latelenovela Chapter 295: Gauss Reaches the Summit
Chapter 295: Gauss Reaches the Summit
"Back."When Gauss returned to Shattershell Shallows, Aria and the others had already gathered the spoils.
"Mm, let's head back to town first to submit the commission."
Gauss nodded without wasting much time.
It wasn't even noon yet, so there was still plenty of time today.
Unfortunately, elite professionals couldn't accept multiple commissions consecutively.
So they had to make another trip back.
Of course, Gauss suspected there might be some clever thinking behind this from the local guild.
Other adventuring teams participating in this hunting competition were certainly racing against time to complete commissions and kill monsters.
When they encountered wild monsters unrelated to their commissions during travel, would they just ignore them?
Most likely, considering the ranking points, they'd clear them out along the way, right?
This way, by increasing their time spent in the wilderness, these capable adventurers could help reduce the monster density around the towns.
Fortunately, Gauss had a dragon.
He didn't need to laboriously trek across mountains and rivers on foot.
Before long, he returned to the vicinity of Lakeside Town.
Everyone dismounted from the dragon and switched to other mounts.
After entering town, Gauss's team headed toward the Adventurers Guild.
On the streets, besides them, there were many other adventurers' faces, likely those going out to complete commissions or returning to submit them.
The docks of Lakeside Town were also crowded with commoners, enthusiastically holding the commoners' fishing competition.
The commoners' events of this Lakefest Competition were scheduled first, so there would be enough spectators when some professional events officially began later.
Gauss only briefly watched from the shore before leaving the lakeside.
Overall, the competition atmosphere was very lively.
After arriving at the Adventurers Guild hall.
Gauss went straight to the front desk.
While submitting his commission, he also updated his points situation.
"Hello, how may I assist you?"
Since Gauss had just been to this counter two or three hours ago, and as a new face he had submitted over two hundred points right away,
the counter staff still remembered him.
"Submitting a commission, and updating the latest points for the hunting competition." Gauss said concisely while submitting the commission proof.
"Alright, I'll process that for you right away."
Though somewhat surprised by Gauss's speed, the staff member showed no expression and quickly checked the commission proof and crystal.
After a brief inspection confirming everything was correct, the staff member put on a respectful smile and returned the crystal to Gauss.
To reach his total of 8000 monsters killed, Gauss had cleared out about twenty additional goblins, and his latest points had quietly reached 582.
After the points synchronization.
His ranking rapidly climbed.
Gauss and the others looked at the ranking board not far in the hall.
Herbert: 906
Koman: 736
Tasha: 666
.
Compared to two hours ago, the rankings had changed slightly.
They had probably come this morning to register the points gained from yesterday's hunting.
Gauss's 582 points had already entered the top ten of the five-town alliance.
Just tenth place.
But actually, aside from first place, the other rankings didn't have significant gaps.
He wasn't the only one watching the ranking changes.
In the hall, some idle adventurers noticed this name that seemed to come out of nowhere and became interested.
"Look at the rankings quickly!"
"This contestant named Gauss just jumped to tenth place!"
"Was he on the rankings before?"
"Probably not, I don't remember him at all."
"What's his background?"
"Could it be rigged? Over five hundred points all at once, almost six hundred, how did he do that?"
"Shh... keep it down."
Some sharp-eyed people noticed the luxurious unfamiliar team at the counter, vaguely sensing that the ranking change coincided with their arrival at the counter.
"Could that team be...?"
"Hard to say."
"Why is there a level 6 adventurer? I thought only up to level 5 professionals were allowed to register for the competition?"
"Right, so the one who registered probably isn't that level 6 adventurer."
"Then, isn't this cheating?"
"Being able to get a level 6 professional to voluntarily help is a skill in itself."
"Moreover, if this points acquisition speed is normal, it can't be explained by just one level 6 professional."
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Some expressed doubts, while those in the know recognized the abnormality of this points acquisition speed.
This hunting competition required daily registration and point updates, precisely to create a catch-up situation among contestants and let them know each other's approximate rankings.
That meant Gauss's points had just recently surged upward, appearing like a rocket launch from others' perspectives.
The other four towns probably had many adventurers watching the ranking changes in real time too.
Everyone has a competitive spirit;even without the competition rewards, as adventurers they hoped to defeat as many other adventurers as possible.
Gauss naturally heard the gossip in the hall and was somewhat surprised by some people's perceptiveness.
But his expression didn't change.
He had moved past the stage where he needed to prove himself.
The truth was, most people's opinions, whether good or bad, weren't that important, and thus not worth dwelling on.
After briefly staying in the Adventurers Guild hall.
Gauss's team quickly accepted another commission similar in scale to the Ironclaw Giant Crabs.
Since they had recently enjoyed a crab feast, they didn't need to find a tavern in town to fill their stomachs.
Outskirts beyond the town.
With the dragon's wings flapping again, Gauss's team embarked on a new commission.
...
On the vast, boundless Blue Lake.
A prosperous town sat in the harbor on the northern shore of Blue Lake.
Fisherman's Song Town.
Compared to Lakeside Town where Gauss and the others were staying, Fisherman's Song Town was larger, with tall lighthouses and dense ship masts in the port visible from afar.
Not far outside the town flowed a wide river running straight north.
Leveraging the shipping advantages of its geographical location, Fisherman's Song Town was the most prosperous of the five Blue Lake towns.
Large quantities of shipped goods gathered here daily, transferred inland or to towns further north.
Now, the sun set in the west.
The great river and Blue Lake shimmered with sparkling light as merchant ships, cargo vessels, and other boats sailed into the harbor to dock.
Many adventurers were also returning to Fisherman's Song Town under the gentle evening glow, excited smiles on their faces.
"We collected quite a bit of ironware from this commission, which blacksmith shop should we sell to?"
"The one from last time?"
"No, that shop owner isn't honest. I found out his prices are ten percent lower than his competitors."
".."
The bustling town was filled with adventurers everywhere.
Even the various shops, taverns, and other stores on the streets were doing much better business.
Amid the dense crowd, a clear vacuum suddenly appeared.
At first some were displeased, but upon seeing who was coming, they swallowed their dissatisfaction.
"Make way!"
Pushing through the crowd domineeringly was an elite adventuring team clad in armor and weapons.
The leading man wore shining silver-white light armor, handsome with golden tousled hair, riding a white horse with his head slightly raised, enjoying everyone's attention while his gaze never lingered on anyone around him.
His weapons and helmet were respectfully carried by attendants behind him.
"It's Herbert."
The watching adventurers' gazes toward him contained no small amount of envy and jealousy.
Handsome, powerful, and the town mayor's son.
In his thirties, in his prime, the best time for a man.
Many people in town dreamed of living his life.
"Bit too flashy, isn't he?"
"If I were him, I'd be even more arrogant!"
With the triumphant spirit of spring breeze and swift horse hooves, so victorious, so promising.
Even after his team moved away, many in the crowd still shook their heads and sighed.
Herbert crossed the street, arrived before the Adventurers Guild hall building, and dismounted from his horse.
Soon.
Someone quickly jogged from the guild hall to his side.
"How is it, no changes on the rankings, right?"
He didn't turn to look at the newcomer.
Just strode confidently toward the Adventurers Guild as if returning home.
While asking:
"Basically no changes, Lord Herbert, you're still first."
"That's good." Herbert nodded faintly.
"However, there's an adventurer from Lakeside Town whose ranking is rising very quickly." His attendant added.
"Hmm?" Herbert looked calm. "What's his name? What's his ranking now?"
"His name is Gauss, 582 points, he reached tenth this afternoon." The attendant replied respectfully.
"." Herbert raised an eyebrow.
Wasn't that still far behind him?
No need to worry at all.
After all, his points had already broken nine hundred when he registered this morning.
He had taken his team out scavenging during the day today, killing quite a few monsters.
When he registered tomorrow morning, his points would easily break one thousand, far ahead of other contestants.
"Notify me when he reaches second place." Herbert said displeased, expressionlessly speaking seriously to the attendant he had ordered to watch the rankings in the hall all day.
"But that guy named Gauss wasn't on the rankings yesterday, he only took one day to reach tenth place."
"Ah?" Herbert was first stunned, then stopped in the corridor and turned to look at his attendant for the first time.
"Are you sure you didn't misread?"
Rather than someone gaining 582 points in just one day, he preferred to believe his attendant had made a mistake by not noticing this person earlier.
How could anyone hunt enough for that many points in such a short time?
Facing Herbert's doubt, the attendant quickly became anxious but continued.
"I asked the Adventurers Guild staff, he really had no points yesterday."
".."
Hearing this, Herbert's expression changed slightly.
He might not completely trust the attendant he assigned, but the Adventurers Guild registration shouldn't be wrong.
He quickened his pace and entered the hall under the envious or curious gazes of other adventurers.
He went straight to the stone slab displaying the hunting competition rankings.
Herbert: 906
First place was still himself, the score updated this morning.
The adventurers below him were mostly familiar names seen these past few days.
Only at tenth place.
A name that hadn't been noticed much before appeared.
Gauss: 582
Where did this guy come from?
Confusion rose in his heart, along with anxiety and irritation at being chased.
Though he now had over nine hundred points, with 211 points yet unregistered,
but gaining nearly 600 points in one day, while he could only average over two hundred points daily normally.
The competition lasted 10 days total, today was day 5.
The other party still had 5 days;if he could gain nearly 600 points daily, then by competition end, this Gauss would reach a terrifying 3000 points!?
Herbert's eye twitched involuntarily.
He calculated his own progress mentally.
10 days, at most two thousand points.
Because with his frequent monster hunting these past few days, his body was already showing some fatigue symptoms.
Humans aren't machines.
His efficiency would definitely decline over the next five days, maybe even needing to stop and rest.
He had originally planned to rest tomorrow.
After all, he had already created a gap and established an initial advantage over others.
But where did this guy come from?
Just as he was greatly confused.
The stone slab suddenly flickered.
This meant the rankings had changed again.
This wasn't actually strange.
Some people preferred updating before evening, some preferred morning updates.
He himself was the latter, updating the previous day's points in the morning helped compare with others' rankings.
At the same time, it was a kind of ease belonging to the strong.
He didn't need to urgently update rankings in real time to maintain first place.
As the flickering stopped.
Herbert looked back at the stone slab.
When he saw the changes, his eyebrows suddenly furrowed tightly, his expression instantly turning extremely ugly.
The originally tenth-ranked Gauss had changed position again.
Of course, not because someone else surpassed him.
But because he had surged forward many places.
Finally stopping at first place.
Gauss: 907
Just exceeding his morning-updated points by 1 point.
But this 1 point was enough to put him above Herbert.
"Gauss is first!!!!"
"Oh my god!"
"Nine hundred points in one day?"
"How did he do it?"
"Herbert got surpassed!"
"Look at Herbert, he seems angry."
"Angry? What good is anger?"
"Nine hundred points in one day, what can Herbert use to compete with that?"
"Could there be a problem? This points change feels really exaggerated."
The crowd watching the ranking changes instantly exploded.
If Gauss's sudden appearance at tenth had confused many people before.
Now directly climbing against the current to directly take first place and dominate the rankings left many stunned speechless, at a loss for words.
This progress was truly exaggerated.
So exaggerated that quite a few people began questioning the accuracy of the absolutely neutral Adventurers Guild.
"Could it be a guild statistics error?"
"How could that be? Do you think guild staff don't review?"
"Maybe they're trying to create a legend?"
"That's joking, why would the Adventurers Guild interfere with data for our small-scale competition?"
"Then this... Gauss, is really too exaggerated."
Other adventurers discussed animatedly.
They certainly knew an authoritative institution like the Adventurers Guild wouldn't interfere with their small five-town alliance competition.
The only possibility was, though they didn't know how that adventurer named Gauss did it, he really gained nine hundred points in one day.
Before the stone slab, the one with the worst expression was undoubtedly the former first-place Herbert.
Second place was actually fine, but he had held first for many days, and he himself along with many others had assumed this ranking would last until competition end.
He took a deep breath.
Then controlled his out-of-control expression and turned to his companions.
"Let's go register our points at the front desk first."
He wasn't going to wait until tomorrow morning to calmly register the previous day's points as before.
Even though many had seen, he wanted to reclaim first place immediately.
As for later, he'd probably need to investigate more;maybe there was something fishy about the other's results.
Even now he refused to believe that guy named Gauss gained points through genuine ability.
But the Adventurers Guild's authority was deeply ingrained, making him restless.
The confidence of certain victory from previous days had disappeared.
He knew countless eyes in this town and others were probably laughing at him now.
"Gauss... Gauss...
He silently repeated the name several times, as if carving this annoying name into his heart.