"Really? I don’t seem to feel any different." Gauss smacked his lips in surprise.
He pondered for a moment, indeed, there was no unusual feeling.
It’s worth noting that he ate far more than Aaliyah.
Aaliyah contemplated for a moment.
She was very sure her feeling was right, but Gauss’s reaction was definitely not faked.
It could only mean... the same food, Gauss’s tolerance is far stronger than hers?
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but marvel, Gauss, when it comes to eating, doesn’t resemble a normal human.
It seems as if under his skin, there’s already a demon-like digestive system?
With Aaliyah’s reminder, Gauss’s heart tightened, he hurriedly took out the "Jade Forest Surrounding Ingredients Guide" to flip through, and in an unnoticeable corner at the end of the page, he indeed found a line of easily overlooked small-text annotation.
Warning: Though the leg muscles of Rust Frogs are edible parts, their texture still possesses weak neuroparalytic properties to normal humans. Manifested as a brief oral numbness, generally harmless, dissipates approximately one hour later. Suggestion: Be cautious with large consumption!
After reading the passage, Gauss let out a sigh of relief. As long as it’s harmless to the body!
But soon, a wave of awkwardness welled up inside him.
What do they mean by ’normal humans.’
He is a normal human too, why didn’t he show any abnormality... uh, wait, he indeed might not quite count as normal.
Thinking of the "Energy Storage Glands," this talent has likely long transformed his digestive and absorption organs far beyond the range of ordinary humans.
...
After a hearty meal and a rest, the two, along with the wolf, embarked again on the path to the habitat of the Rust Frogs.
Soon, by a quiet small lake reflecting the shadows of trees, Gauss locked onto the task target.
On a patch of damp ground, the group of Rust Frogs documented in the commission was resting.
He lowered his body, looking from afar, silently counting the numbers.
Fifty-two!
"Just as we planned..." Gauss whispered, his gaze turning toward Aaliyah.
"Got it!" Aaliyah understood.
The two quickly exchanged ideas.
On the way here, Gauss had already detailed his tactics.
Ulfen circled at the edge of the battlefield, intercepting escapee frogs that might flee.
Its speed is very fast.
It’s perfect for this job, and it can also prevent competing with Gauss for crucial kills on the front battlefield.
Gauss needs to ensure at least forty-two kills to push the cumulative number of monsters to five hundred.
Although typically, based on his efficiency, there shouldn’t be a major issue.
But to be safe, he still deployed Ulfen out.
Normally it wouldn’t matter, but at this critical moment of reaching the count, details need to be taken care of.
If it misses by just a few, in the wilderness, temporarily finding small monsters to kill isn’t always guaranteed.
At that time, missing the final push would feel frustrating.
Fifty-two Rust Frogs, for two Level One Professionals, especially with Gauss being a notably "overpowered" Caster, wouldn’t pose a challenging threat.
"Ulfen, take care!" Aaliyah gently patted the thick neck of the giant wolf.
Ulfen let out a low whimper, understanding the command.
Its agile silhouette stealthily blended into the shadows like a ghost, silently creeping to the outer side where Gauss was, ready to intercept any escapees due to Gauss’s attack.
Gauss, on the other hand, took out the bone-white Bone Staff.
Holding his breath and focusing, his eagle-like gaze locked onto a Rust Frog basking lazily in the sun on the grass.
He patiently waited for a moment, confirming it was without alertness.
Suddenly, he unleashed his magic.
"Flaming Arrow!"
He muttered inwardly, the bone staff’s tip instantly condensing a dazzling crimson point, compressing and stretching.
A slender, scorching fire arrow, at the moment when most Rust Frogs hadn’t reacted, accurately pierced through the skull of the plump Rust Frog.
The high temperature of the flames instantly incinerated its fragile brain.
The giant frog didn’t even have time to let out a single cry, just twitched its limbs reflexively a few times, and then fell completely limp on the ground, life extinguished.
The whole process was as silent as a perfect assassination.
"Rust Frog Killed *1"
The panel’s prompt quietly appeared.
As for the frog group, it remained a tranquil scene, completely unaware that their companion at the outer edge had silently perished.
"Not bad!"
Gauss nodded.
Indeed, not using Magic Missile was the right choice.
The destruction of Magic Missile is too great, it would blow the Rust Frogs apart, instantly alarming the entire group.
Instead, the Flaming Arrow, though it seemed fiercely fiery and strikingly noticeable, made quieter movements than the Missile.
After all, Rust Frogs don’t have particularly keen eyesight; when spread out, they might not notice the fallen ones on the outer edge.
Moreover, there’s another reason.
Earlier, when he collected the Rust Frog thighs, the three initially exploded by Magic Missile had many of their thighs blown away, the collected food was far less than the targets killed with smaller-caliber Flaming Arrow.
"Take it slow, no rush."
Gauss continued to patiently lurk, observe, aim...
When he noticed another target far from the group.
The next moment, the Flaming Arrow replicated the previous attack.
It pierced straight into the body of the Rust Frog from the top of the skull.
Another one!
Following this, Gauss kept conducting sneak attacks.
The number of Rust Frogs killed continued to accumulate.