Gauss opened his eyes.
The piercing sunlight made him dizzy.
He instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes, his mind a complete blur.
"What is going on?"
His memory felt like it had blanked out, as if he had blacked out briefly.
He looked around the environment in confusion.
But as he quickly recalled, he gradually pieced his memory back together.
Right, I was exploring the Maze earlier, then when I reached the edge, I encountered that terrifying Pale Guard.
Then I was chased all the way, forced into its lair.
After that, I used the Teleportation Scroll.Gauss’s last memory stopped at the approaching blade steps getting closer and closer.
He touched his head and body.
Everything was intact. It seemed he had successfully teleported away without taking that dreadful downward strike!
Thinking about that Pale Guard and the moment he escaped with the wolves, he clenched his teeth.
Once I get stronger, I really have to go back and reclaim the field!
But, how did I end up here?
The surroundings were clearly a carefully arranged inn room, with warm-toned wooden floors and a soft bed.
Light blue curtains fluttered gently in the breeze.
A beam of sunlight poured into the room from outside the window.
He faintly heard the lively chatter of people on the street.
Is this back in town?
However, soon he remembered a more pressing matter.
Isn't this the penalty for killing the fifth type of elite monster!
He immediately opened the Adventurer’s Manual.
While he was unconscious, the accumulated commendation information surged like a tide all at once.
“After killing 5 types of elite monsters (5/5)”
“Elite Path Stage 2 successfully unlocked!”
“Obtained Talent: Randomly selected an elite monster racial talent.”
“Current elite monster encyclopedia entries: Mantis Man, Half-Ogre, Mud Statue, Mimic Chest, Spider Ghost.”
“Randomly selecting racial talent ability and adapting it to constitution.”
...
“Obtained ability from monster [Spider Ghost]: Thin Ancient Bloodline.”
“Improving to racial talent [Ghost Form] Blue quality (upgradable).”
[Ghost Form] (Initial Level): Under the premise of not affecting the purity of your main bloodline, you will gain a form derived from a distant mutated ghost clan bloodline.
When actively activating [Ghost Form], your appearance will briefly change, and your combat power will be specifically enhanced,
but energy loss will accelerate during this form. Use with caution. Overuse can lead to exhaustion or even unconsciousness.
“Ghost Form... combat power enhancement?”
Gauss pondered after reading the extracted talent.
In short, it grants him a special state in which his combat power is increased.
But exactly what is improved and by how much, he would have to experience it himself to find out.
Also, it seems this state cannot be maintained normally. It is powerful but consumes energy quickly.
Using it too much carries the risk of passing out.
If he really wants to use it for a long time, he must have a trustworthy companion nearby.
Sometimes character is even more important than strength.
Otherwise, if he faints, even if he defeats the enemy, he will face all sorts of risks and threats.
In many temporary teams, teammates who once fought side by side might suddenly become threats to the adventure's rewards.
Gauss continued reading.
“Elite Path Stage 2 achieved, unlocking Elite Path Stage 3: The Hunt.”
“The Hunt: Killing elite monsters, whether recorded in the encyclopedia or not, will earn elite points. Elite points can upgrade white-quality talents (upgradable) to blue quality (50 points), or improve the level progress of blue-quality talents.”
“Each new encyclopedia entry rewards 10 elite points; killing already recorded elite monsters grants 1 elite point.”
“Next talent draw requires 20 types of elite monster entries (5/20).”
After reading, Gauss nodded knowingly.
Stage 3 is a more long-term process without fixed goals, just continuous accumulation.
As long as you collect entries and kill elite monsters, you keep earning elite points.
These points can be used to upgrade talent quality. For example, his [Reptilian] talent needs 50 elite points to upgrade from white to blue quality.
These 50 points can be earned by hunting 5 new elite monsters or by killing 50 of already recorded elite monsters, or a mix of both.
Alternatively, points can be used to level up talents.
In short, to increase talent strength, continuous elite monster hunting is necessary. Priority is given to unfamiliar monster types for higher efficiency and speeding up the next talent draw, but killing recorded elites also yields rewards.
Choosing to kill elite monsters or low-level monsters is not conflicting.
Low-level monsters are numerous and spawn elite monsters. Elite monsters often have many low-level monsters as minions, especially outdoors. Elite and low-level monsters often appear together.
Gauss cleared his thoughts.
The door creaked softly as Aria pushed it open.
“You’re awake!”
Seeing Gauss sitting up, joy instantly lit her eyes, and the tension in her expression visibly relaxed.
Although she knew Gauss’s body was fine and that, according to the priest, as long as the toxin naturally dissipated, he would regain consciousness, the waiting these days was still agonizing.
She worried Gauss would fall into a deep sleep like a fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, never to wake.
That would haunt her for life.
Fortunately, it was not the worst case.
“Mm, just woke up.” Gauss glanced at the sunlight outside the window and the fruit basket on the bedside table. The cold dampness of the Maze felt like a distant past.
“Aria, did you find me in the Maze?” he asked curiously.
The Maze’s interior was so complex, finding him would not be easy, right?
Aria shook her head quickly.
“Not me. I didn’t wait for you to come out and went back the same way. But then I found I couldn’t return, so I searched around with Ulfen and Eck. During the search, we met the half-snake adventurer who we encountered twice before.”
“He was the one who found you.”
“Then we left the Maze together.”
“Really him?” Gauss was surprised.
He hadn’t expected to have such a connection with him.
“Is he still here?” Gauss asked.
Aria shook her head.
“After returning to Barry, he left. I wanted to offer him a reward, but he didn’t accept.”
Aria paused when saying this.
She always felt the half-snake was especially kind to Gauss but very distant and somewhat reluctant to interact with her, avoiding her.
“I owe him a big favor.” Gauss sighed.
Falling unconscious in a perilous Maze without teammates guarding him — even a layperson would understand the danger.
If he hadn’t been rescued, whether he could still breathe fresh air now was uncertain.
Next time we meet, I’ll figure out how to repay him.
Fortunately, despite the coincidence, the result was good.
Feeling warm sunlight again was truly wonderful.
For the next two days, Gauss followed medical advice and rested quietly.
Only after his body mostly recovered did he leave the room.
“The weather is bright today.” Gauss felt the cool breeze blowing toward him.
Probably because his body was improving, he was in a great mood.
“The priest said even after the toxin is completely cleared, rest for two more days is needed, and pay attention to diet after recovery.” Aria reminded him.
“Mm, got it.”
Thinking about the cause of his unconsciousness, Gauss’s expression became a bit serious.
He had gained some experience this time.
In the Spider Ghost’s lair and body lurked a certain invisible, colorless, and odorless abnormal energy. It could paralyze bodily functions, dulling physical strength and mana.
Eventually, it turned victims into paralyzed vegetative states.
Now, he understood why the adult Spider Ghost had so much “confidence” in the three little ones, never moving.
The lair constantly exuded this abnormal energy. Also, fighting and damaging the Spider Ghost exposed him to rapid infection by this energy.
In other words, without a Teleportation Scroll or other spatial means, a professional of his level entering the lair would be devoured bit by bit by the immature Spider Ghosts, becoming nutrients.
Such a despicable enemy with home terrain advantage.
After leaving the Maze, the hired priest dispelled most of the abnormal energy, but a tiny remainder could only dissipate naturally over time.
Luckily, his constitution was strong and did not trouble him long.
However, Aria was even more concerned about his health.
She had been like a “mother hen,” strictly controlling his diet these days.
He could not ignore the concern; after all, it came from a professional physician.
“Where do you want to go today?”
“No particular plan, just get some fresh air.”
He didn’t have a clear purpose today either.
Although Gauss wanted to test the newly acquired blue-quality racial talent, his body was not fully recovered. With Aria watching closely, he had to abandon the idea for now.
Going out was mostly because Gauss felt stifled in the room and wanted to take a stroll. Aria accompanied him to shop.
“Then let’s go check out the Beast Market? We’ve delayed the mount thing for too long.” Aria suggested.
The Maze experience was physically and mentally exhausting. Strolling the market was a good way to change mood.
Gauss just remembered that was the initial reason they came to the Forest Capital.
But last time, the Maze distracted them, and the mount matter was forgotten for a while.
Now that the first Maze exploration was over, it was a good time for a visit.
Walking on the southern streets of Barry City.
The road was busy with carriages and people but not overcrowded.
“Sir, want a newspaper?”
“Trouble.”
They bought a copy of the Barry Morning Post from a street vendor child.
Gauss and Aria waited for a carriage on the street.
Barry, reportedly built upon an ancient elf city, invested heavily by the kingdom with manpower and resources, relying on professionals to complete construction.
It boasted various historical sites and spectacular natural scenery, with efficient systems for transportation, water supply, sewage, and waste treatment.
What they were about to experience was Barry’s city bus.
As the name implies, it was a vehicle everyone could ride, similar in role to buses in Gauss’s previous life.
The city bus stopped at special buildings and public places, circling the outer and inner city districts daily.
There seemed to be a more advanced public transportation system in the inner city but it had not yet spread to the larger outer districts.
Reading the newspaper, Gauss quickly found what he wanted.
“Maze Special Section”
“Latest: Environment of Maze Layer 3 revealed!”
“According to pioneer reports, the third underground layer of the Maze expands the acid zone based on the second layer’s landscape, confirming corrosive spore clusters exist.”
“Association Reminder: Recommended to purchase acid-resistant coated clothing.”
“Survival Class: How to distinguish treasure chests from Mimic Chests...”
The paper had a dedicated section recording various Maze information.
Not only adventurers likely to enter the Maze paid attention, many citizens browsed this part during leisure time.
Though most would never step into the underground Maze, it had become a mainstream topic in the city.
“Didn’t expect adventurers to reach Maze Layer 3 so soon.” Aria sighed.
“But it’s mostly luck.” Gauss shook his head.
Their progress was not slow at all.
Neither of them were among the first adventurers to enter the Maze. Being able to surpass many others on the first layer was already impressive.
Next time entering the Maze, they should catch up with the first wave.
While they talked, the city bus arrived.
They sat and headed toward the market.
The carriage was long and narrow; passengers sat in pairs or threes. Gauss and Aria’s arrival drew some attention.
Although Barry had many more professionals than Grayrock Town, most city residents were ordinary people.
Yet the citizens’ demeanor was somewhat different: still cautious but less timid and anxious.
Some children curiously kept staring at the two.
After nearly an hour of steady travel, Gauss arrived at the destination.
Overall, the city bus ride was better than he expected.
The speed was moderate but the ride was smooth.
Gauss looked up at the huge circular building.
“This is the Beast Market?”
“Yes.” Aria nodded, having been here once before. “I heard it used to be an arena, but for city safety, it was converted into the current Beast Market.”
Entering the market required a small entrance fee.
But since Gauss and Aria were adventurers, government employees maintaining order waived their fees.
“Boom!”
Entering the venue, a noisy heat wave hit them.
The market was bustling with voices.
Besides citizens buying ordinary pets, mounts, or work animals, many adventurers were also present.
Especially since the Maze opened, it became even livelier.
Lizards, hunting dogs, ornamental birds, pack animals, horses... all kinds of domesticated creatures dazzled the eye. Those that flew, swam, or ran — everything was there.
Apart from some pets, many large beasts were expensive.
For example, common horses: cheap small crossbows cost dozens of silver coins; better horses cost several gold coins or more.
Gauss and Aria’s funds were more than enough to buy a horse.
“Want to see the horses?”
“No thanks.” Gauss shook his head. “We’ll be diving into the Maze often later; horses aren’t suitable.”
For transportation, horses were undoubtedly the best choice.
But in more complex Maze terrain, their weaknesses showed: high environmental requirements, easily spooked, and from the second layer on, they couldn’t move freely.
Excluding horses, Gauss and Aria continued browsing.
Cattle, donkeys, and camels were unsuitable—too slow, worse than horses.
They carefully chose among giant hoof goats, terrain lizards, mountain goats, ostriches, wild boars, and other mounts.
Gauss and Aria hesitated.
After some deliberation, they chose ostriches.
Ostriches were excellent mounts, large-bodied, similar to emus, with fully reduced wings, unable to fly.
Adults could easily carry several people.
Strong physique, developed hind limbs, broad sturdy bird hooves made them perfect for running.
Bright yellow feathers covered their bodies; their appearance was majestic yet somewhat cute.
At 7 gold coins each, they were cost-effective mounts.
What attracted Gauss most was their outstanding jumping ability, allowing them to overcome terrain obstacles well, adapting to many complex environments.
They were also omnivores, eating wheat, weeds, berries, wild vegetables, shrubs, even meat, so no need to carry special feed.
Ostriches were definitely great partners for exploring new areas.
In fact, Gauss often saw these adorable creatures.
Though he felt a bit sorry for the gold, he knew this money was necessary to spend, and the sooner, the better. It would boost their team’s activity efficiency sooner.
“Just these two.”
Aria carefully selected two vigorous, healthy adult ostriches.
The seller enthusiastically included saddles and reins as gifts.
In appearance, Gauss’s ostrich was slightly stockier; Aria’s was sleeker, but overall size was similar.
These mounts were artificially bred, raised, and professionally trained before being sold. Smaller, weaker, or sickly individuals would not be raised as it was not worth the investment.
As for capturing wild ostriches, costs were high, and their wild nature made taming difficult. Even if captured, training costs would be greater.
“Next, you need to go to the Taming Office to register. Staff will guide you. You can familiarize yourselves with the area and riding skills before the test.”
After successfully selling the two mounts, the seller smiled and explained the registration place, process, and precautions.
To ride mounts smoothly in Barry, you must register at the Taming Office and pass a simple riding ability test.
Gauss led his ostrich to an open space.
Tamed ostriches were docile and quickly grew close.
Gauss petted its fluffy head.
He swung onto the saddle.
About 1.5 meters high, a bit tall for ordinary people, but Gauss climbed easily.
He sat steadily on the cushioned saddle.
Looking at the suddenly expanded open view, Gauss felt great.
The nearby staff preparing to teach sighed in relief seeing his easy posture.
He looked like a fast learner.
That saved them a lot of effort.
“Yes, hold the reins, look forward. Controlling it is similar to riding a horse. In fact, our ostriches are smarter than ordinary horses...” The staff began formal introduction and guidance.
As he said, riding skills were similar to horse riding: lightly tapping the sides of the abdomen with calves controlled speed; to speed up, lean forward slightly; for turns, press down and clamp the opposite side, pulling reins toward the turning direction.
Although Gauss did not buy a horse, it didn’t mean he hadn’t ridden one.
During past caravan travels, he learned horse riding from riders during rest. After a few times, his riding was quite good.
After all, his agility attribute was high, and his body control far exceeded ordinary people, learning skills faster.
Soon, Gauss was confidently trotting his ostrich in the area,
while nearby Aria was even faster, needing little skill.
With her druid’s natural animal affinity and the “Animal Communication” cantrip, she quickly earned her ostrich’s trust.
A few carrots later, her ostrich obeyed her completely, in perfect harmony.
After familiarizing themselves with riding skills, the two followed the staff to the Taming Office,
completed registration smoothly, and passed the riding test without issues.
After running a couple of laps at the office’s track, Gauss became a “car owner” in this otherworld.
Though not comparable to real prestigious mounts, Gauss was satisfied.
He named his ostrich [Golden Spike]; Aria’s was called [Slingshot].
“Clop clop clop...” Rhythmic hoofbeats sounded as they rode their ostriches into Barry’s busy main road traffic.
After adapting to the slight jolts, Gauss felt no discomfort. Instead, this mode of movement brought a sense of exhilaration and freedom.
“Where to next?”
They test-rode among the traffic for a while before stopping roadside.
“Let me think.”
Having mounts further expanded their map exploration ability.
They could reach farther places within Barry City without hitchhiking or going to the carriage station.
“Gauss, you said you haven’t been to the Spellcasters Association yet?” Aria asked after a moment’s thought.
“Yes.” Gauss nodded.
This was his first time in a big city.
Rural areas or towns like Grayrock Town did not have professional association branches, so no chance to visit the Spellcasters Association.
Besides the Spellcasters Association, Barry had many other professional associations: Warrior, Ranger, Rogue, Priest, etc.
The Spellcasters Association was the most powerful among them, covering a wide range of professions including mage, warlock, wizard, necromancer, druid, illusionist, and even priests could register there.
“Then let’s register there. Becoming a registered spellcaster is necessary. I have something to do there anyway.” Aria nodded firmly.
She was also a registered spellcaster.
“The thing you mentioned a few days ago?” Gauss joked. “Congrats in advance.”
A hint of joy appeared on Aria’s face but she quickly suppressed it.
“It’s not certain yet, maybe just my illusion.”
Gauss knew it was almost a sure thing.
With Aria’s personality, she wouldn’t tell him if she was uncertain, especially regarding her own cultivation progress.
“By the way, you haven’t been a professional for two years, right?” Gauss asked.
“Yes, just over a year, almost two.”
“To touch the edge of level 2 advancement in just over a year is quite fast.” Gauss said seriously. “So you should be more confident in your talent. Actually, your talent isn’t bad.”
Aria blushed slightly at this.
If anyone else said it, it would be fine, but coming from Gauss, she felt embarrassed, as if being “mocked.” But she knew Gauss wasn’t that kind of person.
“Far behind you... and if I’m wrong, I’ll just be disappointed.” Aria waved her hands repeatedly.
Every time she talked about her progress in front of Gauss, she felt a bit shy.
If it were before, without a fixed team, she would be very satisfied with this progress.
Advancing in just over a year was enviable for many.
However... Aria glanced at Gauss beside her.
She felt she had grown stronger faster since teaming with Gauss.
She even sensed that without Gauss, her feeling of almost reaching level 2 advancement wouldn’t have come so early.
After deciding their destination, the two held the map and rode slowly in the slow lane for a while.
After confirming direction thoroughly, they merged into the main road and sped toward the Spellcasters Association.
“Clop clop!”
Gauss pulled the reins, slowing the ostrich to a stop.
“We’re here.”
Gauss stared at the scene and held his breath.
Is this the Spellcasters Association? Honestly, it was imposing.
A grand architectural complex with dozens of slender towers standing like guards around the central majestic main tower.
It was located in the core of the outer city district, just a step away from the inner city.
Aria had said the inner city had a smaller but higher-level Spellcasters Association branch, but this scene already impressed Gauss greatly.
The largest central tower was built with gray-white giant stones. The top was inlaid with an eight-pointed star emblem flickering with purple flames—symbol of the Spellcasters Association.
The tower was engraved with protective runes that glowed faintly even in daylight.
The white walls were adorned with many golden reliefs, and the windows used stained crystal glass, making the exterior magnificent.
They parked their ostriches in a designated area.
“Please show your identification.”
Aria presented her Spellcaster Crystal.
“This is my teammate, also a professional mage. It’s his first time registering today. This is his adventurer guild badge.”
“Welcome to the Forest Capital Spellcasters Association.”
After verification, they smoothly entered the main hall of the Spellcasters Association.
The space inside was very spacious. Spiral staircases wound upward on both sides. The magic tower rose layer by layer; higher floors required greater permissions.
Magic users in robes were everywhere.
Rare mages and warlocks gathered here.
However, many did not wear adventurer badges; only a few did.
Aria led Gauss to the registration window.
Registering as a member was not complicated.
You just held a crystal, and after a few seconds of detection, registration was complete.
After registering, Gauss received his own Spellcaster Crystal.
Similar to the adventurer badge, it was a form of identification.
“Mr. Gauss, now I will introduce the benefits of becoming a Spellcasters Association member.”
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
“First, with this crystal, you can freely borrow books in our public reading area. Our library holds over a million volumes; surely many will interest you.”
“Second, you have monthly access to first-floor rooms for experience use.”
“Additionally, you can earn Association Contribution Points by making contributions, which can be exchanged for many precious resources like rare magic, magical pets, equipment, resources, and access to professional labs.”
“Finally, the more Contribution Points you have, the higher your access permissions and the higher floors you can reach.”
After this brief introduction, Gauss had a basic understanding of the Spellcasters Association.
Overall, it was somewhat similar to the Adventurer’s Guild, but Spellcasters members had more limited professions. The Adventurer’s Guild was business-oriented, while the Spellcasters Association focused on academic research.
He felt this trip was worthwhile. Just free access to over a million volumes of books was an enticing benefit.
He indeed needed a place to access more spells and communicate with other spellcasters.
“All right, you go handle your business first.” After registering, Gauss told Aria. He knew she had important goals.
Only after Aria’s figure completely disappeared did he hurry back to the front desk.
“Excuse me, can I use the training room now?” He had paid attention during the staff introduction.
He just acquired the [Ghost Form] talent and was itching to test it.
Anyway, it was a free trial, and a few times a month at most. Better to use it than not.
“Of course, there are available rooms. You have three free uses per month.” The staff replied kindly.
After confirmation, she handed him a card and told him the room location.
Gauss gripped the card and quickly headed to the training area.
Just turning a corner of the corridor,
a familiar golden scale gleamed in sight.
“Huh?”
He squinted slightly to confirm he wasn’t mistaken, then hurried after it.
“What a coincidence, meeting again.”
“Hiss... it’s you.” The half-snake turned, flicking his snake tongue.
Actually, as soon as Gauss found him, the half-snake’s tongue caught Gauss’s scent molecules in the air.
So his face showed little surprise.
“I heard you found me unconscious in the Maze and brought me out.” Gauss bowed deeply. “I’m forever grateful for saving my life!”
The half-snake shook his head, slightly turning aside. In a hoarse voice, he said,
“No need to thank me. Even if I hadn’t found you, your companions were about to arrive.”
“That still deserves thanks.”
Though the sincerity of his words couldn’t be verified, the fact remained: he had helped Gauss.
“Tell me if there’s anything I can do to repay you.” Gauss promised.
He was ready to spend all his wealth.
At worst, he could borrow living expenses from Aria later.
But compared to owing favors, spending some gold coins was worth it.
“Is that so...” The half-snake’s hoarse voice paused. A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as his gaze fell on Gauss’s waist. “Then... give me those two Storage Bags. I don’t want the stuff inside, just need bags to hold some odds and ends.”
“...” Gauss thought for a moment.
Two Storage Bags were worth 50 gold coins, and one belonged half to Aria.
But he nodded anyway, deciding to compensate Aria later.
Though 50 gold coins was not small, he felt the debt of life-saving was heavier.
With his strength, earning 50 gold coins would only get faster.
As the saying goes, “Money spent will return.”
It’s just 50 gold coins. Give it!
Seeing Gauss reach toward his waist,
the half-snake’s eyes flashed strangely, and he quickly raised his hand to stop him.
“Just kidding.” The half-snake said. “I’ll think of a real request later. That was a joke; don’t take it seriously.”
“Okay.” Gauss nodded, ready to hear his real demand.
The half-snake’s slender snake pupils scanned Gauss up and down.
After a long silence, a barely perceptible smile crossed his face. He spoke slowly with a testing tone,
“Is your team... still looking for members?”
PS: This chapter is an early-month extra update. Normal updates resume tomorrow at noon. Please support with monthly votes!