I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 72: Rewards

After wandering through the woods for most of the day.

It wasn't until afternoon that Gauss finally discovered traces left by goblins on the ground.

Several dried small footprints marked a gray stone.

"Total monsters killed: 94"

After eliminating those 5 goblins last night, only 6 more kills remained to reach the goal of 100.

Finding just one goblin nest would likely fulfill the requirement.

The joy wasn't Gauss's alone - the two villagers who had been wandering through the woods with him all day also shared in the excitement.

Upon finding these traces, Gauss intensified his search in the surrounding area.

Eventually, he discovered a goblin tribe in a muddy patch.

Observing from a distance, Gauss noted this was a relatively small tribe - only eight green-skinned youngsters currently enjoying mud baths.

It was unclear whether yesterday's five goblins came from this same group, but even including them would only make thirteen total.

These goblins were also notably small in stature, averaging about one meter in height.

Normally, well-developed goblins could grow to about 1.4 or 1.5 meters.

Even among goblins, this size difference was quite significant.

This discrepancy often led to confusion about goblin combat capabilities, as even ordinary goblins varied greatly in strength.

"Wait here - I'll handle this alone," Gauss instructed the villagers, concerned they might follow.

He was confident in his abilities and worried they might accidentally "steal a few kills," potentially leaving him short of his hundred-kill goal.

"Be careful."

Gauss was overthinking - the villagers had no intention of helping.

His figure darted swiftly through the woods.

Silently approaching the muddy area.

Perhaps too absorbed in the cooling pleasure of their mud baths, the goblins' vigilance had significantly lowered.

Gauss was nearly upon them when one finally noticed his presence.

"Wah wah wah!"

As it warned its companions, Gauss already stepped into the ankle-deep mud.

Pushing off forcefully, his feet splashed through the muddy water.

His body closed the distance rapidly.

A cold rapier tore through the air.

Striking downward, it pierced a goblin's throat.

"Goblin killed*1"

"Total monsters killed: 95"

The other goblins reacted sluggishly, scrambling frantically to grab their weapons.

Under their terrified gazes, another goblin lost its head to Gauss's swift blade.

"Total monsters killed: 96"

Gauss's swordplay grew increasingly precise.

These nearly hundred kills weren't just numbers - they represented his comprehensive improvement across multiple areas.

Killing efficiency, mental fortitude, battlefield strategy, understanding of monster behavior and attack patterns...

These intangible skills and judgments could only be accumulated through extensive practical experience.

Minutes later.

As the last goblin thrust its stone spear, the tip pressed against Gauss's abdomen only to be absorbed by an invisible force.

With a look of resentment, the goblin watched as Gauss's rapier flashed upward, severing its neck. The head plopped into the mud.

The battle ended.

Having eliminated all the goblins, Gauss eagerly checked his Adventurer's Manual.

True to form, upon reaching the 100-kill milestone, the system provided new rewards like previous stages.

"Goblin killed*1"

"Total monsters killed: 102"

"Reward obtained: Talent [Magic Resistance]"

"[Magic Resistance]: Based on your magic quality, manifests corresponding resistance against hostile spell effects, thereby weakening enemy magic. This talent's effectiveness correlates with your magic quality."

"Reward obtained: Strength +1"

"Next stage: Accumulate 200 total monster kills."

A mysterious warmth surged through Gauss's body, particularly saturating his muscle tissue like countless invisible hands kneading them.

His muscle fibers visibly tightened and strengthened, previously loose flesh rapidly firming up.

Within mere breaths, Gauss felt his physical power increase substantially.

Opening his eyes, Gauss smiled - the enhancement wasn't limited to strength.

Unlike previous rewards of spells and attribute points, this time brought something new.

The talent [Magic Resistance]!

Gauss's eyes practically sparkled upon seeing this.

There was no question which was more valuable between spells and talents.

Theoretically, he could learn spells through spellbooks, instruction, or other means even without system rewards.

But talents were different.

Based on current knowledge, other apprentices only gained corresponding talents when advancing to professional status, determined by their practiced skills.

And him?

Not yet a professional, yet already possessing two growth-type talents.

One was [Rapid Digestion] that improved with goblin kills, the other this newly acquired [Magic Resistance] which, according to the description, seemed to scale with his magic quality.

Therefore, theoretically, as his magic grew stronger, so too would his magic resistance.

An incredible effect!

Moreover, this talent addressed one of his weaknesses.

Days earlier, when he first mastered casting Mage Armor on others, testing revealed it provided much better protection against physical attacks than magical ones.

When his Magic Missiles struck Mage Armor, the magical collision caused violent fluctuations that destabilized the protective spell.

He had theorized this might indicate either Mage Armor's inherent weakness against magic attacks or his own insufficient mastery.

But now, with Magic Resistance, the reason didn't matter.

This talent would make him far more capable against magical assaults, and perhaps combining it with Mage Armor would significantly boost spell defense.

Furthermore, if he chose Mage Armor as his core skill for professional advancement...

The spell itself would undergo further transformation, potentially stacking his defensive capabilities to terrifying levels for his rank.

After quickly reviewing [Magic Resistance]'s effects, he examined the second reward.

Strength attribute +1.

Unfortunately, it didn't boost his strongest attribute - Intelligence.

He strongly suspected the Adventurer's Manual's reward distribution wasn't random.

Still, increased Strength was acceptable - Gauss quite enjoyed his newly enhanced physical power.

As a mage apprentice, he had to admit his rapier had been invaluable in these early stages.

This strength boost would significantly improve his current combat effectiveness.