In the corner of the hall, near a giant sword-and-shield statue, a group of adventurers had gathered in twos and threes.
“We’re forming a team to clear out slimes in the underground cavern and collect slime cores. Anyone want to join?”
Slimes were well-known as entry-level creatures from the ooze-type monster family.
They were one of the most common monsters for beginner adventurers.
Their bodies resembled swamps or sludge, using their gooey forms to engulf prey, prevent escape, and suffocate their victims through constriction.
Like goblins, they weren’t individually strong—most adventurers could handle them one-on-one without too much trouble.
The only thing to watch out for was not to let them stick to your weapon or armor. Their bodies carried mild corrosive properties that could damage poorly-made gear.
“Hey, you with the black hair—interested in joining our party?”
Noticing Gauss’s gaze, the red-haired young man recruiting people for the slime hunt called out.
Gauss was somewhat tempted but quickly shook the idea.
Underground caverns were far too risky for beginner adventurers. Who knew what dangerous monsters might lurk there?
If something went wrong, escaping in a confined space would be almost impossible.
“Sorry.” Gauss shook his head, politely refusing.
“Hey there—are you a swordsman? We’re looking for a frontline fighter to round out our team.”
Another adventurer approached, likely spotting the rapier at Gauss’s waist and assuming he was a melee fighter.
“I’m not a swordsman. I’m an apprentice mage.”
The term “apprentice mage” typically referred to someone working toward becoming a full-fledged mage.
But even if Gauss had called himself a mage outright, no one would’ve mistaken him for a real professional.
True adventurers—those who had officially stepped into a profession—rarely lingered on the first floor, and certainly didn’t hang out in the temporary party corner.
Also, many low-tier adventurers at the apprentice level loved to call themselves warriors, rangers, rogues—even if they weren’t there yet.
Even though Gauss added the word “apprentice,” the more important term “mage” had already caught the room’s attention.
One after another, adventurers turned to look at him.
Apprentice mages often already belonged to fixed teams. Even if they were solo, they were usually quickly recruited into stronger squads.
Among low-level adventurers, mages, clerics, and warlocks were rarer than warriors, rangers, and rogues. But at the professional level, those roles balanced out.
The reason? Magic-based roles had higher entry barriers.
Without family backing or access to training, most people simply couldn’t learn magic, and that kept their numbers low.
“Hey mage guy—join our party!”
A tall, brawny young man beat everyone to the punch, slapping a friendly hand on Gauss’s shoulder.
“We’re the Night Owl party. Not like those bottom-feeders forming ragtag teams— we’re an elite squad, and we’re short a mage. Interested?”
“You musclehead! Who’re you calling bottom-feeders?”
“Forget it, forget it. That guy… better not provoke him.”
The moment the big guy opened his mouth, the group erupted with noise and muttered complaints.
But he paid no mind and just smiled, waiting for Gauss’s reply.
“Sorry, I’m not looking to join a long-term team right now. I’m just hoping to temporarily team up and get some experience.” Gauss said honestly.
To prove his identity, he used Mage Hand to levitate his rapier beside him.
His goal right now was to find a temporary team—ideally one that could help him secure kills on low-tier monsters while he practiced Magic Missile.
A little extra coin wouldn’t hurt either.
Once he had enough savings, he’d look into buying a wand, maybe with the help of that Life Mana Stone.
After that, it would be full-speed ahead toward class advancement.
Only once he became a proper professional would he consider a permanent team. And honestly? He’d probably form one himself—one he could lead.
He needed teammates he could trust to provide cover, assist, and help him secure monster kills. Even if that meant sharing some of the commission money, it would be worth it.
Alternatively, solo play was still on the table. Lone wolfing offered more freedom.
But whatever the case, joining someone else’s team long-term didn’t fit his goals.
He wouldn’t be able to dictate their missions or pace—and that’d make gathering monster data more difficult too.
If he were strong enough to solo quests already, he wouldn’t be hanging around the recruitment corner.
“No problem. Temporary is fine—let’s treat it as a trial run for both sides.”
The man chuckled heartily.
“Besides, even if you wanted to join our team permanently, my squad wouldn’t accept you without testing your skills and personality first.”
“Name’s Laevin. I’m a shield bearer. Our party also has an archer, rogue, swordsman, and cleric.”
Seeing that Gauss still hadn’t decided, Laevin continued with a friendly smile and pointed toward his team.
Gauss followed his gaze.
Sure enough, the four other adventurers stood apart from the crowd, exuding a vibe that screamed “don’t mess with us.”
The archer casually held a matte-black longbow and didn’t even blink under Gauss’s stare.
The rogue, hooded, had a mini crossbow on his belt.
The swordsman looked like he’d stepped out of a textbook.
And the cleric girl, holding a wooden staff, stood shyly by the wall, curiously observing Gauss.
Their lineup was solid:
Archer for ranged support
Shield bearer for frontline tanking
Even without him, they could probably handle most beginner-level quests just fine.
“What quest are you doing?”
Despite being tempted, Gauss stayed cautious. He wasn’t about to walk into danger without asking.
He worried that with such a strong team, they might be picking dangerous quests above his level.
“Relax—just a goblin hunt. About 15 of them.” Laevin thumped his chest.
“We’re all aiming to go pro, so we never take quests above our limit.”
“This one’s more of a training run than anything else. We’ve done this kind of quest a dozen times. No surprises.”
He could tell Gauss was leaning toward yes, so he kept laying it on thick.
15 goblins. That’s manageable.
Back in Birchwood, Gauss had faced 20 of them—including a boss-type goblin—and survived.
Compared to Hailier’s squad, these guys clearly had better gear, more members, and stronger coordination.
Plus, Gauss himself had grown stronger.
He weighed the risks and benefits, then reached out his hand.
“Then let’s do it. Looking forward to working with you, Captain Laevin. I’m Gauss.”
“Welcome aboard, Gauss.”
Laevin shook his hand with a wide grin.
Gauss returned the smile.
Joining a capable new adventuring team—even temporarily—could be the perfect environment for him to grow.
Raise skill proficiency
Rack up monster kills
He couldn’t just charge into the Jade Forest solo and start swinging.
That would be suicide.
But with this well-rounded team, even one with a healer, he could grind in relative safety.
And from what he could tell, the others were smart—they weren’t taking unnecessary risks.
For adventurers hoping to go pro, the best path was clear: train smart, don’t die.
He was very much on the same page.
Slow and steady wins the race.