Chapter 63: Poison Smoke
Noon, forest.
The cicadas chirped loudly, as a gentle breeze swept through the trees, stirring a whispering sound.
"It seems they’re all hiding in the caves for a nap,"
"Be careful, there might be goblin scouts." Gauss added.
Although it had been a while since encountering goblins, he hadn’t forgotten the first mission, where their presence was exposed due to a goblin lurking outside.
His gaze wandered around the area.
Eventually, he locked onto a cave in the distance, which didn’t appear very tall.
Having gone through so many commissioned tasks, Gauss had gained some basic understanding of low-level creatures and their ecology, and was not as clueless as when he first arrived in this world.
Generally speaking, creatures like goblins, unless occupying natural caves, wouldn’t dig tall caves themselves.
The specific height of a cave is determined by the average height of the majority of the tribe members.
What’s the point for a group of short creatures to dig a tall cave—perhaps for humans to conveniently enter and hunt them?
Obviously not.
Therefore, most goblin lairs range from a little over 1 meter to a maximum of 1.6 meters in height.
Unless there’s a special leader in the group or a mutated individual, the cave’s height would be higher.
Thus, the size and scale of a goblin lair can roughly indicate the strength of the goblin tribe.
Of course, this isn’t absolute, as some powerful goblins may still be unimpressive in size.
The goblin lair in the distance didn’t appear very tall.
Out of caution, the group didn’t approach the goblin cave.
Instead, they patiently waited from a distance for Medvedeva to return.
Medvedeva had already stealthily approached the lair to investigate, primarily to check for any scout-like individuals lurking around.
Outside the goblin lair, an empty clearing held a small pot.
Many small goblin lairs place their cooking utensils outside the cave.
At this moment, the clearing was empty, with no goblin in sight.
"Snap!"
Gauss casually slapped a mosquito lying on his neck to kill it, its buzzing a bother.
Though he’d been on many outdoor missions, he still couldn’t adapt to the ubiquitous mosquitoes and insects around.
Even after applying repellent, its effect was mediocre. He sighed inwardly.
He wondered if he’d bought counterfeit products, or if the cheap repellents in this world were inherently subpar, given these mosquitoes might be different from those of his past life, perhaps with stronger Life Force and resilience.
Actually, mosquitoes were manageable; the real concern was venomous snakes or small poisonous creatures.
Not long after.
Medvedeva returned quietly, shaking her head at everyone.
Indicating she found no hidden goblins around.
This further proved this group of goblins was relatively weak.
Though goblins have low Intelligence, they inherently possess lazy traits. Without a strong leader to assign tasks, they tend to lie in their caves during hot weather, waiting until later to venture out.
"The goblins are inside; I can hear their voices."
"How do we drive them out?"
"Let’s use the old smoke-out strategy."
"Medvedeva, did you find the hidden ventilation holes in this lair?"
"Found two,"
"Then let’s..."
Gauss watched his teammates calmly discussing the plan without interrupting.
Though he was confident in his abilities, he didn’t want to venture into the low cave to fight the goblins head-on.
Firstly, narrow caves hinder Magic Missile attacks. If the goblins’ digging skills were subpar, blasting could cause a cave-in, potentially burying everyone alive.
Secondly, it was difficult to move and turn; his agility and physical advantages couldn’t be showcased.
Lastly, the goblins held the geographical advantage, and their familiarity with their living environment allowed them to exert several times their fighting power within.
Everyone took out the commissioned supplies they brought.
Firewood, sulfur powder, pungent poisonous herbs...
These were standard supplies intended to drive creatures from their lairs when encountered.
Of course, the smoke-and-tear gas strategy wasn’t universally applicable; it required adapting to the circumstances.
On the previous Kobold commission, the method wasn’t used because the Kobold lair was too intricate and deep, rendering the strategy ineffective and potentially revealing their presence prematurely, alerting the Kobolds to prepare for battle.
After a brief discussion, everyone commenced their tasks.
Checking weapons, guarding ventilation holes, setting traps, preparing to light fires...
Wet firewood was chosen because high moisture content led to incomplete combustion, thus producing more smoke.
Once the firewood was adequately burning, sulfur powder, pungent poisonous herbs, and toxic concoctions from various monster innards harvested by Medvedeva were added.
Followed by continuous fanning into the cave.
With several layers of masks on, the group tirelessly sent the black smoke deeper into the cave.
Throughout the process, the goblin cave hardly stirred, apart from a bit of noise at the beginning, with not a single goblin emerging actively.
Goblin tribes possess subtle differences; some are combative, some sinister, some cautious, some cowardly...
This group seemed extremely cautious, preferring to keep the battle within their lair rather than venturing out to fight.
But their hopes were in vain; the stronger side always dominates.
Gauss silently watched from the sidelines.
As the team’s strongest asset, he didn’t need to handle chores.
This was both a privilege and a responsibility.
He needed to wield his Magic Wand, prepared for any goblins rushing out from within.
Observing the toxic smoke being steadily funneled into the cave, he couldn’t help but recall the method used to drive out rats from farms in his past life.
The only difference was this cave was larger, and the "pests" hiding inside were far more dangerous.
After about ten minutes of smoke input, the cave began to respond.
Faint coughing noises could be heard from within.
"Do these green-skinned imps have such endurance?" Doyle’s hand was sore from fanning.
"Let me take over." Levin patted his shoulder, replacing him in the task.
Goblins have tough Life Force and endurance exceeding most creatures, yet there is always a limit.
After enduring the smoke for a while longer, they could no longer bear it.
The first ugly green-skinned creature wobbled out from the depths of the cave, holding a wooden stick.
It was clear the smoke had nearly driven it senseless.
Rather than a combat departure, it was motivated by a desperate need for fresh air, forcing it to flee the cave.
"Whoosh!"
Upon exiting the cave, it wasn’t welcomed by sunlight or fresh, clear-air akin to spring water but greeted by a flash of cold, sharp steel.
Waiting on the cave’s side, Gauss lunged with his Rapier.
With a flash of cold light, the icy Rapier pierced its throat.
"Uh..."
Gauss retracted his sword.
The goblin clutched its throat, letting out a hoarse, wheezing sound before staggering several steps and falling at the cave’s entrance.
"Goblin slain *1"
"Total monster kills: 60"
Another goblin departed from this world.
Unlike earlier goblin kills, Gauss intuitively felt a surge of warmth flowing through him.
Sensing, in some mysterious way, his Racial Talent [Rapid Digestion] subtly enhanced.
Though this enhancement was minor, consistent accumulation would eventually amount to growth.
Feeling stronger, Gauss gazed deeper into the cave with renewed focus.
Now, goblins in his eyes were no longer merely loathsome green-skinned imps but walking experience bundles.
He wondered what new effects [Rapid Digestion] might possess after advancing from the Initial Level to the next tier?
Currently, it facilitated rapid digestion of food, restoring physical capabilities and Magic Power.
Upon further enhancement, this effect might improve, possibly extracting more nutrients from the same food, or enabling consumption of varied materials?
Though he had just begun "leveling up," Gauss looked forward to the potential effects of further advancements.