"An off-the-record commission?"

Gauss showed a flicker of hesitation on his face.

From the tone in the old man's words, it sounded like this had something to do with his recent heavy goblin kills.

So, a special commission related to goblins?

That piqued his interest, but...

He definitely couldn't agree without knowing the specifics. No amount of pay would change that.

Although he was very skilled at killing goblins—his scouting and slaying techniques had been honed to a fine edge through many commissions—if the target turned out to be a Goblin King or a Goblin Hero-level opponent, his current strength would still be far from enough.

The Goblin King, also called the Goblin Monarch, is a top-tier individual that can only be born within large goblin tribes.

A Goblin King can command many goblins. Aside from being far stronger than ordinary goblins, they are often accompanied by elites, transcendent-level, or even lord-tier goblins.

They also possess superior command and troop-deployment abilities, and at critical moments they can grant special boosts to their followers.

In fact, most Goblin Kings start at the lord tier;

roughly speaking in human terms, that corresponds to a Silver-rank adventurer, a level 11–15 professional. Some who rule over huge goblin nations can even break through to higher tiers.

Goblin Heroes follow a different path from Goblin Kings: they focus on individual enhancement, boasting tremendous single-target combat strength. They are often powerful lords, and records even mention Goblin Heroes of Legendary rank;

they are the ceiling fighters that this populous green-skinned race can birth.

Worth noting, some Goblin Heroes, despite being stronger than Goblin Kings, sometimes still submit to a king’s command.

Other evolutionary paths can also produce top-tier subtypes, though they are rarer.

This is the terrifying nature of the goblin race.

Even if the vast majority of goblins are low-tier monsters, the sheer reproductive capacity and massive population base mean that, as long as there’s any chance, they can still produce a few top-tier individuals as a safety net.

Those "safeties" can shelter the lower-tier goblins, continuously spawning more of them.

In the most recent centuries-long monster war closest to our current age, it was those super-sized goblin nations hidden deep in monster territory that continuously supplied enormous manpower. Coupled with other monster races, under the Demon Lord’s command, they once overwhelmed the allied forces of humans, elves, dwarves, and others.

In the end, it was the hero Roland—hailed as the strongest human and the Light of the Empire—who led his small hero party into the heart of monster territory, cutting through obstacles to reach the Fallen King’s Court and behead the Demon Lord, bringing the war to a close.

High-end forces in this world truly hold terrifying power to reverse situations.

Of course, that extraordinary hero party had fragmented after Roland was wounded and retired to the sidelines;

with the war's end and many subsequent events, they fell apart.

Even within the same alliance, different races and nations had conflicting interests and friction.

Reassembling a team capable of moving freely in the Dark Continent and monster domains would be unlikely in the short term.

Gauss drifted off for a moment.

The old man thought he was weighing pros and cons and planning, so he didn’t rush, patiently waiting for his reply.

Gauss returned his attention to reality, looked at the Adventurers Guild junior director, and spoke in a deep voice.

"Your party is still in downtime, so you may be able to decide quickly. If it’s convenient, I’ll give you some complicated information. Discuss it with your teammates before making a decision."

The junior director nodded.

"About a month ago, an exploration detachment surveying the White Obsidian Road mineral vein deep in the border mountains lost contact," the elder's tone grew very serious.

"The Guild dispatched a search team led by a level-seven Warrior to investigate."

He paused for a beat.

"The search team has found traces of large-scale goblin activity deep within the obsidian path. Their organization and scale far exceed that of ordinary goblin tribes. Unfortunately, these creatures excel at retreat and concealment. Aside from a single amulet engraved with the Blackfang totem, there were no other valuables to be found."

Blackfang?

Gauss suddenly felt he had heard that name before.

"Yes, Blackfang," the old man confirmed with a nod. "One of the five major goblin tribes."

With that hint, Gauss quickly recalled passages he had read previously.

The five major tribes are the five largest super-sized goblin kingdoms on the Dark Continent.

Among them, the Blackfang Tribe excels at commanding beasts, wielding many mounts and boasting extraordinary mobility. Their wolf-rider goblin armies are their most notorious symbol.

Besides the numerous wolf cavalry, there are rat riders, winged-beast airborne cavalry, and so on.

Each goblin tribe is a complete, tightly organized monster nation: kings and priests, craftsmen, officers and soldiers, civilians, and slaves—clear social strata.

Blackfang is among the most raiding and relocation-savvy tribes;

they destroyed many towns during the monster wars.

"After the war, didn't the five major goblin tribes retract their power back into the Dark Continent?" Gauss asked, puzzled.

These tribal goblins are not the same as wild rabble goblins.

The former are like an organized goblin army.

"That’s right, but this isn’t exactly new. Over the last decade or so, Adventurers Guilds across the borderlands have frequently collected evidence of tribal goblin totems," the elder said.

"Large-scale invasions did stop, but small-scale infiltrations and probes have become more frequent."

The old man sighed and tapped the table with an absent-minded finger as he gathered his thoughts before continuing.

"These goblin nations, with their mature civilizations, are far more patient than we imagine. They will, like sowing seeds, continuously send out 'seed' strike teams carrying their tribal totems and capabilities to expedition here, attempting to incubate nests across a long frontier."

Gauss watched the elder quietly, waiting for him to go on.

The elder paused.

"These 'seeds' might be a single shaman or an elite cavalryman leading a dozen or dozens of fighters who arrive and then quickly consolidate the local wild goblin bands, arming them in a more advanced organizational manner to form a non-negligible force."

"The geological exploration team's disappearance may be due to encountering such a locally organized force set up by the Blackfang Tribe."

The elder finished his explanation and looked at Gauss.

"I understand the Guild's concern," Gauss said slowly. "If the Blackfang Tribe is operating behind the scenes, the threat level and... impact do indeed require prudence."

What worried Gauss was not only the goblin group's combat power itself, but the deeper meaning behind a tribal totem.

Could it be some kind of omen?

If this were put up in the hall as a public commission, many speculative minds or ill-intentioned people might stir up trouble and public opinion.

The best approach would be a covert investigation, defensive measures, and then dispatching an elite squad to neutralize any nascent threats.

What monsters try to accomplish, humans must prevent.

"Yes, please keep this commission confidential. Apart from your team, don’t spread the information," the elder said, nodding with satisfaction.

He wasn’t the one who chose Gauss;

he was merely a messenger.

In fact, the Guild annually evaluates many adventurers.

They pick reliable, upright newcomers with both strength and potential for such commissions.

A special commission like this implies valuable experience and would help a professional grow immensely.

This goblin-related special commission clearly suited a genius adventurer like Gauss, who had special experience and efficiency handling goblins.

"What about the reward?" Gauss asked.

This commission sounded difficult—and it was.

Since a team led by a level-five Warrior had already gone and gained nothing, it indicated the enemy's capability.

Even a goblin-specialist like him might find no useful leads.

Aside from the danger, there was the possibility of investing significant time and coming away empty-handed.

"The available rewards vary: spells, mounts, money, even some ordinary inheritances might be offered. If quantified, it's approximately the amount of resources needed to train a completely ordinary civilian into a level-five professional."

"But I don’t know the exact reward list. This reward is not issued by our branch;

I’m only a notifier. After completion, you should claim it at any city-level Guild."

"Additionally, before the mission the Guild will prepare targeted supplies, such as more efficient antidotes and beast-repellent potions. Blackfangs are adept at using beasts and poisons."

Gauss pondered for a moment.

In terms of reward, it was generous—very generous.

It even smelled like cultivation resources for promising talent.

So was he on some prioritized training candidate list?

And it seemed city-level Adventurers Guilds were already paying attention to him.

He knew his rapid rise wouldn’t escape the Guild’s powerful information network, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

"I’ll discuss it with my teammates when I return. My priest teammate is still breaking through his level;

recently I’ve been clearing many nearby commissions and waiting on him."

"Understood." The elder smiled kindly. He wasn’t surprised;

clearly he’d been following Gauss’s recent movements.

"Please respond soon. Whether you accept or not, report back to us."

"Okay." Gauss stood up.

"By the way, if you accept this commission, temporary teammates will join you. Be prepared."

Temporary additions... Gauss hesitated, but acknowledged the information.

He left the Adventurers Guild.

On the road, Gauss continued digesting the small amount of information he’d just received.

Investigating and eliminating a goblin tribe’s expedition force—especially a locally consolidated goblin power—was far more dangerous than a wild goblin nest.

But it was also an extremely rare opportunity.

Danger and opportunity are twins that always appear together.

First, there was the generous reward the Guild mentioned: the junior director had hinted at level-3 circle spells, elite flying mounts like griffins, and possibly even more mysterious rewards.

That alone excited him.

Moreover, this was a tribal goblin matter.

This commission could give him access to more elite goblin spiritual energy, potentially accelerating the growth of his Clay Goblins immensely, and there would be many base-level goblins.

The commission itself was already a reward.

If left unchecked, other adventurers might take it, but failure could let those goblins use it as a springboard to funnel forces and assimilate local goblins, eventually forming a regional threat.

However, the temporary teammates the elder mentioned made Gauss uneasy.

If possible, he didn’t want to recklessly accept strangers into his party, especially when it was likely just for a single commission.

Unlike other adventurers, he possessed the Adventurer’s Manual—he was special. Over long associations, teammates would inevitably notice something.

Thankfully, Aria and Serlandul were both decent people who had long since turned a blind eye to this, sparing him the need for explanations in many situations.

Strangers, though, meant uncertainty.

What if one was a terrible personality or extremely selfish? Then the mission could turn into a nightmare before it even began.

Gauss knew well how mixed and unpredictable the adventurer crowd could be;

his small team remained pure largely because he had carefully assembled it.

In the past year or two, many lone-wolf adventurers had approached him seeking to join.

But after his "interviews," he had turned them down.

Most failed due to personality issues;

even if they tried to conceal them, they couldn't escape Gauss’s keen intuition.

Many lone wolves came with major problems: lack of teamwork or cooperation was sometimes minor compared to worse traits.

He’d once met a lone wolf who made him feel physically uneasy on sight.

Afterward, he did a little investigating and quickly gathered the person’s background.

The fellow was a notorious "team swiper"—frequently changing parties, and every team he’d joined had ended in mysterious wipeouts, with only that person somehow surviving.

Such dangerous types are avoided by any reasonably informed team.

Once or twice might be accidents, but multiple times signaled something sinister.

Chances are they were like a wolf among men: creating accidents to wipe out teams and feed on the survivors’ inheritances.

Teammates like that are more dangerous than enemies.

Because even if you suspect something is off, you can't guard against them all the time.

The temporary members the Guild assigned were probably not that bad, but Gauss would still be prudent.

"Still need to think it over," Gauss said, pursing his lips.

"Or rather, after the party assembles, confirm things and then try to meet the temporary teammates beforehand to gauge them."