure failed, having some savings on hand would at least put his mind at ease. He would not end up unable to afford food or rent, sleeping on the streets.

Besides, the tools and protective gear he had bought were already relatively suitable for his current stage.

Wooden Shields and Cloth Armor were among the cheapest defensive gear available.

Other armor was outrageously expensive. Forget metal armor—even a decent set of leather armor cost more than 10 silver coins.

As for weapons, he took one look at the Metal Swords, Flanged Maces, and other common weapons being sold at the weapon shop, then decisively gave up on the idea. Those prices were beyond what he could afford for now.

Even secondhand ones cost at least double-digit silver coins.

Besides, the Original Body already had weapons: a dagger around twenty centimeters long, and a Wooden Spear carved entirely from hardwood. Its spearhead was a sharp cone, and the whole thing was 1.8 meters long. The surface had been fire-charred to increase its hardness somewhat.

In terms of proficiency, the Original Body had been taught to use a dagger since childhood, helping the family process prey, skin animals, cut meat, and make traps. He was extremely skilled with it.

He had less experience with the Wooden Spear than with the dagger, but it was adequate.

Used together, the Wooden Spear could suppress enemies at medium range, while the dagger could finish them off up close. The wooden weapon was not particularly durable, and the dagger was old, but with limited means, they would do for now.

Once he had the means later, he could replace them with better weapons.

After a brief consideration of his finances, he decided not to invest too much in weaponry.

With the Original Body's muscle memory for using daggers and Wooden Spears, even someone like him, who had known nothing about weapons in his previous life, could use them smoothly.

The sun had quietly climbed overhead.

Before leaving, Gauss gritted his teeth and treated himself to a good meal at the Nightingale Tavern by the town exit, spending 30 copper coins.

The lunch had meat and vegetables: a small dish of pickled fish, carefully prepared pickled vegetables, several chunks of stewed meat cooked until soft, and a bowl of noodles.

Though the meat portions were not large, they were enough to replenish some precious fat reserves in this body, which had long been unable to afford even a taste of meat.

After letting out a satisfied burp and feeling as if his body had grown stronger, Gauss, who was still aching over the copper coins he had spent, finally felt it had been worth the money.

Forget it. Before a great battle, there had to be supplies! Consider it charging up his body first!

After stretching, he put on his Cloth Armor, tied the pack of supplies to himself, tucked the cloth-wrapped dagger at his waist, picked up his Wooden Spear, and strode toward the town exit.

Once he left town, the scenery suddenly opened up.

Beneath the deep blue sky, apart from the yellow dirt road beneath his feet, baked hard and dry by the sun, there was only an endless wilderness.

For the town's safety, all nearby forests had been completely cut down many years ago. In their place were farmland close to town and grasslands with excellent visibility.

First, the open view helped the town guard gather intelligence and spot unusual activity coming from the Emerald Forest in advance. Second, dense woods were unsuitable for human combat, while the many monsters that lived in forests year-round were unaffected. With one side weakened and the other strengthened, cutting down the woods was naturally the better choice.

Gauss was not the only one heading for the Emerald Forest. He encountered many people along the way.

Some were lone hunters, while others were low-level adventurer parties of several people. He even vaguely spotted a few Professionals.

Do not ask how Gauss could tell. Their heavy Plate Armor practically radiated wealth, along with the physical strength required to carry such armor while moving freely, and the powerful aura that told strangers to stay away. Anyone with working eyes could recognize them as Professionals.

Gauss lowered his head and looked at his thin frame, his messy Cloth Armor, the small Wooden Shield strapped to his chest, the little dagger wrapped in cloth at his waist, and the crude Wooden Spear clutched in his hand. He instantly felt that the equipment he had spent most of his fortune buying was terribly shabby.

Compared to them, he looked like a primitive man.

"If I fought one of them, I'd probably fall apart from a single punch, wouldn't I?" Gauss could already picture it in his mind.

He charged forward with his Wooden Spear, only for its tip to strike the opponent's rock-solid Plate Armor without causing any damage. Then the opponent slapped him and sent him flying two or three meters away, unable to get back up.

"If I were him, killing an ordinary goblin to unlock the codex would probably be easier than kicking a stray dog to death. Even a whole group of goblins would be nothing to fear."

The more he thought about it, the more envious Gauss became. But then he laughed at his own frog-in-a-well thinking, like an emperor imagining peasants used golden hoes.

Once someone became a Professional, their target naturally would not be small monsters like goblins.

But as long as I kill one monster! I can activate the Monster Codex. Then I won't be this weak anymore!

The road to the Emerald Forest was not short. Gauss watched the other travelers to pass the time while encouraging himself.

"Want to form a party?"

"No. I'm used to being alone."

Perhaps Gauss's equipment was already respectable among the "lowest-tier adventurers," because several unfamiliar parties invited him to join them along the way.

But Gauss turned them all down.

It was not because Gauss was arrogant or looked down on them. In truth, his own combat ability was probably about the same as theirs, and traveling together would allow them to look after one another.

It was just that the Original Body had always been alone and was used to coming and going by himself. He did not know many people, either.

Out in the wilderness, Gauss simply could not trust a party whose background he knew nothing about. He was worried that he would have to face monsters while also guarding against strangers at his side.

It would be more comfortable to act alone.

He could act according to his own will and proceed carefully.

If he spotted an enemy beyond his ability, he simply would not attack and would choose a more suitable target. Even in battle, he could turn around and run at any time.

Though he had come with a goal this time, he knew his priorities. Fighting came second; staying alive was what mattered.

When his strength was lacking, he had to swallow his pride when necessary.

But if he joined a party, he would not have that freedom.

"Caw! Caw!!"

He entered the outer perimeter of the Emerald Forest.

The surroundings suddenly darkened. From the dense canopy overhead came the noisy cries of unknown birds, making him inexplicably irritated.

Gauss gripped his Wooden Spear tighter and instinctively held his breath.

This forest seemed to make everyone who entered it feel uneasy, like a dark, gloomy maw swallowing every visitor whole.