In the emerald-green forest canopy.

Gauss hung from a large tree, carefully cutting a patch of vibrant green moss nearby with his dagger. The thick, sponge-like moss was filled with tiny, plump spherical beads.

[Moss Berries]

This edible ingredient had an exceptionally sweet flavor. Simply stewing or roasting it with meat would impart a fruity sweetness to the dish. Unfortunately, it spoiled quickly after being harvested and could only be consumed promptly during adventures.

Lunch was settled for today.

Gauss wasn't greedy - he only took what he needed, knowing any extra would go to waste.

"Better leave some for the next lucky adventurer," he thought.

Untying the rope, he slowly slid down the thick tree trunk. Upon reaching the ground, he coiled the rope neatly and stored it in his pack.

Ever since that extravagant dinner at Firefly Kitchen with Andni, Gauss felt like a new world had opened up to him. His usual trio of travel rations had become increasingly unpalatable in comparison.

Moreover, the forest - especially beyond the usual gathering areas for herb collectors and hunters - offered many easily foraged ingredients he previously hadn't known about.

Fortunately, he had purchased "The Complete Guide to Ingredients Around Emerald Forest," which educated him about the rare wild edibles in the area. Some could not only be used for camp meals but also sold to herb merchants in town for decent prices - crucial for someone as cash-strapped as him.

"Simply cutting expenses won't solve anything. I need to create more income streams," Gauss mused.

"This isn't even the Emerald Forest proper, just a secondary growth area with lower danger levels. Making a campfire for cooking shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Gauss surveyed his surroundings.

As if by perfect coincidence, he found himself in a clearing with plenty of dry firewood beneath the trees. His backpack contained a freshly hunted grouse that he had already bled, plucked, and prepared.

Everything aligned so perfectly it seemed the heavens were urging him to have this picnic.

After thoroughly checking the area for dangers, Gauss lit the firewood and built a campfire. The cheerful crackling of flames soon filled the air.

He retrieved the grouse wrapped in clean canvas from his pack. This plump bird, weighing about 4 pounds, had been taken down with his crossbow an hour earlier and was just enough for one person. He'd already processed it by a stream - bleeding, plucking, and gutting the bird.

Now it was ready for cooking.

After washing the harvested moss berries, Gauss stuffed them into the grouse's cavity. He rubbed the bird's surface with coarse rock salt and wild onions picked along the way, squeezing their juice over the meat before wrapping everything in two layers of banana leaves.

A final coating of mud completed the package before he tossed it into the fire.

About thirty minutes later, Gauss cracked open the hardened mud shell. Peeling away the charred banana leaves revealed steaming, tender chicken infused with the moss berries' distinctive fruity aroma.

Gauss swallowed hard, scarcely believing such deliciousness came from his own hands.

"Do I actually have some culinary talent?" he wondered silently.

The first bite released a flood of savory juices mixed with unique fruity notes. As Gauss chewed, a blissful expression spread across his face.

Strangely, the food seemed to digest faster than his usual rations - as if his Rapid Digestion ability particularly welcomed such fine cuisine.

"So good! So good!"

Gauss devoured the chicken ravenously, alternately blowing on the hot meat and salivating uncontrollably. A warm current surged through his body, rapidly restoring his stamina.

"Could high-quality nutrition combined with Rapid Digestion be the ultimate pairing?" he pondered between bites.

By the time he finished, only shattered bones remained of the once-plump grouse. Gauss rubbed his full belly with slight regret - just another pound or two would have been perfect.

After resting post-meal, Gauss cleaned up the site and shouldered his pack. The simple culinary pleasure hadn't made him forget his actual mission - this marked his third assessment task, all targeting goblins.

Yes, all three of his Bronze-rank adventurer promotion tests involved goblin tribes. The second tribe had been similar in size to the first, though their leader proved slightly weaker than the initial Redcap Goblin.

When accepting this third mission, even the receptionist had given him a strange look, probably suspecting some deep-seated grudge against goblins given his single-minded focus.

This final assessment required eliminating about sixty adult goblins. Gauss checked his Monster Encyclopedia stats:

[Total Monsters Killed: 302]

[Goblins Killed: 175]

"Beginner missions do provide good monster elimination efficiency," he noted.

Though his goblin-slaying skills had grown increasingly fluid with practice, Gauss remained vigilant. If anything, repeated encounters had made him respect them more.

While individually weak, their terrifying reproductive rate meant no forest lacked their presence - like some stubborn infection. Ironically, their proliferation worked to his advantage, providing ample targets without venturing deep into monster strongholds.

"According to intel, this goblin village has numerous archers - particularly dangerous," Gauss reviewed.

Weapons mattered greatly for both low-level monsters and adventurers. Archer goblins posed greater threats than melee fighters, negating his speed advantage. Enough random arrows would inevitably find their mark - hence why he'd prioritized eliminating ranged attackers with magic during his first assessment.

"Time to test this armor," Gauss patted his gear.

Other novice professionals might avoid such missions, but not him.

"1 gold and 30 silver - quite the generous reward. The captured bows and arrowheads should fetch good money too," he calculated while trekking through the woods.

After another hour or two, the goblin village came into view across a clearing. Climbing a tree for better vantage, Gauss suddenly frowned.

By the central bonfire, several stripped human men were visible.

"Hostages?" This marked only the second time in his months as an adventurer that he'd seen goblins keeping live captives. Normally they disposed of humans quickly rather than maintaining prisoners.

"Need to act fast." Gauss noted the village seemed understaffed versus mission intel - likely because many goblins had left to gather firewood and supplies for some upcoming celebration, leaving defenses unusually thin.

His eyes gleamed at the opportunity. While originally planning to reuse his previous laxative tactic, the current situation called for a direct assault during the goblins' absence.

After memorizing the village layout from his perch, Gauss descended. He'd already prepared his equipment before approaching. Taking a deep breath, he stealthily advanced to the wooden palisade.

Then - action!

[Enhanced Jump] activated.

His powerful legs coiled like springs before propelling him over the barrier in a tremendous leap.

The nearest goblin had just emerged from a storehouse carrying banana leaves full of berries, its face alight with anticipation as it looked toward the bonfire and captives.

Suddenly, shadows engulfed its small form.

As it turned in confusion, the last thing it saw was a flash of cold steel.

"Thunk!"

The world spun violently in its final moments as the goblin glimpsed its attacker - a tall man with calm, indifferent eyes watching its demise.