I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 60: Post-Mission Dilemma

"No no, of course not." Levin chuckled. "If it were a goblin-like creature with an official challenge rating, even just level 1, we wouldn't have been able to dodge that fireball earlier."

Gauss felt slightly disappointed. He had thought he'd just killed a monster with a proper challenge rating. However, upon reflection, the Monster Encyclopedia had classified this one as just another ordinary goblin-like creature, meaning it hadn't yet developed the strength to surpass its tier.

"We've encountered monsters with minor spellcasting abilities during previous commissions too," Levin continued. "They either rely on magical items or mutated body organs to wield powers beyond their natural capabilities. Generally speaking, they're troublesome but not impossible to deal with."

Though Levin's current combat ability might pale in comparison to Gauss's, his experience as an adventurer far surpassed Gauss's. He was happy to share these insights with Gauss. These weren't particularly rare pieces of information, but being able to earn goodwill from a future professional-grade spellcaster was an obvious choice for anyone.

"No wonder..." Gauss mused. That explained why he hadn't sensed strong magical fluctuations earlier—the elderly goblin-like creature must have been using mutated organs to cast that fireball. He recalled how the creature had rapidly aged after successfully casting the fire breath spell, realizing that must have been the price for wielding such power.

Magic was indeed formidable. Even a goblin-like creature, barely mastering a crude spell, could threaten an entire squad through ambush tactics. Of course, it was equally important to recognize how fragile spellcasting professions were. Once closed in on, that elderly goblin-like creature could have been killed with a single sword strike—its weakened body might have struggled even less than its kin. Gauss himself had merely used Mage Hand to seize a fleeting opportunity, essentially making it "commit suicide."

Fortunately, he wasn't such a fragile spellcaster. The "colleague's" miserable death gave Gauss much to reflect on and further solidified his belief that survival took priority over damage output in combat. No matter what, self-preservation in battle should always come before offense.

After gathering the spoils from the hall and checking the remaining nest chambers to confirm no surviving goblin-like creatures remained, the group began their arduous crawl back out, hauling their loot.

About ten minutes later. Emerging from the mine, sunlight bathed their faces, making everyone who'd spent so long in darkness instinctively squint.

Having escaped the claustrophobic underground maze, even the desolate, gloomy abandoned mine outside seemed like a pleasant view, lifting their spirits. Humans seemed to carry an innate fear of narrow, dark underground spaces in their blood. Though no one had voiced it earlier, the oppressive atmosphere had weighed on them all.

After a brief rest at their temporary camp and checking the sun's position to estimate they had enough daylight left, the squad set off toward Grayrock Town. If possible, they wanted to minimize nights spent in the wilderness. Building fires, cooking meals, setting up camp, and taking turns on night watch were all exhausting chores.

Looking at the fully loaded cart of supplies, Gauss couldn't help but wonder how much profit this trip would yield. Regardless of the goblin-like creatures' combat abilities, their scavenging skills were undeniable. The species seemed born with an obsessive hoarding instinct, filling their living spaces with random junk. Many items even Meva couldn't appraise, so they'd taken everything. The mutated elderly goblin-like creature's corpse also occupied significant space on the cart, prompting their decision to rush back to Grayrock Town—by tomorrow, it would likely start smelling.

Pulling their overloaded cart, the group managed to return to Grayrock Town before nightfall. Town guards stopped them at the entrance to thoroughly inspect their haul before verifying their identities and letting them pass.

Next came the familiar routine—their first stop was the Adventurers Hall to submit their mission.

"80 copper coins per adult goblin-like creature, 40 copper per pup, totaling exactly 20 silver coins. Please check and keep them safe."

After submitting their mission items, the guild receptionist handed over the commission fee. Gauss curiously peered under the counter but couldn't see what operations the receptionist performed below. It seemed both mission item submissions and fee distributions happened through some under-counter mechanism. Worthless trophies like monster ears wouldn't be returned, but valuable items would be inspected and given back along with payment.

"Is it magic?" Gauss wondered silently. Most phenomena defying common sense in this world usually involved magic. Yet despite closely observing the verification process several times, he'd detected no magical fluctuations—whether due to his current insufficient skill level or other reasons remained unclear.

Leaving the counter with their earnings, Levin immediately distributed the shares. From the Adventurers Guild's commission, Gauss received 5 silver coins—significantly more than the other five members. Yet none objected. Had Gauss not warned them and swiftly dealt with that spellcasting-capable goblin-like creature, the mission wouldn't have gone so smoothly. The Night Owl Squad always distributed rewards based on contribution—those who made outstanding contributions deserved larger shares.

Gauss didn't feign modesty, thanking them before pocketing his silver coins. Next came disposing of the cart's miscellaneous items.

"You guys took forever."

Doyle, who'd been guarding their goods outside, complained impatiently upon seeing them emerge. 

"Hurry up and sell this junk already. I'm starving."

Having only eaten emergency rations during their midday camp, they'd gone without proper food until now. His words reminded Gauss of his own growing hunger as he rubbed his stomach—it seemed sharper than usual. Remembering his recently acquired racial talent [Rapid Digestion], Gauss shook his head with realization. Apparently, the ability wasn't all benefits. Getting hungry faster? He might turn into a glutton. 

Great, his Engel coefficient was about to rise. Imagining increased food expenses, Gauss unconsciously rubbed his slightly improved money pouch, suddenly worried about finances again. His nearby sword seemed to stir restlessly. Faced with such dire circumstances, he thought it might be time to visit some "old friends" for support—conveniently helping train his Rapid Digestion ability too. Two birds with one stone.