I Am Not A Goblin Slayer

He leaned closer to take a look, confirming that it wasn’t the sunlight refracting off the surface.

Afterwards, his heartbeat began to accelerate.

The pendant lighting up also meant that his mission could officially begin.

He put away the pendant.

He looked towards the direction of the valley.

Although the valley seemed quiet and secluded, he was certain that dragons lived there.

He had seen the flying silhouette of an unruly young dragon. Despite the distance and its mere circling above the valley before returning, Gauss, who was familiar with dragon shapes, was sure he hadn’t mistaken it.

That was the silhouette of a Giant Dragon, and judging by the color, it seemed to be a strong young Blue Dragon.

Aside from the Giant Dragon, there were many Jackal-Wolf People tribes living outside the valley, which appeared to be dragon servants left by the Green Dragon Queen.

Gauss had seen today the Jackal-Wolf People transporting large wild beasts into the valley, presumably to feed the dragon cubs.

Gauss took out the ”Quiet Birdcage” and cradled it in his hand.

The time left for this operation was not much.

Once formally released, the Quiet Birdcage lasts only a short ten minutes.

All his actions must be completed within this ten-minute window.

After ten minutes, the seal will end, and the news of his strike on the Dragon’s Nest will quickly spread.

At that time, even if the Green Dragon Queen cannot defend immediately or simply chooses not to, other Extraordinary Demons will surely come to check the situation.

During his journey in the Jade Forest, he had detected several hidden presences that each gave Gauss a slight feeling of danger.

Though the reason is unknown, the Green Dragon Queen clearly held back, not deploying her forces completely.

This finding is why Gauss would be so cautious following.

Fortunately, near the Dragon’s Nest, he didn’t detect similar dangerous presences.

Of course, it could be that their concealment methods exceeded his perception abilities, but there is another possibility.

That is, the vicinity of the Dragon’s Nest is unable to host many beings stronger than a Giant Dragon, just like how two tigers cannot coexist on one mountain.

This is not an idle speculation; he had communicated with Hephaestus after gaining wisdom on this subject, learning that their innate bloodline would instinctively repel strong Alien Races hiding nearby, and over time, even influence their growth.

As for fellow Giant Dragons, there is no such restriction, which is the factual basis for the many orphaned young dragons willing to sign ”illegal labor” contracts with adult dragons.

So, Gauss’s situation is similar; his existence won’t suppress Hephaestus.

He took a deep breath.

Then he began to walk down the mountain, and soon he appeared near the valley.

He did not proceed further inside.

According to the Adventurer’s Guild’s estimation, because the range of the Dragon’s Nest is relatively large, it would likely be difficult to cover it completely with an array at all times, but internally, there would definitely be localized reconnaissance arrays maintained.

If he rashly entered, the risk of exposure would be considerable.

So...

Gauss lifted the Disguise Skill, transforming from the dirty goblin appearance back to human form.

Then, he lightly felt the silvery branch-like ring wrapped around the middle finger of his right hand.

Magic Power injected, the Quiet Birdcage began to activate.

”Buzz!”

A mysterious force silently extended from his location.

Like a tiny droplet falling into the lake, seemingly insignificant, yet in a very short time, spreading circle after circle outward.

Where the ripples reached, the world appeared unchanged to the naked eye; the leaves continued to sway gently in the wind, and the distant Jackal-Wolf People tribe remained noisy.

But everything was different.

An invisible barrier instantly enveloped a hemispherical area.

Gauss, the Dragon’s Nest, and all Jackal-Wolf People tribes outside the Dragon’s Nest were cloaked within.

Inside and outside the barrier were divided into two worlds.

Creatures outside the barrier cast their gaze toward the area where the Quiet Birdcage took effect, seeing a valley unchanged, but that was merely the image the birdcage wanted the world to see.

Meanwhile, within the birdcage, all sounds, methods, magic power could not penetrate the transparent membrane; if attempting to approach the boundary, an invisible force would affect their mind, causing them to spin in place.

As a gold-quality wondrous item, the effect of the Quiet Birdcage is significantly stronger than most items of the same level, though its drawback is evident: short duration, lasting only ten minutes.

And in a sense, it is a one-time item; once its energy is exhausted, it cannot function again without being sent back for recharging.

Compared to other gold quality wondrous items that can function steadily for long periods, its effects being stronger is only natural.

Confirming the Quiet Birdcage had officially activated, Gauss no longer hid.

During the birdcage’s duration, the creatures here would become fish in a barrel.

Ten minutes!

He etched this time in his heart.

And from the moment the Quiet Birdcage was activated, Eden began acting as his timer, counting silently for him.

second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...

Though unclear how long it might take to slay the Giant Dragon, whether it would require the full ten minutes, Gauss maintained the attitude of every second counts.

”Any Door!”

He flickered to the entrance of the valley.

As he appeared, the Jackal-Wolf People near the entrance saw him.

But before they could react in their dazed state, the light of Any Door lit up again, and with a flash, he disappeared once more.