Respite

The moment Gauss focused his mind and entered the Adventurer's Handbook, several notifications immediately popped up.

At the same time, a strange power surged through his entire body before finally flowing back and gathering in his brain.

A warm current rippled through every part of him. His brain, spine, and limbs all felt as though they were soaking in a hot spring, while countless invisible little hands kneaded and massaged every inch of his body. The indescribable comfort left him dazed.

His mind kept buzzing.

When he opened his eyes, everything suddenly became clear. The entire world looked completely different, as if some veil shrouding his mind and consciousness had been lifted.

A special energy had also been imprinted into his consciousness.

It was a spell called [Mage Hand].

Having just gone through a brief but intense battle, his slightly weary body and mind were rejuvenated by this wave of cleansing.

Name: Gauss

Strength: 5 (physical power, carrying capacity, explosive force, and other kinetic output)

Agility: 5 (bodily flexibility, dynamic coordination)

Constitution: 5 (endurance, physical fitness, injury recovery, cardiopulmonary metabolism)

Intelligence: 7 (memory, thinking, mental power)

Perception: 5 (senses, intuition, judgment)

Charisma: 5 (temperament, affinity, appearance, physique)

Skills:

0th Ring Cantrip: Mage Hand Lv. 1 (1/10)

Gauss examined the changes to the attributes in the handbook.

His Intelligence, which had originally been 6, had now risen to an outstanding 7.

The most immediate benefit of those 7 points of Intelligence was that the Original Body's memories, which he had still needed to recall from time to time over the past half-day, had been completely digested and absorbed in an instant. Gauss felt that his memory had never been better.

However, this Intelligence probably was not entirely equivalent to the IQ of his previous life. Although he did feel his mind had become somewhat sharper after adding points to Intelligence, the improvement was not particularly dramatic. It was more a matter of improved memory and a kind of strength on the spiritual level.

And—

The weak magic power that had naturally arisen and was flowing within his body!

Yes, a wondrous power that thrilled him was now coursing through him.

His newly born magic power was still very weak, but it truly existed. It seemed like a child who had just arrived in a new home, darting all over the house.

Paired with the Mage Hand spell he had just acquired, he should be able to try practicing magic now that he possessed magic power.

However, considering that this was not an appropriate time, he dismissed the fleeting thought.

The Monster Codex's current main objective was now obvious. One was the total number of monsters killed. As long as his accumulated kills reached a certain stage, he would receive rewards. The next stage was 10 monsters.

As for kills of a single race, it seemed he could also accumulate enough to receive corresponding rewards.

After sensing the changes to his body and handbook, his attention returned to the real world.

The goblin was thoroughly dead.

Next, it was time to collect his spoils.

He picked up the Stone Spear that he had kicked away and gave it a few swings in his hand.

Honestly, although it was not made of metal, it was sturdier than he had expected.

Take it!

His gaze fell on the goblin. Aside from a small scrap of cloth covering its lower body, it wore nothing else. That little rag also gave off a strong, sour stench.

Gauss hesitated, then decided not to strip it off. It probably would not fetch much money anyway, so he left it on the goblin to cover its corpse.

The goblin's body itself had nothing particularly valuable, and since he had not killed a goblin in a designated area for a commission, he could not take body materials to claim a bounty. After searching it, he took the Beast Tooth Pendant hanging around its neck.

As for the goblin's corpse, he had no time to bury it properly. Though its flesh and blood were somewhat polluting, the primordial forest would take care of it.

After quickly sorting out his belongings, he hurried away, worried that the scent of blood would attract other monsters and wild beasts in the forest.

Only after returning to the oak tree where he had buried his bundle did he finally let out a breath of relief.

His first monster kill had gone much more smoothly than he had expected.

It was time to return to town and rest.

Killing 10 monsters was not something he could accomplish overnight.

The only reason he had managed to catch this lone goblin was because of the information left behind by the Original Body, combined with a well-made plan and a successful ambush.

In reality, low-level monsters encountered by adventurers in the wilderness often fought in groups. Two fists could not beat four hands. Even if there was a gap in individual strength, attacks coming from all directions were still quite troublesome.

He still lacked the ability to fight multiple monsters without injury. He needed to go back first, digest the gains from this trip, and improve his strength.

He followed the map as he retraced his route.

Only after leaving the forest and returning to the main road did he see other people again.

After that, he simply continued along the road he had taken here.

By the time he reached the town's checkpoint, it was nearly dusk.

The setting sun hung over the sharp peaks of the distant mountains.

The last rays of sunlight spilled across the town's gray stone rooftops, dyeing the plain little town with a golden glow.

Thinking back, he realized that he had spent most of this trip on the road. The actual battle had not lasted long.

After passing the inspection and entering town, Gauss made up his mind that he had to get himself a mount.

Otherwise, every time he went out, he would exhaust himself walking on two legs before even reaching the mission location.

Especially since he seemed to be developing in the direction of a Spellcaster, with Constitution and Strength no different from those of an ordinary person, he needed to pay even more attention to managing his stamina.

He went to a bathhouse run by locals and took a hot bath.

After removing his Cloth Armor and changing back into loose Linen cloth, Gauss felt completely refreshed.

The hot water had turned his skin red, and the steam seemed to carry away the exhaustion from both body and mind.

Besides fighting, it was necessary to relax and enjoy oneself in moderation. No one could remain tense forever, or they would collapse sooner or later.

The summer night in Grayrock Town was filled with a pleasant evening breeze as cool and clear as spring water. Stars glittered in the sky, which bore a distinctive deep-blue hue.

The market square at the center of town was lit by resin torches. Open-air stalls with canvas awnings propped up by bamboo poles lined the streets. Wind chimes swayed in the breeze with crisp tinkling sounds, while earthen jars filled with food gave off rich aromas.

Afraid that he would lose control and spend money recklessly, the Original Body rarely came out to stroll at night.

It was Gauss's first time walking through such a night market with its exotic charm, and everything he saw felt novel.

Most market stalls sold food, though there were also a few fortune-telling booths and cheap jewelry stalls set up at night. A puppet theater performing string-controlled puppets had drawn the largest crowd.

Night patrol guards stood watch around the area with longswords at their waists, maintaining order.

Overall, it was a small town brimming with life, especially after night had fallen.

"How much are these worth?"

Gauss took out the Beast Tooth Pendant he had obtained from the goblin and the Stone Spear, then crouched before a miscellaneous goods stall to ask about their value. Though the pendant had a primitive style, it reflected a faint glow at night and actually looked rather nice.

"Did you loot these from a goblin?" The stall owner was an elderly man. He leaned closer, inspected them carefully, and spoke.

Though it was phrased as a question, his tone carried certainty.

Clearly, he dealt with similar primitive pendants and items quite often.

"Yes. I killed a goblin in the Emerald Forest this afternoon and took them from it."

"I don't want the Stone Spear. For the glowing pendant, I can offer 70 copper coins. You know, there aren't many customers who like this kind of primitive, barbaric style. Besides, such accessories aren't particularly rare. It's only because these Wolf Teeth are well made and have a bit of glow that I'm willing to take it." The old man named his price. Seeing Gauss hesitate, he added,

"This is the market price. You can ask other businesses in town that buy these materials. Their offers shouldn't be much different."

Gauss was generally satisfied with the price. A Beast Tooth Pendant could sell for 70 copper coins, nearly one-fifth of his previous savings.

However, since he did not understand the current market prices, he did not rush to sell it. He planned to ask a few more places for quotations before selling it to the highest bidder.

A few extra copper coins were still worthwhile, and it would not take much of his time.

Money was extremely important to adventurers. Equipment, weapons, potions, guidance from famous teachers, and skill instruction—

As long as one had money, one could obtain them all.

The better he armed himself, the safer his life would be when fighting Low-level Monsters.

After making a round of the nearby stalls and shops,

he discovered that the first old man had not deceived him. The other offers also fluctuated around several dozen copper coins.

In the end, Gauss sold the spoils for 78 copper coins.