I'm not a Goblin Slayer

The Coral Tavern had private booths—more expensive, better service.

But Gauss wasn't here for that. He just wanted a good meal.

He found an open table, sat down, and set his bag and sword beside him.

It didn't take long before a waitress arrived with a menu.

With a generous wave, Gauss ordered several meat dishes and a jug of fruit juice.

For some reason, he really craved meat lately.

Come to think of it, that craving had started a few days ago—after the battle near Birchwood.

He suspected it had something to do with his recent growth spurt. Just like how his clothes had started to feel a little tight, maybe his increased Constitution (now 6 points) was driving his appetite.

After all, growing bodies needed fuel.

While waiting for his food, he focused and opened his Adventurer's Manual, checking his current stats:

…

Name: Gauss

Strength: 5 (raw power, carrying capacity, explosive force)

Agility: 5 (flexibility, coordination)

Constitution: 6 (stamina, vitality, recovery rate, metabolic efficiency)

Intelligence: 7 (memory, logic, mental strength)

Perception: 5 (senses, awareness, intuition)

Charisma: 5 (presence, appeal, aesthetics)

…

Skills:

Level 0 Cantrip : Mage Hand Lv.2 (15/20)

Level 1 Spell: Magic Missile Lv.1 (3/10)

…

Everything was displayed clearly, quantified for easy tracking.

Mage Hand had leveled up by 5 whole points after that last battle—jumping from 10/20 to 15/20. That confirmed his earlier theory: combat use significantly boosted proficiency.

Magic Missile, on the other hand, was still only Lv.1 (3/10). Those three points had come entirely from his clutch performance during the hobgoblin kill.

Since then, he hadn't dared to use it again—not even for practice—during the return trip.

Why?

Because it was too taxing.

Even one cast nearly wiped out his mana, leaving him mentally and physically wrecked. Practicing it while traveling would've been reckless.

Now, with two spells under his belt, and remembering Gron's advice from earlier, he found himself at a crossroads.

To become a professional mage, the first step was to master a spell—bring it to its peak—so that it could serve as the foundation for his class path.

But which one should he focus on?

Both Mage Hand and Magic Missile were viable.

In terms of difficulty, Mage Hand was much easier.

According to Gron, most mages chose a cantrip as their breakthrough skill. Cantrips were easier to learn, less draining to cast, and easier to practice—meaning you could hit that proficiency threshold faster.

But "easier" was relative. Magic wasn't like swordplay or archery, which anyone could learn with enough effort.

Magic had a high barrier to entry. Without talent, most people would never make progress.

That's why mages were so rare in adventuring parties.

Rarity was a form of power.

So what was the upside to choosing a Level 1 spell like Magic Missile instead?

Just one—but it was a big one.

When someone successfully broke into the professional tier, the skill they used to do it would be locked in as their Core Skill.

This core skill would:

Have better scaling as the user's class advanced

Be easier to cast

Consume less mana

And most importantly, influence what innate talent they awakened upon forming a class core

Yes—upon forming a class path, every professional would awaken a unique talent related to their core skill.

A ranger with a bow-based core skill might gain talents like [Precise Aim], [Eagle Eye], or [Power Shot].

Now imagine choosing something like Magic Missile as your core.

The resulting talent? Likely to be something devastating.

Gauss swallowed hard.

Yeah. He'd made up his mind.

He was going to use Magic Missile as his breakthrough spell.

Sure, it would take longer. Sure, it was harder. But the payoff would be worth it.

He had something most others didn't—the Adventurer's Manual, which gave him real-time feedback on proficiency and progress. As long as he practiced, he would improve. There was no guesswork, no wasted effort.

To summarize:

Level 0 spells were more accessible and easier to master

Level 1 spells were far harder—but had way higher potential

Anything above Level 1 was off the table—without a class core, you simply couldn't cast them

So he wasn't going to waste time dreaming about mastering a Level 2 spell. That was out of reach—at least for now.

"If nothing better comes along, Magic Missile it is."

Even if it took more time and effort, securing a strong core skill and high-tier awakening talent would be worth it.

He looked up, clenching his fist under the table.

"Next step: I need a wand."

Even a basic one would reduce his mana usage and accelerate spell training.

It would help him master Magic Missile faster—and get him to professional status that much sooner.