Gauss, who flew to the side to avoid the attack, swung the Magic Staff again.
Dozens of Missiles appeared in front of him, then locked onto the two orcs in the air and shot out simultaneously.
The two orcs in mid-air had no way to avoid them.
The rain of Missiles, as if with eyes, quickly landed on them amidst their terrified expressions.
"Boom!"
The impact released by the numerous Magic Missiles sent them crashing into the muddy ground faster than they came.
"True Illusions!"
As they crashed to the ground, Gauss quickly released two Illusion Techniques.
The moment the Illusion Techniques appeared, the two orcs, still dazed from the fall, immediately felt their surroundings change.
"Puff!"
Looking down, they saw their hearts pierced by a long spear, and their supposed strong bodies couldn’t dodge as the spears pinned them to the ground.
It hurts so much!
"Puff!"
The attack wasn’t over. The second and third attacks followed, increasingly piercing into them, turning them into pin cushions from the intense pain.
"..."
After releasing the Illusion Techniques, Gauss no longer looked at them.
There were enemies capable of breaking free from his Illusions, but the two orcs before him likely couldn’t.
"Now it’s your turn."
He shifted his focus to the other orcs.
The Fireball Technique moments ago had killed at least three hundred orcs instantly, but the other orcs outside the attack range had started to recover. Some strong Warriors were drawing bows, attempting to attack the invader of their home, while orc mothers, clutching their young, fled quickly toward the perimeter.
Yet they were unaware that even if they escaped outside, they couldn’t escape doom.
In the distance, other members of the Red Dragon Team began their assault.
Hephaestus also joined them in slaying the outer orcs.
Gauss cast a spell to freeze the nearby marshlands, trapping many orcs in the frozen swamp, unable to move.
Then a Dagger Cloud slowly advanced. The Cloud of Daggers wasn’t particularly fast, but the orcs frozen below lost their mobility, turning into pulp in an instant.
No matter how strong the male orcs appeared, nor the relatively weak female orcs, and even the powerless young ones, their only fate before magic was death.
Gauss spared no orc visible in his sight.
Just as they would not spare the humans who had once become their nest’s slaves.
Whether they were "cowards" desperately trying to flee for their lives, or the "orc heroes" launching suicide charges to buy time for their kin, none lasted a blink in Gauss’s attack range.
This place that was once their safest home now bristled with danger.
Whether the ice pillars freezing orcs, the water bodies that killed with abandon as if alive, or the assassins swiftly moving through the thin mist, all could take an orc’s life in an instant.
In this process, Gauss’s orc title underwent a triple jump.
From Beastman Hunter to Beastman Slayer, and then to Beastman Massacrer.
His purple-quality Racial Talent, Demonic Hour, also slowly absorbed power from the monster corpses.
After a long while, until no more moving orcs could be seen in his view, Gauss slowly lowered his Magic Staff.
"Magic Missile Proficiency +4"
"Gauss Force Field Proficiency +3"
"Flaming Arrow Proficiency +6"
"Fireball Technique Proficiency +5"
"Water Manipulation Proficiency +7"
"Dagger Cloud Proficiency +5"
"...."
A succession of skill proficiency notifications popped up.
This was the reason Gauss frequently performed extensive magic usage while raiding monster nests.
He discovered that under the Demonic Hour’s talent effect, any Spell used would increase proficiency.
Of course, he also tried using a single Spell to see if he could gain more proficiency experience, but upon finding it didn’t yield much more, he adjusted to a more varied practice strategy.
He glanced at the proficiency level of Gauss Force Field, which, having gained 3 points, had now reached lv5 (165/200), edging closer to leveling up.
Besides gaining existing skill proficiency, Gauss also acquired a new skill through Demonic Hour from the orc bodies.
"Blood Fury."
Activating this skill accelerates blood flow, causing muscles to enter a blood-reinforced enhanced state, boosting physical strength and recovery ability.
For a Warrior, it would be a decent skill.
Using a Biological Positioning Skill once, confirming no living Marsh Beastman within a few hundred meters, Gauss slowly descended.
At that moment, the marshland, unsuitable for sojourning, had transformed into another scene.
Parts were frozen into solid ice, not yet thawed, while others were dried out, becoming patches of arid ground, two seemingly contrasting climate landscapes presently coexisting.
Gauss took a glance into the distance.
"Beastman Slain: Marsh Beastman x1"
"...."
The Monster Atlas continued to pop up kill notifications, the result of his team’s efforts.
However, the speed visibly slowed compared to before, and the sounds of battle gradually quieted, indicating the fight was reaching its end.
He chose not to act further, instead drinking a few mana potions, silently restoring the consumed Magic Power within.
"Total Monster Kills: 35,321"
Finally, the total kill count on the Monster Atlas halted at this number.
This meant the Marsh Beastmen nest, along with those killed at dusk yesterday, collectively contributed 2,300 kills to his tally.
"Not bad."
Gauss thought silently to himself.
Besides the first encountered Kobold nest, where the leader Kobold Caster held divine material, creating some variance in the clearing process, neither the later goblin nest nor the now-destroyed Marsh Beastmen nest presented unanticipated issues.
That was normal. The Kobold incident was exceptional.
If every monster nest leader, like the Kobold incident, had hidden tricks, the Adventurer casualty rate would significantly increase.
He surveyed the surroundings.
The destruction of the Marsh Beastmen nest also signified successful completion of his three accepted quests during this journey.
This trip had been abundant in rewards.
Not only did he concurrently fulfill a blacksmith Gron’s quest but also helped Luna slay the traitors, taking in part of Gray Wolf’s Fang Adventurer Group’s members, significantly expanding the team’s strength.
As for himself, he clearly felt he had acquired plenty of Professional experience, having just broken through to Level 7 a few days prior, and yet feeling his Magic Cup had become full again in his consciousness, akin to a Professional at Level 7 for several years.
So, it’s time to return.
The area surrounding Black Water Town had become demonic territory, requiring extra caution.
Even Gauss felt somewhat weary at heart now.
He began longing for the relatively leisurely atmosphere of towns, the comfort of bathhouses, the taste of tavern food...
The outdoors only brought wind and sun, along with constant vigilance for demon activity, and the Red Dragon team’s members were also mentally exhausted.
Under Gauss’s command, the Red Dragon team swiftly cleaned up the battlefield, collected the spoils, and started heading toward Black Water Town.
A week swiftly passed by.
Gauss, seeing the pristine high walls in the distance, finally felt at ease.
"We’re back, Farlim."
Indeed, he hadn’t returned to Gray Rock Town, but directly back to Farlim.
Most of the Red Dragon team’s members, whether veterans or the newly joined ones from Gray Wolf’s Fang, were locals of Farlim and surrounding small towns. Returning sooner meant reuniting with their families earlier.
Additionally, the Red Dragon team needed to submit their quests and handle the merger follow-up with Gray Wolf’s Fang, so Gauss directed the team straight back to Farlim.
"Captain Gauss, Luna, you’re back."
Luna’s confidants, two Master-level Professionals having received an advance notice of the Red Dragon team’s return, were waiting respectfully at the city gate.