I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 52: Scene Investigation, Future Plans, and Return Journey

Gauss listened to his companions' chatter without offering his own comments. 

He wasn't particularly short on money at the moment.

Of course, money was something one could never have too much of - nobody would complain about having excess wealth.

With more funds, he could purchase better clothes, boots, weapons, or even hire tutors.

But even without extra money, he could manage for now.

After all, one of his primary saving goals - purchasing a magic wand - currently seemed to have hit a standstill.

The Bone Staff was already in his possession, and it felt incredibly natural to use, requiring almost no adjustment period as if it had always been part of him.

The problem was, even the halfling professional Andni hadn't found a matching wand core after all these years, making Gauss doubt he could simply buy one with money.

Moreover, even without a core, the Bone Staff served him perfectly well during his apprentice stage.

As he ate heartily, Gauss began contemplating his next steps.

The total kill count in his Monster Encyclopedia had surpassed 50.

The next milestone would be 100 monster kills.

It didn't sound difficult, but would likely take considerable time.

If each mission yielded about 10 kills, he'd need approximately 5 more assignments.

Upon reaching the hundred-kill mark, he'd receive another guaranteed physical attribute boost.

His current attribute panel showed:

Strength: 5

Agility: 6

Constitution: 6

Intelligence: 7

Perception: 5

Charisma: 5

Compared to when he first transmigrated, there had been significant improvement - he was no longer completely "below average" across the board.

His Intelligence, Constitution and Agility had each increased by 1 point.

This elevated his standing among low-level adventurers.

Previously, his mastery of Magic Missile made him relatively formidable among apprentices.

Now with Mage Armor covering his glaring weakness, plus his above-average Agility, Constitution and Intelligence attributes,

few low-level adventurers could defeat him one-on-one.

Most spellcaster apprentices couldn't master three spells simultaneously. And he possessed three attributes exceeding ordinary people's levels.

Thus after this mission, his top priority would be training Mage Armor.

Gauss temporarily elevated Mage Armor training to highest priority.

Staying alive came before dealing damage.

He wouldn't consider another mission until fully mastering Mage Armor.

At minimum, he needed to reach level 2 proficiency, as level 2 spells could be cast relatively smoothly.

Only after mastering Mage Armor would he consider accepting new monster commissions.

Completing five monster categories in the Encyclopedia would unlock talent extraction.

He'd already registered four ordinary monsters: Goblins, Slime Slimes, Skeletons, and Water Ghosts.

Just one more for talent extraction.

Though he had no clue what ability he might obtain. 

Truthfully, none of these four monsters were particularly strong combatants - one could even be called disgraceful among monsters.

But combat effectiveness wasn't necessarily the most important factor. Some suitable passive abilities or those aiding daily training efficiency might prove more valuable.

Finally came core skill selection.

Sensing the three spells imprinted deep in his consciousness, Gauss felt conflicted again.

Mage Hand, Magic Missile, Mage Armor.

Each had distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Moreover, Gauss believed that with his Adventurer's Manual, any spell he chose as core skill would grow tremendously powerful.

Mage Hand had wide applicability, Magic Missile offered strong offensive capabilities, while Mage Armor's protective value needed no explanation - it would safeguard him at any future stage.

Yet these very possibilities and potentials plunged him into indecision.

"Forget it, I'll reconsider later. Regardless, Mage Armor training takes priority for survival." After prolonged contemplation yielded no answer, Gauss stopped agonizing.

The ghoul encounter made him value personal safety more.

You never knew what unknown enemies might appear during low-level missions.

Assimilating new abilities into combat effectiveness was the optimal approach - rushing into another mission would be unwise.

"I'll decide based on Mage Armor's training progress. If it progresses quickly, I'll make this survival skill my core. Theoretically, it should train fast since Mage Armor can be practiced anywhere anytime."

Even cautious Gauss leaned toward Mage Armor, but final decision depended on progress.

If Mage Armor showed slow advancement, no matter how appealing, Gauss wouldn't waste excessive time on it.

Between the two first-level spells, whichever progressed faster would be chosen.

Breakfast concluded.

Gauss's thoughts became clearer.

The Night Owl Squad members cautiously approached last night's riverbank.

Under daylight, the riverbank showed only scattered flesh chunks, dried bloodstains, and intestinal remains - no trace of ghouls remained.

The Water Ghost corpses had also disappeared.

Considering a ghoul couldn't possibly consume all that "food" overnight, it likely transported leftovers to its lair as reserves.

Soon Harvey arrived with several strong men.

The gruesome scene erased Harvey's lingering doubts.

Numerous corpse fragments proved many Water Ghosts had been slain here.

Further examination revealed traces of ghoul activity in crevices - 

gray-white broken hyena-like hairs, claw-marked ground, and semi-transparent web-like shed membranes.

These findings further corroborated Levin's account.

There was no reason to stage such an elaborate scene after eliminating numerous Water Ghosts.

Thus Gauss's party received their certification document and departed the fishing village.

Whether Harvey and villagers would commission more adventurers or take their chances was their own decision, unrelated to Gauss's group.

On the return journey,

smiles returned to everyone's faces.

Harvey ultimately delivered the promised 20 silver coin bonus.

Combined with the certified 20 Water Ghost kills (worth another 20 silver) and monster materials (several more silver), each member earned 7-8 silver coins - a substantial windfall.

Gauss equally longed to return to safe town walls, train his new spells, and consolidate gains from this expedition.

As they anticipated, Grayrock Town's gray-brown silhouette gradually appeared on the horizon.