“Oh.” James Carter’s thoughts were still trapped in Hoyt’s earlier roar—he had never witnessed such power before.

In the Milky Way, no matter how powerful a person was, as long as they were human, it was impossible to emit sound waves capable of attacking others. This wasn’t a matter of physical energy, but a limitation of bodily structure.

If a human’s vocal cords produced sound at that frequency and intensity, they would be torn apart. Yet, on the surface, Hoyt seemed completely unaffected. Thanks to last night’s scan by Forrest Gump, James Carter knew that his own body structure was not fundamentally different from his previous life’s—at least, it hadn’t exceeded the limits of the species.

So, to achieve what Hoyt did with just the body alone—this… this was unscientific!

But that wasn’t all. What surprised James Carter the most was that, just before the roar, he distinctly sensed a familiar fluctuation. He had detected this type of fluctuation with instruments during hyperspace teleportation in the Milky Way, but never so strong that it could be directly perceived by the body.

What was this fluctuation? Was it the source of this world’s power? Or was it the so-called soul taboo from his previous life? James Carter was utterly baffled.

A bit dazed, James Carter handed the ale to Old Drunkard, ignoring the thanks from the drunkard Seth. When he came back to his senses, he found himself already back at Old Hoyt’s side.

“What’s wrong, young man? Surprised?” Hoyt was also holding a wine cup, but instead of gulping it down, he was just sipping.

In Wildfire City, where food was scarce, wine was precious. If Hoyt dared to drink like Old Seth, he’d be scolded to death by Anna.

A flash of insight crossed James Carter’s mind. From deep within the boy’s memories, a term surfaced. He looked at Hoyt and asked, “Battle Aura?”

“No.” Hoyt shook his head. “My aged body can’t withstand the huge consumption of battle aura. This is just a trick of elemental resonance I grasped in my youth—nothing special. Any mage on the continent, even an apprentice, could do better than me.”

In this world, battle aura wasn’t a power worth boasting about. Sure, it could grant strength beyond one’s limits, but it also took a heavy toll on the body. Nobles were fine—their families’ secret techniques could reduce these side effects to negligible levels.

But commoners who figured out battle aura on their own weren’t so lucky. The more frequently they used it, the faster their bodies weakened—just like Hoyt now.

Hoyt drained the last of his wine in one gulp, patted James Carter on the shoulder, and advised, “Su, it’s good for young people to have drive, but recklessness is not.”

Faced with Old Hoyt’s earnest advice, James Carter was at a loss for words. Was he really being reckless? Was he? It was just a momentary confusion of time and space, making him think he was still in the Milky Way.

“I understand, Hoyt. I’ll remember today.” James Carter, defeated by reality, replied dispiritedly.

Then he looked up and said, “This afternoon, I have to go to the temple for something, so I can’t help out at the tavern. You know, it’s about the cemetery.”

“Go ahead, be careful on the road, and watch out for that big foreigner’s revenge.” Hoyt refilled his cup.

If Anna found out, he’d definitely get a scolding. And right now, drawn by the commotion in the tavern, Anna was standing not far behind Hoyt, hands on her hips, glaring angrily at the old man still enjoying his wine.

Everyone in the tavern looked at Old Hoyt with sympathy—it was truly a tragedy.

In the afternoon, James Carter waited until the rush of customers had passed before leaving the tavern.

Snow was still falling from the sky like goose feathers, and the cold wind continued to howl through the streets. Yet, instead of fewer people, there were even more pedestrians on the road.

Among them were many new faces, mostly tough mercenaries. Each of these mercenaries hurried along, a strange anxiety on their faces, like animals urgently seeking shelter before a storm.

“Could something big be about to happen in Wildfire City?” James Carter wondered with a frown. He knew that these mercenaries, who lived on the edge of life and death, had a much keener sense for danger than ordinary people, and were far better informed.

The mercenaries’ nervousness had also led to more patrol soldiers on the streets. After all, in many situations, mercenaries could be considered bandits—the main force undermining public order, since they were unruly, impulsive, and quick to injure or even kill.

The increased patrols made James Carter breathe a sigh of relief. He was genuinely worried about that mercenary’s revenge from the morning. Even if he fought with all his might and managed to win, he wouldn’t escape unscathed.

All in all, hurting others and getting hurt yourself was never a good deal.

Because the Homecoming Festival was approaching, there was still a festive atmosphere on the streets. Many places were decorated with bright holiday ribbons, though there was little joy on people’s faces.

All because of the orcs of the Thunder Mountain Range!

With the Homecoming Festival approaching, it meant the annual raids by those damned orc bastards were not far off.

But these matters were for the city lord to worry about—James Carter couldn’t do anything about them even if he wanted to. He pulled his robe tighter and walked silently toward the temple along the not-so-wide main street.