Chapter Summaries

Gauss bought a Rapier for self-defense, then took a restorative hot-spring bath and went to the Coral Tavern for a meal. He entered hungry and thought of Hailiel, Bell, and Mia, who should have reached Barry by then.

• Gauss sold his loot and spent 10 silver coins on a Rapier he chose for its light weight, speed, and usefulness in close quarters.
• Gauss resolved to practice swordsmanship and learn proper Sword Skills so he would not be helpless if enemies got close.
• Gauss finished his adventuring commission and planned to rest for a few days while practicing Magic Missile.
• Gauss enjoyed a hot-spring bath, noticed his clothes had become short, and wondered whether his Constitution had made him taller.
• Gauss went to the Coral Tavern, recalled Hailiel, Bell, and Mia, and entered hungry after several days in the wilderness.

While eating at the Coral Tavern, Gauss reviewed his attributes and weighed which spell to master as the foundation of his Mage profession. He chose Magic Missile for its greater potential as a Core Skill and decided his next priority was obtaining a Wand to help him practice.

• Gauss checked his Adventurer's Handbook and saw that Mage Hand proficiency had increased after his battle, while Magic Missile remained at Level 1.
• Gauss considered the easier path of using Mage Hand to advance and the greater potential of choosing Magic Missile as his Core Skill.
• Gauss decided to use Magic Missile to attempt advancement into the Mage profession, trusting his Attribute Panel to track his progress.
• Gauss concluded that obtaining a Wand was his most urgent task because it would reduce mana consumption and improve his practice efficiency.

After an expensive meal, Gauss resolved to earn more money and began practicing Magic Missile outside Grayrock Town. He successfully cast the spell again, discovered he could slightly influence its movement, and saw it blast a crater into the ground.

• Gauss paid 2 silver coins and 50 copper coins for the feast and counted his remaining 28 silver coins and 52 copper coins.
• The next morning, Gauss declined Sophia's breakfast and bought two meat-filled pies from a street stall.
• Gauss went outside Grayrock Town to practice Magic Missile, wary of raising his Mage Hand proficiency enough to trigger Professional Path guidance.
• After repeated attempts and rests, Gauss successfully formed a Magic Missile and found he could shift it slightly with his thoughts.
• Gauss hurled the Magic Missile at the ground, where it exploded and left a shallow crater with a fist-sized depression at its center.

Gauss spent five days practicing Magic Missile, learning to control its mana output while increasing his proficiency and reserves. Confident that his stronger spells could protect him, he ended his training eager to test them against goblins.

• After successfully casting Magic Missile, Gauss rested and began experimenting with retaining mana to reduce the spell's power and cost.
• By sunset, Gauss had learned to limit Magic Missile to about 95% power, though he could retain only 5% of its mana.
• Over five days of repeated practice, Gauss raised Magic Missile to level 2, increased his mana reserves by about 50%, and learned to cast it at 60% power.
• Gauss concluded that he could cast two reduced-power Magic Missiles, each strong enough to kill the Large Goblin that had nearly defeated him.
• After ending his arduous training, Gauss felt more secure and considered finding goblins to test his improved Magic Missile.

Gauss went to the Adventurer's Guild to find a monster-slaying commission, hoping to earn money and improve his combat skills. Unable to find a suitable job, he considered looking for temporary teammates.

• Gauss left the inn to visit the Adventurer's Guild, where he planned to test his Magic Missile in combat and replenish his dwindling funds.
• Gauss browsed the commission board and ruled out gathering jobs, most escort jobs, and fixed monster-clearing commissions.
• Gauss reflected on why villagers hired adventurers to handle monsters, citing the danger of fighting in groups and the villagers' lack of combat experience.
• Gauss struggled to find a commission involving only a few manageable monsters and noted that safer jobs were quickly claimed by low-tier adventurers.
• Gauss looked toward the crowded area where adventurers formed teams and considered finding temporary teammates.

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.