Gauss stood frozen in place for a long time, exhaling a long breath. He quietly felt the tremendous changes on both a mental and physical level. First, the entire world seemed polished, becoming clearer and more transparent. He could see the veins of leaves far away, the sunlight refracted through dewdrops, the drifting dust particles in the air—all visible in exquisite detail. This was not related to perception itself. Instead, it was that his thought processes and brain's ability to handle information had been elevated to a new level. In simple terms, his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears—the "hardware" organs—remained at the same level, but the software system had been upgraded and optimized. At this moment, when he looked again at the 2nd circle spell model [Shaping Magic: Clay King] in the center of his consciousness sea, what once seemed complex and even somewhat obscure was now clearly presented, becoming smoother and clearer. He was confident that if he relearned this 2nd circle spell, he could save a lot of time. He closed his eyes, letting his mental power slowly overflow with his thoughts. Leaving his body, it touched the real world. At that moment, he suddenly "saw"! Even with his eyes closed, he could see the entire 360-degree surrounding field of vision, as if from a god’s perspective. This feeling was incredibly strange, as if he possessed a pair of "eyes" on the consciousness level—no longer relying on vision collected through light reflection but a form of "spiritual sight" based purely on mental power perception. However, after observing briefly, Gauss felt a significant consumption of mental power. He slowly opened his eyes; the invisible mental power surrounding him instantly withdrew like a receding tide back into his body. Returning to his body, his spirit stabilized again. It seemed that, for now, an intelligence attribute of 12 points was insufficient to support mental power detaching from the body for a long time. The outside environment was still too dangerous for the "fragile" mental power separated from the body. He had to continuously output and control mental power intensely to maintain its stable state while resisting the environment's "opposition." But if his intelligence attribute improved further, this awkward situation would likely improve a lot. Gauss even imagined that if this attribute continued to rise, purely relying on mental power itself might allow him to interfere with reality without mobilizing mana or other magic. Besides changes in thought and spirit, the physical transformation was also slowly completing. An unprecedented sense of fullness surged through every part of his body; muscle fibers were rewoven. If Gauss looked inward now, he would see that his muscle fiber lines were organized more orderly and became tougher and stronger, like neatly arranged assembly lines full of rhythmic beauty. His entire body felt like the most precise machine or an exquisite, natural, miraculous creation. His heartbeat was steady and powerful, continuously pumping vibrant blood. His lung capacity and resilience also improved, allowing each breath to intake and store more air, and his body's oxygen-carrying and utilization abilities greatly enhanced. His breathing and heartbeat were not alarmingly fast. One breath might even allow him to stay underwater for a long time. Gauss sensed the body’s changes. Although his physique hadn’t changed much, the internal transformations were significant. Even without mana, returning to his previous life, this body alone would already qualify as superhuman. Gauss looked again at the Adventurer’s Manual. Just now, after the title upgraded from [Goblin Killer] to [Goblin Slayer], other information popped up. Gauss looked carefully and found it was the upgrade of the title’s effects. Current Effect 1: Bane. In battles against goblins and related advanced species, damage dealt is increased by 30% (including a special critical hit effect, granting a chance to trigger critical hits). Effect 2: Bloodthirsty. Killing goblins and related advanced species has a chance to restore 2% stamina. After checking, Gauss showed a satisfied expression. The title upgrade first brought the important upgrade of effect 1, with additional attack damage rising from the original 20% to 30%. This increase was quite significant because this damage multiplier specifically against the goblin race could amplify all other buffs. For example, the White Wand’s enhancement of spells, the secondary core spell slot’s amplification, spell mastery effects, and any future buffs—all would benefit this portion when facing goblins. So although the increase looked like a mere 10%, it was far from insignificant. As for the second change, a new effect [Bloodthirsty] was added. It was also tailored to goblins and matched him very well—when killing goblins, there was a chance to replenish 2% stamina. However, Gauss considered it carefully. He felt the Bloodthirsty effect might not be obvious in the short term, but he did not underestimate it. He was not a shortsighted person. 2% might seem small for now, but imagine when his title advanced further—in line with the experience from effect 1 [Bane], effect 2 [Bloodthirsty] would likely also improve. Moreover, by then his physical attributes would be stronger. Once the base values rose, even a small percentage would yield a large amount of restored stamina. When surrounded by many goblins, he might even replenish stamina by killing goblins. At that time, ordinary goblins would simply be walking stamina banks to him. And this talent was not only useful for bullying weaklings; one must understand that goblins were often the vassal race recruited by many elite monsters. Even when he later fought elite monsters, if he could improve the title’s effects, he could continuously draw stamina in battle through Bloodthirsty, achieving the goal of wearing down elite monsters through prolonged combat. Although the title’s effects focused on goblins, the application scenarios would not be limited to goblins alone. Thinking of this, Gauss couldn’t help but feel his heart rate quicken. The goblins’ role was still increasing. His hands itched a little. Unfortunately, the goblins in the cave had already been completely exterminated. There probably wouldn’t be any trace of those green-skinned little devils nearby for a while. "Gauss... are you okay?" This time Gauss pondered a little longer. So much so that Aria beside him noticed his daze. Aria and Serlandul’s gazes fixed on Gauss, vaguely sensing some change in his aura. For a moment, they even felt Gauss’s presence had risen to a terrifying degree, making them have the illusion that he was the center of the world. "I'm fine, very well." Gauss barely suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth and pursed his lips. "That's good. If anything unusual or uncomfortable happens, tell us anytime." Aria said without pressing further. Even teammates maintained some boundaries. Having teamed up with Gauss for so long, even the slow-witted Aria could vaguely sense something special about him but usually didn’t pry. Just like when Gauss asked about her hometown, and she gave vague answers without him pressing further. It was a tacit understanding between them. However, Aria was somewhat surprised that Serlandul, who had just joined the team not long ago, did not say a word about Gauss’s abnormality. Normally, anyone would be curious after sensing the ethereal and noble aura Gauss briefly emitted. Did he have no curiosity at all? At this moment, Serlandul quietly suppressed the expression of "just as expected" on his face. He had actually noticed Gauss’s transformation even earlier than Aria. And this discovery confirmed a guess he had on his way here. Now, he was even more convinced of his speculation. That moment just now was undoubtedly the best proof of divine favor—absolutely no doubt! The entire team silently let the matter of transformation pass in mutual understanding. "Gauss, don’t worry. I asked Eck to check around, and not a single green-skinned devil escaped." "Thanks for your hard work." Gauss looked at the pile of goblin left ears continuously carried out from the cave by the clay spiders. Without realizing it, a small pile of goblin left ears had formed on the ground. He quickly scanned and lightly tapped the count. It matched the kill count on the panel just now—44. After having the clay spiders carpet patrol inside the cave again to ensure no misses, Gauss finally stored the clay spiders away. "2nd circle spell [Shaping Magic: Clay King] 1v3 (0/50)" The proficiency level of clay magic also just rose to level 3. There was much work to do next. "Rest assured, it has been completely cleaned out." Gauss looked at the young villager still gazing into the depths of the cave, sensing his unease, and reassured him. "This is also my hometown, I wouldn’t be careless." The young villager had been stunned in shock but hearing Gauss’s words, he was about to explain when Gauss’s last sentence made him show surprise. "You’re from around here too?" He felt a bit hopeful—could he be from their Linjian Village? If they were from the same village, maybe they could establish some connection. However, he didn’t seem to have heard of any powerful adventurer from the village before. "Yes." Gauss nodded first, then shook his head. "But I’m from Shixi Village." "...Oh, Shixi Village, I know." The villager felt a bit disappointed—it turned out to be a big figure from a nearby village. He thought to himself, what a pity. After the group left the woods, the villager bade farewell and rode his short-legged horse toward the village, preparing to deliver the good news that the goblins had been wiped out, so people wouldn’t need to be so cautious for a while. Gauss and the others also hurried back to Shixi Village. At the Horst family home. The family had just finished eating and sent off villagers who came to inquire about the news. Now, they finally had time to sit together inside. Gauss’s sudden return left them a bit stunned. Even usually diligent Hawk had no intention of fetching water from the fields. The only one free of worries was the youngest, Hawk’s one-year-old child, and Xisero lying on the grass mat stretching lazily. Xisero had none of the adults’ complicated thoughts. She rolled twice on the slightly prickly grass mat, feeling today was the best day in her life. Not only had her missing second brother returned, but he also brought a lot of meat she loved to eat. She had never eaten such fragrant, delicious meat before. Eating it felt like the meat was dancing on her tongue. Although she was almost full, recalling that wonderful taste made her lick her lips. If only she could eat such food every day. Of course, even at not yet nine years old, she knew such thoughts were unrealistic fantasies. Swallowing her saliva, she just wanted to firmly remember the taste of that meat at this moment. After Gauss left, his guilty expression deepened. Holding the little boy in his arms, "He suffered hardship, but fortunately, he also worked hard and made a good future for himself." "Hawk, now Gauss has ability, you see..." Merlyn cautiously spoke up. She actually wanted to say the family had some recent difficulties. Especially as Horst’s leg problems worsened, preventing him from hunting in the mountains, the family’s food relied on Hawk farming and occasional trap catches. Of course, she and mother Rosa also did handicrafts to earn some money, but it was only enough for meals, far from comfortable. Otherwise, today’s meal wouldn’t have been so indulgent with outsiders like Aria present. "No, I can’t bear to lose face." Hawk abruptly interrupted Merlyn. "When the little brother left home alone, we couldn’t support him at all." "Now he’s made it through his own efforts. How could we dare ask him for help?" Hawk said gloomily. "It’s already enough that he remembers to come back to see us." "Don’t say nonsense in front of him, or I’ll get angry." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝙣𝙚𝙩 "...Alright." Merlyn sighed inwardly at her stubborn husband and stopped talking. She knew Hawk was such a person—honest and straightforward, always methodical. Even though Horst patiently taught him hunting skills, his level never improved much because hunting required adaptability and quick thinking. He lacked that trait. While the family reacted differently, suddenly footsteps sounded outside the yard. "More villagers coming?" Just as they were about to get up to greet them, a familiar figure appeared at the door. "Little brother, why are you back so soon?" Seeing Gauss in his black robe, Hawk asked in surprise. Not much time had passed, and the goblin gathering place was quite far from here. This was why Shixi Village was relatively less tense—they were farther away, and even if goblins attacked collectively, they’d likely target nearer villages first. To him, Gauss clearly hadn’t been gone long. "The task is done." Gauss shook the bag in his hand, filled with goblin left ears. "So fast?" Although he knew Gauss’s strength had grown, this speed still surprised Hawk. Gauss’s relaxed posture made killing dozens of goblins look as easy as breathing. Hawk’s eyes swept over Gauss’s clothes and found no trace of blood. If this stranger were not his own brother, he would have thought the adventurer was lying. "Brother, can I see?" Xisero jumped down from the grass bed and came to Gauss. "Here you go, be careful not to get scared. These are goblin ears." Gauss saw the little one’s curious gaze, thought for a moment, and handed over the bag. It was good for the little sister to have some exposure to monster-related things. Xisero opened the bag and was first startled by the bloody ears inside. Her face turned pale. But after a brief scare, she quickly recovered. Patting her chest, she looked at the ears again. "Really... really ears, so many green ears." Several adults looked over and saw a dense pile of ears. A rough count showed dozens. They wondered how Gauss and his two teammates managed to kill so many goblins without a single speck of dirt on them. This made them realize that Gauss had reached a height they could not comprehend. "Brother, is this for eating?" Xisero asked absentmindedly. Gauss almost couldn’t hold back a laugh. Goodness, should he say the kid had remarkable mental toughness or lacked knowledge in this area? "Of course not. This is a quest item. Goblin meat is poisonous and cannot be eaten." "Oh... that’s good." Xisero sighed in relief. Meanwhile, Aria, quietly observing, wiped an imaginary sweat from her forehead. Could the preference for eating monsters also be inherited through blood relations? What normal child would think of those bloody green-skinned devils’ ears as food—especially at the first time seeing those organs? It was truly worthy of being Gauss’s little sister, showing extraordinary courage at such a young age. "Gauss, how long do you plan to stay this time?" Mother Rosa looked at Gauss with anticipation. Gauss thought for a moment. This trip to Shixi Village was originally for visiting family and rest. He was not in a hurry to finish the commission and leave immediately; he needed to see how things were at home. Besides, after that recent battle, he had another reason to stay a while longer. After adding three attribute points, especially intelligence rising from 11 to 12, and his 2nd circle clay magic spell leveling up to Lv3, his manifested mana cup of professional rank had entered a full state again. The breakthrough bottleneck seemed ready to burst any moment, probably within two or three days. Therefore, at this special point, he didn’t intend to rush. He planned to break through level 3 in Shixi Village before leaving and then make other plans. "Probably two or three days?" Gauss answered straightforwardly. On the way back, he and Aria had discussed this, and neither objected. They understood very well; after almost two years away from home, it was only natural to stay a few extra days on the rare trip home. "Good, stay longer, let me see you more." Rosa smiled. She had worried that Gauss would leave soon after accepting commissions, but although the stay was not long, it gave her time to see her youngest son more. Gauss asked Serlandul to help look at old Horst’s leg problem. Horst’s right ankle issue had lasted many years, causing him to limp and suffer stabbing pain on rainy days. Priests had previously helped, but either due to poor skill or chronic condition, it was never cured. Now, Horst and his family had no real hope for healing. Hearing Gauss ask his half-snake teammate to diagnose sparked some hope. Although they still harbored slight worries about Serlandul, his snake race identity strangely gave them a peculiar confidence. "Alright, captain. I’ll take a look at Uncle Horst." The always silent Serlandul spoke, and the family realized beneath his cold snake-like exterior, he was not as hard to get along with; he was gentle in words and actions. Under the family’s expectant gaze, Serlandul glided to Horst. After Horst sat down in the chair, Serlandul bent down and lightly placed his fingers on Horst’s ankle. Sweat beaded on Horst’s forehead. Not because of pain from touch, but the overwhelming wild aura made his body instinctively stiffen. That was human fear derived from the bloodline of powerful alien beings. Serlandul seemed unaware, his hands radiating green energy full of vitality. The energy slowly flowed into Horst’s body, loosening the old man’s tension; his eyelids drooped slightly. The moment the ankle touched that miraculous energy, Horst felt the pain vanish suddenly. That warm, comfortable heat was beyond imagination; if not for the children nearby, he might have hummed softly. Suddenly, Serlandul’s fingers left Horst’s ankle, and his face showed brief thought. "How is the diagnosis?" Gauss knew the family was concerned but didn’t want to ask out of unfamiliarity, so he spoke first. "It can be treated." Serlandul said decisively. Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and excitement. "Uncle’s old fracture didn’t reset perfectly; after healing, the joint surface was uneven, causing deformity over time. Ligament damage also caused instability, persistent pain, and some chronic inflammation..." He explained Horst’s condition patiently. "Thank you, Ser... Serlandul, you’re much better than those charlatan priests." Horst expressed gratitude. Serlandul shook his head humbly. "I’m just doing what I should. But I guess that priest was either a mere apprentice or specialized in limited skills—only able to handle bleeding or acute injuries, not chronic structural problems." Gauss knew his family probably didn’t understand these details. But knowing it could be cured eased his mind. "Then I’ll leave it to you, Serlandul." He looked at his partner. "Don’t worry, captain. I will do my best." Serlandul smiled. Everyone shivered slightly. However, with Horst’s good news, Gauss’s family’s impression of Serlandul improved greatly. After all, no one in the countryside dares offend a healer. Of course, they knew Serlandul was so agreeable only because of Gauss’s face. Serlandul wasted no time and began treating Horst immediately. After about ten minutes, Serlandul withdrew his hands, and Horst was able to walk steadily. He looked fully recovered. But Serlandul said there was still a stubborn root cause in the ankle requiring herbal treatment, and after lacking several herbs, he left alone toward the woods. "Gauss, do you want to follow just in case you encounter any wild beasts?" Horst looked after Serlandul’s fading figure, still uneasy. "..." Gauss was silent for a moment. "Don’t worry, Serlandul is strong." He wasn’t lying. Although Serlandul was a priest, his strength was formidable. With summoned magical weapons, ordinary beasts or even combat professionals of the same level would struggle to defeat him. And with his mobility, retreat was not difficult even if he lost. He was a dexterous priest maxing out teleportation. While Serlandul searched the wild for herbs, Gauss did not idle. He took Aria and Xisero to play by the creek outside the village. By the flowing stream, Aria and Xisero waded barefoot in the clear shallow water, chasing fish. Ulfen and Eck circled nearby, cornering prey. With fish gradually filling their basket, their laughter rang like silver bells over the shallows. Gauss withdrew his gaze. The cool breeze fluttered his scattered black hair; his mood was exceptionally calm and leisurely. It felt as if an invisible burden had been lifted from him. Now he was starting to handle leftover family matters, no longer needing to constantly worry about it. His spirit, unburdened, became more lively. He took out the White Wand. A warm light appeared, and the clay before him slowly transformed into four clay spiders quietly crouching on the open ground. With clay magic reaching Lv3, he felt the spell had changed slightly, becoming more flexible and versatile, able to fuse with other substances. Fortunately, he had prepared several suitable materials in advance. He had been silently waiting for the day his spell proficiency reached Lv3. They were various mixed toxins, fuel, explosives, steel ingots, luminescent substances, and gel. He called one little spider forward. The first to move was the strongest little White. Holding the materials, his 12-point intelligence brain spun quickly. In his plan, these materials could produce: The clay creature wouldn’t truly die, even if it "self-destructed," it could reform afterward with mana. So no "hurting the enemy but losing yourself" scenario. Also, this had some stealth; enemies encountering it for the first time would find it hard to guess its function. Even if they did, avoiding it wouldn’t be easy. Clay spiders’ strongest trait was mobility, able to move freely and quickly over any terrain. The impact of attacks would penetrate the steel helmet to harm the clay inside, but that was fine. The clay spider wasn’t a real creature, so it lacked vulnerable organs. When steel armor grew and fused as one, its strength increased greatly. Why not use [Light Cantrip]? It was possible, but the magic fluctuations of Light Cantrip were more likely to alert enemies than ordinary luminescent materials. That would make the spider less a decoy and more of a grass-warning snake. Also, it could generate strong stickiness to help climb steep or smooth rock walls. Of course, these were Gauss’s ideas; whether they would succeed needed actual testing. But he felt the chance of success was high. Because the spell model’s information showed clay spiders could absorb substances, transform and enhance corresponding effects. Yes, using mana to amplify material effects, and after memorizing the substance, forming a corresponding rune in the spell’s magic, continuously producing similar effects through mana. By then, "toxin," "steel," and "mucus" would essentially be magical effects, not real materials; when mana ran out, they’d revert to original form. This meant the toxin he carried had toxicity level 1, but after clay magic fusion, it might reach 1.5 or higher. The intensity of the explosion, steel hardness, lure attraction, and mucus stickiness would all be similarly enhanced by magic. Magic was such a miraculous existence. After Little White stepped forward, Gauss first took out a tube of dark green venom. Venom Spider seemed the most feasible form in his plan. He intended to start simple. Sensing its master’s thoughts, the white clay spider’s body trembled slightly, conveying an intimate and confident signal. Gauss slowly poured the venom on its body. At the same time, mana from his wand released fluctuations. A few days ago, he had replaced his secondary core spell slot with the proficiency-accumulating [Shaping Magic: Clay King]. This was his usual method to accelerate spell mastery. With a wave of new clay magic fluctuations, mana surged into the clay spider. It instantly released rippling shimmering waves; the surface mucus seemed activated, rapidly and greedily absorbing the venom droplets. This venom was purchased at a high price. It came from a highly poisonous monster, the Emerald Thorn Vine Snake, a level 3 poisonous monster. This species was first discovered in the Emerald Forest and named for its resemblance to thorn vines. Though only level 3, once its toxin injected, most level 4 monsters would be paralyzed, with paralysis duration depending on the monster’s constitution, regeneration, and recovery. Of course, the biggest problem for the Emerald Thorn Vine Snake was that higher-level monsters moved more agilely, making contact difficult. But in Gauss’s hands, the applications would be more flexible and varied. Humans were smarter than monsters and could coordinate to create chances for the mucus spider. After magic took effect, green network-like patterns appeared on the white clay where it contacted venom, pulsating like blood vessels. Gauss’s white wand continuously emitted mana fluctuations, suppressing the alien monster energy in the venom to make it usable. In nature, the more precious and transcendent something was, the stronger its internal energy. Therefore, fused items had to match his current mana level; otherwise, he couldn’t suppress the internal energy and couldn’t use it. Fortunately, Gauss’s mana was far stronger than peers, even at level 2 and nearly level 3, he surpassed the strength of energy left by a level 3 monster. So the transformation of venom proceeded very smoothly. A deep green snake-shaped ray quickly formed in the spell model. The venom was drawn into the spider’s internal pores and rapidly bonded at a microscopic level with the clay substrate. Behind him, the originally featureless pure white spider slowly morphed, its limbs compressed from bulky to slender. The tips sharpened, emitting a faint green glow, as if ready to pierce leather and inject venom. A white-and-green venom spider radiating danger was born! Compared to the original form, it looked several times stronger. Gauss activated his consciousness and, under the effect of the talent [Hive Mind Form], precisely commanded the venom spider to move. The venom spider had just taken its first step. Gauss couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly. He had controlled mucus spiders before, but they had never been this fast. The venom spider leapt, slicing a green light in the air. Then its armored pincer stabbed a sparrow resting on a nearby rock. No other test subjects were visible; only this unlucky little fellow. Gauss entered shared vision with the venom spider; every feather on the sparrow was visible. The next moment, as the full limb lightly touched the sparrow, before it fully penetrated, the venom energy at the tip burst out instantly, spreading green light rapidly. It turned into a pool of blood on the rock. "What a terrifying toxin!" Watching through first-person perspective, Gauss swallowed saliva. Although the sparrow was a fragile mortal body with low size and strength, the intensity of venom energy was evident. It didn’t kill the sparrow but instantly melted it. That was a huge difference. Sure enough, clay magic could enhance venom effects. Gauss felt the venom spider’s body clearly consumed a batch of mana and thought silently. Essentially, the venom spider collected a sample and transformed it into corresponding venom energy through mana, so stronger venom consumed more mana. Also, against real monsters, it wouldn’t be this destructive; it might become a control or negative poison effect to weaken enemies. Gauss felt that after being hit by the venom spider, even level 3 or 4 monsters would be seriously affected. Afterward, Gauss tested the explosive spider, steel scout, decoy spider, and binding spider. Surprisingly, he originally thought at least one or two forms would fail, but all succeeded without exception! Five runes successfully condensed around the model. Among all forms, the biggest change was the steel scout form. It looked like a miniature steel spider robot, extremely tough and sturdy. Normal physical attacks hardly broke its defense, and its pincers truly transformed into steel blades. It was a moving metal shell that was hard to kill. The explosive spider, as Gauss guessed, was a one-time use form and had the highest attack power among all. The explosion core released extreme heat, and the shockwave affected several meters around. Having tried many varied spider forms, Gauss’s interest flared. This freedom made him rediscover the joy of studying spells after a long time. It was like playing a creator game with full freedom. The difference was that game data was fake, but the little spiders he made could genuinely help adventurers. "2nd circle spell [Shaping Magic: Clay] 1v3 (20/50)" Gauss checked his panel. Unexpectedly, in just a short ten minutes, the spell proficiency surged by 20 points!! At the same time, he felt the mana cup inside his body finally reached a critical point. A huge flood of mana surged from within.