[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-not-goblin-slayer":3,"chapter-i-am-not-goblin-slayer-i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-88":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Am Not Goblin Slayer",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1030742,1343,"Chapter 88: Massive Profits","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Gauss could feel the effects of this plain, unadorned metal staff with its dull black finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That effect was extreme durability!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, this was an extremely peculiar staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other staves either enhanced spell power, increased casting speed, or extended attack range - this staff had none of those.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All it offered was a slight boost to protective spells and an exceptionally sturdy construction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This seemed utterly un-magical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clumsy and heavy, its only advantage being a durability more suited to melee weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would only be suitable for a spellcaster with considerable melee capabilities, outstanding physical attributes, and the ability to cast spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others sensed the staff's properties and unanimously looked at Gauss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given Lawrence's physical condition, he clearly couldn't wield this nearly two-meter-long metal staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss was perfectly suited - and coincidentally, he specialized in protective magic too, as if this were tailor-made for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gauss, this staff suits you well. Take it,\" Lawrence said after some thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right, give it a try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew perfectly well who had contributed most in the recent battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this were some universally useful item, they wouldn't dream of competing with Gauss for it, let alone a staff they couldn't use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his teammates' unanimous agreement, Gauss nodded gratefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaped onto the platform and gripped the staff's only slightly matte-textured handle with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Applying some force, he pulled the scepter from the stone pedestal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first impression: it was somewhat heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, his physique was robust enough to handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung it a couple times before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff gave him an incredibly reassuring sense of stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the crucial question remained - could it channel magic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn't cast spells through it, then it would merely serve as a blunt melee weapon, drastically reducing its effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss hadn't forgotten how picky his magic was - back when testing wands with Andni, it had taken considerable time to find a match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, will it work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss channeled his magic through the metal shaft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief pause, he discovered - surprisingly smooth compatibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With minimal resistance, his magic flowed effortlessly through the staff's body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that my magic rejects ordinary mass-produced wands, only accepting unconventional ones like the Bone Staff and this metal scepter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss found this theory uncomfortably plausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his only two compatible implements both being highly unconventional staff types, he couldn't help but wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Light Cantrip!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to his currently depleted magic reserves, Gauss cast a simple illumination spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As magical waves emanated, pure white light radiated from the metal staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Successful spellcasting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss exhaled in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the metal scepter didn't offer the smooth casting sensation of the Bone Staff, nor any spell enhancement, its value as a melee weapon compensated significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus it still had numerous applications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, Lawrence looked up at Gauss standing on the pedestal, holding the illuminated staff aloft, his envy mingled with an involuntary sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though unsure of the metal staff's exact value, judging by the mantis man's strength, it might well be the dungeon's most valuable find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what could he say beyond envy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss had saved all their lives, his included.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this staff clearly wasn't suited for him - only for an unusual spellcaster apprentice like Gauss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This realization reminded Lawrence of a rumor he'd once heard - possibly true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That the dungeons and ruins left by lost civilizations would adjust their challenges and rewards based on the adventurers entering them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reward seemingly custom-made for Gauss suggested that in the dungeon's logic, only Gauss had performed meaningfully against the mantis man while the others contributed little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought left Lawrence somewhat resigned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom!\" While the group rested,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the entire dungeon began shaking violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's get out first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dungeon seemed on the verge of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others hastily gathered their belongings, helping the injured Liam and carrying Bianca's remains as they rushed from the crumbling space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerging through the exit tunnel to the surface, they had barely moved away when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"CRASH!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground above the dungeon shook even more violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like sinking quicksand, the towering stone pillars visible on the surface visibly descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until they disappeared completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the entrance vanish entirely left the group dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their six-day dungeon exploration had concluded with one member injured and another dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Processing the dungeon's loot took two full days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total value exceeded Gauss's expectations considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-seven gold coins in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Per their prior agreement, Lawrence took slightly over five coins - as the expedition's organizer who had invested in intelligence gathering and covered organizational and transportation costs, this amount raised no objections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss received four gold coins, not including the metal scepter he'd acquired, making him the expedition's true biggest beneficiary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining members each received about three and a half coins - an exceptionally lucrative haul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four gold coins also represented the largest sum Gauss had ever earned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at their starting tavern, the six-member team reconvened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss sipped apple cider while looking at Lawrence across the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about Bianca's share? I recall he left beneficiary information,\" Gauss asked casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bianca's death had been unexpected, but the team needed to handle his affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though a temporary party, everyone except Gauss had been acquaintances - not truly strangers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, my family's caravan happens to pass Bianca's village soon. I'll personally oversee delivering his remains and inheritance,\" Lawrence said heavily between gulps of ale,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>likely dreading facing Bianca's family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've got it handled then.\" Having barely known Bianca, Gauss only asked out of courtesy and didn't press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three and a half gold coins could support a family for years if spent wisely,\" Edith sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small consolation in their tragedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Bianca died, he left his family substantial means - unlike many struggling low-level adventurers who perish anonymously in the wilds, leaving grieving families both bereft and destitute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edith turned to Gauss, her dark-circled eyes shimmering with complex emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gauss... you're close to becoming a professional, aren't you?\" Remembering how Gauss had slain the mantis man - a foe only professionals should handle - still seemed unreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her recent nightmares kept replaying the mantis man's claws decapitating her, sometimes making her wonder if their survival was just death's final illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mage Armor lv3 (49\u002F50)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at his Adventurer's Manual status panel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past two days hadn't been idle - he'd squeezed in training sessions at the apprentice association whenever possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others' faces showed dawning comprehension mixed with intense envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For all apprentices, becoming a ranked professional represented the ultimate dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apprentices and professionals inhabited entirely different worlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Technically, when the Adventurer's Association first formed, low-level adventurers like them didn't exist - only professionals could register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The association's founders considered apprentices merely weapon-proficient commoners, unworthy of membership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single professional's destructive power eclipsed dozens of apprentices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the rising tide of monsters and minor incidents that professionals disdained handling forced the association to lower its standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they simply shifted privileges to bronze rank and above instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unofficial low-level adventurers still enjoyed few benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Truly enviable,\" said warrior apprentice Liam, still healing and thus avoiding alcohol, his voice muffled by food. Hearing Gauss's confirmation, he couldn't suppress his jealousy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You'll get there soon too,\" Gauss countered. \"If stuck, hire a professional tutor for guidance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three and a half gold could indeed secure professional instruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liam chuckled sheepishly, clearly having considered this. His laughter abruptly turned into a pained hiss as he aggravated his injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After I heal... though promotion isn't just about money. It takes luck, effort, and talent too.\" He remained grounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's only if you're not rich enough. Noble scions absolutely buy their way up with expensive elixirs and artifacts,\" Edith pointed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell across the table, Edith included.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the \"wealthiest\" among them, Lawrence, was lightyears from such privilege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The injustice stung - years of struggle versus those born with professional status guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why should noble youths have their paths paved with elite tutors, precious medicines, and custom equipment while others languished?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made their teeth ache with resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, Gauss,\" Lawrence suddenly said, as if remembering something important.\u003C\u002Fp>",1368,"2026-06-03T09:23:13.438Z","2026-06-03T09:23:16.563Z",1,"novelbin.me","f1831bf882565d84da1ddd6732d5dabdd8d632dd3bd324d8a137cd20d113059a","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-89","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-87",414,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-not-goblin-slayer-cover.jpg"]