I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 335: Class Level: 61

When Gauss changed into a bathrobe and stepped into the hot spring, he immediately felt the effects of this place.It was as if countless invisible, soft little hands were kneading his entire body from head to toe.

If it weren't for the maids waiting not far away, he would have instinctively let out a comfortable, soft moan.

Ah...

"Huuu—"

He let out a long sigh.

What an indescribable comfort.

He carefully felt the changes in his body.

Every pore on his body seemed to slightly open under the soothing touch of the magical hot spring. Then, the beneficial active substances in the water generously surged into his body through the pores and were quickly absorbed.

Along with them, the potions and magic stones he had taken before soaking in the spring, which he had asked Praelius to procure, also began to take effect.

Moreover, a life energy within his body that had not been fully absorbed before slowly released a warm heat.

Gauss knew what it was.

It should be the life-restoring potion that Praelius had told him about, the one used on him, which Praelius had obtained from a mysterious Elf.

Although Praelius had appraised its effects, having been away from the frontline adventurer industry for so many years, he never had a chance to use it.

A few days ago, however, he used it on Gauss.

Under the combined effects of the potion and the hot spring, Gauss's originally fair skin gradually turned slightly red.

Wispy white mist seeped into his pores and then left his body.

He was like a sponge constantly exchanging substances with the external environment, expelling impurities and absorbing beneficial ones.

This hazy, misty scene had an unusual sense of beauty.

The young maid nearby was already staring dumbfounded, not blinking as she gazed towards the spring.

It wasn't until her slightly older companion tugged at her sleeve that she snapped out of her unfounded reverie.

They were all well-trained maids who would not make any unnecessary moves beyond their duties.

Unless Gauss showed signs of physical discomfort or he actively called for them, they could only watch over him like trees, not even making a sound to avoid disturbing Gauss's cultivation.

Gauss did not know what was happening outside.

In fact, he had now entered a state of hyper-concentration. Forget the gazes of others; even if they were wailing and howling beside his ear, dragging and pulling him, it would be difficult to rouse him from this meditative state.

Hot, so hot.

As the energy within his body accumulated and burned like a furnace, his body temperature began to rise rapidly.

For an ordinary person, under such abnormal temperatures, the brain and bodily organs would likely have already shown abnormalities, even beginning to fail and deactivate. This was also the inherent risk of a breakthrough itself. It was a re-remodeling of the body, equivalent to a secondary shaping of the originally natural bodily organs.

But that bit of normalcy was nothing for Gauss, whose body was beyond human.

Within him, the magic cup and the Sword Soul were already releasing a dazzling light, especially the former. As it released a high-intensity glow, the cracks on its surface also became clearer.

And at a certain moment, the cup body, bearing a vast amount of mana, shattered with a crash.

Immediately, the numerous energies within his body rushed in one after another.

"Hum—"

A clear, crisp wave of fluctuation rippled outwards from him as the center.

The maids watching over him took a few steps back.

The center of the hot spring released an invisible yet intense oppressive feeling.

The air itself seemed to become much thinner because of Gauss's presence.

It was as if what was soaking in the spring wasn't a human, but a ferocious beast that triggered an instinctive, genetic-level fear in people.

The maids squinted their eyes with some difficulty.

"Splash splash splash—"

The originally relatively calm hot spring had already begun to bubble as if boiling.

Bubbles continuously jumped on the water's surface.

If someone were to look down on this luxurious manor from a god's-eye view, they would be surprised to find that the substantial mist formed by the surrounding condensed mana was gathering towards Gauss at the eye of the spiral.

The vegetation decorating the surroundings also rustled loudly.

"What's happening?"

Guards further outside felt the wind suddenly pick up and turned to look towards the direction of the hot spring manor inside the walls.

Wind was just a natural phenomenon.

But here at the Cuilu Hot Spring Manor, it was an extremely rare sight.

In fact, most guards had never felt any noticeable airflow fluctuations during their working hours, as if natural winds would instinctively quiet down when they reached this place.

Of course, this abnormal phenomenon was not natural. It was because wind and rain isolation arrays were arranged outside the manor, designed to protect the manor's users and prevent them from being interfered with externally during use.

But now, the wind originated from inside the manor.

"Continue guarding carefully, don't get distracted. I'll go in and ask about the situation."

The guard captain reminded the others not to let their guard down, then quietly approached the manor's main gate.

Of course, he could not enter.

Instead, he communicated with a female attendant responsible for watching. Upon learning that the wind was caused by Gauss and not some other external anomaly, he breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his post.

The Cuilu Hot Spring Manor opened only a handful of times a year, usually to receive the city's most distinguished guests.

And this time, the distinguished guest being received required even more careful handling than other guests.

From the various activated arrays, one could tell the manor's security had been adjusted to the highest level.

So it wasn't that he was being overly alarmed; it was simply that no accidents could be tolerated.

In the hot spring, the anomaly continued and gradually intensified.

Even in the sky hundreds or thousands of meters above, the clouds faintly began to show a spiral shape.

The clouds were so high that, objectively speaking, they couldn't be affected by stirred air currents. Their change was more like a natural celestial phenomenon.

Rather than Gauss actively influencing the environment, it was more like this patch of heaven and earth was spontaneously responding to Gauss.

"Oh my heavens!"

"Look up at the sky, quickly!"

"A vortex cloud!"

"It's the eye of a god!"

Many people in the city looked up at the sky.

The swirling, spiraling cloud layer was clearly not a common sight; it could even be considered a wondrous celestial phenomenon, a sign from the heavens.

Commoners who saw this scene swallowed hard, dumbstruck.

Today the sky was bright and clear, the azure dome like a gemstone freshly washed.

That vortex cloud sea spanning the sky was as if a deity in the heavens was slowly opening its eyes to examine the living beings on the ground.

A beam of pure white afternoon sunlight shone straight down from the eye of the cloud.

Some devout believers even knelt on the streets in public, praying to the deities they worshipped.

On a pure white tower, in a room that was almost the highest point in the entire city.

Two men now slowly walked to the huge window.

This giant window had an excellent view; looking out, it could take in most of the city.

However, at this moment, the room owner's mind was not on the city beneath his feet, but like the commoners below, he was staring blankly up at the sky.

Following the central point of the vortex cloud sea, the "eye of the god," downwards.

His gaze locked onto a certain building, the Cuilu Hot Spring Manor.

"Praelius, today should be the day Gauss went to the hot spring manor, right?"

Beside the man in a white uniform, Praelius answered softly,

"Lord Nock, yes."

"I had the items Lord Gauss needed sent over just this morning."

"Judging by the time, he should have been in the manor for a while now."

"How many times have I told you, just call me Nock." The man shook his head with a helpless smile.

Then his gaze focused on that distant manor, as if his vision could lock onto Gauss, who was using the hot spring.

Of course, this was impossible. Although his eyesight was far superior to that of a hawk, the manor's exterior had an invisible protective barrier that blocked external observation.

"So, this celestial phenomenon should be related to Gauss?"

"Most likely, yes."

Praelius answered.

"Truly an incredible man."

Nock shook his head.

Although he already held Gauss in very high regard—after all, he was young and had already reached level 5, possessed the strength to seriously injure a Transcendent professional, had subdued a Red Drake, and was now about to break through to the Master-level stage... With all these halos surrounding a young man barely twenty, no amount of importance was too much.

But only now did he realize his evaluation and understanding of Gauss were still too low.

"Lord Gauss is indeed a peerless talent beloved by heaven and earth."

Compared to Nock, Praelius, who had had more close contact with Gauss, appeared relatively calm. Or perhaps his evaluation of Gauss had already been raised to an extremely high level long ago.

A young man who could, at the Elite rank, contend with a Transcendent being was destined not to be an ordinary figure. Or rather, for him to have grown to this point, it was no longer just a matter of personal effort or support from a faction. It required the convergence of numerous factors—"heaven," "earth," and "human"—to give birth to such a miracle.

Only this kind of person possessed the ability to profoundly influence the world.

His gaze subtly shifted towards the Magistrate Nock beside him.

Just like his friend Nock, who, despite being born lowly as an illegitimate child not fit for public mention, ultimately ascended to the high position of Magistrate of Longdi Fort, wielding the authority of an entire city.

To achieve such a transformation from carp to dragon, besides Viscount Mason feeling this son resembled himself, it was also inseparable from Nock's own talent and the reputation he earned through his ventures abroad.

"Send more people to protect Gauss's teammates. During these days in the city, there must be no accidents."

Nock knew the "sponsorship" he had given Gauss through Praelius was already considerable. Everything in excess is a fault. The only thing needed now was to cut off any hands that might reach towards this team within the scope of Longdi Fort. Gauss would naturally remember his favor in the future.

"Understood, Lord Nock. I'll arrange it immediately."

Back at the Cuilu Hot Spring Manor.

Gauss's body had undergone earth-shattering changes.

A ray of sunlight shone onto the hot spring and him.

Mist enveloped him, making it so that through the mist and sunlight, one could only barely see a blurry human figure.

"Hum hum hum!"

The gradually thickening air rippled outwards in concentric circles.

The maids who had originally been waiting by the poolside had long since been forced to move farther away, standing at the edges of the courtyard.

Some maids whose physical constitutions were not outstanding enough had already been helped out of the courtyard by their companions.

The pressure of staying near Gauss was simply too great. Even though that imposing aura wasn't directly aimed at any one of them, but unconsciously and evenly diffused, it still made them feel immense pressure.

As if they were staying beside a majestic Dragon.

It was a difference in life hierarchy. Their bodies' survival instincts would subconsciously urge them to stay away from this dangerous target.

Fainting, rapid heartbeat, unease, tension...

All these physiological reactions were normal.

"Huff... huff..."

The little maid who had been staring at Gauss earlier took deep breaths.

"Yvette, do you want to go out and rest first?"

Her companion kindly reminded her.

"No, I want to stay."

The little maid stubbornly shook her head.

Even though her cheeks were already flushed red, and steam even rose from the top of her head, she still did not want to leave.

This was her work and her duty.

...

The celestial phenomenon of the spiral cloud sea in the sky lasted only a little over half an hour before disappearing.

But inside the Cuilu Hot Spring Manor, beside Gauss, this transformation lasted much longer than most people present imagined.

In the blink of an eye.

Four days had passed.

Gauss was still surrounded by swirling mist, but it had thinned considerably. The breakthrough had visibly reached its final stages.

The maids in the courtyard were already able to withstand his gradually receding imposing aura.

"Has Lord Gauss not finished yet?"

Outside the courtyard, maids about to take their shift whispered among themselves.

"It's been four days already."

"If I soaked in a hot spring for four days, my skin would be all pruned and ruined. Lord Gauss, on the contrary, looks even better."

"Of course. I heard Lord Gauss's skin is impenetrable by blades and swords, just like a Dragon's. He's very hard to injure, with limitless stamina."

"I heard Lord Gauss is only twenty years old."

"Wouldn't that make him younger than me?"

These past few days, during most of their free time outside of work, the maids had been discussing almost everything about Gauss.

Some things they heard through the grapevine, some were their own imaginations.

In their monotonous, ordinary lives, Gauss's arrival was a memorable major event. Perhaps many years later, when they were old, they could still tell their grandchildren about this episode.

"Quiet! Stop talking."

Soon, a maid came out of the courtyard to remind them to stop chatting.

In the center of the courtyard, Gauss had reached the final stage.

His consciousness gradually regained clarity.

The originally shattered magic cup had been remolded. The completed, remolded cup body was even slightly smaller in volume than the original, but whether in terms of luster, beauty, or the mana fluctuations it emitted, it was completely incomparable to before.

Many powerful things often possess a unique beauty of their own.

It was like an invisible rule that made them tend towards beautiful forms.

The mana within Gauss's body became extremely viscous, flowing through his entire body, then swirling inside the cup before returning to his body.

And beside the cup body, the light sword was also completely renewed.

Gauss slowly opened his eyes.

"The breakthrough is over."

He stood up from the still-warm spring water.

"Splash splash splash!"

Water flowed down his taut, jade-like, hard skin.

"Main profession Magician level increased to: 6!"

"Secondary profession Sword Soul level increased to: 4!"

Gauss clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking.

He felt his physical and mental state had reached a peak. His entire person was radiant, glowing with health.

Especially the mana within his body—completely under his control!

It was as obedient as an affectionate kitten, allowing him to command it at will.

"Boom!"

So this is the power of the Master-level.

Gauss let out a long sigh. Happiness, relief, pride... a mixture of various emotions.

He had been looking forward to this process for really too long... too long.

And starting today, he had shed the first major tier of the Elite stage, striding proudly into the Master tier.

Level 6, ah, level 6. You are one level more than level 5.

Don't underestimate the difference of one level; it became a huge chasm blocking the progress of many people.

"Haha—"

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but raise his head and let out a hearty laugh from his mouth.

Looking back on this journey of adventure, he felt it was truly not easy. And he had finally stepped onto this bustling stage. From now on, he was no longer just an adventurer who had to be cautious and careful in everything.

The entire world instantly appeared brand new before his eyes.

When good fortune comes, he wouldn't deliberately suppress the joy in his heart.

"L-Lord Gauss!"

The little maid nearby was almost about to faint, her face flushed red as if about to drip blood.

"What's wrong?"

Gauss tilted his head, looking down at her, puzzled.

"Clo... clothes!"

The maid handed a set of clean robes to him.

Only then did Gauss look down and see that the original bathrobe had become tattered and worn from the days of soaking in the intense heat.

"Apologies."

Gauss quickly took the clothes and draped them over himself.

He was no exhibitionist.

As he stepped out of the hot spring pool, the maid team instantly sprang into action.

They brought the pre-prepared dishes one by one to the pavilion dining table in the courtyard.

Gauss happened to be somewhat hungry.

So he sat down accordingly.

"Thank you."

He didn't stand on ceremony too much.

If it weren't for the supplies he had taken before the breakthrough and the continuous absorption of nutrients stored in the hot spring during the process, the energy within him would probably have been completely drained.

Now, although he had regained clarity, his body was indeed very hungry.

He quickly began to eat.

Soon, plate after plate of carefully prepared nutritious dishes were rapidly consumed, and the kitchen continued cooking.

While eating to replenish his slightly parched body, Gauss looked at the changes in his panel data.

This breakthrough's gains were very generous; all attributes had received improvements.

Strength: 13 → 14

Agility: 11 → 12

Constitution: 12 → 13

Intelligence: 16 (15) → 17 (16)

Perception: 10 → 12

Charisma: 13 (12) → 14 (13)

In terms of attribute values, he had gained a total of 7 points of improvement.

Among them, the relatively lower Perception attribute had a relatively large breakthrough.

Although Intelligence only gained 1 point of improvement in value, it was already high enough. This one point of breakthrough could even equal the sum of several points at lower values.

Moreover, he could feel that the attribute breakthroughs were only one of the benefits of this promotion to the Master tier.