"Cough, cough!"
Gauss ate several pieces of jerky in a row.
Only when a warm current began to flow inside his body did he finally relax.
Only then did he have time to recall exactly what had happened.
He closed his eyes and thought for a long time.
"I just..."
"Entered the quicksand vortex, and then..."
"What happened next?"
Gauss muttered to himself, his expression growing more confused.
He realized he had lost the memory of entering it.Serlandul thought he was talking to him and shrugged helplessly.
"You ask me, I ask who?"
However, he roughly understood the current situation.
"Captain? You lost your memory?"
"Yes." Gauss nodded. "I only remember jumping in, then what happened after coming out."
"I have no idea what happened inside."
The half-snake Serlandul shook his head. "There must have been some kind of situation."
"Just now, Captain, you actively forced yourself to climb out. Maybe you were avoiding something?"
Gauss nodded thoughtfully.
His gaze suddenly shifted to the Hundred Bone Staff beside him.
"A gift?" he exclaimed in surprise.
The change in the Bone Staff was very obvious—not only its length and shape had changed, but a flawless pure white gem was embedded at the end of the handle.
It looked exquisitely beautiful, transformed into a true magic wand.
"How did my staff change?"
He waved it around twice.
The wand now felt much more comfortable to wield.
Calling it the Bone Staff was no longer appropriate since it had lost the jointed bone appearance and instead became a smooth, jade-like magic wand.
He decided to call it the White Wand.
"The Captain's wand didn't look like that before coming out," Serlandul reminded. "Back then, it was still glowing with Light Cantrip."
"Looks like you obtained something outside that completed the staff." A smile bloomed on Gauss’s face.
Though unclear about the exact events, completing the staff and achieving the goal Andni had worried about for decades made him very happy.
After all, he had long prepared himself mentally to continue using it even if it could never be completed.
It seemed this wand was truly fated to him.
Next time he returned to Grayrock Town, he would bring it to Andni to take a look.
However, he didn't know where Andni had gone.
Since a few months after last year, she seemed to frequently go out, so much so that even when Gauss visited Thorn Cottage, he couldn't find her.
Snapping back to reality, he turned to Serlandul, who still looked concerned, and apologized,
"Sorry. This gem probably can't be removed."
Normally, in a small team's joint exploration, rewards should be divided equally or at least have a fixed ratio.
But right now, he had no idea what was going on inside.
Moreover, the gem seemed completely fused with the original Bone Staff, inseparable.
He couldn't just say, "I'll use the wand for a few days, then you use it for a few days."
"It's fine," Serlandul waved his head carelessly. "You risked yourself going down there, I didn't contribute much. The rewards don't need to be split with me."
His gaze lingered on Gauss's transformed wand.
"This gem is fated to you. If I went down, I probably wouldn't get it."
"How about this: I'll look over the rewards from these days' quests and compensate you more. Of course, it probably won't be worth the gem."
After their exchange, they looked toward where the magic quicksand had been.
With an experimental thought, Gauss grabbed a passing lizard.
He then replicated the sparrow's test procedure.
Unfortunately, when he threw the lizard covered with the Gauss Field onto the sand,
"Thud!" The lizard fell to the ground, dazed.
"Failed."
No matter how Gauss tested afterward, the blue glow never reappeared.
The space below had completely disappeared.
"If I can't enter, I can't enter. It's not necessarily a bad thing..."
Gauss could only comfort himself. After all, he had already obtained the item, and he had retreated in such a hurry that he even activated Ghost Form. There must have been some kind of situation inside.
The two searched the valley again but found no other abnormal items.
During the search, Gauss also checked his Storage Bag but found nothing else.
It seemed that the only thing he had gained from the quicksand vortex was the completed wand.
Although curious about its effects, this was not a good place to test it now.
Gauss mounted his ostrich and left the valley with Serlandul, returning to the village.
Back in the village, when people heard that the two had cleared the valley, the villagers all sighed with relief.
"The Goblin Killer really is formidable."
"Indeed, I've heard goblins get so scared of him they go weak in the knees."
"Is it really that exaggerated? Yes, I have a cousin who..."
"I also heard he eats goblins?"
"Doesn't look like it; he seems so fair-skinned and clean."
"... "
Gauss watched the villagers start whispering about him again and shook his head.
They probably thought he was too far to hear, unaware his keen senses picked up every faint sound carried by the wind clearly into his ears.
He could understand the spread of these half-true "rumors." After all, the entertainment options for commoners in this era were severely limited.
Besides a little something by the bedside at night, all they had was drinking cheap beer and sharing various anecdotes they heard.
Some were true; others had been exaggerated by human hands.
No one cared about the truthfulness.
Taking things seriously was losing.
Because of this, heroes and various titled, glorified, even deified high-level adventurers were easily born in this era.
After obtaining the commission documents signed at the Village Chief's house, the two headed toward Barry.
Sitting on the ostrich Golden Spike’s back, Gauss rarely used his free time to train spells this time, as he had more important matters to focus on.
He held the White Wand and used an Identify Spell on it.
As expected, it failed.
"Of course."
Back when it was still just base material, Andni had used Identify Spell countless times without any result.
When the item came to his hands, he had also tried, with no response.
Now, with the mysterious gem embedded, it was even harder to identify.
The Identify Spell clung to the wand’s surface like a stone thrown into the sea—no trace, no news.
Forget about text results from identification; not even a proper color appeared.
Was it because it was beyond his knowledge? Or was it inherently unidentifiable?
Though the identification failed, it didn't stop Gauss from continuing his tests.
Holding the White Wand,
At first, he felt no reaction.
It didn’t provide feedback just by wearing it like the Empathy Bracelet, which gave attribute boosts at low professional levels.
However, when Gauss’s mana flowed into it,
He quickly sensed something unusual.
Too fast!
If the previous staff had been like an extension of his arm, now the mana flowing inside was even smoother than inside his own body.
"Whoosh!"
The mana within became vibrant and vigorous.
The power of his professional talent Spell Mastery had also started to surge for some unknown reason.
The robe fluttered without wind, billowing strongly.
Serlandul, who was focused on traveling, noticed the sudden surge beside him and turned curiously.
"What’s happening?"
"I'm testing the wand," Gauss said, surprised by the noise since he had wanted to test quietly.
"Oh?" Serlandul was first surprised but then nodded in agreement.
They found an empty patch of wasteland by the road and stopped.
Serlandul also wanted to know what powers Gauss’s main wand had gained after its transformation.
Gauss’s mana rippled, more excited than usual.
His internal professional rank manifestation, the Mana Cup, also glowed brightly, as if sensing the wand's presence outside.
It was communicating with the wand on some level.
Gauss did not rush the test.
After a while, the Mana Cup inside finally calmed down.
The “bridge” the Mana Cup created by drawing mana was completed, perfectly resonating with the wand, forming a flawless internal-external harmony.
Serlandul watched silently.
He felt Gauss’s aura suddenly become much smoother, losing the aggressive surge from before, replaced by a very friendly feeling.
Already matched so quickly?
Usually, a new wand takes time to harmonize.
Though surprised, Serlandul didn’t interrupt Gauss.
Or rather, after days of contact with Gauss, he had grown used to many strange things and was no longer easily shocked.
Meanwhile, Gauss began to feel all the mana in his body changing, becoming easier to control.
"Magic Missile!"
He started testing again with Magic Missile.
This was the spell he used most and was most familiar with, so any enhancements or improvements would be noticed immediately.
"Hmm?"
When the Magic Missile spell model lit up, the mana in his body instinctively began to flow.
Gauss immediately realized the mana circulated faster during casting.
Moreover,
A strange feeling suddenly rose in his heart.
Azure blue orbs appeared one by one before him.
"One..."
"Two."
"Three."
Suddenly, Gauss’s casting motion froze very briefly.
At the next moment, mana flow inside broke through a new peak, and that mysterious feeling became incredibly intense.
"Chak!!"
A clearer energy tremor passed through the air.
After the third Magic Missile, the fourth blue orb formed steadily and without warning.
Four orbs lined up neatly before Gauss.
And this was not the limit!
Following the sensation, Gauss continued casting.
Finally, the fifth magic missile formed!
The five missiles glowed so brightly they almost merged into one, radiating a ghostly blue light, hovering before Gauss arranged in a perfect, slowly rotating circle.
The entire ring emitted a powerful pressure, the energy fluctuations seeming to freeze the surrounding air.
Even the howling wind gradually calmed.
Gauss widened his eyes, astonished at the scene before him.
"Five consecutive Magic Missiles!"
Moreover, he sensed he could cast even more in sequence afterward.
Not five, not six, not seven—once his mastery of the spell improved further, he could break the limit on the number of simultaneous casts.
Is this the power the White Wand grants me?
Gauss’s heart pounded wildly.
This effect was incredibly strong.
Just imagining that the number of Magic Missiles he could release simultaneously would continue to rise, even maintaining the current power, would create a terrifying spell.
Maybe one day, his missiles would pour down on enemies like a torrential rainstorm.
Hiss—
Could a spell of that magnitude still be called a 1st circle spell?
Gauss was truly looking forward to it.
And it wasn’t only Gauss who was shocked.
Not far behind, Serlandul was also immersed in an incredible emotion.
Even though Gauss had previously raised his threshold, the scene still stunned him for several seconds.
Magic Missile was one of the most common offensive spells for low-level spellcasters.
For them, it was as common as black bread was for ordinary civilians.
Gauss, as a level 2 spellcaster, managing to play such tricks with the basic Magic Missile was truly incredible.
Casting five missiles in sequence and releasing five simultaneously were completely different effects.
Even as a priest, Serlandul understood the difference clearly.
Has the Captain become stronger after obtaining the wand?
Such a terrifying level 2 mage... no, magician, Serlandul muttered in his heart.
Gauss immersed himself in experiencing the White Wand, which seemed to grant him greater “creativity.”
Sounds simple, but creativity in magic is very rare, especially at low professional levels.
Most mages can only follow established paths, practicing spells step by step.
Any modification has a high chance of producing terrible results, even causing mana backlash leading to death.
That was why, long ago, when Gauss first mastered Magic Missile, he had thought about tweaking the missile’s mid-flight trajectory to make it curve, but over time, he never tried.
Because during adjustments, he found modifying a spell was complex and could easily trigger mana chaos.
So he decisively stopped trying.
Now, the situation seemed different.
First, the magician profession combined with the Spell Mastery talent was inherently better at practical application of magic than regular mages.
He already had a considerable advantage in spellcasting.
Now, with the White Wand’s effect bonus, this ability was further unleashed.
Suddenly, Gauss thought of something and pulled up his character panel to check his personal attributes.
Name: Gauss
Strength: 8
Agility: 8
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 11
Perception: 9 (8)
Charisma: 9 (8)
Gauss quickly noticed the difference.
Intelligence: 10 → Intelligence: 11
Charisma: 8 (7) → Charisma: 9 (8)
By the numbers, the White Wand added 1 point each to Intelligence and Charisma.
But,
Gauss recalled the first blue item, the Empathy Bracelet, which showed base attributes in parentheses after the attribute. This time seemed different.
Charisma was still influenced by the bracelet’s bonus, so it was harder to see directly.
But Intelligence had no parentheses showing base values like the bracelet’s effect. Why?
Moreover, in Gauss’s view, the Intelligence and Charisma attribute entries glowed with golden light.
To test, Gauss put the White Wand back into the Storage Bag.
Intelligence: 10
Charisma: 8 (7)
The bonuses from the White Wand disappeared quickly, and the golden glow on the panel faded.
He took out the wand again.
Was there a difference?
While pondering, a mysterious feeling suddenly surged from his brain.
He looked down at the bracelet on one wrist and the White Wand in his other hand, and suddenly everything became clear.
The bracelet’s bonus was more like a fixed-value addition, providing a set amount.
That’s why the blue items only helped low-level professionals. For higher-level ones, the fixed bonus was negligible compared to their larger base stats.
The White Wand’s bonus, in contrast, felt more conceptual, like multiplication. No matter how high his stats were, it always provided 1 point each to Intelligence and Charisma.
Although both seemed like a 2-point bonus, they were incomparable.
Hence, the panel showed the Empathy Bracelet’s bonus in parentheses, indicating it was virtual and would not show when his base stats rose.
But the White Wand’s bonus was real and effective anytime, anywhere.
In other words, the Empathy Bracelet was temporary, while the White Wand was a lifelong weapon.
Moreover, the rarity of the White Wand didn’t stop there.
His gaze moved to Serlandul.
At the boundary between his human upper body and golden-scaled snake lower body was a waistcloth.
This was a blue item Serlandul inherited from his tribe, boosting constitution and endurance.
Gauss knew this because once, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked Serlandul how he managed endless marches without fatigue.
Serlandul told him about the waistcloth’s effect.
From that, Gauss learned a little about equipment.
Most adventurers, under normal circumstances, can only enjoy the attribute bonus of one piece of equipment.
What did this mean?
After equipping the waistcloth to boost constitution, Serlandul couldn’t also benefit from the Empathy Bracelet’s Perception and Charisma boosts.
Therefore, adventurers normally choose the equipment best suited to their needs for daily use.
Other equipment is sold or kept as backup to be switched out in appropriate situations.
But now,
The White Wand ignored this basic rule.
While equipped with the Empathy Bracelet, it gave him additional attribute bonuses.
Thinking of this, Gauss’s heart beat faster.
In every aspect, the White Wand was suspected to be an extraordinary “Divine Artifact.”
If others knew, the wand’s value would skyrocket, but it would also likely bring him endless danger.
However, he would never sell the White Wand.
He didn’t know why, but just looking at it made him feel at ease. No matter how much money he was offered, he couldn’t bear to part with it.
Gauss did a simple test of other spells on the spot.
He found varying degrees of bonus effects.
Of course, the most obvious were Magic Missile and Gauss Field.
The Gauss Field on his body could now be simply molded into shapes and extended slightly beyond his skin, no longer limited to the surface.
For example, under his control, the solid-like Gauss Field “melted,” then extended about ten centimeters beyond the tip of his right hand’s fingertips, looking like an invisible diamond-shaped blade wrapped around his palm.
Further abilities might need more development.
Since Serlandul was waiting nearby, Gauss didn’t waste much time.
He quickly mounted the ostrich again.
There was plenty of time. He would continue experiments and research during quests and exploration, no rush.
Serlandul and Gauss returned to the city and submitted quest items and documents at the Adventurers Guild.
They smoothly received one gold coin as a reward.
The amount wasn’t much but was worth it since it was close by and took less than a day. It was still afternoon.
Gauss took the collected loot to the Golden Beak Trading Company’s shop near the city gate.
This wasn’t his first time here.
The receptionist saw him and quickly ran out to greet him.
"You’re here, Lord Gauss."
"I have some loot from commissions. Please have your appraisers evaluate them. If it’s okay, I’ll sell them to you."
"Rest assured, we will give you the fairest price," the receptionist nodded repeatedly.
Hayley, the young mistress, had already informed the staff.
The employees knew this handsome black-haired adventurer was a friend of the guild leader’s daughter, so their buyback price was slightly higher than other shops.
Gauss took out the loot from his Storage Bag one by one, and soon appraisers came out to evaluate.
He and Serlandul sat quietly, waiting for the appraisers to finish, with snacks and tea on the table prepared by the company.
"This fruit jelly is delicious. Serlandul, try some."
Gauss picked up a translucent, jiggly crystal dessert and took a couple of bites, a satisfied expression on his face.
He judged food by taste immediately.
This jelly was elastic but not too sticky, with just the right gelatinous texture.
The flavor balanced the real sour and sweet taste of various berries well, without artificial sweetness, perfectly balanced.
"Yes, Miss Hayley specially prepared this. Other guests don’t get this treatment," the receptionist sighed with relief.
She was glad not to have cut corners.
Hayley had emphasized Gauss’s love of good food, so the snacks had to be top quality.
"Thank you, I’m very satisfied."
"As long as you like it."
Seeing the faint smile on Gauss’s face, the receptionist was a little dazed, frozen for two seconds before realizing her rudeness and quickly looking away.
Serlandul gave Gauss a warning look but said nothing.
However, he sent a Message spell, whispering only to Gauss’s ear.
"Captain, looks like you’ll need to watch your expressions from now on, like me. No more casually smiling at people."
But while Serlandul reduced his smiles to avoid frightening others, Gauss was the opposite.
Gauss silently endured the moment, then changed the subject.
"Serlandul, Aria has been in seclusion for almost a week. Should be finishing soon, right?"
"Seems she went away for a few days," Serlandul recalled.
He hadn’t paid much attention to Aria’s affairs.
Mainly because he rarely interacted with her. Soon after joining, Aria had already entered seclusion to break through to level 2.
These days, it had mostly been Gauss and Serlandul running commissions together.
If Gauss hadn’t mentioned it, Serlandul might have thought they were just a two-person team.
"Hope everything goes well for her."
After selling the loot, Gauss and Serlandul headed back to the southern district.
The sun slowly set.
At dusk, they arrived at the inn.
"Caw, caw!"
Just arriving, Gauss heard a call and looked up.
A majestic black raven circled overhead before descending.
"Thud!" The raven landed at his feet, rubbing its head against the hem of his robe.
"Eck, you’re back?"
Gauss greeted it.
Since raven Eck was back, Aria’s seclusion was most likely over.
Sure enough, a window opened in a room above.
Someone leaned out—the person who had been away for a week, Aria.
She looked toward the inn’s small courtyard, her face beaming with enthusiasm, waving at them continuously.
"Where have you been? I couldn’t find you when I came back."
"Picking up commissions," Gauss replied.
"Wait, I’m coming up."
Entering the lobby, the innkeeper still smiled warmly at Gauss’s return. However, when she saw Serlandul behind him, her smile instantly stiffened into an awkward grin.
After greeting the innkeeper, Gauss and Serlandul went upstairs.
They entered Aria’s room.
Aria’s aura had changed quite a bit.
Specifically, her natural energy seemed much stronger.
"Successfully leveled up?"
Gauss pulled over chairs for himself and Serlandul.
"Yes, luckily." Though she said so, Aria’s face was very happy.
Leveling up was no small matter for any professional.
She was still young, and smoothly advancing from level 1 to 2 meant she had a great chance of reaching even higher thresholds in the future.
"Then let's go out for a big feast to celebrate tonight?" Gauss suggested.
"I think that sounds good," Aria agreed.
"Okay." Serlandul nodded as well.
He seemed quieter, his expression awkward and somewhat uncomfortable in the room.
But Gauss understood; compared to him, Serlandul and Aria were still relatively unfamiliar.
Gauss took it all in.
It seemed building a team still had a long way to go.
But that was okay. He would coordinate everything well.
If the three-person team couldn’t get along, what about adding a fourth, fifth, or even more members in the future?
Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and smiled again.
As the captain, he still had much to learn.