"Yaaaahhh!"
The Redcap Goblin drew its short blade and slashed down the neck of a fellow goblin who was trying to flee.
Its bloodshot eyes glared at the remaining tribe members.
No retreat. Fight.
Unlike ordinary goblins, this Redcap's bloodlust only intensified with the gore.
Its latent combat instinct surged. The craving for human blood overpowered its fear of death.
After executing two cowards, it managed to temporarily stabilize the crumbling morale of its tribe.
The memory of countless battles told it: get close to the spellcaster, and victory is within reach.
Maybe—just maybe—if it bathed in the blood of this powerful human, it too would evolve to a higher level of strength.
Fueled by this desire, the Redcap pressured its tribe to attack again.
The goblins, roused by fear and instinct, charged for a third time.
[Goblin Slain ×4]
[Total Monster Kills: 210]
After three waves and the loss of 10 more goblins, a few finally closed the distance to Gauss.
By now, the death toll from this village alone had reached 25. Nearly half of the entire tribe.
Gauss didn't even bother pulling out his rapier.
Instead, he gripped his staff—the Unbreaking Staff—and swung it like a club.
With 7 Strength, the rapier felt too light. But the heavy staff? Perfect.
Add to that:
+20% damage from the Goblin Slayer title
The staff's innate durability
His increased physical power
The result?
Devastation.
"CRACK!"
The staff landed squarely on a goblin's skull.
Time seemed to freeze—
"BOOM!!!"
A sharp, echoing crack rang through the village.
The goblin's head exploded like a watermelon, spraying gore and brain matter in all directions. Its headless corpse dropped to its knees, then collapsed.
Nearby goblins stabbed at Gauss with spears—but their crude wooden weapons couldn't pierce his Mage Armor.
They trembled at the brutality of what they'd just seen.
"WHAM!"
"WHAM!"
"WHAM!"
Gauss didn't stop. He swung the staff like a sledgehammer, crushing heads one after another.
[Goblin Slain ×4]
[Total Monster Kills: 214]
"This thing's great," he muttered, appreciating how well the staff handled now that he was stronger.
At range, it launched spells. Up close, it smashed skulls.
A perfect blend of mage and melee.
Sure, it didn't look graceful—if anyone saw him now, they'd think he was some berserker, not a spellcaster.
But who cared?
If it kills, it's a good weapon.
After clearing the immediate goblins, he spotted a red blur ahead.
The Redcap Goblin was no longer hiding.
It drew its blade, crouched, and with a powerful leap, launched itself toward Gauss with terrifying force.
At just 1.3 meters tall, its size was deceptive. Its strength was monstrous.
Gauss had been watching for this.
The moment the Redcap left cover and leapt—
He aimed his staff and activated:
"Magic Missile!"
As mana surged through the staff, Gauss smiled.
He felt a surge of power—a lucky critical hit from his Goblin Slayer title had finally triggered.
The spell charged with:
A full-powered Magic Missile
+20% critical damage from Goblin Slayer
Arcane Adept's natural spell boost
Spell Mastery
Sub-core slot bonus
All effects stacked together
This was an ultimate spell.
"BOOM!"
The air around the missile shattered as the spell launched.
Shockwaves trailed behind it like sonic ripples.
"THOOM!"
The Redcap Goblin, still midair, couldn't dodge.
The projectile hit it dead-on.
It exploded—literally.
Its skin tore open. Blood, entrails, bones, and even the red hat it treasured were reduced to a bloody rain of shrapnel.
[Goblin Slain ×1]
[Total Monster Kills: 215]
One-shot kill.
Gauss nodded.
That was the strongest spell he had ever unleashed.
Sure, it felt a bit like using a cannon to kill a rat—but the results spoke for themselves.
Even the Mantis probably couldn't have survived that.
Well… maybe it could've taken a hit or two, since it didn't count as a goblin and wasn't affected by the title bonuses.
Still—Gauss was far stronger now than he had been back then.
Refocusing, Gauss turned his eyes to the rest of the goblins.
The Redcap's death stunned them.
Soaked in blood and chunks of their leader, they stood in stunned silence.
Morale hit rock bottom.
Gauss knew he had to move fast.
Goblins without a leader wouldn't hold formation long—they'd scatter.
There were still more than twenty left. If they all fled separately, cleanup would be a nightmare.
He stabbed his staff into the dirt, drew his rapier, and advanced.
For speed, the sword was still better.
A single step put him in striking range.
With Basic Swordsmanship Lv2, his attacks were precise and fluid.
Against goblins, he didn't need fancy swordplay.
He needed speed, accuracy, and force.
His blade flashed—multiple afterimages cutting through the air.
"Shlick!"
"Stab!"
Each movement was like a dance—swift and graceful.
Some goblins tried to resist, but even their weapons were blocked by his enchanted armor. All they could do was watch as silver flashed—and then came the darkness.
[Goblin Slain ×1]
[Goblin Slain ×1]
[Goblin Slain ×1]
Blood splattered across the village as his kill feed continued to climb.
In just a few minutes, Gauss slaughtered the last of the adult goblins.
Then he spotted something:
small, reddish-brown footprints leading toward the wall.
He narrowed his eyes, vaulted the wall—and saw them.
A few goblins were running toward the forest.
Among them were goblin children—short, stubby things barely waist high.
Some were surprisingly fast.
Gauss felt the weight of his stamina and mana reserves—still good.
He activated Enhanced Leap and gave chase.
With his stats and boosts, he caught up fast.
His sword flashed.
One goblin…
Then another…
Then a third.
Even if it wasn't part of the quest—he would not let them escape.
Every adult goblin was wiped out.
What remained were seven or eight goblin children of varying size and shape.
One of them, the largest, nearly 80cm tall, glared at him with a hatred that felt tangible.
In its eyes, Gauss was no different from a demon who had shattered its world and murdered its kin.
They locked eyes.
Then the goblin knelt… and bowed its head, pleading for mercy.
"You're smarter than the others," Gauss said, his face grave.
It was the first goblin to beg for its life.
A human gesture—probably copied from past captives.
This one had potential.
If left alive, it might grow into something… dangerous.
"Too bad."
Gauss's sword flashed.
The goblin's head dropped to the ground.
Its eyes had betrayed it—the hate inside had been obvious. He wouldn't risk it.
The remaining goblins shrieked—but met the same fate.
When it was over, Gauss stood over a field of small, severed heads.
He wasn't burdened by guilt over killing goblin children.
But something gnawed at him.
"Is this… how the hatred between humans and monsters begins?"
If he had let them go, maybe one day, one of them would become a powerful goblin leader—burning human villages in revenge.