Chapter 125: Kill Count: 500

The heavy wooden lid of the pot was lifted.

A wave of scalding, rich aroma surged forth.

Through the white mist rising from the nitrogen box, Gauss gazed into the pot at the thick, enticing amber-colored golden broth. Floating on the surface were large, tender pieces of white frog meat with distinct texture, golden potatoes, and chunks of orange-red carrots interspersed throughout.

Amidst the billowing steam, the stew emanated a warm and mellow fragrance.

「Hoo—」Gauss picked up a wooden spoon and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.「Looks really good.」

He ladled a spoonful, meat and broth together, into a wooden bowl.

Gauss looked toward Arya sitting across from him.

「Want to give it a try?」

Arya’s gaze was fixed on the stew in the cast iron pot.

To be honest, it was made from monster ingredients, yet both its appearance and smell were surprisingly decent.

「Then I’ll try it first.」Gauss had keenly caught the hesitation on Arya’s face and understood her wariness toward unfamiliar food.

Thus, eager as he was, he decided to take the first bite himself.

He brought the wooden bowl close to his mouth, carefully blowing on the steaming rim.

Under Arya’s watchful eyes, Gauss gently took a sip.

Then he closed his eyes, quietly savoring the taste.

「How is it?」Seeing Gauss remain silent for a long time, Arya grew concerned that there might be hidden toxins in the soup and hurriedly asked.

「It’s... absolutely amazing!」

Gauss let out a long, satisfied breath.

Then he opened his eyes, a look of surprise spreading across his face.

「Really?」Arya scratched her head.

「Yeah.」

But Gauss was already too absorbed to respond to her.

With his other hand, he grabbed the spoon and began sending chunks of frog meat into his mouth.

The well-developed leg meat of the Rust Frog, honed through intense, prolonged jumping, had become extraordinarily tender and smooth after stewing—not mushy, but exhibiting a perfect balance of softness and resilience.

With one bite, the plump meat pieces burst into layers of texture, transforming into delicate fibers soaked in the essence of the amber-golden broth. The mixed aromas of all the ingredients blended beautifully.

Every taste bud on his tongue seemed to rejoice.

As the food slid down his throat, it quickly turned into a warm current, nourishing his whole body.

Just a few sips in, Gauss already felt warmth spreading throughout, comfort seeping in, a gentle heat flowing from his stomach to every limb and bone.

Delicious!

And—

The energy density was incredible!

Gauss could feel the 【Energy Storage Gland】 talent in his body working at full capacity, converting the food into heat. It was a fullness he had never experienced from meals before.

This monster meat appeared far more suitable for his current body than ordinary meat.

So this was the high-calorie food he had been searching for all along?

As he chewed hungrily, Gauss pondered in his mind.

Across from him, Arya, seeing his enraptured eating expression, found her own appetite stirred.

Should... should she try it?

Imitating Gauss, she picked up her own empty bowl and cautiously ladled a spoonful of amber-golden broth, choosing a few pieces of frog meat that looked the most appealing.

Then, gathering her courage, she brought the spoonful of broth and meat to her mouth.

She closed her eyes and chewed slowly.

After a long moment—

She slowly opened her eyes, looked down at the remaining food in her bowl, and a complicated expression emerged on her face.

It was... actually pretty good?

The frog meat’s texture was tender and smooth, and the broth had a deep, rich flavor that exceeded expectations.

However—after swallowing the frog meat, a peculiar, slightly numbing sensation, like a weak electric current, lingered in the back of her mouth.

But aside from this oddity, the overall taste wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, once accustomed to its flavor, it held a unique fragrance compared to ordinary meats.

As a result, Arya, who had only eaten to about seventy or eighty percent full at noon, unknowingly helped herself to another bowl.

Even Ulfen received a generous portion and devoured it ravenously.

「Hic!」

Arya let out a satisfied hiccup.

「Hic!」Arya set down her empty bowl and couldn't help but hiccup again, a puzzled look on her face.

「Weird— I only had two small bowls, so why do I feel so full?」

Meanwhile, Gauss was still eating.

Fortunately, he had a good appetite and with Ulfen's help,

this large pot of stew was eventually finished off, with no food wasted.

Gauss lay sprawled on the ground, feeling stuffed for the first time in ages.

The two humans and one wolf rested at the temporary camp for a while.

Only after the bloated feeling in his stomach eased slightly did Gauss spring up with renewed energy.

His gaze swept across the surrounding frog corpses, eyes lighting up.

These high-calorie emergency rations—he had no intention of leaving them behind.

They could be turned into preserved dried meat.

But time was tight right now, so only a basic treatment could be done first. He’d find someone in town later to handle the salting and drying process.

Gauss immediately explained his plan to Arya.

Arya nodded in agreement.

She knew Gauss ate a lot, and she had personally experienced the incredible energy density of that stew.

Indeed, it was an excellent supply for Gauss.

The two of them sprang into action, beginning to process the surrounding frog corpses.

After preserving the thigh muscle fibers and filling an entire large pack, Gauss carried it to a nearby pond for cleaning, rubbing it lightly with salt water.

Finally, Gauss activated Dancing Wind and 【Prestidigitation】 to remove the water and odor, then sealed the contents in a bag for preservation.

「But, doesn't it feel like this frog meat has a slight toxicity to it?」Arya moved her cheeks around and let out a long breath.

After eating earlier, that tingling sensation—like a faint electric current—had lingered in her mouth for nearly an hour before it gradually faded. It was truly suspicious, though thankfully no other discomfort followed.

「Really? I don’t feel anything.」Gauss smacked his lips curiously.

After carefully savoring, he indeed felt nothing unusual.

Mind you, he had eaten far more than Arya did.

Arya thought for a moment.

She was certain of her own senses, but Gauss’s reaction wasn’t fake either.

This could only mean… the same food, but Gauss’s tolerance was far stronger than hers?

At that thought, she couldn’t help but sigh. When it came to eating, Gauss just didn’t seem human.

As if beneath his skin, he already had a monster’s digestive system?

Prompted by Arya's remark, Gauss felt a jolt in his chest and quickly pulled out the 《Complete Ingredient Guide Around the Emerald Forest》 to flip through. In an inconspicuous corner at the end of a page, he indeed found a small line of easily missed annotation.

Warning: Although Rust Frog thigh muscle is an edible part, its flesh still possesses mild neuroparalytic properties for normal humans.

Symptoms include brief oral tingling, typically harmless, dissipating within about an hour. Recommendation: Consume in moderation!

Having read this, Gauss breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t harmful!

But immediately, a wave of awkwardness rose in his chest.

What did they mean by “for normal humans”?

He was a normal human too—so why hadn’t he shown any symptoms… no wait, perhaps he really didn’t count as entirely normal anymore.

Thinking of the 【Energy Storage Gland】, this talent had likely long since transformed his digestive and absorption organs far beyond the scope of ordinary humans.

Having eaten their fill and rested up, the two humans and one wolf once again set out toward the Rust Frog habitat.

Soon, beside a quiet lake reflecting tree shadows, Gauss locked onto their mission target.

On a moist open flat, the group of Rust Frogs mentioned in the commission were resting.

He lowered his body, watching from a distance, silently counting in his mind.

Fifty-two!

「Just like we planned earlier—」Gauss lowered his voice, his eyes turning toward Arya.

「Got it!」Arya immediately understood.

The two exchanged a swift glance.

On the way here, Gauss had already explained his tactics in detail.

Ulfen would patrol the battlefield perimeter, intercepting any Rust Frogs that might try to flee.

His speed was very fast.

This job suited him well and avoided competing with Gauss for key kills on the main battlefield.

Gauss needed to ensure at least forty-two kills to push his total monster count to five hundred.

Normally, with his efficiency, this shouldn’t be a problem.

But just to be safe, he had reassigned Ulfen.

Usually it didn’t matter, but at a critical moment like this, when the count was nearly complete, he had to pay attention to the details.

If he ended up just a few short, and had to go find some Small Monsters to kill in the wilderness, they might not even show up.

Falling short at the last step would be frustrating.

Fifty-two Rust Frogs—for two Tier 1 Professionals, especially with Gauss, a spellcaster whose capabilities were rather “overpowered,” this wasn’t a difficult challenge.

「Ulfen, we’re counting on you.」Arya gently patted the thick neck of the great wolf.

Ulfen gave a low growl, acknowledging the command.

Its agile form melted into the shadows like a ghost, silently stalking to the outer perimeter on the opposite side of Gauss’s position, ready to intercept any stragglers fleeing due to Gauss’s ambush.

Gauss, on the other hand, drew out the bone-white Bone Wand.

Holding his breath and concentrating, his hawk-like eyes locked onto a Rust Frog basking lazily in the grass nearby. He waited patiently for a moment to confirm that it was completely unalert.

Suddenly, he cast a spell.

「Fire Bolt!」

As he silently incanted, a point of glaring crimson gathered at the Bone Wand tip, compressed and stretched.

A slender, searing flame arrow, before most Rust Frogs could even react, precisely pierced the skull of the fat Rust Frog.

The high heat of the flame instantly incinerated its fragile brain.

The giant frog didn’t even have time to cry out—its limbs twitched reflexively a few times before going completely limp, lifeless.

The entire process was as quiet as a perfect assassination.

「Rust Frog killed *1」

The interface prompt silently appeared.

As for the frog group, they remained peacefully unaware, completely oblivious that one of their own had been silently slain on the perimeter.

「Nice.」

Gauss nodded.

As expected, not using Magic Missile was the right call.

Magic Missile had too much destructive force. It would blast the Rust Frogs to pieces and alert the whole group in an instant.

By contrast, Fire Bolt, though visually dramatic with its blazing flames, actually caused less noise than the missile.

After all, Rust Frogs didn’t have particularly good vision. When dispersed, they might not even notice a death on the outer edge.

Moreover, there was another reason.

When collecting Rust Frog thigh meat earlier, he noticed that the three initially killed by Magic Missile had most of their thighs blasted apart—yielding much less material than those killed with the smaller Fire Bolt.

「Take it slow, no rush.」

Gauss continued to wait patiently, observing, aiming—then spotted another target away from the group.

The next moment, Fire Bolt replicated the earlier strike.

It shot straight through the top of the Rust Frog’s skull into its body.

Another one!

After that, Gauss continued his ambushes.

The number of Rust Frogs killed kept increasing.

Although the kill efficiency couldn't compare with frontal combat, it was safe and energy-saving. If he remained undetected, he honestly wanted to keep sneaking kills like this.

1, 2, 3...

However, by the time he reached the 11th kill, something unexpected happened.

Even though Fire Bolt had been pre-aimed, the Rust Frog, which had remained motionless, suddenly dipped its head and extended its long tongue to catch a beetle crawling on the ground.

Because of this, the Fire Bolt originally aimed at the top of its head instead struck its thick back.

「Gwaa gwaa gwaa—!!」

A shrill, ear-piercing croak rang out like a thunderclap.

The entire group of Rust Frogs was alarmed by the sudden shriek. Many bulging eyes turned simultaneously toward the source of the sound, instantly realizing that a companion had been attacked!

「Gwaa!」

「Gwaa!」

Angry croaks erupted one after another, and the whole group instantly exploded into chaos!

Seeing that his stealth attack had been exposed, Gauss wasn’t too disappointed.

Silently taking out eleven of them was already a pleasant surprise.

Since he had been discovered—

Gauss dropped all pretenses and began launching Fire Bolts openly.

「Swoosh!」

「Swoosh!」

Amidst the angry croaks of the Rust Frogs,

three flame arrows precisely struck the giant frogs charging in front.

Watching the raging wave of green that surged toward him, Gauss calmly exchanged a glance with Arya.

Receiving her response, he activated 【Enhanced Jump】. His steps became light as he dashed in the opposite direction.

The main force of the Rust Frogs angrily followed close behind.

Gauss led the Rust Frogs in circles around the lake, occasionally stopping to fire another Fire Bolt, randomly picking off the lucky one leading the charge.

He always maintained a teasing distance, keeping just out of range of the Rust Frogs' spit while remaining within sight.

The Rust Frogs were constantly aggroed but unaware that their numbers were steadily dwindling.

In fighting many with few, the most important thing was to avoid being surrounded. Even if the risk wasn’t high, saving energy was always better.

Meanwhile, during the precious time Gauss had the frogs running in circles, Arya began her own operation.

She repeatedly activated Nature’s Bind and set up Entangling Spell vines across the open area.

When Gauss led the now-diminished Rust Frog group around again, he heard Arya’s distant shout and understood her signal.

He then led the cloud of dust-raising Rust Frogs toward the area where the vines were hidden.

「Gwaa gwaa gwaa!」

Gauss ran across a patch of smooth grassland that looked completely normal.

Soon after, the Rust Frogs hopped along the same path.

But as they passed through, countless tough dark green vines suddenly burst from the ground like awakened serpents!

The vines swiftly entangled many Rust Frogs, and others behind them couldn’t avoid crashing into their entangled companions.

The scene devolved into utter chaos!

「Swoosh!」「Swoosh!」「Swoosh!」

This was what Gauss had been waiting for.

He waved the Bone Wand, rapidly launching Fire Bolts. With the frogs immobilized, he skipped lengthy aiming and cast even faster.

「!」

In an instant, the number of Rust Frogs visibly dropped at a rapid pace.

As the remaining Rust Frogs realized something was wrong and began to scatter, a powerful wolf howl echoed—Ulfen, the gray wolf who had been hiding in the shadows, charged out and blocked their escape.

Arya also joined the final battle.

At last, with the two humans and one wolf forming a tight encirclement, the few remaining Rust Frogs were completely wiped out.

The dust settled.

This battle took longer than usual, but thankfully, nothing went wrong.

Gauss let out a long breath and, with a mix of anticipation and nervousness, summoned the interface in his mind.

By now, a lot of information had accumulated on it.

First to pop up was the message about a title upgrade.

「You have killed 50 Rust Frogs. Title 【Rust Frog Hunter】 upgraded to 【Rust Frog Killer】.」

「Current effect: Vibrating Claspers. After activation, causes mental disruption to all Rust Frogs within a 10-meter radius, and induces a 2-second forced stun. This ability has a cooldown before it can be used again.」

The upgraded title significantly enhanced the effect.

Previously it was only a 3-meter range and 0.5–1 second of control, which made it nearly unusable in combat.

But now, the range had been boosted from 3 meters to 10 meters, and the control duration increased to 2 seconds—a major enhancement.

The second notification was the reward Gauss had been most anticipating: reaching the 500 total kill milestone.

「Total monster kills reached 500.」

「Reward acquired: Intelligence +1」

「Intelligence: 8 → 9」

This time it increased his highest stat, Intelligence? Why? It seemed different from the previous stat-boosting rules seen in the Monster Encyclopedia?

Just as the thought crossed Gauss’s mind, a pure, spring-like energy flowed into his brain!

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