Recaps

Gauss declined several recruitment offers before agreeing to join Leven’s Night Owl Squad for a temporary mission against fifteen goblins. He hoped the team would give him a safe chance to practice his skills, earn money, and build his strength without committing to a long-term squad.

• A red-haired adventurer invited Gauss to hunt oozes in underground caverns, but Gauss refused because he considered the caves too dangerous.
• Another adventurer mistook Gauss for a swordsman and invited him to join a squad, but Gauss clarified that he was a Mage Apprentice and wanted only temporary work.
• Leven introduced his Night Owl Squad and its archer, assassin, swordsman, and cleric, then invited Gauss to join them temporarily.
• Gauss asked about the squad’s mission, and Leven explained that they had accepted a manageable task to deal with around fifteen goblins.
• Gauss agreed to work with Leven’s squad, and they shook hands.

Gauss joined Leven’s Night Owl Squad as a temporary member for a mission near Mill Village and prepared for the trip. The chapter left him meeting the party outside town for their first training session, where everyone was ready to demonstrate their abilities.

• Leven registered Gauss as a temporary member of the Night Owl Squad and arranged an afternoon training session before their mission.
• Gauss bought supplies for the journey and replaced his secondhand Cloth Armor with a set of leather armor.
• Gauss met Leven and the other squad members outside the Adventurer's Guild for training.
• Gauss saw Leven, Doyle, Oliver, Meva, and Daphne in their armor and weapons as the session began.

Gauss joined Leven’s party for group training and learned that a suitable Magic Stone was needed to craft a proper wand or staff. He kept the Life Magic Stone hidden beneath his clothes and arrived at the training grounds before he could ask Daphne about the cost of wand materials.

• Leven gathered the party and led Gauss and the others out of town for group training.
• Gauss observed his teammates’ strength and stamina and realized how much more experienced they were than he was.
• Gauss asked Daphne whether the piece of wood she carried was a wand, and she explained how she planned to turn it into a proper staff.
• Daphne said she was saving for a Life Magic Stone, which cost at least two and a half gold coins.
• Gauss realized his hidden Life Magic Stone might be valuable for making or trading for a wand, but kept it secret.
• The group reached the training grounds before Gauss could ask Daphne about the cost of the staff’s base material.

Gauss demonstrated Mage Hand and Magic Missile to Leven’s team, revealing that his spells could serve both tactical and devastating combat purposes. The team was left shaken by the crater Magic Missile made and newly wary of Gauss’s power.

• Gauss used Mage Hand to lift and swing a rapier, and Leven recognized that it could scout for traps and work with Meva’s poison powder.
• Gauss tested whether Mage Hand could carry dust, confirming that powder could stick to it.
• Gauss told Leven and the others that he had mastered another spell: Magic Missile.
• Gauss launched Magic Missile at distant ground, blasting a crater dozens of centimeters across.
• Doyle and the others stared at the damage and realized how dangerous Gauss’s spell would be against a person.

After Gauss demonstrated his powerful Magic Missile, the Night Owl Squad took him more seriously, and Leven asked him to rely on him to hold enemies at the front. The next morning, Gauss set out with the squad from Grayrock Town, learning about adventuring as they traveled.

• Gauss reflected that his Magic Missile made him the squad’s strongest source of burst damage, though professionals could surpass him with ordinary spells.
• Leven told Gauss he would keep enemies occupied for him, and recalled that his unusual intuition had first drawn him to recruit Gauss.
• Gauss told Sophia he was leaving on a job with the squad, then departed the inn and met Doyle on the way to the town gate.
• Leven showed Gauss the squad’s packhorse cart, and the Night Owl Squad loaded their supplies before leaving Grayrock Town.
• Gauss enjoyed traveling without a heavy pack and considered buying a horse while learning from Leven’s adventuring experience.
• Gauss recalled that suitable wood for a Wand cost at least 70 silver coins, with premium materials costing more than 10 gold coins.

Meva scouted the goblin settlement, and Leven led the Night Owl Squad into position for an ambush. Meva lured several goblins toward a bloodied rabbit, where they cautiously approached the bait as the party waited to strike.

• Meva reported that roughly fifteen to twenty-two goblins occupied the village ruins, including four archers and no unusual leaders.
• Leven ordered the party to ambush the goblins and conserve their strength by drawing some enemies out first.
• Gauss warmed up with his Rapier while Doyle noticed his focus on close-combat techniques.
• Meva sneaked toward the ruins and lured several goblins toward the party's hiding place.
• The goblins spotted a bloodied gray rabbit and cautiously gathered around it, surveying their surroundings.

Gauss and the Night Owl Squad used Meva’s trap to capture six goblins, which Gauss killed before the rest of the team arrived. The squad then prepared to fight fourteen more goblins approaching the ruins.

• Gauss triggered Meva’s capture net, trapping six goblins as they gathered around a baited rabbit.
• Gauss killed all six trapped goblins with his Rapier and increased his monster kill count to eighteen.
• Leven reminded Gauss that the mission reward would be shared, while Gauss reflected on the value of Meva’s trap-making skills.
• Leven warned the squad to prepare for a frontal engagement after the noise alerted the remaining goblins.
• Fourteen goblins arrived in an organized formation, and Leven assigned Meva and Oliver to target the archers while the others handled the front.

Gauss and his companions defeated a goblin force with few difficulties, and Gauss raised his Monster Kill Count to 23. Afterward, they collected the goblins’ ears for the bounty and began clearing the battlefield for loot.

• Leven charged the goblin formation with his greatshield, scattering five wooden-shield goblins, and Doyle killed one with a sword strike.
• Gauss killed two goblins with his Rapier, then finished off another one Doyle had knocked down.
• Gauss used Magic Missile to kill a goblin archer after dodging its arrow, bringing his Monster Kill Count to 23.
• The group rested after defeating the goblins, then cut off their left ears to collect the bounty.
• The companions gathered the goblins’ weapons and loot, though Gauss noted that the two valuable steel blades were badly damaged.

Gauss completed his second commission with the Night Owl Squad, earned his share of the rewards, and returned to Grayrock Town. After reconnecting with Sophia at the inn, he planned to visit a Magic Item shop to learn more about buying a Wand.

• Gauss and the Night Owl Squad collected the goblins’ spoils, and Meva revealed that she had a slight trace of Elven blood.
• Gauss explored the ruined settlement and wondered what powerful force had caused its extensive destruction.
• The Night Owl Squad returned safely to Grayrock Town, completed the commission, and split the rewards; Gauss ended with 19 silver and 30 copper coins.
• Gauss returned to the inn, reassured Sophia that the goblins had posed little danger, and shared a late-night snack with her.
• Gauss woke at noon, ate lunch at the inn, and decided to visit the Magic Item shop in Widow’s Alley to ask about Wands.

Gauss visited Thorn House in Widow's Alley at Gron's request and met its Halfling owner, Andeni. Andeni revealed that she and Gron had once served in the same squad, though they had lost touch for years.

• Gauss found Thorn House after searching Widow's Alley and knocked on its old, seemingly abandoned door.
• Andeni opened the door and asked who had sent Gauss; he identified himself and said Gron Bates had sent him.
• Gauss entered Andeni's shop and examined its collection of strange specimens, books, and expensive wands.
• Andeni questioned Gauss about his connection to Gron and was surprised he had only worked for Gron as a temporary shop assistant.
• Andeni told Gauss that she and Gron had once been in the same squad, that he used to kill without hesitation, and that this was the first time he had sent an outsider to her shop.

Gauss asked Andeni about buying a wand, then sold his Life Magic Stone and tested several base staffs to find one compatible with his magic. None suited him, so Andeni went to retrieve some unusual, inexpensive alternatives.

• Gauss learned that Andeni's wands were not for sale and asked her to appraise his Life Magic Stone.
• Andeni valued the stone at 2 gold and 40 silver coins and estimated that a custom wand would cost at least one more gold coin.
• Gauss sold the stone to Andeni and chose to buy a base staff that could improve his spellcasting while he saved for a finished wand.
• Andeni brought several common base staffs from her warehouse and explained how Gauss could test their compatibility.
• Gauss tried each staff, but his magic power circulated poorly in all of them.
• Andeni realized Gauss's magic power was unusual and went to fetch several special, inexpensive staffs.

Gauss tested a range of unusual wand materials and found that a mysterious Bone Staff matched his magic perfectly. He successfully cast Mage Hand through it, and Andeni realized he was the first Spellcaster she had ever seen who could use it.

• Andeni brought Gauss a selection of obscure wand materials and explained that a wand had to choose its wielder as well.
• Gauss tested the vine, stone, and wooden wands, finding one pale yellow wand that could serve as a fallback.
• Gauss tried the Bone Staff and felt his magic flow through it smoothly, unlike any other material he had tested.
• Andeni admitted she did not know what creature the bone came from and asked Gauss to test Mage Hand with it.
• Gauss cast Mage Hand through the Bone Staff much faster than before, and the spell moved about 20% faster.
• Andeni excitedly punched Gauss around the waist and abdomen and called him a freak.

Gauss bought Andeni’s Bone Staff and spent the following days training, greatly improving his Magic Missile casting and combat strength. As the Night Owl Squad prepared to meet for its next commission, he looked forward to suggesting they fight monsters other than Goblins.

• Andeni sold Gauss the Bone Staff for ten silver coins and warned that turning it into a true Wand had defeated her repeated attempts.
• Andeni lent Gauss an early spell note and advised him to keep his Life Magic Stone rather than sell it.
• Gauss spent several days practicing magic and swordsmanship, raising his Magic Missile proficiency from Level 2 (3/20) to Level 2 (6/20).
• The Bone Staff and Gauss’s increased proficiency and mana let him cast three miniature Magic Missiles in succession without mana exhaustion.
• Gauss anticipated the Night Owl Squad’s next meeting and planned to suggest taking a commission involving monsters other than Goblins.

After recovering from their previous mission, Gauss and the Night Owl Squad accepted a commission to clear Slime Slimes near Valencia Village. On the journey, Gauss studied Andeni’s notebook and learned more about spells and the limits on how many a Spellcaster could master.

• The Night Owl Squad reunited after several days of rest, and the others noticed the Bone Staff at Gauss’s waist.
• Gauss asked Leven to choose combat commissions against monsters other than Goblins so he could gain experience fighting different enemies.
• Leven led the squad to accept a commission to clear at least twenty Slime Slimes near Valencia Village and a long-term quest to collect Slime Gel.
• The squad set out for Valencia Village, and Gauss read Andeni’s notebook while resting on the cart.
• Gauss learned that Identification was a 1st Circle Spell and that a Spellcaster’s soul limited how many spells they could master.

Gauss and Meva tracked Slimes to a muddy streamside clearing, where the group prepared to fight them. Gauss killed three Slimes with Magic Missile and discovered new rewards from his Monster Codex.

• Meva found faint Slime trails in the orchard, and Gauss joined her in tracing them before they returned to the others.
• The group followed the tracks to a muddy patch by a stream and found 25 Slimes gathered there.
• Leven assigned Oliver, Meva, and Gauss to open the attack while the others prepared to fight.
• Gauss pierced three Slime cores with one Magic Missile as Oliver and Meva killed two more with arrows.
• Gauss's Monster Kill Count rose to 26, and he gained the Slime Hunter title and his first Common Monster collection entry.

Gauss and his companions lured the Slimes out of the muddy ground by appearing weak, then revealed the full party and attacked. Leven’s charge scattered the horde, and the group began fighting the Slimes on solid ground.

• Gauss killed two more Slimes with Magic Missiles while Oliver and Meva’s arrows failed to hit their shifting cores.
• Leven, Doyle, and Daphne emerged from hiding, drawing the Slimes onto solid ground and forming up with Gauss, Oliver, and Meva.
• Leven and Doyle charged the horde, and Leven used Greatshield Charge to knock Slimes aside and break up their formation.
• Doyle killed a Slime with Cross Slash as Leven warned the party to block slime attacks, avoid being surrounded, and provide ranged support.
• Gauss followed Doyle toward a dazed Slime and prepared to attack its core as it shifted inside its body.

Gauss used his Slime Hunter intimidation to help the Night Owl Squad exterminate 25 slimes, then reflected on his growing strength and plans for handling groups of enemies. The chapter left him with several goals: reach 50 monster kills, improve his magic, and collect five kinds of low-level monsters.

• Gauss intimidated and killed a slime with his rapier, discovering how useful the brief paralysis was.
• The Night Owl Squad worked together to kill all 25 slimes, with Gauss defeating nine of them.
• Daphne treated the acid burns Leven and Doyle suffered during the battle.
• Meva calculated the commission reward, and Oliver and Meva gathered the slimes’ remains for recovery materials.
• Gauss noted that his kill count had reached 32 and Magic Missile Level 2 had progressed to 8/20.
• Gauss considered learning an area spell or improving his control of Magic Missile, while planning to reach 50 kills and collect five kinds of monsters.

On the return from Valencia Village, Gauss told his companions that he had been an ordinary farm boy before becoming an adventurer and had learned magic by chance. His rapid progress left the party discouraged, and a sudden storm delayed their return to Grayrock Town until late at night.

• Leven and the others asked Gauss about his life before adventuring, and he told them he had grown up as a farm boy and learned magic through a chance encounter.
• Gauss said he had reached his current level in about a year, prompting Doyle and the others to recognize how unusual his progress was.
• The party fell silent as Leven considered that Gauss was unlikely to join them permanently, though he hoped they could team up again.
• A sudden downpour hit the party near Grayrock Town, and they struggled through the muddy roads and helped push carts stuck in puddles.
• The party reached Grayrock Town late at night, postponed turning in the job until morning, and Gauss returned to the inn while the storm continued.

After recovering from the downpour, Gauss turned his attention to claiming his quest reward and advancing his monster-kill milestones. At the Adventurer's Guild, he asked Leven to seek out a quest involving a new kind of monster, while deciding to keep growing stronger before taking quests alone.

• Gauss noticed that his constitution had improved and that the Adventurer's Handbook recorded nine slimes killed, leaving him short of his monster-kill and new-species milestones.
• Gauss spoke with Sophia at the inn, then headed to the Adventurer's Guild to turn in the previous day's quest.
• Gauss found Leven at the Guild, and Leven explained that monsters often became more active after a downpour.
• Gauss asked Leven to look for a quest involving monsters other than goblins or slimes, and Leven agreed to keep an eye out.
• Gauss decided to prioritize safety and continue developing before attempting quests alone.

After the rain stopped, Gauss witnessed a professional effortlessly defeat a half-orc and realized how much stronger he needed to become. He met Leven to arrange the squad’s next commission, then joined the others at the Adventurer’s Guild, where they considered the available jobs.

• Gauss walked through town after the rain cleared and watched a professional catch a half-orc’s punch and knock him down with a swift knee strike.
• Gauss concluded that he could not keep up with the professional even using Mind Acceleration and resolved to get stronger.
• Gauss visited Leven, who said the squad would meet at the Adventurer’s Guild if the weather stayed clear, and Gauss learned how to maintain Leven’s Oak Greatshield.
• The next day, Gauss met Doyle, Meva, and Oliver at the Adventurer’s Guild to choose another commission.
• Doyle claimed he was close to mastering Cross Slash, while Meva and Oliver warned him that such feelings could be misleading.

Gauss and Leven's group reached the Ense River to hunt water ghouls, but villagers had driven most of them into hiding. The group accepted Harvey's offer of extra pay and prepared to search the area, while Leven remained uneasy.

• Gauss tracked the group's route on his mental map as they traveled to the Ense River to clear out about twenty water ghouls.
• The group found no ghouls at the docks and went to the Mermaid Tavern to ask about them.
• Harvey explained that drunken sailors had attacked the ghouls, killing two and scattering the rest, and offered the adventurers twenty extra silver coins to finish the job.
• Leven and the others discussed the reward and agreed to continue the mission, though Leven warned them to stay alert.
• Gauss checked his kill count and saw that he had killed 40 of the 50 monsters needed for his goal.

Gauss and the others set bait along the riverbank and waited for the water ghouls to emerge. Seventeen appeared, fewer than expected, and the chapter left the group wondering what had happened to the missing creatures.

• Gauss, Meva, and the others found blood and a foul fishy smell at the reported fight site, then searched the riverbank for the water ghouls.
• Leven prepared two decaying rabbit carcasses as bait, and the group returned after several hours to set a trap and hide.
• After nightfall, a cautious water ghoul led its companions out of the river and toward the bait.
• Gauss counted seventeen water ghouls and wondered where the rest of the reported group had gone.

Gauss and his team trapped the water ghosts on the riverbank and slaughtered them, with Gauss using his new Water Ghost Hunter title to anticipate their attacks. After reaching 49 monster kills, Gauss asked Doyle to leave the final water ghost for him.

• Meva and Gauss triggered their traps, blocking the water ghosts’ escape route with a net and driving them into flames.
• Gauss killed the water ghost leader with Magic Missile, reaching 41 kills and earning the Water Ghost Hunter title.
• Gauss joined the team’s attack and used the title’s combat bonus to predict water ghosts’ moves as he killed them.
• Leven knocked several water ghosts down, giving Gauss openings to finish them off until his kill count reached 49.
• Gauss asked Doyle to let him kill the last water ghost, and Doyle stepped aside.

After Gauss killed the fiftieth Water Ghoul, he gained Agility and the Mage Armor spell, then helped his companions harvest the corpses. His warning instincts stirred as a blue, canine-faced monster approached across the river.

• Gauss killed the last Water Ghoul and received Mage Armor and one point of Agility for reaching a Monster Kill Count of 50.
• Gauss assessed Mage Armor's protective effects and considered replacing his Core Skill with it.
• Daphne checked the team for wounds while Meva, Oliver, Gauss, and Leven helped harvest the Water Ghouls.
• Gauss sensed danger and spotted a tall, blue, canine-faced monster crossing the river toward the group.

Gauss and his companions encountered a powerful ghoul while finishing their water-ghoul mission and chose to retreat rather than risk a fight. They returned to the village and entered the Mermaid Tavern to report the danger to Harvey, shocking the patrons with their grisly appearance.

• Gauss warned the group about a ghoul, and Meva and Doyle recognized the danger as it approached the water-ghoul corpses.
• The ghoul ordered the adventurers to leave, and Gauss led the party in a cautious retreat while it fed on the corpses.
• The group reached the village safely, and Leven decided they should tell Harvey about the ghoul and their incomplete contract.
• Gauss and his companions entered the Mermaid Tavern, where their bloody, foul-smelling appearance silenced the patrons.