After Gauss killed the last two goblins that met the conditions, he made a couple of giant leaps and quickly pulled away from the goblins.
He drew his Magic Wand, then nimbly crossed the wall and jumped out of the goblin village, using the cover of the short wall as a simple defense structure to temporarily disappear from the goblins’ sight.
The goblins, who had been mustering the courage to shout and kill in the square, were left standing in confusion, staring blankly at the suddenly "fleeing" enemy and helplessly looking towards the leader of the team, the Red Hat Goblin.
The Red Hat was also puzzled at the moment.
As a rare high-intelligence individual among non-elite goblins.
It could sense that the enemy meant harm, killing a dozen of its clan’s skilled members in an extremely short time.
Especially those archers, who were elite talents of the clan, and now they were all dead.
Although its heart was still filled with resentment, it felt more fear and unease facing an unknown, powerful enemy, so it did not command the clan members, whose legs were already weak, to chase after the enemy.
Perhaps in its heart, when comparing continuing the battle with that powerful human male to him killing more than a dozen fellow goblins and walking away, it hoped more for the latter to happen.
Gauss, temporarily leaving the goblin village, looked at the Adventurer’s Handbook.
"Total monster kills have reached 200."
"Reward: Strength +1"
"Reward: Sub-Core Skill Slot *1"
"Next stage: Accumulate a total monster kill count of 500."
The text briefly flashed before his eyes.
A familiar rush of warmth flowed through Gauss’s body.
He knew it was the effect of the Strength +1, as it wasn’t the first time he had experienced this sensation of strength enhancement.
However, to be honest, the experience was somewhat different.
Last time he increased from an average of 5 points to 6, and now he rose from 6 to 7, which was elevating to another level beyond what a normal person could achieve.
The warmth quickly surged through and integrated into every muscle of Gauss’s body.
He could feel his muscles slightly swell, a solid tension without any soreness.
Under the effect of the warmth, the muscle fibers became more tightly knit, like bowstrings full of vigor.
"Crack, crack!"
Soon, his bone joints started to emit a soft, crisp sound; the mysterious warmth entering the bones seemed to make them become solid and firm in a very short time.
After several breaths, Gauss exhaled a long breath.
Having temporarily absorbed the impact of the changes in his attributes, he stood straight.
"Crack, crack, crack!"
A series of clattering sounds rang from all the muscles and bones in his body.
He gripped his sword tightly.
Feeling a massive power surging within him, the whole world seemed to become lighter.
The most obvious change came from the sword in his hand, now feeling almost weightless.
This direct physical sensation made Gauss more keenly aware that an attribute level of 7 points was a completely different stage from 6 points.
If a normally average person, through intense and rigorous training, might barely achieve a 6-point attribute, reaching 7 points was nearly impossible without some extraordinary opportunity.
In terms of strength specifically, 5 points was a healthy human, 6 points a robust human, and 7 points could preliminarily be considered superhuman.
People with this level of strength, under equal unarmed conditions, could easily handle a dozen adult men, and if they mastered skillful techniques and weapons, their efficiency would further increase several times.
"Strength: 7"
Previously, when becoming a Magic Envoy, there was no Strength enhancement added, and this time the Adventurer’s Handbook compensated for that.
Gauss had now become, besides the 8 points in Intelligence, all attributes at 7 points.
This allowed Gauss to initially judge.
The leveling appraisals provided by the Adventurer’s Handbook from monster slays were not random but prioritized supplementing relatively weaker attributes, aiming to achieve a balanced state for All Attributes.
Understanding this, Gauss didn’t feel too discontented.
Compared to other Professionals, he was naturally far ahead.
Besides leveling up, like other Professionals, bringing attribute points, the Handbook would additionally supplement him by elevating weaker attributes, meaning, in the later stages, his total attribute points would differ even more from others.
The biggest benefit of being a "Hexagon Warrior" is having no weak points, even when facing a large number of enemies weaker than himself, it’s very difficult to turn the table on him.
This was also his main reason for remaining calm when confronting numerous goblins earlier; strong six-attribute foundations gave him complete confidence.
Apart from the increase in Strength, this time, the second reward was still something Gauss had never seen before, the Sub-Core Skill Slot.
Focusing his mind on it, Gauss quickly understood its effect.
It’s somewhat similar to his current core skill, Mage Armor.
A Sub-Core Skill Slot, as the name suggests, allows any skill he masters to be set as a secondary core skill.
Once made a sub-core skill, the skill also receives treatment similar to core skills, though the effect isn’t as pronounced, and the bonus isn’t as obvious.
The advantage is that this sub-core skill slot can be switched, and once successfully switched, it will undergo a cooldown recovery period.
Without much hesitation.
Gauss set his Magic Missile into the Sub-Core Skill Slot.
Upon setting it, he suddenly felt the model of Magic Missile in his mind morph somewhat.
The Sub-Core Skill Slot’s augmented effect seemed to temporarily optimize this spell for him in this state.
"It seems I can now fire a three-round burst? And the magic power required to cast it has further decreased."
Gauss raised an eyebrow, receiving this information through a mysterious feeling.
If before, without replenishment, his magic power could only unleash around twenty missiles in descending order, now this number could potentially rise to about thirty in one go.
Not bad, not bad.
Gauss is quite satisfied with the effect of this sub-core skill slot.
Don’t think it’s just a few more missiles, but magic power is something you can never have too much of. The magic power he saves from Magic Missile can be used for other spells.
He adapts simply to the changes in his body.
Gauss steps back into the goblin village.
He walks through the gate, looking at the still filthy and foul-smelling village.
Gauss meets again with the goblins about to collect the corpses of their fellow kin.
"Wow wow wow!!!"
The goblins utter frantic and urgent cries of alarm, their faces visibly tense.
The Red Hat goblin, having just left the group, leaps back into the goblin crowd.
At the same time, its fierce gaze toward Gauss is mixed with a hint of confusion.
It can’t quite understand the behavior pattern of this human before it.
It was just about to give a victory speech to the tribe, using the strange "victory" of the enemy’s retreat to further secure its prestige in the tribe. But before it could implement the plan, Gauss returned.
"Wow wow wow!"
Seeing the trembling tribe members, the Red Hat goblin shouts loudly again, using its strong prestige in the tribe to calm the anxious goblins.
Then, it issues the hunt command.
A group of goblins, caught in unease and panic, can only continue to follow its orders out of inertia.
"Magic Missile!"
Gauss grips the Unbreakable Staff.
Three blue flashes appear like stars in front of him, then suddenly brighten and shoot out in an extremely short time.
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"
Gauss casts the spell.
As a sub-core, the Magic Missile is now used with more ease.
So easily, it’s like breathing.
An indescribable fluidity swirls in Gauss’s mind.
Though it isn’t as instant as Armor, the speed isn’t slow, and the slight preparation time actually adds engagement, making the act of casting spells feel enjoyable in itself.
The three goblins in the front row, locked onto and hit directly by the downgraded yet still powerful Magic Missile, are blasted like rags, dead in mid-air, their bodies shattered as they hit the ground.
The goblins behind them were also knocked and injured.
Unfortunately, the goblins weren’t standing too close together, otherwise, the Magic Missile’s attack could have taken out more of them.
"Goblins killed: 3"
"Total monsters killed: 203"
It’s enough, though.
Another use of magic is intimidation.
Especially for these low-intelligence goblins.
Gauss can already sense the spreading confusion and unease among the dozens of goblins in the distance.
He looks at that hidden streak of red in the crowd.
He really wants to know, can its leadership truly surpass the magic in his hands?
As if hearing Gauss’s thoughts, or perhaps sensing the retreating intention of the tribe, the Red Hat goblin once again lets out a shrill shout, and with the taller four goblins beside it, forces the goblins behind to continue forward.
So the briefly paused goblin group charges once more.
After pausing for a moment, Gauss, expressionless, continues to cast magic.
"Magic Missile!"
Three flashes form a triangular formation in front of him.
The goblins, urged into action by the Red Hat, see the blue light representing death and slow their steps again.
Especially the goblins at the very front, as amber liquid quietly runs down their legs, they’re scared into urination.
"Whoosh!"
However, magic is merciless.
It does not pause its release because of sensing the goblins’ collapsing emotions.
"Boom!"
This time the commotion seems larger than before.
"Goblins killed: 3"
"Total monsters killed: 206"
The goblin flesh, as fragile as rotting tofu, is shattered upon contact with the Missile.
Soggy, sticky chunks of flesh and filth splatter everywhere, soaking the goblins within several meters around from top to bottom.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
Seven or eight goblins, already weakened and exhausted from diarrhea-inducing laxatives, are frightened by the sudden, shocking explosion of their companions, their "spiritual resolve shattered," causing their legs to give way and fall to the ground with a thud.
To an enemy that seems utterly unbeatable.
A part of the goblins had already begun losing their will to fight.
Why must they face an enemy they can’t possibly defeat?