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Chapter 190 : Winged Kobolds, Weathered Valley
Chapter 190: Winged Kobolds, Weathered Valley
Gauss walked along the country path with mixed feelings.
Soon, the young lad on gate duty led him to the Village Chief’s house.
This was also the basic procedure for many commissions near the villages.
After leading the way, the lad gave them a bow, then hurried back to his post at the gate.
Webñ ȯv̇ ẽ l E ń ũm а
Recently, monsters seemed to have grown more active again.
Even small villages like this had begun to organize the able-bodied men, planning to form a fixed armed squad to defend against small groups of monsters that might wander close on ordinary days.
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“Two sirs, please sit.”
This Village Chief looked to be only in his thirties.
From his eyes, Gauss could tell that he seemed to recognize him, or at least had heard of the image of the “Goblin Slayer.”
The Chief’s previously anxious expression eased considerably with their arrival.
Е nû m̄ ã .i̇d̂
For ordinary villagers, a title like Goblin Slayer truly brought peace of mind.
And when his gaze shifted to the indigo-colored badges gleaming on the chests of Gauss and Serandur, he felt even more reassured. For Professionals to carry out tasks that should have belonged to low-level adventurers—how could it not be almost certain of success?
After learning the general location of the goblins from the Village Chief’s description,
Gauss and Serandur rested briefly before setting out.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
After leaving the village, Gauss was still speaking with Serandur about the earlier matter.
“Feels like someone is pushing this from behind.”
Web̌ n о́ v̀ el Ĕ ñ um а̌
“But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Serandur didn’t pay it much mind.
Even though he had become a member of the Goblin Killer Squad, in some sense like an accessory, what did it matter?
“Plenty of people would kill to have a nickname that others actually remember.”
Serandur was not wrong. At the very least, adventurers usually had to reach Black Iron-rank before being granted a nickname.
And it had to be something distinctive, something that made others remember a trait, or a nickname born from completing or participating in some major event.
Thus, many nicknames were either linked to monsters, or tied to events, places, or unique skills possessed by adventurers.
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For example: Scourge of the Undead, Wanderer of the Wheatlands, Circle of Stone, Spell-Eater, and so on…
For a Bronze-rank to have a nickname was rare indeed. If one did, it was something to secretly rejoice over.
Swinging himself onto the chocobo, he flicked the reins. Golden Ear spread its stride and carried him quickly out of the village.
“It should be around here.”
According to the Village Chief’s somewhat vague account, the goblin nest lay somewhere in a valley nearby.
The two of them had spent quite some time searching before finding this place.
Wе́ḃ ño v е́ l Е n umа̊
Gauss couldn’t help but think of Arya again.
If she were here, Ike would likely have spotted the destination quickly from the skies.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
After all, each had their own field of expertise.
But the terrain before them proved more complicated than expected.
Low rolling hills crisscrossed like jagged teeth, and the valley floor was full of uneven gullies. Rather than a proper valley, it was more like a wasteland eroded and fragmented by wind and rain.
They followed a gully that seemed like a main channel, heading deeper.
Ẃ ébnóv́ е̇ l̄ Е n üm̌ а
On both sides were severely weathered, yellowish cliffs, only a few meters high, but jagged rocks and thorny bushes blocked their vision, greatly increasing the difficulty of exploration.
The “woo-woo” of the wind echoed through the valley passage, adding a chilling bleakness.
Inside, the light was dim, most of it blocked by the cliffs. The air was thick with the stench of rot and dung, mixed with a strange, pungent musk.
“There are indeed traces of monsters living here.”
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With the Telepathic Bracelet, Gauss’s eyes glowed faintly. Soon he spotted remnants of tracks and footprints on the ground.
“Looks like it’s not just one type of monster…”
Е.n̄ um̀ а̇
He guided the chocobo toward the cliffside, reached out to touch the wall, and pinched off some brittle rock. With a slight squeeze, it crumbled into fine, flowing sand in his palm.
“Seems we’ll have to be careful with Magic Missile. Serandur, keep an ear out too—don’t blast these cliff walls down on us, or we’ll get buried alive.” Gauss warned.
When carrying out commissions, one had to mind not just the target but also the terrain.
Every year, countless adventurers perished from accidental falls, drowning, or being buried alive in caves.
Gauss had often seen human corpses by riversides and beneath waterfalls.
“Understood, Captain.”
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They pressed forward cautiously.
After carefully probing through a few branching gullies,
Serandur suddenly halted.
His forked tongue flickered, waving deftly in the air.
“Hss—”
“Captain, there are monsters ahead.”
Е̇ n u m̂ å
His tongue allowed him to detect scent particles exuded by monsters from far away, unhindered by terrain.
“Got it.”
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Gauss nodded.
“Can you tell what kind?”
“Let me think… this musk… should be kobolds.”
The mission intel also noted that other monster races were suspected to dwell in the valley. Still, compared to goblins who liked to harass humans, many of the others kept relatively quiet.
Еñ u m̈ а
“Let’s move in.” Gauss said.
Serandur wasn’t surprised.
After spending time together, he had come to understand Gauss’s habits.
For example, he held an uncompromising determination to root out monsters—if encountered, he rarely let them go.
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And unlike most spellcasters who stayed behind the lines, Gauss enjoyed charging into the fray and personally slaying monsters, seeming to relish the process.
So apart from the first time he had needed to prove his strength, afterward Serandur usually focused on support.
Ѐ ňū m̀ а.і̃ d
If it saved him some effort, he didn’t mind—since Gauss was always eager to take on more of the work.
Often, all he had to do was cast a Blessing Spell on Gauss before combat, and occasionally toss a curse or trick at the enemy, then simply wait for Gauss to do the rest.
Simple though it seemed, the Blessing Spell boosted Gauss’s attack damage, while curses hindered foes. One strengthened, the other weakened—together they made monster-slaying much more efficient.
When the two emerged from the gully, a wide open space appeared before them.
Sunlight shone down from above.
“They really are kobolds. But… winged kobolds!”
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Gauss’s eyes fixed on the creatures resting in the clearing.
This was his first time encountering such a being.
Winged Kobolds—born with leathery wings and capable of flight. Their fighting style was to hurl rocks down at enemies from above.
But because their wings were considered gifts of Tiamat, they drew the jealousy of their wingless kin—ordinary kobolds. This caused bitter strife between the two.
Even so, their bodies still suffered the frailty of koboldkind. Their combat strength was only a notch above normal kobolds, far from reaching the level of Elite Monsters.
The only thing to watch for was their ability to escape if the battle turned against them.
Wе b́ n̄ó vе l Е̌ n̆.u m̆ а
So then, with the Monster Encyclopedia already recording kobolds, would these winged kobolds be added as a new entry—or just noted under kobolds?
Gauss and Serandur exchanged a glance, then swiftly communicated through Message.
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Serandur dismissed his spirit weapon and drew a hand crossbow.
At the same time, he cast a Blessing Spell on Gauss.
Gauss strode alone into the open valley floor.
The moment they spotted him, the winged kobolds quickly took flight—not yet panicked enough to flee, but alert.
Е n ūm̈_a
Compared to their miner cousins, these winged kobolds were fiercer, more eager to fight other creatures, and often used pack tactics in the wild.
They immediately marked Gauss as an intruder in their home.
“Thud!”
Several large rocks crashed down at Gauss’s feet.
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Gauss’s hand conjured the Bone Wand.
In the narrow cliff passage earlier, spellcasting had not been suitable. Now that the space had widened, the risk of being buried alive was much smaller.
È n̊ u m̃.а. і̃ d
Of course, it was also because melee methods could hardly harm the winged kobolds that had taken flight.
“Boom!”
Three Magic Missiles struck three winged kobolds.
The kobolds fell, crashing to the ground, their last breath cut off.
“Winged Kobolds killed *3.”
On Gauss’s Monster Encyclopedia interface, the 30th new entry appeared.
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He quickly glanced through it and saw that no new title had been added. His title remained “Kobold Hunter,” but the monster entries had increased.
So they were recognized as a different type of monster, but shared the same title effect and progress?
That could be considered the maximization of benefits.
Only after Gauss began his attack did the winged kobolds belatedly realize that this human was not one to provoke. They quickly tried to ascend and escape.
But the next moment, a sudden gale swept through the valley above.
The thin wings of the winged kobolds could not withstand the strong wind. Soon they were blown off balance, some even plummeting straight to the ground.
Ёñu̇m а
“Boom! Boom!” Gauss seized the chance while the kobolds were still adjusting and kept up his rhythm of attacks.
The Bone Wand in his hand was like a long-range weapon of quick-draw in his previous life, continuously firing volleys.
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There weren’t many winged kobolds to begin with, and under Gauss’s spells and Serandur’s curses, they were swiftly exterminated.
“Total Monsters Killed: 1875.”
The milestone of 2000 drew ever closer.
This group of winged kobolds had little in the way of “treasure.” Their weapons were nothing more than rocks. Gauss only collected some of their blood, then dissected their wings, hearts, and organs.
Е̃ ńû.m̄ å.i d
“Here are some kobold eggs.” Serandur found several brown eggs in a nest of piled branches. He tapped one of the shells.
“They should be close to hatching.”
Kobolds were oviparous, with frail bodies and short lifespans, often dying young. Each year, they laid more than ten eggs, which usually hatched in a few weeks to two or three months.
“Kill them.”
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Though they were eggs, they were nearly hatched and could not serve as food.
Even in his previous life, Gauss had never cared for delicacies like fertilized eggs. In this world, his disinterest remained the same.
W е́ bn̈ o v̊ е l̈ Е̂ ňum a
Kobold eggs had no real value.
So when encountered, they were best destroyed on the spot.
Gauss drew his steel longsword and shattered the shells one by one.
Rust-colored yolk spilled out, and the small lizard-like creatures curled inside.
As Serandur had said, these eggs were indeed close to hatching. Several kobold hatchlings were already twitching weakly, beginning to crawl.
On their backs lay limp, bat-like wings.
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The little kobolds, compared to adults, looked more endearing: oversized heads, soft and squishy bodies.
They made faint “awoo awoo” noises that sounded almost cute.
“Slash!”
Red blood spurted out.
Gauss glanced once, then quickly slew the hatchlings.
“Captain, you’re a bit ruthless.”
Е̃nůmä. i d̂
Gauss shot him a glare—as if Serandur himself wasn’t also killing the young creatures.
Both of them were seasoned adventurers. How could they harbor false compassion for monsters?
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It wasn’t about whether they mewled endearingly. Even if they called “father,” what needed killing still had to be killed.
Even if kobolds attacked villages less often than goblins, that did not make them friendly, neutral beings. When meeting villagers in the wild with a clear advantage in numbers, these hunched little lizardmen would immediately turn savage, robbing and slaughtering travelers.
Miners or bandits—the roles were interchangeable.
And regardless, the presence of monsters near human settlements always encroached on mankind’s living space.
Е̂n um̂ ǎ.і̃ d́
Today five towns lost, tomorrow ten—peace lasted only a single night.
“Let’s continue.”
After checking the surroundings,
the two continued their exploration of the valley.
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Though the valley looked unimpressive, the number and variety of monsters lurking here was not small—truly a hidden nest of threats.
Besides their commission target, the goblins, and the kobolds, Gauss also encountered a Giant Spider.
Е n̈ůmа̊.id́
Slaying it unlocked the 31st normal monster entry in the Monster Encyclopedia.
Looking at the ground littered with goblin corpses,
“Total Monsters Killed: 1935.”
The goal drew ever closer.
As always, after the battle they began scavenging.
Once the spoils had been collected, they cleansed the blood from their bodies.
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Only after all was settled did Gauss finally take time to observe the environment.
“Something feels off about this area.”
“Yes, it’s too barren.” Serandur nodded. “This kind of weathered landform is rarely seen around the Emerald Forest.”
It was as if cursed—an entire land stripped of vitality, unable to grow plants. Only the hardiest thornbushes could take root here.
The two exchanged a glance, hesitating briefly.
After a while, Gauss spoke first.
Е ń u ḿá . ĩ d̈
“How about… we search the surroundings a bit?”
Clearly, something abnormal was present. Otherwise, there was no explaining such desolation.
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Anomaly sometimes brought gain, sometimes danger.
But stumbling into it, if they turned away now without exploring, the thought would linger in their minds.
“Alright, Captain.” Serandur had been thinking the same.
But as a teammate, unless Gauss voiced it, he wouldn’t raise it—lest he disturb his captain’s judgment.
Ӗ nu m а.і̀d̊
“Together then?”
In truth, during their monster hunt earlier, they had already surveyed most of the valley.
But the purpose of the search shaped the kind of clues they noticed.
When focused on monsters, they mostly saw fur scraps, footprints, scents, and droppings. Now, with their attention on the weathered land itself, Gauss soon noticed something new.
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He lowered his gaze to the ground, then crouched.
His fingers brushed the soil, and the fine sand shifted smoothly under his touch.
W̃ е̊b́ n̊ òve l̂ Eṅ ǔm ă
“This ground seems to be sinking in a fixed direction. The slope is slight, but eventually it should all converge at the lowest point.”
Prompted by Gauss’s observation, Serandur, who had been tasting the air with his forked tongue, noticed it too.
The whole valley had an almost imperceptible downward tilt.
Following the slope should lead them to that abnormal low point.
After a brief discussion, the two began tracing the path, checking as they went, weaving through winding gullies, until they reached what looked like a dead end no different from the others.
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