novelhk Chapter 357: [Charioteer]
Chapter 357: [Charioteer]
Very soon, one commission after another, filtered and organized, appeared before Gauss.Although the majority of goblin-related commissions had been removed, most of the remaining tasks were varieties Gauss had already fought before.
"Oh?"
Gauss, who was reading through the commissions, suddenly made a surprised sound.
"What a coincidence?"
Near the Ennis River dock, an elite-level fiend had been spotted.
This place had a significant connection to Gauss.
Back when he was still with the Night Owl Squad, they had accepted a routine commission to hunt Water Ghosts there, and that was the very location.
That night he had experienced his first panicked retreat since becoming an adventurer.
After they had slain the Water Ghost that was the commission target that night, a ghoul had landed on the riverbank. Faced with that, their squad had been forced to flee the scene.
Fortunately, that ghoul had been distracted by the numerous Water Ghost corpses on the riverbank and had not focused on them.
If not, the squad might have suffered heavy casualties that night, possibly even complete annihilation.
After returning to Grayrock Town, they reported the matter to the Adventurers Guild, but later inquiries indicated that the ghoul had not reappeared.
A fiend is essentially a smarter ghoul. Unlike beast-like ghouls, a fiend is more cunning and can command packs of ghouls.
Gauss's eyes narrowed slightly, his mind drifting back to that night of terror.
If he remembered correctly, that "ghoul" had been unusually calm that night, almost as if it had deliberately let them go.
Maybe it recognized their clothing and feared attracting more humans later, so it avoided causing trouble?
If it had been a normal ghoul, that night it might have kept them there, and even the Water Ghosts on the riverbank would have been enough food for it.
So this commission's "fiend" was very likely the same one that had forced them to flee that night.
For a moment, Gauss couldn't help but marvel at how coincidental fate could be.
Coincidentally, he was also missing just one more elite monster entry in his Monster Encyclopedia.
"This one then."
Seeing the curious expressions on the others' faces, Gauss briefly explained the situation.
When they learned that this fiend had once driven Gauss into flight, everyone chuckled.
That was an achievement that even commander-level or Transcendent opponents had failed to realize.
Unfortunately for that fiend, Gauss had returned far stronger than before.
Aria and Shadow had no objections; in fact, this little backstory made the commission especially appealing to them. This was revenge.
"Be careful, then."
Seeing Aria and Shadow eager to go, Eberhard could only smile wryly.
To be honest, having a high-level combatant like Gauss handle such a small commission was a bit of overkill and not cost-effective, but...
As long as Gauss and the others were willing.
Adventuring was a free profession; one did not always have to calculate profit.
"Then let's depart."
After bidding Eberhard farewell, Gauss and the others left the town and mounted Hephaestus to head for the commission’s dock.
A route that once required traversing mountains and waters was now reached after a short flight.
Gauss landed on a small hill outside the dock.
The river surface, not yet fully thawed, held a small pier, and a nameless little fishing village sat nearby.
The scenery remained very pleasant.
The monster war launched from the Emerald Forest had clearly not reached this secluded, peaceful little dock.
They descended from the hill and walked into the fishing village.
Gauss paused briefly in front of the village’s only tavern, the Mermaid's Keg.
He peeked inside; the tavern was still lively in the afternoon.
Sailors and fishermen were drinking and playing hand games, the sounds spilling out.
Simple entertainment was limited in this era, especially in winter during slow seasons when many people headed to taverns for a few drinks to relax.
"What are you staring at?"
"Nothing. Let's go."
Gauss had no intention of going inside.
After a short pause he strode toward the riverbank.
Villagers they passed couldn't help but take extra glances at the handsome pair.
Inside the Mermaid's Keg, the owner Harvey, who was holding a ledger and checking accounts, suddenly looked out the window and rubbed his eyes, as if he had seen a somewhat familiar figure.
"Boss, is everything okay?"
An employee nearby noticed him rubbing his eyes and quietly asked.
Harvey glanced at him with suspicion.
Although his distraction had nothing to do with the accounts, the employee’s uneasy expression made him overthink.
Now that he thought about it, the person he’d just seen outside seemed familiar.
Someone so handsome would have left a deep impression if seen before.
...
They reached the riverbank.
Gauss looked at the thawing ice.
The ice was breaking up, and faintly beneath, the river water rushed unchecked.
Returning to the old site stirred many emotions.
He seemed to be back in that night of nerve-racking danger.
Although that fiend had let them go back then, Gauss had no intention of holding back this time.
He knew that the monster had not spared them out of mercy—if there hadn’t been so much food at the scene, it would not have hesitated to attack and leave them as a meal.
A fiend, though favoring corpse-eating, will kill to create food if they cannot find corpses.
Moreover, it had stolen some of their spoils; the Water Ghosts' materials had not been fully collected.
Before coming, Gauss had asked Eberhard for the ghoul and fiend portraits to refresh his memory. Even though much time had passed, that fiend had been the first powerful enemy to force him into retreat, leaving a deep impression on his previously unsure will.
After a moment’s thought, Gauss found his bearings.
"Locate Creature: fiend (ghoul)."
As mana rapidly spread across his body, a target marker quickly appeared in his perception.
"Found you!"
Locate Creature was incredibly useful.
At Gauss's current level, after discovering the marker, there was no need to be overly cautious.
He headed straight toward the sensed area.
The marker was about eight to nine hundred meters away in a straight line.
It should be hiding in some natural sinkhole.
At the destination, Gauss stared at the small hill before him. The target was underground.
"Below us."
"How do we get down? Blow it open?" Aria asked curiously.
"There doesn't seem to be an entrance nearby."
At that moment, Shadow had already sent her projection to search the surface and found no access points.
"There should be a secret passage connected to the adjacent river."
Gauss speculated logically.
They could have used Fireball to blast the area open, but that would be too noisy and excessive.
Hearing that, Shadow immediately ordered her projection to enter underground and begin searching.
After a while, she reported a discovery.
"Found the hidden passage."
Following Shadow's guidance, Gauss broke the ice on the river.
Splash—
Beneath the ice, the clear river water roared.
"Do you want to follow?"
"Or should I go alone?"
"Together," Aria answered decisively when Gauss asked.
She wasn't afraid of the cold anyway.
"Then pull me along."
Gauss signaled.
He then jumped into the icy water with the two of them.
In the water he felt oddly at home, a strong sense of comfort settling over him.
Aria began to hold her breath.
She looked at Gauss and noticed bubbles streaming from his body in the water, surprised.
Suddenly she remembered—she, too, could move freely here.
With a flick, she transformed into a sleek white fish.
The three traveled swiftly through the underwater tunnel.
After roughly a minute of winding passage, Gauss and the others reached the end of the sinkhole.
They climbed out of the water.
Before them lay a fairly open space, the air faintly tainted with the stench of rot.
Clatter—
Because Gauss and his party had not tried to hide, the cave's owner quickly noticed the three uninvited guests.
Several ghouls sprang up from the ground, standing on all fours, their gaze fixed on the spring entrance.
Meow—meow—
They let out windbox rasping roars, growing increasingly agitated.
Yet they remained motionless, waiting for an order.
Behind these ghouls stood a blue figure on two feet, eyes fixed on the trio, flickers of unease deep in its pupils.
Its dried, blue-spotted skin was covered with a dense layer of reptilian-like scales.
Its face had canine features, sunken eye sockets held a pair of crimson eyes, and a snake-like long tongue flicked through the air.
"So it is you."
Gauss's voice echoed clearly in the hollow sinkhole.
At first glance he was certain this was the same ghoul from before.
However, the once terrifying creature that had chilled him to the bone now looked ordinary.
So weak…
As if memory had softened it, seeing it again made Gauss somewhat sentimental.
This had been his first boss encounter, one of the reasons he chose steady, safe development and focused on killing lesser monsters.
Now, from his rough assessment, the opponent was at most level 2 in combat power, while its minions were about level 1.
Perhaps understanding the implication of Gauss's words, the fiend's crimson eyes flickered uneasily.
Fiends were no fools.
Soon it vaguely picked up a familiar scent from Gauss.
Recognizing a form from its memory, it showed a humanlike unease.
"Meow—gnaw!"
At its command, the ghouls charged like wild dogs.
"Leave these ones for now."
Gauss ignored them and shot past, swiftly pursuing the fiend that was turning to flee.
Although fiends and ghouls were fundamentally the same elite species with intelligence differences, Gauss decided to kill the fiend first.
The fiend was fast, but Gauss was faster.
Within a few breaths, Gauss was behind it, and the fiend was still far from the other escape opening.
Slash!
The Sword of Mete swept across its neck.
Thud!
The fiend’s head hit the ground, its eyes still holding an indelible terror.
As if shocked that the fragile human from the past had become so powerful.
Sssshhh!
The Water Sword's lingering sanctifying power continued to purify its body.
"Elite creature eliminated: ghoul *1."
"Current elite monster kills: 20 species defeated (20/20)."
"Elite Path stage 3 achieved."
"Reward received: Randomly selected one elite monster racial talent."
"Current elite monster encyclopedia species: mantis man, half-ogre, mud statue, mimic chest, Spider-Demon, hobgoblin, parasitic arthropod, Gnoll Chieftain..."
"Randomly selecting racial talent and adapting it to Constitution."
...
The information hung for a moment.
"Selected ability from monster [Goblin Wolf Cavalry]: one of its powers, Wild Symbiosis."
"Adapting into racial talent [Controller] of blue quality."
[Controller] (Initial): You must select a mount with whom you share excellent harmony to form a contract. Once contracted, the bond cannot be dissolved. The rapport and connection between you and your mount will be strengthened, making coordination smoother and faster.
During travel, the mount's stamina consumption will be reduced.
When riding this mount, both your and the mount's combat instincts will continue to improve.
The longer the bond persists, the higher the rapport becomes, and there is a chance of subtle, beneficial mutual influence over time.
Controller?
Gauss silently inspected the newly acquired racial talent.
He had indeed slain many Goblin Wolf Cavalry during recent battles, and several had reached elite level, so drawing this trait did not surprise him.
He had not expected to receive such an ability, though.
It appeared to grant talent in mastering mounts.
Useful, certainly.
As for the choice of mount, there was only one optimal candidate before him: the Red Drake Hephaestus.
He saw no reason to reserve the slot. Although he might later tame other dragons or more powerful beings, by then he would probably be strong enough, and the more powerful creatures usually had higher pride. Even if he forced them into submission, it would be hard to gain their genuine loyalty, and they might not meet the contract’s requirements.
So better to use it now and enjoy the benefits early.
Reduced stamina consumption during flights meant Hephaestus could travel farther in one journey, effectively saving Gauss and the others time on the road.
Saved time meant more opportunities to hunt, and kills meant strength increases—crucial for progress.
Furthermore, this talent granted stronger aerial combat skill while mounted.
Most important was the final line: the longer the bond, the higher the rapport, and the greater the chance of beneficial, subtle mutual influence.
If Gauss understood correctly, this talent might allow them to gradually acquire each other’s advantageous traits.
He could draw the draconic robust physique from Hephaestus while Hephaestus, through proximity to Gauss, might raise its intelligence and gain magical affinity. A win-win.
Also, with this talent, he would not need to fear Hephaestus developing untamed wildness or rebellion as it matured.
Powerful monsters are hard to tame, but this talent could bind Gauss and Hephaestus closely.
A corner of his mouth twitched upward.
Someone had recently nicknamed him "Crimson Dragon Knight." He knew that name was a bit exaggerated, but now it seemed likely to become true.
Becoming a Dragon Knight... that didn't sound so bad.