"Total monsters slain: 1022."

After clearing the last few remaining minor creatures nearby, the kill count froze at this number.

Watching the two other Level 1 professionals dealing with the dozen or so monsters remaining on their side, Gauss showed no intention of intervening.

Reaching the next milestone of 2000 total kills still seemed quite distant in the short term. His next personal goal was 20 different common monster types, and the creatures they were currently fighting didn't include any new varieties.

Better leave some sense of participation for others.

His gaze shifted further away where the Iron Arms team was locked in fierce combat with the ogre. Each clash of attacks caused slight tremors in the ground.

Overall though, the situation had clearly turned in favor of Quick's Iron Arms team. The ogre's advantages lay in its astonishingly thick hide—ordinary attacks could barely affect its tough skin—combined with terrifying brute strength. A direct hit from its massive club could prove fatal even to Level 2 or 3 professionals.

However, Quick and his team far surpassed it in mobility, and the elite subordinates that could have pinned down enemies to create attack opportunities for it had already perished earlier. Only the more numerous but largely useless lower-tier minions remained circling around it.

"ROAR!!!"

The ogre's giant spiked club smashed into the ground once more with brutal force, instantly creating a deep crater amidst flying debris and billowing dust.

Yet such attacks, while visually impressive, mainly represented futile rage that only exhausted its strength.

Gauss withdrew his gaze and exhaled in relief. The outcome was decided. It seemed there'd be no need to prepare for a hasty retreat. This ogre's strength hadn't exceeded the team's capacity to handle.

Aria rode up on her gray wolf Ulfen and dismounted gracefully beside him. "Taking a break?"

Neither of them showed any inclination to rashly assist Quick's team. Since they weren't part of the same squad, sudden intervention might backfire rather than help. It could also be seen as breaking their prior agreement.

Accepting the mana berry Aria handed him, Gauss took out some dried frog meat, wrapped it around the berry, and popped the combination into his mouth. The berry's refreshing sweetness paired perfectly with the salty, slightly numbing flavor of the frog meat, creating an ideal balance of flavors.

Absolutely delicious! The meat-and-plant combination prevented any sense of monotony. He wondered how frost snake meat might taste—if it proved safe, processing snake meat into provisions could provide another high-energy food option later.

After replenishing his energy, Gauss turned his attention to the two new 1st-circle spells he'd just acquired. During the earlier battle, he hadn't had time to examine them thoroughly.

Both spells had already formed complete spell models in his mind. With careful focus, he could clearly understand their specific effects.

First was [Alarm], a 1st-circle Abjuration spell that had little direct combat application but excellent auxiliary functions. Casting required several minutes, but once successfully activated, it created a protective radius lasting eight hours. Any threatening creature entering this area would trigger the alarm.

The alarm mode could be preset during casting—either a mental alert only perceptible to the caster (more discreet, avoiding enemy notice) or an audible alarm producing shrill tones to warn everyone nearby.

While not directly combat-related, this spell proved extremely practical. Adventurers frequently camped outdoors, where Alarm could replace human night watches. Even if keeping sentries for extra security, its presence made their duty much easier. Thus, this seemingly simple spell allowed better rest, preventing fatigue accumulation that could hinder future battles.

Next was [Burning Hands], a 1st-circle Evocation spell that unleashed a fan-shaped blaze about 5-6 meters ahead of the caster. It worked well combined with items, other spells, or terrain to damage groups of enemies simultaneously.

Moreover, fire attacks proved highly effective against many low-tier monsters, especially fur-covered ones, and excelled against plant-type creatures. Mastering this spell would somewhat address Gauss's lack of area-of-effect options—his current cantrips, spells and skills focused either on support or single-target attacks.

Even if Magic Missile could release three projectiles simultaneously, its efficiency still fell short compared to true AoE spells. This didn't mean Magic Missile was inferior—each had strengths. Burning Hands couldn't reach distant foes and struggled against fast-moving targets compared to Magic Missile's precision.

Still, Burning Hands deserved prioritization in his next-phase training. Even after advancing to Level 2 or 3, this spell would remain relevant—many experienced warlocks favored it.

Speaking of Level 2...

Gauss's thoughts drifted. His professional rank vessel had seemed unusually active lately. His original plan after this Winter Hunt was purchasing more 1st-circle spells to bolster his capabilities while pushing for Professional Level 2.

But the two newly awarded spells both seemed excellent—perhaps through studying and practicing them, he could accumulate enough "experience" for rank advancement? Upon reaching Level 2, his mana quality would improve, naturally enhancing some spells' power and effects without extra study.

Of course, for truly qualitative leaps in spell effectiveness, he'd need to research heightened spellcasting—though this had limitations and couldn't be infinitely upgraded.

This highlighted the importance of core skills. As core abilities, they automatically advanced alongside their user's professional rank. Upon reaching certain thresholds, they'd naturally upgrade to higher tiers—most mages' core skills would progress to 2nd-circle potency after advancing to Level 3, becoming easier to cast and more mana-efficient than ordinary 2nd-circle spells.

As Gauss rested, the distant battle reached its conclusion.

"BOOM!!!"

With a heavy thud, the ogre's massive body collapsed under countless energy fields stabbing like sharp daggers, completely lifeless.

"A warlock delivered the final blow?" Gauss raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised. He'd assumed their leader Quick would land the killing strike. Then he recalled closely observing the female warlock's combat style and spells during the battle.

Thinking back, her damage output had seemingly surpassed the others throughout the fight. Apparently, she was their team's true core combatant, he realized.

An adventure team's leader and strongest fighter didn't necessarily have to be the same person. However, this could create potential command conflicts... Fortunately, his own squad wouldn't face such issues—Gauss currently prioritized recruiting support roles.