Where Paths Meet

Harsh words aside, Tyler immediately returned to his usual composed demeanor after the satisfaction.

Tyler actually had a suspicion that he didn't let the stupid loli know. He believed that the reason for his impulsiveness in this "death" future was partly due to a desire to become stronger as soon as possible.

The psychological impact brought by Viviana and Granny Kasi to Tyler was not insignificant.

To be frank, given Tyler's current rate of progress, it is simply a pipe dream to complete the ultimate "three missions".

However, being anxious won't solve the problem. Tyler is well aware that his current goal is still to "stay alive".

Tyler shifted his focus back to the "future death scene". The stone golem monsters in the scene should be the so-called "Rock Shadow Demon". Unexpectedly, there were two of them.

However, based on the information visible in the scene alone, these two stone golems gave Tyler the impression of being clumsy and sturdy, perhaps not formidable opponents.

On the contrary, it was the captain of the Gudetown Cavalry, Laidell, who made Tyler somewhat puzzled. He had no prior acquaintance or grievances with Captain Laidell, so why would he betray Tyler?

Moreover, if Captain Laidell intended to kill, why didn't the future Tyler discover it through mind-reading before the tragedy occurred?

Could it be that Laidell made a spur-of-the-moment decision during the battle? But if that were the case, it would make even less sense.

The more Tyler thought about it, the more he realized the inconsistencies in this future of death.

(Among these inconsistencies... perhaps lies the key to solving this future of death...)

After discussing the issues, let's talk about the "good news" in the "future death scene".

Tyler was very surprised to see Avril fighting side by side with him, especially seeing her holding a giant pair of scissors, indicating that she was in her "Elle" personality.

Could it be that the "Elle" personality has reconciled with Tyler?

Tyler felt that he shouldn't be too happy about it. This might just be a temporary measure in a dangerous situation. When the situation is safe, "Elle" might continue to come after him, especially since Tyler's credibility with her is almost zero.

(Silly Nissen: Tyler, now that-o you know going to the Sandrift Gorge will lead-o to death, what's your plan next-o? Are you going to conquer a girl in Sunnytown first?)

(Tyler: No, I still want to go to the Sandrift Gorge.)

(Silly Nissen: Huh? Wait, no, you don't have to sacrifice yourself to maintain your image, right? I won't look down on you just because you changed your mind!)

(Tyler: I won't die, and I didn't say I'll go right now.)

The stupid loli's constant surprises further highlighted that they were in the same boat now.

However, Tyler is not a reckless person. Before heading to the Sandrift Gorge, he has two things to do:

Procure equipment and replenish supplies.

Find an opportunity to take a look at Granny Kasi's status information and assess the disparity in strength.

·

The scale of Sunnytown is approximately equivalent to twenty Ira Villages. Tyler took a casual stroll and found a shop where he sold all the materials he had obtained from hunting recently, and then used the money to buy suitable equipment.

Considering his own combat style and strength, Tyler purchased a small wooden round shield and a pair of gauntleted swords. Additionally, he increased the number of arrows to thirty, emphasizing a strategy focused on agility and maneuverability.

Apart from that, Tyler had originally planned to buy some "potions," but to his surprise, it seemed that the Abyssal Empire world didn't have such things as healing potions. However, there were magic potions available, although they could only be found in larger cities.

Helplessly, Tyler had no choice but to use the money he had allocated for potions to purchase raw materials such as wood ash and soil. After a few experiments, he successfully made two smoke bombs to keep on hand for unexpected situations.

(Tyler: It's hardcore, this world doesn't have the concept of healing potions.)

(Silly Nissen: Are you talking about-o those things you can drink in games to instantly restore your health?)

(Tyler: Yes.)

(Silly Nissen: I think I saw them before in a low-difficulty parallel world.)

The absence of healing potions meant that there was no quick recovery after being injured, which could be fatal in prolonged battles or encounters with relentless enemies. Not to mention encountering those relying on overpriced items...

The Abyssal Empire world truly never failed to "impress" Tyler with its difficulty.

(By the way, Tocchini is a shaman. I wonder if she knows any healing spells...)

(No, wait... If she knows healing spells, then Granny Kana wouldn't still be waiting for the sandrift flowers, right?)

Setting aside the enigmatic Granny Kasi for now, Tyler at least trusted Tocchini. He didn't believe that Tocchini would knowingly leave Granny Kana unattended when she could be healed.

However, just because there is no healing magic now doesn't mean there won't be in the future.

Tyler could sense that Tocchini had great potential.

Strengthening his bond with Tocchini would be an important goal for Tyler in the future.

But for this expedition to the Sandrift Gorge, he certainly wouldn't take her into danger.

·

After the conclusion of the shopping excursion, during the dinner hour, Tyler serendipitously encountered the Traveling Merchant Caravan in a restaurant called the "Cat Girl Restaurant."

Following some pleasant banter, everyone cheerfully gathered around the dining table.

Amidst the meal, Tyler paid little attention to anything else, instead seizing every opportunity to observe Granny Kasi.

Please do not misunderstand, for Tyler's true intention was to ascertain the extent of the Mercenary Sage - Lv67 data, as this knowledge would prove crucial in comprehending the world's overall power dynamics.

━━━━━━━━━

Granny Kasi's basic information:

Life: 5710/5710

Endurance: 1799/1825

Magic Energy: 470/470

━━━━━━━━━

At first glance, it may seem acceptable, but Tyler could instantly discern the glaring disparity between Granny Kasi and himself by merely comparing their respective attributes.

━━━━━━━━━

Tyler's basic information:

Life: 40/40

Endurance: 25/32

Magic Energy: 60/90

━━━━━━━━━

In comparison, Tyler's values were merely a fraction of Granny Kasi's. It appears that his path ahead is indeed quite arduous.

Simultaneously, Tyler dismissed a prior suspicion; Granny Kasi could not possibly be aged and feeble. How could an elderly person in such a state possess such extraordinary attributes?

Thus, it became evident that Granny Kasi was concealing her true identity for some ulterior motive, leaving everyone in the Traveling Merchant Caravan oblivious to her true nature.

Furthermore, Tyler discovered that if Granny Kasi's data were input into the formula he had deduced previously, certain inconsistencies arose.

For instance, according to Tyler's earlier formula (Life Energy = Strength × 10), Granny Kasi's life value of 5710 indicated she possessed 571 points in the Strength attribute.

However, the formula for Endurance (Endurance = Strength × 5 + Dexterity) yielded an upper limit of only 1825 points for Granny Kasi, far below the expected value of Strength × 5 (571 × 5 = 2855), not to mention accounting for additional attribute points in Dexterity.

Hence, the relationship between basic information and attributes is not a simple multiplier, necessitating further collection of intelligence to derive an accurate formula.

·

Once satiated and replete, Marik and the others once again inquired about Tyler's forthcoming itinerary, as Tocchini had persistently insisted on accompanying him.

Tyler declared his unwavering determination to venture into Sandrift Gorge, as he could not abandon Granny Kana's predicament.

Tocchini was deeply moved by Tyler's bravery and benevolence, and the others greatly admired his courage.

In this harmonious atmosphere, after a moment of contemplation, Granny Kasi, burdened with her mission to monitor Swarerock, suggested to Marik, "Marik, my dear! We cannot be less courageous than these young folks, can we? Why not join forces and embark on an adventure to Sandrift Gorge?"

Unbeknownst to Granny Kasi, her inner machinations, laden with secrets, were perceptively discerned by Tyler.