I'm not a Witcher anymore.

In less than a minute.

There was no further sound in the net.

The last goblin's struggle ceased; its wide eyes lost their luster, its mouth was half-open, and the curses it had been unable to utter lingered in its throat.

The corpses of five green-skinned monsters were intertwined, their blood dripping slowly down the net ropes and pooling on the ground in a dark red puddle.

The forest fell silent once more.

Only the occasional bird calls from afar and the sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves could be heard.

Zieg wiped the sword clean with a linen cloth, then sheathed it.

He closed his eyes, and the book of adventures deep in his mind quietly surfaced.

The pages turned automatically, stopping on a particular page. The parchment emitted a soft glow, and ink began to flow from the previously blank grid, converging into clear text:

"Milestone Achieved - Goblin Hunter: Kill 10 Goblin Minions (Current Kill Count: 21)"

"Gift Arrives: Strength (Attribute) +1"

Current strength: 6→7

The golden characters flickered like flowing flames for a few moments before gradually fading away.

Immediately afterwards, new ink flowed like a spring, meandering across the paper and coalescing again into lines of deep characters:

"Unlock a new milestone - Goblin Slayer: Kill 50 Goblin Minions, 1 Goblin Shaman, and 1 Giant Goblin"

The words on the pages vanished like wisps of smoke, the Book of Adventure closed automatically, and disappeared into the depths of Zieg's mind.

A familiar burning sensation burst forth from my chest, instantly flowing through my limbs and bones.

This time, the surge of energy was no longer as violent as the first time; instead, it possessed a smoothness and stability, like water returning to the sea.

A few faint, soft sounds emanated from deep within the bones.

The muscles tighten and solidify silently, and the fibers become as tough and elastic as steel wire.

In less than ten seconds, the surging heat subsided quietly, replaced by an unprecedented and extremely solid sense of control.

He drew his steel sword, flicked his wrist, and twirled it in the air in a near-perfect sword flourish.

The whistling sound of the blade tearing through the air was crisper and shorter than yesterday.

He walked to the net, grabbed the rope with one hand, and gently lifted it.

He easily lifted the entire net, along with the five goblin corpses inside, half a meter off the ground!

Although I can still feel the weight, it's not as strenuous as before.

He sheathed his longsword, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

The same situation, happening again.

He could finish faster.

……

The evening sunlight streamed in through the tall, arched windows, casting golden beams of light onto the wooden floor.

The guild hall was bustling with activity, filled with adventurers who had just returned from completing their missions.

Zieg pushed open the door and walked into the hall, heading straight for the counter closest to the door.

"Mr. Zieg, you're back."

Leah's voice was light and friendly, her eyes crinkling slightly. "Looks like you had a good day."

This is the second time Sieg has come to turn in the task.

As a receptionist, Leah was impressed by this new adventurer who always went it alone but was incredibly efficient.

Zig walked to the counter, took off the cloth bag from his waist, and placed it on the counter.

"Hmm, not bad luck. Proof of 9 goblin kills."

The bag's opening was loosened, revealing its contents—

Nine cleaned goblin left ears.

Leah picked up the ears and counted them one by one:

"Confirmed. No problem. Nine goblins. According to the guild's bounty standards, each goblin is worth 2 silver coins, for a total of 1 gold and 8 silver. Please keep your reward."

Leah took out several coins from under the counter and handed them to Zig.

Zig put the coins away, but did not leave immediately.

"Miss Lia, are there any other goblin-related requests?"

Leah's smile froze slightly, and a troubled expression appeared on her face:

"Well... there was one just now, but..."

She hesitated, as if there was something she couldn't bring herself to say.

Just then...

"Hello!"

A vibrant, slightly immature young voice came from behind Zieg.

"Do you want to take on goblin-related commissions?"

Zig turned around.

What came into view was a boy who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, walking towards him with an expectant expression.

The boy was slender but upright, with short hair, and his eyes shone with the enthusiasm and drive unique to young people. His face still had a touch of childish innocence.

He wore a fine-looking longsword at his waist and a gleaming breastplate, simple in design but well-maintained.

Most notably...

A white porcelain plaque hung around his neck.

The nameplate was smooth and new, without a single stain, and you could even see the reflection of the glaze, indicating that it had just been received.

The boy strode up to Zieg, his face showing nervousness but trying to appear calm. He took a deep breath and extended his right hand:

"My name is Kevin! I just registered as an adventurer today!"

His tone was full of the formality and a hint of pride that comes with self-introductions, as if becoming an adventurer was an incredibly honorable thing.

"We just received a commission to exterminate goblins," Kevin said, turning to a corner not far from the hall where two other young girls, also wearing white porcelain nameplates, sat. "If you don't mind, why don't you join us?"

Although Sieg also wore a white porcelain nameplate on his chest, symbolizing a newcomer, his outrageous feat of defeating twelve goblins on his first trip out of the city had already quietly spread among the adventurers in the border town.

In this dangerous place, news always travels fast. Although the seasoned veterans remain outwardly calm, the name "monster rookie" has already spread like wildfire among the whispers of the underworld.

Especially now, Kevin witnessed Sieg casually flicking out nine fresh left ears, which further solidified the boy's judgment—this young man was no ordinary white porcelain-level adventurer, but a seasoned adventurer in disguise.

To increase the chances of success in this operation, Kevin needs to secure the participation of this senior colleague.

"We'll split the commission and the bounty equally, it's absolutely fair!" Kevin added, afraid Zieg might feel he was being taken advantage of. "Even though we're newcomers, we'll all work hard..."

The boy's face was filled with anticipation and trepidation, his hand still in a shaking-hand gesture, waiting for Zieg's response.

Zieg paused for a moment in response to Kevin's invitation, his gaze lingering on the boy's face for a few seconds.

Then, he nodded calmly:

"Can."

Without much hesitation.

The direction is the same.

He needed to continue hunting goblins anyway, and whether he was a lone wolf or in a group, it made no real difference to him.