Chapter Summaries

After earning money from the kobold commission, Gauss spoke with Sophia about the inn’s rising prices and his adventurer earnings, then went to find a swordsmanship instructor. He arrived at the courtyard Doyle had recommended and introduced himself to the instructor and the watching trainees.

• The squad sold their kobold commission spoils for 25 silver coins and 60 copper coins, and Gauss took home 11 silver coins.
• Gauss ate at a tavern, then asked Sophia about raising the inn’s room prices; she explained that more outsiders had come to town and nearby inns had raised their rates.
• Gauss told Sophia he could earn several silver coins from a commission, but she advised him to save his money.
• Gauss reviewed his improving spell proficiencies and decided to strengthen his basic sword skills instead of practicing spells that morning.
• Gauss followed Doyle’s directions to a swordsmanship courtyard, where a middle-aged instructor and a dozen young trainees watched him arrive.

Gauss hired David to teach him basic swordsmanship and quickly learned the fundamentals, gaining Sword Skill Basics. He returned to training Mage Armor, raising it to level two, and considered how his improved swordplay could help him fight while protected.

• Gauss agreed to pay David 50 copper coins for swordsmanship instruction.
• David taught Gauss basic rapier techniques, and Gauss quickly corrected his movements and mastered the fundamentals.
• Gauss left the training yard with Sword Skill Basics lv1 (3/10) on his Attribute Panel.
• Gauss resumed practicing Mage Armor over the following days and raised it to lv2 (13/20).
• Gauss continued practicing swordsmanship in his spare time, raising Sword Skill Basics to lv1 (5/10) and considering how it could support him in close combat.

Gauss and his team used poisonous smoke to force a cautious goblin group out of its cave. Gauss killed the first goblin to emerge and sensed that his [Rapid Digestion] Talent had grown stronger.

• Meva scouted the goblin lair and found no hidden scouts, but discovered two vents.
• Gauss's team decided to smoke the goblins out rather than fight them inside the cramped cave.
• The team burned damp wood with sulfur, poisonous herbs, and Meva's toxins, then blew the smoke into the cave.
• After enduring the smoke for more than ten minutes, the first goblin staggered out of the cave.
• Gauss killed the goblin with his Rapier and sensed that [Rapid Digestion] had improved slightly.

Gauss and the adventurers smoked goblins out of their cave, where he killed many of them with Magic Missiles and his rapier. After the battle, Gauss reported killing about sixteen goblins, leaving Leven stunned by how much easier the mission had become.

• The goblins resisted from inside their cave, but Gauss struck the first wave with two Magic Missiles and killed six of them.
• The party drove more goblins out with toxic smoke, and Gauss killed three who had collapsed near the entrance.
• Gauss joined the battle and cut down six more goblins, bringing the total kill count to 75 and raising his skill proficiency.
• After the fight, Doyle asked Daphne to check a minor injury, while Gauss ate jerky and reviewed his progress.
• Leven asked how many goblins Gauss had killed, and Gauss estimated sixteen, leaving Leven speechless because the group had numbered only around twenty-some.

After the Night Owl Squad celebrated their goblin commission at a tavern, Gauss reflected on how much he had come to enjoy life in this world. The next morning, he realized his strength might be preventing his teammates from getting the practice they needed.

• Leven invited the Night Owl Squad to share a meal after their easy goblin commission, and Gauss tried cheap ale for the first time.
• Gauss coughed at the sour drink, prompting the others to tease him and suspect that his background story was fabricated.
• After the meal, Doyle fought a man who had harassed Daphne, and the team fled before the patrol guards arrived; Gauss carried the unconscious Doyle home.
• Sophia served Gauss hangover soup the next morning, and he appreciated her thoughtfulness.
• Gauss understood from Leven's subtle remarks that his presence had been limiting the other teammates' opportunities to practice.

After parting ways with the Night Owl Squad, Gauss took a solo goblin-hunting job north of Grayrock Town. He killed four goblins stealing wheat and followed the survivor toward its lair, aiming to reach one hundred monster kills.

• Gauss accepted that Leven, Doyle, and Oliver needed to separate from him so they could develop their skills, and he decided to take simple jobs alone.
• Gauss traveled north of Grayrock Town, where powerful monsters were less common, and chose a job targeting goblins.
• Gauss found five goblins stealing unripe wheat and used his Mage Armor and rapier to kill four of them.
• Gauss let the last goblin escape so it would lead him to the others, then followed it after cleaning his blade.
• Gauss noted that his monster-kill total was 82 and planned to hunt goblins troubling nearby villages to get closer to one hundred.

Gauss attacked a goblin tribe, killing its leader and using a stink bomb to drive the remaining goblins from their cave. After wiping them out, he reached 50 goblin kills and sensed that something about him had changed.

• A goblin remembered the humans who had destroyed his former tribe before Gauss killed him with a Magic Missile.
• Gauss killed the goblin who had led him to the tribe, bringing his Monster Kill Count to 84.
• Gauss used Mage Hand to ignite a stink bomb deep inside the cave and waited outside.
• The goblins fled the cave, and Gauss cut down most of them while his Mage Armor blocked their attacks.
• Gauss killed the last goblin with a Magic Missile, reached 50 goblin kills, and sensed a change in himself.

Gauss upgraded his goblin-slaying title and cleared a nearby cave, then returned to a peaceful village and decided to hunt goblins in the area while developing his skills. He planned to raise his Monster Kill Count to 100 and continue practicing spells in combat.

• Gauss's [Goblin Hunter] title leveled up to [Goblin Slayer], increasing its Bane bonus to 20% and adding a chance to land critical hits.
• Gauss collected the goblins' ears and searched their cave, where he found a pregnant goat being used to carry goblin offspring.
• Gauss killed the goat and its six goblin fetuses, then left the cave after checking for other spoils.
• Gauss retrieved the ears of four goblins he had killed near a wheat field and carried their corpses away from the farmland.
• Gauss entered the village, helped a girl who ran into him, and noticed that his Charisma had risen to 6.
• Gauss decided to stay nearby to clear out goblins and pursue a Monster Kill Count of 100 as he practiced his spells.

Gauss stayed in the village after completing his quest and set out to investigate a neighboring village’s reported goblin sightings. As night fell, the injured hunter Randall was left helpless as goblins closed in on him.

• Gauss accepted the village chief’s hospitality, treated the goblin ears, and maintained his equipment while the chief’s grandson Jenus watched and asked about adventurers.
• The next morning, Gauss left the village after the chief told him where a caravan leader had reported goblin signs.
• In the forest, hunter Randall waited beside his own trap with a severe leg wound as goblins stalked him from the bushes.
• Randall thought of his young daughter Taylor and fought off his drowsiness, but he could not draw his bow effectively.
• The goblins realized Randall was helpless and rushed toward him in the darkness.

Gauss rescued Randall from a group of goblins in the jungle and treated his wound. He carried Randall back toward the village, where the chapter left them on their way to safety.

• A goblin lunged at Randall, but Gauss struck it with a Blue Light Ball and killed it.
• Gauss killed three more goblins with his Rapier and Bone Staff as their attacks failed to harm him.
• The last two goblins fled, but Gauss caught and killed both of them.
• Gauss checked Randall's wound, treated it with medical supplies, and carried him toward the village.
• Gauss reassured Randall that he knew the way because he had come from the village to search for goblins and the missing hunter.

Gauss rescued Randall and earned the villagers’ trust, then accepted their request to clear out nearby goblins. He entered the forest with two villagers, but their first search for clues found nothing.

• Taylor waited with the villagers for her missing father, Randall, until Gauss returned carrying him from the forest.
• The villagers took Randall to a doctor, and Taylor thanked Gauss for saving her father.
• Gauss collected five silver coins and accepted the village chief’s offer to hunt goblins for 90 copper coins per kill.
• Gauss entered the forest with two armed villagers and searched the place where Randall had been surrounded, but they found no clues.
• Gauss considered asking Ms. Andeni in Grayrock Town about scouting or perception magic.

Gauss found and wiped out a small goblin tribe, reaching 102 monster kills and earning the Magic Resistance talent and one point of Strength. He left the woods with a new defense against hostile magic and a goal of 200 kills ahead.

• Gauss found goblin tracks and located a small tribe bathing in a muddy patch.
• Gauss warned the two villagers to stay back, then attacked and killed the goblins alone.
• Gauss reached 102 monster kills and received the Magic Resistance talent and one point of Strength.
• Gauss considered how Magic Resistance could strengthen his defenses alongside Mage Armor and set his sights on the next milestone of 200 kills.

After completing a village commission and returning to Grayrock Town, Gauss turned in his quest and tested how the Adventurer's Guild identified proof of kills. He left with more money and realized he needed to replace his worn-out clothes and boots.

• Gauss confirmed that the two villagers had counted all eight goblins, collected proof and valuables, and received seven silver coins and twenty copper coins from the village chief.
• Gauss searched the area, killed two Slime Slimes and a little skeleton, then returned to Grayrock Town after saying goodbye to the village chief and Jenus.
• At the Adventurer's Guild, Petra recognized Gauss, accepted his quest items, and set aside the goblin left ears he had deliberately mixed in as extras.
• Gauss received eleven silver coins for his quest and concluded that the Guild used some method to distinguish the extra goblin ears from the required items.
• Gauss checked his money and noticed his boots were nearly worn through, so he decided to buy clothes, boots, and other necessities.

Gauss upgraded his gear, gave Sophia a tea set, and visited Andeni to ask why practicing Mage Armor made him feel warm. After consulting a tome, Andeni announced that she had found the cause, but had not yet explained it.

• Gauss bought new clothes, boots, a waterskin, and an adventurer's pack, then gave Sophia a tea set and a guide to brewing tea.
• Gauss noticed his Mage Armor proficiency had stalled at level 2 and wondered whether the spell was connected to reaching a Professional Path.
• Gauss returned to the Thorn Hut and found Andeni asleep in her chair.
• Gauss told Andeni about the warmth he felt after practicing Mage Armor.
• Andeni searched a large tome and said she had found what was causing Gauss's unusual experience.

Andeni explained that Gauss’s unusually active magic was resonating with Mage Armor and advised him to study the spell’s nature rather than focus on casting speed or strength. Gauss practiced slowly throughout the day, deepening his understanding and believing that mastering the resonance would eventually lead him to Level 3 and a profession.

• Andeni told Gauss that his magic was reshaping Mage Armor’s spell structure through an unusual resonance and advised him to guide it by studying his responses to different impacts.
• Gauss realized he had been rushing to cast Mage Armor faster and stronger instead of fully understanding the spell.
• Andeni asked about the Bone Staff, and Gauss said he had adapted to it as she sensed it had transformed and seemed perfectly suited to him.
• At the Thorn Hut, Andeni taught Gauss a magic-circulation route, answered his questions, and gave him two books on spell principles before sending him away.
• Back at the inn, Gauss practiced Mage Armor slowly all day and felt his understanding deepen, though his proficiency remained unchanged.

Gauss left Grayrock Town for Wormwood Town to study magic and meet other Spellcaster Apprentices, but the merchant caravan he joined stopped after scouts found goblins blocking the road. The caravan could not afford to detour because its medicinal herbs needed to arrive on time, leaving Gauss aware of the danger ahead.

• Gauss told Sophia he had been studying cultivation and magic, then decided to leave Grayrock Town to put his magical knowledge into practice.
• Gauss paid to travel with a merchant caravan to Wormwood Town, hoping to broaden his horizons and find Spellbooks at its Spellcaster Apprentice gathering.
• The caravan stopped, and Gauss approached its leaders to learn what had happened.
• A manager told Gauss that dozens of goblins were blocking the road and planning to rob travelers.
• The manager explained that the caravan could not take a detour because its medicinal herbs had to reach Wormwood Town before losing potency.
• Gauss understood the situation and considered the information he had gathered.

Gauss watched a mysterious group of professionals eliminate more than fifty goblins with ease, strengthening his resolve to grow stronger. He arrived in herb-filled Wormwood Town and was approached by a child selling a town guide.

• Gauss learned that the caravan planned to avoid the goblin bandits unless it could gather help from other caravans.
• A luxurious carriage and its knight escort arrived, and Gauss exchanged wary glances with a powerful silver-chainmail-clad Warrior.
• Three members of the mysterious fleet rode ahead and returned within minutes, having killed more than fifty goblins and cleared the road.
• Gauss saw the goblin corpses and admired the professionals' strength, resolving to become stronger himself.
• After a day's travel, Gauss passed Wormwood Town's strict checkpoint and found the town filled with herb shops and traders.
• A child offered Gauss a booklet containing information about Wormwood Town for twenty copper coins.

Gauss explored Wormwood Town and discovered that Andeni had founded its Spellcaster Apprentice Mutual Aid Association. After presenting Andeni’s sealed letter of introduction, he became a member and explained why he had come.

• Gauss bought a guide to Wormwood Town and noticed the silver-white chainmail man from the previous day before checking into an inn.
• Gauss visited the Spellcaster Apprentice Mutual Aid Association and recognized Andeni’s likeness in a statue of its founder.
• Lawrence told Gauss that Andeni had been a kind Halfling Mage and was already a Black Iron Rank Adventurer the last time she visited the association.
• Gauss presented Andeni’s letter of introduction, and Lawrence helped him join the association.
• Gauss received his membership badge and explained his reason for visiting.

Gauss trained with Lawrence at the Spellcaster mutual-assistance association, using repeated Cold Touch attacks to strengthen his Mage Armor. The spell reached Lv3 and began evolving toward a personalized, adaptable form of defense, while Gauss planned to continue training with the other members.

• Gauss asked Lawrence to help him practice Protection Spells and activated Mage Armor to test its resistance against Lawrence’s Cold Touch.
• Lawrence repeatedly attacked Gauss with his Ghost Hand, and Gauss’s Mage Armor resisted the cantrip’s Negative Energy erosion as his magic power resonated with the spell.
• Gauss’s Mage Armor reached Lv3 and developed a magic-resistant layer, beginning to evolve toward what he understood as Universal Armor.
• Lawrence exhausted his magic power without seriously troubling Gauss, and Gauss helped him to a chair.
• Gauss asked whether the other members were coming so he could continue collecting varied feedback through training.

Gauss trained his Mage Armor against a crowd of spellcaster apprentices, rapidly increasing its proficiency while exhausting their magic power. He then visited Wormwood Town’s night market, where he recognized that the cantrip scrolls being sold were fake.

• Lawrence brought several Mutual Aid Society apprentices to help Gauss train his protection magic.
• Gauss endured the apprentices’ varied attacks, and his Mage Armor reached lv3 with increased proficiency.
• Gauss depleted the apprentices’ magic power and left while they wondered about his strength and background.
• Gauss explored Wormwood Town’s crowded night market and browsed a peddler’s books and scrolls.
• Gauss inspected a Mage Hand scroll, recognized it as fake, and realized that ordinary people could struggle to distinguish genuine learning materials from frauds.