When the meat touched his tongue, Gauss was nearly moved to tears. The rich meaty flavor made every taste bud on his tongue and every cell in his body cheer with joy. His body was thoroughly satisfied!
The time spent enjoying the delicious meal passed quickly. In what felt like an instant, he had already eaten and drunk his fill. Letting out a satisfied burp, Gauss's mind became completely empty.
"Sir, sir..." Just as he was about to doze off, a sweet and gentle voice called out to him. Blinking his bleary eyes open, he saw the beautiful waitress standing politely by his side. "Your bill comes to 2 silver coins and 50 copper coins."
"Eh? How much?" Still somewhat dazed, Gauss reflexively asked again.
"2 silver coins and 50 copper coins," the waitress repeated courteously.
"Was it really that much?" Gauss wasn't trying to skip out on the bill - he was just genuinely surprised at the amount. Just a few days ago, he had been shocked when Hayley treated their group of four to a meal costing 3 silver coins and 40 copper coins. And now he was being told that his solo meal had nearly matched that amount? So he was the extravagant one all along?
Tsk! One meal costing 0.03 of a house. Gauss felt his heart bleeding. "You can check the items - these were all dishes you ordered," the waitress said gracefully, handing him the menu.
"Fish and chips, cured ham slices with cheese, thick-cut high-temperature charcoal-grilled steak (seasoned with salt and olive oil), borscht..." The menu showed all the items he had marked himself, an impressive spread. Then he remembered - during the meal, because he wasn't full yet, he had ordered several more dishes. So the orders had kept piling up.
Mentally adding up the amounts, Gauss had to admit the total was accurate. He really had consumed a 2 silver and 50 copper coin feast. The towering stack of plates beside his table served as undeniable evidence.
Though to be honest, apart from the heartache, his entire body felt wonderful. It was as if that massive amount of meat had replenished some developmental deficiency in his body. "Whatever, consider it an investment in myself. Investing in oneself isn't wasteful, not wasteful at all..." Gauss convinced himself.
Current cash: 28 silver coins 52 copper coins
Gauss silently calculated his remaining funds while marveling at humanity's greedy desires - as income rises, spending inevitably creeps up unnoticed. The money might seem substantial, but it could disappear frighteningly fast. Considering how difficult it was to return to frugality after experiencing luxury, Gauss found his motivation to earn money growing stronger.
The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. "Morning, Sophia," Gauss greeted as he came downstairs, finding Sophia mopping the first-floor hall.
"Morning, little Gauss. Want some breakfast?" Sophia stopped mopping and leaned on her mop to ask.
"Uh..." Visions of the nearly inedible black bread and pickled vegetable soup flashed through Gauss's mind, contrasted sharply with yesterday's feast. After this mental comparison between past hardships and current comforts, he realized there was no going back. His stomach had been spoiled by good food - or perhaps this was the price of getting stronger?
"Heh... next time, Sophia. Not very hungry today," Gauss forced an awkward smile and waved his hand. Under Sophia's resentful gaze, he briskly walked out of the inn, leaving behind a puzzled Sophia who began doubting her cooking skills. Had her culinary abilities deteriorated so badly? But none of the other tenants had complained... This question would likely trouble her for some time.
As the morning bell tolled, Grayrock Town awoke. Breakfast stalls lined the streets. Gauss spent 4 copper coins on two meat pies. Sorry, Sophia, but I'm a carnivore now. Those meager black bread and vegetable soup can no longer provide the nutrients my body needs.
"Surprisingly delicious for street food," Gauss mumbled through mouthfuls of the savory pie, though he wouldn't admit that the flavor seemed extra good compared to his memories of black bread. His freshly awakened body quickly regained vitality from the meat juices.
His plan for the morning was to practice Magic Missile. Mage Hand would have to be shelved for now, with its usage frequency drastically reduced. What terrified him most was the possibility that overusing Mage Hand might trigger the Professional Path guidance once proficiency reached the required level. If that happened and Mage Hand became his core skill as a Cantrip, he'd be utterly devastated.
Mage Hand Proficiency lv2 (15/20). Since he didn't know whether the threshold was lv3, lv4, or some other level, the situation was already somewhat precarious.
After breakfast, he headed toward the town exit. There was no suitable place for spell practice within town limits - he'd have to use the vast wilderness outside. Not that he was the first to do so; many adventurers regularly trained there. The plains were spacious enough for everyone to practice without interfering with each other.
Finding an empty spot at a distance, Gauss began his training in earnest. Closing his eyes to meditate, he tried to recall the feeling from his last successful spellcasting. Several days had passed since he last successfully cast Magic Missile, and he'd been in an exceptionally focused state at the time. Now, back in town and relaxed, recapturing that casting sensation proved difficult.
"Magic Missile!" Blue light flickered in Gauss's palm before quickly extinguishing. He wasn't too disheartened - this outcome was expected. First-circle spells were inherently more challenging. But based on his Mage Hand training experience, as long as he invested time and effort during lv1, there shouldn't be major obstacles. After all, the spell was already imprinted in his consciousness - the Adventurer's Manual had spared him the lengthy process of learning and meditating to construct the model. All he needed to do was practice until the proficiency growth slowed, then plan his next steps.
Tired, he took a break.
Through this training, Gauss discovered that first-circle spells truly differed from cantrips. When practicing Mage Hand previously, failed attempts had no consequences. But with Magic Missile, even unsuccessful casting attempts gradually wore on his spirit after multiple tries. Fortunately, this mental fatigue wasn't severe - perhaps thanks to his exceptional 7-point Spirit attribute. Simply lying on the grass to bask in the sun for a while was enough to recover.
Finally, through patient practice, Gauss rediscovered the spellcasting sensation. It was an indescribable moment, like sudden divine inspiration. As a gentle breeze passed, all his mana mobilized rapidly. The energy tangled and concentrated in his hand, emitting peculiar undulations while drawing in surrounding natural magical energy. Ultimately, the mana interwove and solidified in his palm.
A Magic Missile took shape in his hand! Another successful cast! With no charging enemy this time, he had ample opportunity to examine the spell. It was a crystalline spherical energy encased in a pale white shell, with mana churning violently inside like countless tiny intertwining currents.
This Magic Missile wouldn't harm him. Moreover, he faintly sensed he could control its trajectory with his mind. Concentrating, he found the Magic Missile indeed shifted slightly in his palm - about a fingernail's width. Apparently he could manipulate it through willpower, though his current proficiency was too low for precise control.
Observation complete, Gauss hurled the Magic Missile toward a distant empty spot. The moment it left his hand, the missile accelerated linearly! Magical effects propelled it to peak velocity almost instantly, leaving a dazzling blue streak in the air.
The explosion roared as the Magic Missile detonated upon impact. Blue magical energy burst forth like fireworks, its beautiful manifestation visible even in daylight. When the magical aftershocks finally dissipated and the dust settled, all that remained on the once grassy ground was a spiderweb-like shallow crater dozens of centimeters in diameter, with a fist-sized depression at its center.