Chapter 1083 - 516: Highland Beast Tide

After dismissing the Four Knights, Gauss privately conducted a more detailed test on the abilities of the Eye of the Raven.

First, he discovered that the black aura representing misfortune was not constant. It was dynamic, fluctuating and oscillating within a certain range. He had observed a woman standing at an intersection; after she chose one of the paths, the black aura enveloping her body naturally dissipated by more than half. This indicated that the black aura changed according to a person’s decisions—sometimes intensifying, sometimes weakening. Furthermore, almost everyone had this black aura, be it heavy or light, entwined around them.

In terms of quantity, Professionals generally had far more aura entwined around them than ordinary people. However, under the same circumstances, a concentration of black aura that would bring misfortune or injury to an ordinary person wouldn’t cause the slightest ripple of trouble for a Professional.

Gauss understood it like this: a Professional’s capacity to "bear risks" was vastly superior to that of an ordinary person. For instance, if faced with the exact same scenario—such as an object falling from a building—an ordinary person walking down the street would likely be struck and left bleeding from the head. A Professional, on the other hand, would be able to spot the falling object in advance and dodge it. Even if a Professional was distracted, their superior physical fitness meant they would likely only suffer a scrape, avoiding any serious consequences.

Moreover, Gauss reasonably deduced that the black aura wrapped around ordinary people was more indicative of short-term misfortune, such as immediate danger or threats within the hour. But for Professionals—especially the more powerful ones or those in unique positions—their ability to impact others was greater, and their social networks were far more extensive. Therefore, their fate manifested over a longer term, spanning days, weeks, or even longer.

After completing his tests, Gauss observed the people around him.

Overall, Aaliyah, Ying, and Albena had a very healthy ratio of black and white auras, with the white aura largely suppressing the black. Serdur was the only exception; his aura was split evenly, perhaps with the black aura being slightly thicker. As for the other members of the Red Dragon Team, they were generally safe. For the few whose auras were unbalanced, he silently made a mental note to pay closer attention to them during today’s battle and to leave a few extra Clay Spiders by their sides for protection.

Time flew by, and soon it was afternoon.

As the scorching heat subsided, the Demons wandering the wilderness began to gather once more. Gauss’s Eye of the Raven did not merely work on humans; monsters could not escape its gaze either.

In the afternoon sky, a Death Crow, completely evading the Detection of the vast majority of creatures, circled above the wasteland. Its eyes darted around, constantly observing the roaming and gathering monsters below, gleaming with an intelligent light. Gauss attached his consciousness to this Death Crow, using it to scout for intelligence across the wasteland.

The aura of death on most of the monsters overwhelmed their aura of life. This indicated that for the majority of them, their fate in tonight’s battle would be far from pleasant. Even the monster chieftains, who radiated a brilliant aura of life in the Death Crow’s vision, were no exception. While their vitality was incredibly strong, the deathly aura clinging to them was equally terrifying in its density. Furthermore, just as Gauss silently marked them in his mind, the surging death aura around them seemed to expand several times over.

At this moment, the Eye of the Raven functioned more like an Eye of Death, handing out death sentences to the monsters on the wasteland.

He had no choice. After upgrading to the Eye of the Raven, his Commander Points had been depleted, leaving him with a mere twenty-nine points. He had to be extra diligent, as there was still a blue-quality Intermediate Dragon Language Talent waiting to be upgraded. Even after upgrading the Intermediate Dragon Language, it didn’t mean his shortage of Commander Points would disappear.

Gauss had to look further ahead. Once his Elite Bestiary broke through the one-hundred-species mark and the Common Bestiary surpassed two hundred, he would draw another blue-quality Talent and a white-quality Talent. Upgrading them would once again consume a massive amount of Commander Points. He felt like the head of a household solely responsible for his family’s livelihood; every single penny he currently held and every paycheck waiting to be issued had already been earmarked for a specific purpose.

After controlling the Death Crow to patrol a full lap around the wasteland, Gauss contentedly guided it back.

As evening approached, a new wave of beasts laid siege to Warren Castle once again.

Under the faint moonlight, the Four Knights of the Ancestral Province stood on the city walls. They stared at the eerie, shadow-filled wasteland, their hearts still drumming with apprehension. They wondered if they could truly remain safe and sound, as the others had claimed, with so many monsters waiting to assault this small town. However, seeing the calm expressions of the soldiers around them, they silently kept their uneasiness to themselves.

As for why they had climbed the walls to participate in the defense of Warren Castle, no one had ordered them to do so; it was entirely voluntary. For one, they were in the same boat as this town, sharing life and death together, so it was only right that they contributed their strength. Secondly, on another level, being up here allowed them to stay updated on the course of the battle at all times. It was far more reassuring than being cut off from information inside the city, forced to wait until the next morning to hear the outcome from others. Professionals were a group of people who vastly preferred holding their fate in their own hands.

Serving as the Guild’s reconnaissance squad, they naturally didn’t lack courage either.

"Blais, has your body truly recovered? Don’t push yourself too hard."

"Don’t worry, I’m not that fragile. It wasn’t a serious injury to begin with."

"Then try your best to stay behind us later."