Night enveloped the wilderness, cold winds blowing.

The retreating crowd moved forward in silence, the atmosphere so oppressive that only the chaotic footsteps and the muffled groans of the wounded could be heard.

Whether soldiers, cavalry, adventurers, or non-combatants like blacksmiths, laborers, and merchants, every face was etched with dejection and exhaustion.

Gauss rode on his Ostrich, his [Sturdy Scale Bloodline] having cooled down. The energy scales and dragon claws surrounding his body receded, returning him to his normal state.

A wave of fatigue washed over him. Fortunately, it wasn't too severe.

Aria timely handed over several mana berries she had prepared earlier.

"Want some?"

"Thanks."

Their relationship needed no elaborate explanation. Gauss took the berries and put them in his mouth.

A gentle warmth slowly spread through his body, alleviating some of his physical weariness, but the heavy feeling in his heart couldn't be dispelled so quickly.

"Feeling down?" The Halfling Andni, riding the same Ostrich with him, keenly detected his mood. This experienced adventurer asked softly.

"A bit."

Andni shook her head, her gaze sweeping over the dejected soldiers and the adventurers supporting each other. She sighed. "You're still young, Gauss. How could the path of adventure always be smooth sailing?"

"I understand. It's just that life feels too fragile..." Gauss recalled those who couldn't retreat in time and were pounced on by monsters, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Not long ago, the camp was enveloped in tranquility, but in the blink of an eye, everything had shattered and faded like a fleeting illusion.

Those who died had their own families behind them.

"That's right. You must remember this feeling of unwillingness, Gauss. You have the potential to change all this. Digest the gains from this battle properly, especially that... new power of yours." Andni turned her head to meet Gauss's gaze, her expression unusually serious, her tone grave.

"Gauss, I've experienced many adventures and seen all kinds of geniuses, but you're different. The potential you possess and your talent for wielding power are something I've never seen in my life. Given time, this borderland, and even the wider world, won't be your final destination."

This was her first time witnessing Gauss in actual combat. Through her firsthand observation earlier, she was convinced that Gauss was an absolute genius in every sense.

Both his growth speed and terrifying practical combat talent far exceeded ordinary people.

"Feeling down?" The Halfling Andni, riding the same Ostrich with him, keenly noticed his mood. This experienced adventurer asked softly.

...

By the time the group left the Emerald Forest, the sky was already dawn.

Because they needed to guard against monster attacks along the way, plus the convoy slowed down the pace, the overall progress wasn't very fast.

After traveling for a while longer, until the green distant view of Lincrest Town gradually appeared in sight, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Clip-clop, clip-clop—"

The large convoy naturally aroused the vigilance of Lincrest Town's city defense soldiers.

Several scouts came forward.

Before understanding what had happened, unease appeared on their faces.

Outpost 11 had actually been completely wiped out.

This matter had far-reaching implications, especially for Lincrest Town, which was nearby.

"How could this happen?"

"..."

By now, Gauss had sorted out his feelings. Listening to the conversation not far away, he turned his head to glance in the direction of the Emerald Forest.

"Gauss, I've experienced many adventures and seen all kinds of geniuses, but you're different. The potential you possess and your talent for wielding power are something I've never seen in my life. Given time, this borderland, and even the wider world, won't be your final destination."

However, Guild Leader Richie and the other Knight Captains and cavalry who had left the garrison earlier had never appeared from beginning to end, and no one knew where they had gone.

Judging by how surprised the Lincrest Town scouts were at their appearance, it was clear there had been no other relevant intelligence before this, meaning that at least they hadn't returned to Lincrest Town.

And also...

He suddenly remembered that mysterious noble's scion team on the way here.

In the chaotic retreat, they seemed to have vanished into thin air.

That middle-aged man named "Uncle Mo" had at least Master-stage strength.

A strong expert of this level, if not capable of changing the battle situation, should at least be able to break through with one person.

Did they withdraw early? Or were they related to those disappeared cavalry?

Shaking his head, no one could answer his confusion.

Gauss organized his thoughts. After a major event occurred, he habitually reflected on and reviewed the process. Even if he couldn't get answers immediately, it kept his mind clear.

He couldn't help but connect this incident with the Poison Wyvern attack during the previous Winter Hunt.

Though the two events differed in time, location, scale, and target, the timing of the monster attacks was so well-timed that it made people suspicious.

Was there a mole?

His gaze swept over the crowd.

If there was a mole among the crowd, he wouldn't be surprised.

Whether during the Winter Hunt or this garrison mobilization, many people were involved, making it difficult to detect those with ulterior motives.

Or did the monsters have special reconnaissance or prophecy abilities, obtaining intelligence in advance?

After all, this was a supernatural world where anything could happen.

The massive crowd poured into Lincrest Town.

News of Outpost 11's fall quickly spread among the townspeople like wildfire after autumn. Hiding the news was simply impossible.

A sense of unease rapidly spread through the crowd.

"Monster tide... how terrifying!"

"Will those man-eating monsters surge into Lincrest Town?"

"Should we hide in another town to lay low first?"

"Even so many adventurers couldn't hold it. What exactly happened..."

"Is war coming again?"

Gauss left the group and walked through the streets, listening to the discussions of the residents along the way, silently shaking his head.

Ordinary people in this era were like duckweeds in the wind and rain, their fates often not in their own hands.

The threat of monsters, the fall of homes, disasters that could shatter peaceful lives at any time—all had to be resisted by the strong.

They didn't even have basic intelligence, knowing only bits and pieces, like viewing flowers through fog, making it difficult to understand clearly.

"Senior Andni, are you coming with us?" Gauss looked at Andni in front of him.

By now, Gauss had sorted out his feelings. Listening to the conversation not far away, he turned his head to glance in the direction of the Emerald Forest.

Though she was powerful, she was after all a Mage. Her energy and physical stamina weren't as abundant as Warriors of the same rank. After a night of travel, she was somewhat tired.

"Hmm." She nodded drowsily.

Gauss searched the streets and eventually found a relatively nice inn to rest in.

However, Guild Leader Richie and the other Knight Captains and cavalry who had left the garrison earlier had never appeared from beginning to end, and no one knew where they had gone.

Perhaps due to the influence of his newly acquired racial talent [Sturdy Scale Bloodline], his body was still very excited.

That mysterious Giant Egg inside him, which had fallen into dormancy, seemed to show signs of awakening after the Reptilian advanced to become the Sturdy Scale Bloodline.

It occasionally secretly consumed a tiny bit of mana.

Thinking of the Sturdy Scale Bloodline, Gauss summoned his attribute panel.

It had been rushed all the way;

he hadn't had time to analyze it carefully from last night until now. Now that he was finally back in a safe town, he had the chance to check it.

Racial Talent: Blue Quality [Sturdy Scale Bloodline] (Elite level)

Without affecting the purity of your own bloodline, you will gain some of the advantageous characteristics of dragons:

After activating the Sturdy Scale Bloodline, constitution and strength will receive temporary significant enhancement, and you will possess stronger adaptability to various complex environments.

Gain Sturdy Scale Energy Layer: Defense and resistance to blows are greatly improved, with good resistance to physical attacks and low-level elemental attacks. (Note: Can be combined with talent [Magic Resistance] and core skill [Gauss Field])

Advanced Darkvision and Thermal Sensing: Your visual abilities will be enhanced, even perceiving mana flow to a certain extent.

Predator Instinct: You will possess the powerful autonomous combat awareness of a predator, but your mental state will also be influenced by it.

Regenerative Ability: Wound healing speed increases, resistance to toxins and diseases enhances.

Dragon Fear (Weak): The aura you emit can make various low-level monsters feel instinctive fear (effective against Goblins, Goblin-like creatures), and may also exert slight pressure on intelligent beings.

Did they withdraw early? Or were they related to those disappeared cavalry?

Gauss quietly read the description of his advanced racial talent.

Shaking his head, no one could answer his confusion.

Even without the Sturdy Scale Bloodline activated, he could feel his skin's toughness had become stronger.

Gauss organized his thoughts. After a major event occurred, he habitually reflected on and reviewed the process. Even if he couldn't get answers immediately, it kept his mind clear.

And this was only at blue quality...

Gauss pondered inwardly.

Blue quality wasn't the final destination of this talent.

Though the two events differed in time, location, scale, and target, the timing of the monster attacks was so well-timed that it made people suspicious.

This meant it still had the potential to climb to higher qualities.

What would this talent evolve into when it reached purple quality, gold quality, or even stronger qualities?

Dragonkin? True Dragon?

Gauss shook his head.

If based on this advancement experience, to further improve the quality of [Sturdy Scale Bloodline], he'd probably have to target Transcendent monsters that only Master-stage professionals could deal with.

But that was still too distant for him now.

Moreover, even the current blue quality Sturdy Scale Bloodline felt somewhat beyond what his current strength level could control.

He now possessed two blue quality racial talents.

One was [Ghost Form], and the other was [Sturdy Scale Bloodline].

Or did the monsters have special reconnaissance or prophecy abilities, obtaining intelligence in advance?

Ghost Form consumed too much and couldn't control the consumption autonomously;

battles had to end in a very short time.

The latter, however, seemed to be influenced by something called Predator Instinct when the bloodline was activated, making his spirit more aggressive and invasive. Even in the initial brief moments, bestial instinct overpowered rational thinking.

If the Sturdy Scale Bloodline quality became too high, exceeding what his attributes could withstand, he was somewhat worried that some unfavorable situations might occur.

So for now, what he needed to do was continue killing monsters, improving himself, and raising his level.

His fingertips unconsciously tapped on the table as he sank into thought.

News of Outpost 11's fall quickly spread among the townspeople like wildfire after autumn. Hiding the news was simply impossible.

Early the next morning.

A sense of unease rapidly spread through the crowd.

Gauss pushed open the window and saw many more patrolling soldiers and cavalry on the streets than usual. The atmosphere was slightly tense;

clearly, the fall of the outpost had put this small town on alert.

"Morning."

Aria and Serlandul in the adjacent room were already awake.

After a full night's rest, everyone's spirits seemed to have recovered quite well.

Gauss noticed that beside Aria's feet, Eck had somehow gained several small, fluffy ravens following closely around him.

"Should we hide in another town to lay low first?"

They huddled close to Eck, as if regarding him as their reliance.

"Aria, are these your new pets?" Gauss was somewhat surprised, thinking Aria had gone to the market early.

"No, they're not." Aria shook her head, her face also showing some helplessness.

"After we rested yesterday, Eck sneaked out and brought back these little guys himself. They seem to be a few chicks who lost their mother."

Raising small birds was troublesome, but since Eck brought them back, she couldn't heartlessly abandon them.

Hearing this, Eck raised his head somewhat proudly, making a few gurgling sounds in his throat, rather like seeking praise for doing a good deed.

"Oh, is that so..."

Gauss examined the raven Eck's shiny black feathers.

Unconsciously, this pet following Aria had grown a lot.

Now, Eck's claws were like carefully polished obsidian, shimmering with a metallic luster.

His size had also grown several times larger than at the beginning.

They didn't even have basic intelligence, knowing only bits and pieces, like viewing flowers through fog, making it difficult to understand clearly.

"Then let's keep them." Gauss nodded. "Hand-raised ravens are more obedient. Maybe we can raise more in the future and send them out to collect intelligence regularly."

"Senior Andni, are you coming with us?" Gauss looked at Andni in front of him.

She had always liked small animals, but without Gauss's approval, it wouldn't be appropriate.

After Gauss appeared, those little ravens instinctively shrank further behind Eck, not daring to show their heads.

Was it because of the Sturdy Scale Bloodline?

Though she was powerful, she was after all a Mage. Her energy and physical stamina weren't as abundant as Warriors of the same rank. After a night of travel, she was somewhat tired.

Her small figure was wrapped in a slightly oversized mage robe. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she looked harmless and even somewhat lazy.

Aria and Serlandul still treated her with some reserve.

Though she seemed completely non-threatening now, they had witnessed the terrifying power contained within that small body the night before last.

The magical power to summon a sky full of fire rain with a wave of her hand was enough to make most people feel awe.

Breakfast was a simple meal on the first floor of the guesthouse.

Just after they finished eating, several soldiers wearing Lincrest Town garrison uniforms, who had been waiting at the entrance for some time, stepped forward.

Their gazes fell on Andni, faces filled with tension and awe.

"Ms. Andni, pardon the interruption. The town mayor and Knight Captain Filen are convening a meeting in the conference hall to understand the matters of the beast tide from the day before. We sincerely request your attendance."

"Okay. I'll be there shortly."

Hearing this, the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, saluted respectfully, and quickly left.

"It seems there's no time for leisurely rest." Andni stood up, bid farewell to the three, and walked out of the inn.

The three of Gauss's level weren't high enough to participate in such meetings, so they were actually free for now.

"I wonder if our mission is still valid." Gauss held the commission document for investigating the Dark Forest that he had received from Guild Leader Richie. Originally, he intended to submit the task to Richie, but since he hadn't returned yet, there had to be some explanation.

"Let's go to the Adventurers Guild in Lincrest Town to ask about the situation first."

The three of them finished breakfast and walked onto the streets.

Along the way, Gauss noticed many people discussing him in secret.

From the conversation content, he could occasionally catch words like "dragon," "don't provoke," "transformation," and some even started calling him a dragonkin.

Racial Talent: Blue Quality [Sturdy Scale Bloodline] (Elite level)

Ordinary level 3 professionals naturally wouldn't receive this kind of treatment, but the combat power Gauss now possessed far exceeded what a level 3 professional should have.

Those renowned adventurers all gradually built their prestige and titles through thrilling battles, resolving crises time and again, and even distinguishing themselves in major wars.

It was like a medal for the strong. Often, the more powerful the adventurer, the more numerous and resounding their titles.

It was like the lengthy titles of nobles, but while noble titles symbolized status, adventurers' titles represented strength and experience.

As they approached the Adventurers Guild, Gauss suddenly felt a warning sign and sharply turned his head to look back.

The street behind was bustling with people.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Gauss slightly frowned and withdrew his gaze. "I just felt like someone was secretly watching me."

"Maybe they want to see the impressive presence of the rumored 'dragonkin'?" Aria lightly joked.

"Perhaps." Gauss scratched his head.

But his intuition told him it might not be that. Unlike the gaze of ordinary people, that gaze felt like malicious hidden observation, making him feel as if needles were pricking his back.

But with people coming and going on the street, it seemed impossible to further verify his suspicion.

The three entered the Adventurers Guild hall.

After his figure disappeared, a small gray-furred mouse cautiously poked its head out from the shadows of an alley corner.

"Squeak—"

Dragon Claw Mimicry: You can use [Gauss Field], [Magic Resistance], and [Sturdy Scale Layer] to condense into a high-density energy dragon claw possessing powerful destructive force.

In the darkness, shadows began to writhe. Countless black particles spun and intertwined in the air, gathering at the alley's end, gradually merging into a vague, distorted humanoid outline.