Going Home

There's nothing that can be done about it.

Goblins, especially those from small settlements like this, have very poor maintenance for their iron weapons.

Though they didn't understand why this group of goblins suddenly decided to occupy the ruins, most goblins prefer to live near caves or swamps because they naturally favor damp, underground environments.

However, this living environment is precisely what provides the necessary conditions for rust formation; iron objects oxidize rapidly when exposed to humid air for extended periods.

Furthermore, low-level goblins lack maintenance materials like anti-rust oil, resulting in the iron weapons they carry being severely corroded and substandard.

Gauss and the others began collecting spoils from the ruins.

Before long, a small pile had accumulated in the open space.

Meva sorted through the items, and considering the limited space in the carriage, she discarded some worthless but bulky junk.

"These, maybe they're worth about 20-30 Silver Coins?"

After all, a settlement of 20 goblins already possesses the basic capability to raid, so the accumulated spoils were quite substantial.

Hearing Meva's valuation.

Gauss also calculated silently in his mind.

Including the quest reward, it would be about 6 or 7 Silver Coins per person.

All things considered, he was quite satisfied.

Although it wasn't as profitable as the Birch Village expedition, that was a stroke of luck.

Normal adventures don't always yield high-value Magic items; otherwise, Magic items wouldn't be so expensive.

This type of quest is considered stable and fortunate, with a relatively low risk factor and a considerable reward among low-level Adventurers.

If they completed about ten more like this, they could afford to buy a house in Grayrock Town.

After cleaning up the battlefield, it was nearing noon.

These trivial matters before and after the battle took much longer than the actual combat.

Perhaps seeing that the commission was nearing completion, the expressions on everyone's faces relaxed.

Except for Daphne, who was treating Doyle's minor scratches, everyone else, after maintaining their weapons, prepared to eat and replenish their energy.

It was at this moment that Gauss noticed that Meva, with her hood down, had ears beneath her black, shoulder-length hair that were pointed and elongated, unlike those of ordinary humans.

Perhaps noticing Gauss's gaze, Meva turned her head.

"What is it?"

"What's with your ears?"

"Oh, these? I have a very thin Elf bloodline within me."

After speaking, Meva said no more and continued to lower her head, searching for food in her pack.

No wonder I felt her movements were exceptionally agile before; it must be the influence of her bloodline. Gauss thought upon hearing this.

Among intelligent life forms, Elves are considered very powerful individuals: long-lived, affinity for Magic, incredibly high Perception, natural stealth abilities, and innate archery talent. Their only drawback is low reproductive capacity.

Perhaps because of this, humans, with their more mediocre racial talents, have ultimately surged ahead, establishing kingdoms belonging to humans on the continent.

In the afternoon, the Night Owl Squad did not set off to return to Grayrock Town.

Firstly, although the morning's battle was easy, it still consumed some energy.

Secondly, and most importantly, even if they set off in the afternoon, they wouldn't be able to reach Grayrock Town before nightfall.

They decided to make camp in the ruins and depart the following morning, also allowing some time for the packhorses to rest and recover their strength.

In the afternoon, with nothing else to do, Gauss wandered through the ruined buildings.

The ruins were filled with patchy, broken scenes everywhere.

Weeds grew on the walls and inside the buildings, indicating they had been abandoned for a very long time.

Aside from a few buildings with intact main structures, he found that many buildings looked like they had been caved in; their roofs had massive holes, extending through the floors to the ground, as if attacks from the heavens had destroyed them.

The village square was also pitted and uneven, resembling the surface of the moon.

So, was this ruin destroyed "intentionally"? Or did a meteor fall?

The more he observed, the more incredible Gauss found it.

If it was man-made, the entity responsible must have been incredibly powerful.

To create attacks comparable to the bombardment of artillery shells in his past life's wars, the power of individuals in this otherworld could be this immense.

Thinking of this, he swallowed.

Along with fear, there was also a sense of longing; his yearning for the Professional realm deepened.

One day, he too would be able to wield this kind of power.

The journey back to Grayrock Town proceeded without any further incidents.

Gauss successfully completed his second commission.

Submit the quest, receive the reward, sell the spoils, and divide the payment.

Once their respective mission rewards were distributed, the group of "wage slaves" couldn't wait to disband on the spot.

Although the mission itself wasn't difficult, they were exhausted from the arduous journey.

They hadn't showered in days and were starting to smell, so everyone wanted to leave immediately.

Gauss once again counted his reward of 7 Silver Coins and 15 Copper Coins, and satisfied, put it back into his wallet.

Cash: 19 Silver Coins, 30 Copper Coins.

For the next period, Gauss would have to be relatively frugal.

He had previously spent 10 Silver Coins on a Rapier and 15 Silver Coins on Leather Armor. These were considered advance investments to obtain better weapons and armor, ensuring greater safety for future commissions.

But after investing, he naturally needed to earn some returns.

He planned to follow Leven's Night Owl Squad for a period of commissions.

Earn some money to supplement his little stash.

After all, to craft a Wand, the Base Material alone would cost at least 70 Silver Coins.

Of course, he wasn't just freeloading.

In fact, he and the Night Owl Squad were mutually beneficial.

His Magic Missile was equivalent to the Night Owl Squad's trump card, serving the same purpose as Priest Daphne's Life Sustaining Technique.

Even if it wasn't useful most of the time, their presence made the team members feel more secure when carrying out missions.

After taking a hot bath at the bathhouse and restoring his cleanliness, Gauss walked towards the inn.

Sophia was about to close the door when she suddenly spotted a familiar figure on the dark street.

She quickly stopped what she was doing and reopened the door.

"Little Gauss, you're back? Come in quickly."

Gauss looked up and saw Sophia, her figure full and voluptuous, waving at him under the orange-yellow lamplight. A warmth surged in his heart.

Returning after a few days of work and seeing a familiar face again.

It felt like coming home.

Speaking of which, the original owner actually had a home, but...

The thought of home, with the memories and emotions of the original owner absorbed, made him feel a bit complex.

Maybe he'd go back and see it sometime in the future?

He paused, calming the sudden surge of emotion.

"Mm, I just successfully finished the mission," he said, forcing a smile at Sophia.

Although the process was rather uneventful, Gauss felt that if every mission could be this bland and uninteresting, it would be quite good.

"Didn't run into any danger?" Sophia asked with concern.

"Just a few Goblins, nothing dangerous," Gauss replied, then immediately changed his mind and added a reminder.

"Of course, it wasn't dangerous for me. Sophia, if you happen to encounter them, you really must be careful. Don't underestimate Goblins as if they aren't monsters."

"Don't worry, I'm not as bold as you Adventurers."

"By the way, do you want some late-night snacks? My treat."

"Uh..."

"Already eaten?"

"Then... I'll have some."

The next day.

Gauss overslept again.

It was the second day after officially finishing his commission work, so being lazy was perfectly reasonable.

He didn't get out of bed until noon.

He went downstairs.

Sophia was sitting at the counter, resting her chin on her hand, looking boredly at the street outside the window.

The midday sun was bright, and the street stalls were set up along the road, with pedestrians coming and going like a weaving shuttle.

The gutters on both sides of the street flowed with fresh mountain water, and moss and unknown wildflowers grew among the cracks in the stones.

Vines climbed the outer walls of the building opposite the inn, rustling softly in the wind.

"Haa--" Sophia and Gauss, who had just come downstairs, yawned comfortably at the same time.

"Good noon."

"Oh, right, I've made lunch for you."

"Thank you."

Gauss decided to eat lunch at the inn today.

Last night's late-night snack proved that meager vegetarian meals weren't filling, so he submitted a request to Sophia to add meat dishes to the menu.

Sophia agreed.

Actually, Sophia's cooking skills were good, but even a clever housewife can't cook without rice. The food usually provided to travelers was kept as cheap as possible, so she couldn't make anything fancy.

Besides, good ingredients were something a broke person like Gauss originally was couldn't afford.

Fortunately, it wasn't a big problem for the current Gauss to eat some meat.

Watching Sophia run back to the kitchen, Gauss yawned again.

He planned to visit Widow's Alley today, to check out the small shop selling Magic items that Boss Gron recommended.

Even though he still didn't have enough money to buy a Wand, couldn't he at least inquire about the specifics?

Maybe there would be a pleasant surprise?

At worst, finding out exactly how much money was needed would give him a clear goal to work towards.