Chapter 949 - 464: Shy Aaliyah

Numerous pairs of eyes remained glued to the descending Giant Dragon. Only when it finally touched down and a figure leapt from its back did the onlookers breathe a collective sigh of relief.

It seemed this Giant Dragon was indeed not a wild beast, but a tamed one with a master.

Through the Griffin Knight who had come to greet him, Gauss thanked the guild master for the invitation to a meeting. However, he also stated that he needed some rest and would visit the guild master later. In truth, he simply wanted to spend some time with his teammates first.

As for the guild master, there probably wasn’t anything urgent anyway. It would be nothing more than checking in on his trip, asking for details, and confirming whether the objective of his commission had been met. Such a conversation could easily wait.

"Gauss!"

As soon as Gauss turned around, he saw Aaliyah, her eyes slightly red, hurrying over with a few others in tow.

"Aaliyah—"

"You promised ten days. Why are you only back now?" Aaliyah interrupted him.

Before Gauss could even begin to explain the situation, she pulled him into a tight embrace. "But it’s fine. It’s just good that you’re back."

Feeling her soft body pressed against him, Gauss stiffened slightly.

"I’m sorry," he said. He knew his coma had undoubtedly caused his teammates a great deal of worry.

There were simply too many things in this world beyond his control. Under normal circumstances, he would have easily returned before the ten-day mark. Unfortunately, right after completing the commission, his Intelligence Attribute underwent a critical breakthrough. While this was undeniably a good thing for his overall strength, it had forced him to linger in the perilous lands of the Demons for a few extra days.

Perhaps feeling a bit awkward at being watched by their teammates and unfamiliar Adventurers from afar, Aaliyah, having moved past her initial surge of emotion, gradually calmed down and suddenly felt a touch shy. A faint blush crept from her jawline up to her cheeks.

Feigning composure, she released him and muttered softly, "Albena and the others were terrified too."

Albena merely cast a suspicious glance at Aaliyah, though in her current state of excitement, she didn’t overthink it.

"Welcome back, Lord Gauss." Mimicking Aaliyah, she also gave Gauss a petite, clinging embrace. However, given their size difference, "petite and clinging" was far more accurately applied to Gauss.

"Alright, alright." It wasn’t until Gauss was nearly suffocating and repeatedly patting Albena’s solid arms that she reluctantly let go.

"Phew..." Gauss let out a long breath. "Do you guys want one too?"

Gauss proceeded to share light hugs with Ying, Serdur, and the rest. Only then did the group’s excitement begin to settle.

Gauss had no particular fondness for being a public spectacle. He quickly recalled Hephaestus and led the group away from the camp’s clearing, heading back to the Red Dragon Team’s base.

Although he had just returned and had never been to this specific location before, Gauss was still able to instantly pinpoint the whereabouts of his members. Upon entering the base, Gauss immediately noticed that the Red Dragon Team now boasted quite a few fresh faces compared to when he had left.

Seeing his gaze linger on the newcomers, Aaliyah offered an explanation. "After the war broke out, our Red Dragon Team suffered some casualties. Plus, there were many Adventurers who had lost their parties and wanted to join us. So, after discussing it, we decided to take in more recruits."

"As you should." Gauss nodded, not paying it much mind.

In any case, anyone who joined the Red Dragon Team would be under the influence of his Leader’s Certificate. As long as they harbored no malicious intent, they would quickly and genuinely integrate into the larger group. If someone did join with ulterior motives, it would be incredibly difficult for them to hide it from his 21 points of Intelligence.

As for the casualties, he knew such things were inevitable and couldn’t blame Aaliyah and the others. Once the fighting started, this land had turned into a massive meat grinder. Both humans and Demons were dying in droves in this slaughter. However, compared to the colossal population base of both factions, this current localized war was merely a drop in the ocean.

Back at the camp, Gauss began exchanging information with Aaliyah and the rest.

He listened to updates on the frontline battlefield since his departure, and in return, he gave everyone a rough overview of what he had encountered in the Jade Forest and the Red Earth Land. Even through his understated narrative, Aaliyah and the others could sense the sheer peril of those moments.

Fortunately, he had turned danger into safety. Gauss had returned in one piece, and even stronger than before.

Serdur, in particular, felt this most acutely.

Gauss’s overbearing bloodline aura was so incredibly dense that the "Snake-man Royalty" bloodline inside Serdur—which had been gradually swelling and awakening over the past few days—instantly shrank back obediently, like a mouse encountering a cat. It no longer surged wildly in his veins, nor did it exert any further influence on him.

This was the suppressive power of the Golden Quality Racial Talent, [Dragon King Descendant], over most living creatures. Gauss exerted just a slight influence over his Half-Snake Man companion, and it yielded immediate results.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes. Thank you, Gauss."

Serdur’s entire body felt a bit weak, yet he simultaneously experienced an indescribable sense of comfort. The feeling of regaining complete control over his body and mind was wonderful.

Gauss was like a potent medicine to him. Especially since Gauss continued to grow stronger, as long as Serdur stayed by his side, the restless, negative influences of the Snake King within him would remain suppressed.

Serdur felt conflicted about this. On one hand, he thought relying on Gauss wasn’t a bad thing. On the other hand, he worried he would become a burden to his captain. Furthermore, he feared that if he grew too accustomed to Gauss’s help, his own ability to resist those berserk powers would weaken significantly the next time Gauss had to leave.