SPLAT!
A slimy, dark green creature landed right in the middle of the path, blocking Gauss's way.
He stopped, looked down, and recognized an old "friend."
A Slime. Sticky-type.
While not very common near human settlements, they were apparently everywhere in the Jade Forest. He'd seen several so far.
And this one had just jumped out of nowhere.
"Squelch!"
The slime, noticing the intruder, compressed its gelatinous body against the ground—then launched itself into the air like a spring-loaded projectile, trying to land squarely on Gauss's head.
"Shing!"
Gauss drew his rapier in a smooth arc, tracing a crescent through the air before hopping back two steps.
"Splot!"
His blade cleaved through the slime's core midair with precision.
Its body splattered across the forest floor in a foul-smelling puddle.
[Slime Slain ×1]
[Total Monster Kills: 180]
Gauss casually scooped up the condensed slime gel and tucked it into a side pouch on his backpack.
That stuff was worth a few dozen copper coins—enough for a meal. Waste not.
It was clear now: monsters in the Jade Forest were… aggressive.
Even a lone slime dared to leap at him head-on.
He raised an eyebrow.
Yeah, something about this place makes monsters more hostile.
But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If they came at him one by one, he'd happily collect the XP and materials.
After cleaning up the slimy mess, Gauss checked his map and continued deeper down the forest trail.
The deeper he went, the denser the woods became.
The trees grew thicker, taller—some so massive that even two people linking arms couldn't circle them completely.
He instinctively became more cautious.
"Strike!"
He stabbed his sword into the soil, pinning a thick snake—about wrist-sized—to the ground.
Maybe it was the lack of foot traffic, but the forest was teeming with life. Rabbits, boars, a young spotted deer… he'd seen several on the way.
But since none of them showed hostility, he didn't bother attacking. He was here for goblins, not a hunting trip.
…
Around noon, he found a small clearing where sunlight barely filtered through the trees.
He rolled out a bug-resistant tarp, sat down, and pulled out some rations.
The usual trio: jerky, bread, and meat paste. Cold food only.
Lighting a fire out here was a luxury he couldn't afford. The smell could attract unwanted attention.
He chewed quickly, and before long, warmth spread through his stomach as the food was digested.
A sip of water.
A short rest, rubbing out the stiffness in his shoulders and ankles.
He could already feel his stamina fully restored.
His trait, Quick Digestion, was extremely handy out in the wild.
Thanks to it, he could recover faster than most adventurers.
Even mages needed stamina. Without it, casting spells was significantly harder.
"Probably another hour or two to the quest zone."
He was just checking his map when—
Rustle.
Something moved in the bushes ahead. A sharp whistling sound followed.
"Whup!"
Gauss rolled to the side just in time.
A spear flew past, narrowly missing his face—and punched straight through the tarp into the dirt.
He frowned.
That tarp was new.
He turned toward the direction the spear had come from.
Several green-skinned figures emerged from the brush, licking their lips and eyeing Gauss hungrily. Drool dripped from their mouths.
Goblins.
Gauss's brow furrowed—slightly. Only slightly.
Happy to see his quest targets? Yes.
Happy they tore his stuff? Absolutely not.
"Five of them."
He counted quickly.
This wasn't worth wasting time over.
He was way past the point where five goblins could pose a threat.
The only question now was how to handle it efficiently.
Two of them raised spears, ready to throw.
Gauss reached for the Unbreaking Staff resting beside his pack.
At a single mental command, mana from his class core surged through the weapon.
"Magic Missile."
Two downgraded Magic Missiles shot forward after a brief charge.
They tore through the air and slammed into the goblins.
BOOM!
The blast sent both targets flying, massive holes in their chests the size of ostrich eggs. Blood and meat gushed out.
[Goblin Slain ×2]
[Total Monster Kills: 182]
Magic Missile packed more punch now that he was a full-fledged Arcane Adept.
And best of all? He'd barely used any mana.
Gauss finally smiled.
These downgraded missiles were stronger than the apprentice version—and he could probably fire twenty more at this level of efficiency.
No more casting two spells and then collapsing from exhaustion.
In fact, if he used his trait to eat mid-fight, he could easily get off thirty or more.
Now this… this feels like a proper caster.
The remaining three goblins were already panicking. They turned and bolted.
Too late.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two more missiles, two more kills.
The last one barely made it ten meters before a final missile slammed into its back and buried it in the mud.
[Goblin Slain ×3]
[Total Monster Kills: 185]
Gauss stared down at the bodies.
Five goblins dead in a few seconds—no blood on his robes, no need for cleanup.
Faster than using a sword. Cleaner, too.
Yeah… maybe he should start using spells more often.
As he felt his mana still pulsing strong within him, a thought crossed his mind:
I wonder if other newly advanced mages or warlocks can spam spells like this.
He hadn't met many other first-rank professionals yet, so he didn't have a frame of reference.
His mana had dipped slightly.
So he pulled out more food and started chewing again. Once he was fully topped off, he packed up and moved on.
In the dense forest, with no sun in sight, he couldn't track time accurately.
But after what felt like an hour, he arrived near the quest's target location.
Like always, he mentally marked the spot—naming it "First Beginner Quest: Goblin Tribe" in his mind-map.
After a short rest, he stashed his pack in a hidden corner and went light, scouting the area alone.
It didn't take long before he found traces—footprints in the soil.
A goblin tribe this large would leave signs over several kilometers, and they weren't exactly stealthy.
Eventually, Gauss arrived at the camp.
This wasn't just a small goblin group—it was a fully formed settlement.
The clearing had been obviously cleared and developed into what resembled a "village."
A crude stone wall circled the area, smeared with something that looked like either mud or… worse.
Peeking over the low wall, he saw them—green bodies moving everywhere, dozens of them.