I’m not Goblin Slayer Chapter 038

“Hiss——”

Andernie’s fists might be small, but her strength was not.

Two thumps on Gauss’s waist immediately made him gasp.

His Mage’s Hand almost dissipated.

“Oh, sorry, sorry.”

Andernie, realizing she had gotten a bit too excited, licked her lips, a hint of embarrassment on her face.

“It’s fine.” Gauss took a few deep breaths, and only when the pain slowly receded did he speak.

This changed his impression of Andernie somewhat.

He hadn’t expected her to be so strong, besides being able to cast spells.

One could only say she was worthy of being a professional; even though Andernie clearly wasn’t a strength-specialized professional, her physical fitness was far superior to that of an ordinary person.

“Who would have thought, this bone could also find its owner…” Andernie sighed, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

In the past, she had been curious if there truly existed a master that matched it in this world, but now that she had found one, she subtly felt a sense of loss.

“So, Senior Andernie, how much does this staff cost?” Gauss asked anxiously.

Although Andernie had casually mentioned it wasn’t expensive earlier, this staff was simply too suitable for him, so he was a bit worried about gaining and losing it.

Moreover, Andernie’s expression was unpredictable at the moment, and he didn’t know what she was thinking.

After a brief silence, Andernie, still sighing, finally spoke.

“Just give me 10 silver coins. After all, I spent a lot of time polishing and making it.”

The price she stated immediately eased the tension in Gauss’s heart.

“However…”

“?”

He spoke too soon.

His heart, which had just settled, was yanked back up again.

Could she just finish her sentence in one go?

Gauss redirected his gaze to Andernie.

Did she regret it?

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the staff.

“However, if you want to turn this bone staff into a magic wand in the future, the difficulty might be considerable.” Andernie grinned, a mischievous smile on her face, her canine tooth biting her lip.

“It might also be that my craftsmanship isn’t good enough. At least, over all these years, I’ve tried many times to turn it into a true magic wand, but all attempts have ended in failure.”

“I’ve tried all the magical items suitable for a wand core that I have on hand, and not once did an attempt succeed.”

Is that all?

Gauss remained expressionless, but inwardly, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Such a scare; he thought it was something important.

For him, making it into a formal magic wand was a matter for later; the immediate priority was to get his hands on it completely.

“But it’s fine for you to use it for now. Anyway, you’ll have a second and third magic wand later.” Andernie looked up at the “solemn-faced” Gauss and offered another comforting word.

“For us spellcasters, owning several magic wands is a perfectly normal thing.”

“Each magic wand, like a person, has its own specialty and characteristics: quick attack, precision, burst, coordination…”

Andernie gestured towards her row of magic wands, one of which was even twice her height. It was hard to imagine how comical she would look using it.

“Understood.” Gauss nodded. “So, Senior, should I pay now?”

It was only 10 silver coins; he could pay with the cash he had on him.

“Tsk, fine, look how eager you are.”

Andernie shook her head, no longer teasing him.

She held out her fair little hand to him.

Gauss quickly counted out 10 silver coins from his pocket and placed them in her palm.

However, the moment the silver coins touched her palm, they suddenly vanished.

Magic? Or something like a storage space from fantasy works in his previous life?

But Andernie had no intention of explaining, so he didn’t ask further.

For the rest of the time, Gauss stayed a bit longer in the Thorn House.

Mainly, Andernie pulled him aside and gave him many instructions. Before he left, she lent him one of her early magic notebooks, perhaps out of consideration for Gron, or perhaps because he was the owner of the Bone Staff.

When Gauss walked out of the Thorn House, it was already close to dusk.

In the twilight, the oak door slowly closed.

Gauss felt as if he had stepped into another world.

The presence of the Thorn House seemed to slowly diminish, gradually blending into the unpretentious alley, becoming the most inconspicuous building.

What amazing magic.

Gauss observed for a moment, then withdrew his gaze.

Holding the Bone Staff, he walked out of the alley, his steps noticeably lighter.

His visit to the Thorn House had been incredibly fruitful. Not only had he borrowed a notebook explaining basic magic principles from Andernie, but he had also bought a suitable magic wand base material for only 10 silver coins.

However, the Life Gemstone still hadn’t been sold and remained with him.

Andernie told him that if he wasn’t in urgent need of money, he shouldn’t sell it yet.

Long-term wearing of a Life Gemstone also had subtle benefits for the body; although small, over time, it could still have a good effect.

In the following few days.

Like other adventure teams, after completing a mission, the Night Owl team had no other immediate arrangements.

Gauss wasn’t sure what the others were doing.

But his few days were very fulfilling.

Every day, he woke up with the sound of the bell, ate, carried his Bone Staff to an open area outside the town, practiced magic, read books, practiced sword fighting, returned to town to rest, and then continued such a day.

Having the staff made him rediscover the enthusiasm he had when he first learned spells.

His practice naturally focused on Magic Missile.

After the most recent mission, his Magic Missile proficiency had increased to Lv 2 ( 3/20).

But after acquiring the staff and beginning his immersive, focused practice, his Magic Missile proficiency started to rise rapidly again.

It went from Lv 2 ( 3/20) to Lv 2 ( 6/20).

The bonus from the Bone Staff, coupled with the increase in spell proficiency, and his slowly but steadily growing mana reserves.

This caused his combat power to undergo a significant change compared to a few days ago.

1.65 standard units of his own mana.

Single Magic Missile mana compression was further reduced from the original 60% power to 50%.

This meant he could now cast 3 miniature Magic Missile attacks in one go without entering a weakened state of mana exhaustion.

At the same time, the bonus from the Bone Staff made Magic Missile casting faster, and its power also increased slightly.

Magic Missile cast through the staff, at 50% power, possessed the destructive force of a 70% power Magic Missile cast bare-handed.

One could say his combat power had advanced another step.

Now, in a direct confrontation, he should be able to easily defeat his past self from a few days ago, as faster casting speed meant having the right to strike first.

When the enemy hadn’t fully unleashed their attack, your magic had already blasted them in the face; this advantage was self-evident.

So sometimes, casting speed was even more important than magic power.

The principle of “speed conquers all” also applied to spellcasters.

Gauss counted the days, estimating that it was almost time to gather for the next commission.

Perhaps it was the improvement brought by a few days of practice that made him eager to test his skills.

He was even a little impatient to start a mission and test his progress in actual combat.

Right, next time they meet, he could suggest to Levin to take on some non-goblin combat missions.

With his strength improved, Gauss felt more confident.

It was time to kill some other low-level monsters and unlock more monster illustrations in the adventurer’s handbook.