Because this was a hastily assembled team with uneven strength and no chemistry, the eight of them didn’t coordinate; they split up and moved in according to their original squads.
Once everything was set, they charged the monster camp head-on.
“So fast!”
Out of the corner of his eye, Gauss caught only the afterimages of Iron Arm as they streaked forward.
Captain Quake led the rush.
His longsword carved a cold silver arc before him; any small fry—gob...
Exposed?
Gauss’s heart gave a quick jolt at first.
But when he caught the sounds that followed from farther off, he felt that wasn’t it. And that strange cry from the sky just now hadn’t come from directly overhead.
Either way… run!
Alia swung onto the gray wolf Ulfen. Gauss triggered Enhanced Leap; strength flooded his legs, and the two of them flickered through the trees, opening distance from the monster camp.
As they ran, he could just make out t...
At dawn the campfires were long out, leaving only wisps of blue-gray smoke.
Gauss and Alia washed up, bolted a simple breakfast, rubbed feeling back into cheeks numbed by the cold, and headed to that day’s rendezvous point.
People hadn’t fully gathered yet, but low conversations from nearby squads drifted over.
“Seems like one team’s missing?”
“I heard they… ran into a CR-2 pure-blood ogre…”
“Better keep our guard up.”
“Odd, th...
The Magic Missiles stripped the warrior of his last breath; Gauss, ever cautious, followed up with two finishing strokes. Only after he was certain the man was truly dead did he and Alia start putting the ravaged field in order.
“I didn’t expect something like this,” Alia murmured, taking in the bloodstains and chaos on the snow.
Gauss, by contrast, was unnervingly calm. He’d killed before; out on the road he’d run into his share of witless highwaymen, so this wasn’t...
Every hair on the rogue Dilan’s body stood on end.
It wasn’t as if he’d never seen a Magic Missile—on the contrary, he knew the spell well. But the threat these missiles carried was unlike anything he’d felt before.
Too fast.
Piero’s Magic Missile never looked like this!
And how had he missed that, besides the female target and the male “fighter,” there was a hidden spellcaster in the enemy party at all? He’d been caught completely flat-footed.
As soon as Gauss finished speaking in that flat tone, the air went oddly still.
No one said a word. Only the keening wind and the faint, unhurried sound of Gauss chewing jerky remained.
Up front, the warrior Blake glanced back at his companions; out of Gauss’s line of sight, a wolfish resolve flickered in his eyes. He gave the tiniest nod, then turned back wearing a smile he forced into something like “sincerity.”
“Forget it—peace over pride. Piero, drop the pay...
Jade Forest, afternoon.
Fine snow began to fall again, the cold wind carrying icy grains that moaned and circled through the branches. The winter hunt’s killing chill seeped into everything as the weather turned ever more bitter.
Frost had crusted over the heavy pauldrons on the warrior Blake’s shoulders. With every step he took, his boots sank deep into the thinly snow-covered mulch of rot and leaves, crunching dully.
The others kept moving as they tried to work warm...
While the two of them rested, a stray handful of monsters that had fled the main front wandered through—and Gauss, Alia, and Ulfen dispatched them without a second thought.
Gauss followed the line of the nearest corpse with his eyes, gazing into the depths of the forest. His sight felt as if it pierced layer upon layer of green, all the way to the unseen front line.
The fighting there must be fierce.
“I wonder how Guildmaster Eberhard’s side is going?” he said.
Gauss picked off most of the mosquito bats first.
Then he glanced at the raven, Echo—who wasn’t idle in the least. Wings pumping, it had already darted after the bats trying to climb for the clouds. It flew faster than they did, and its hooked beak and talons were far deadlier. In terms of agility and killing power, those last two or three stragglers were no match for it.
Figuring Echo would mop them up, Gauss didn’t waste any more time.
The rest of the rabble were ...
[Elite Path unlocking.]
[Current Stage: 1.]
[Special Skill Earned: ‘Brute Force.’]
[Brute Force – When actively triggered, the user’s Strength increases, granting greater destructive power. Stamina consumption, however, multiplies, and prolonged use risks bodily harm.]
[Stage 2 Unlock Condition: Slay 5 distinct types of elite monsters (2/5). Reward: Randomly draw one elite-monster racial trait.]
[New Title Earned: ‘Giant Hunter.’ This title upgra...
Gauss waited patiently for the two to finish “talking” before he spoke.
“Any intel?”
“Any intel! Any intel! A—ny…” Echo twisted its head toward Gauss and parroted the words back at him in a harsh caw.
The corner of Gauss’s mouth twitched; he fought the urge to rub his forehead.
This… wasn’t the first time.
He consoled himself: if Echo was ever going to truly grasp simple human phrases and manage basic back-and-forth, this kind of idioti...
The wind on the open plain, gritty with sleet and smelling of wild country, keened as it swept across the boundless waste.
Beneath that fine white mesh of snow, the distant edge of the Jade Forest arched like the spine of a crouching behemoth, casting a shadow that made the heart tighten.
A silent column was pushing toward the horizon.
Box wagons filled the convoy’s center. Out ahead on either side, a dozen free riders streaked like loosed arrows, bodies rising and fall...
Once everything was ready, Gauss and Alia waited in Grayrock Town for a few more days.
In those few days, the weather steadily turned colder.
At last, the notice they’d been waiting for arrived: the Adventurer’s Guild was calling everyone to assemble for the final muster.
On Grayrock’s main avenue—
The townspeople stayed off the street, leaving the cleared thoroughfare to the Winter Hunt column as it prepared to march out.
Residents crowded their win...
“It’s snowing—so sudden.”
Over breakfast, the two of them talked about the unexpected early snowfall.
“It usually doesn’t come this early, does it?”
“True,” Gauss nodded. In truth, he didn’t feel much about it. He had the original body’s memories, but they weren’t the same as lived experience. For Alia, who was often out on the road, the seasons left stronger marks.
“Feels like this year’s Winter Hunt will probably be moved up,” Alia w...
“That guy’s a Bronze adventurer!”
Marlin’s teammates all gasped, staring at him in disbelief.
Worked together at the smithy? That meant Gauss couldn’t have become an adventurer much earlier than Marlin himself.
“You must’ve seen wrong,” Marlin muttered, unable to believe it. He hadn’t been in the trade long, but he knew well enough what Bronze rank meant.
“No way we’re mistaken! Didn’t you see the green badge on his chest?”
Marlin...
Gauss had absolutely no doubt — in front of this man, he wouldn’t last more than a few breaths. He might not even have the chance to draw a teleportation scroll, let alone channel magic to activate it.
And as for what level this man might be… Gauss couldn’t even begin to guess.
After the Guildmaster’s brief opening remarks, Shirley and the guild secretary took over, going through the Winter Hunt details point-by-point and answering questions.
By the time they we...
Gauss, Alia, and the grey wolf Ulfen walked across the bleak, windswept wilderness.
There were far fewer travelers and wagons on the road than there had been days ago, and the chill in the air was sharpening.
Both of them were in good physical condition—especially Gauss. Though he lacked a warrior’s class bonuses and heavy combat techniques, his base attributes weren’t necessarily inferior to some Level 1 fighters. He hadn’t been sick in a long time, and his resistance t...
[To Gauss:]
Hearing that you’ve advanced to Bronze Adventurer, all of us in Night Owl are genuinely happy for you.
It’s no surprise… but it still happened faster than we expected.
Laevin and Doyle were in disbelief when they heard. That night at the tavern, they both drank a few extra rounds. Everyone’s happy for you.
This path is never easy for any adventurer—congratulations.
We believe Bronze rank is just the beginning for you. In the future, you...
“You’ve really worked hard today.”
Before they knew it, evening had fallen.
Gauss and Alia had been running around all day, and only now were all their errands finally done.
They’d met with the broker, discussed terms, finalized details, and placed an order at the food workshop.
The jerky they commissioned—made from the Rustfrog meat—would take a full week to finish, even on a rush order. Normally, it would have taken much longer.
Once processed,...
“It’s getting a bit chilly.”
Gauss exhaled, white mist forming in the air as he lifted his eyes from the book in his hands.
He remembered that autumn always seemed to arrive suddenly—but this year, it felt colder than usual.
“I’ll need to buy some warmer clothes.”
All of Gauss’s current clothes were for summer. The only winter gear he had left was something from the previous owner of his body—stuffed in his travel bag back at the inn.
It no...
Night deepened.
The chill of autumn crept in quietly through the window cracks, the air crisp and clear like spring water. The world outside had fallen into an unusually serene silence.
Aside from the occasional distant barking of dogs and the soft, rhythmic chirping of autumn insects in the grass, there were no other sounds. Everyone else had long since drifted into sleep.
That’s exactly why Gauss chose to study at night.
At this hour, he could truly settle his ...
[Next Milestone: 1,000 Total Monster Kills.]
Gauss's mind buzzed as if it were running on overdrive.
It felt like rusty gears had just been oiled, like an out-of-tune string was finally being tuned—his thoughts and mental flow were becoming smoother and more precise.
It was as if his consciousness had been lifted from his body by a gentle yet immense force. Detached from the constraints of the flesh, he hovered like a calm observer—watching his own mental and magical ...
The heavy wooden lid was lifted.
A wave of rich, steaming aroma rushed out to greet them.
Through the swirling mist rising from the pot, Gauss stared into the thick, amber-colored broth—chunks of tender white frog meat floated within, framed by golden potatoes and orange carrots.
Amid the rising steam, the stew gave off a warm, hearty scent that was oddly comforting.
"Phew—" Gauss picked up a wooden spoon and swallowed audibly. "Looks really good."
He la...
Gauss and Alia exchanged a glance, but neither of them seemed to notice the strange look in her eyes.
Their attention was already locked on the massive frog corpse in front of them.
“It’s been a while since lunch anyway,” Gauss nodded to himself. “Can’t let a rare edible monster like this go to waste—would be a shame not to make use of it.”
Alia instinctively took a deep breath and looked down at the giant frog at her feet.
Even though it was very muc...
After grabbing a simple lunch in a nearby village, the duo and their wolf companion set out toward the known habitat of the Rustfrogs.
“I haven’t run into Rustfrogs before,” Alia said, flipping through the monster manual as they walked. Her tone was curious. “According to this, their spit can corrode metal.”
“No wonder the bounty’s 1 silver and 30 copper per kill,” Gauss replied. “Most warriors probably avoid this kind of quest.”
That was a pretty high...
Gauss and Alia spent a few days resting in Grayrock Town.
The nightmares never returned.
Bit by bit, Gauss’s mind and body returned to peak condition.
“Alright, thanks to you and Ulfen again.” Gauss lowered his staff, finishing another round of coordinated spell training.
“No worries. We had free time anyway, and this guy needed to stretch his legs. If I kept him cooped up any longer, he’d start tearing the house apart.” Alia chuckled as she scratched U...
The early morning sun spilled slantwise across the slightly worn but tidy counter of the inn. Sophia and Gauss were chatting idly when a shadow moved by the door, and a light-footed figure stepped inside.
“Welcome,” Sophia greeted out of habit.
But the newcomer’s gaze bypassed her entirely, landing directly on Gauss with a soft, familiar smile.
“Yo. Morning, Gauss.”
“Morning,” Gauss replied.
“This is my partner, Alia—the one I said I was wa...
Shirley, the red-haired warlock, stayed and chatted with them for a while longer—mostly about recent news in Grayrock Town and updates from the Adventurer’s Guild.
After a bit, she rose gracefully to leave, her fiery hair swaying behind her like living flames.
The door closed softly behind her, and with it, the pressure in the room seemed to dissipate.
Gauss and Alia let out a breath at the same time and shared a quiet smile.
“Didn’t expect to stumble into ...
Gauss could definitely feel it—something heavy was hanging over the whole town of Grayrock.
But what exactly… he couldn’t quite put into words.
Was it sadness? Not really.
Oppression? A little, but not overwhelming.
Maybe it was more like... a collective sense that the wheels of history had just turned, that something monumental had ended—and now people were left with unease, staring into an uncertain future.
Come to think of it, Gauss had fragments ...
“Could that have been... some kind of dark ritual?”
Alia finally broke the silence.
“Dark ritual? As in... involving an evil god?” Gauss followed up. Fragments of old knowledge floated to the surface of his mind—stories of evil deities, chaotic beings in opposition to the divine.
“Yeah,” Alia nodded gravely. “But the name that ratmen mentioned... I’ve never heard of it before.”
Gauss took note.
If even Alia didn’t recognize it, then his...