Recaps

Gauss and Alya tested a coordinated ambush, using Alya’s Entangling Spell and Gauss’s Fire Oil and Burning Hands to kill the Crowmen. The kill unlocked Gauss’s new racial Talent, Reptilian, and its integration began transforming his body.

• Alya used Nature’s Power to grow vines from prepared seeds and entangle the Crowmen around their campfire.
• Gauss coated the trapped Crowmen with Fire Oil and engulfed them in flames with Burning Hands, killing fifteen.
• Gauss received the Crow Hunter title and reached twenty types in his Common Monster Codex, triggering a racial Talent draw.
• The draw gave Gauss the Goblin ability Latent Gene, modified into the upgradeable Reptilian Talent.
• Gauss read that Reptilian enhanced his vitality, protection, healing, environmental resistance, and coordination before the system began integrating it into his body.

Gauss gained the Talent [Body Modification], which strengthened his body and increased his resistance to cold, then considered how he could further improve [Crawling Species]. After defeating a group of monsters, he and Alya collected their remains and stopped to eat behind a boulder.

• Gauss endured the intense heat as [Body Modification] transformed his skin, organs, muscles, and bones.
• Gauss discovered that his cold resistance, skin protection, coordination, and potential healing ability had improved.
• Gauss reasoned that [Crawling Species] could grow through killing goblins or advancing its quality, though he did not know how to improve its quality.
• Gauss told Alya to find shelter, eat, and then head back, and they gathered valuable parts from the crowfolk they had defeated.
• Gauss and Alya found shelter from the wind behind a massive boulder.

After Gauss and Alya returned from hunting, they found the Winter Hunt camp devastated by a Poison Wyvern attack. They learned that Guildmaster Eberhard was pursuing the wyvern into the forest, and Quek feared the attack signaled renewed turmoil in the Emerald Forest.

• Gauss and Alya discussed how monsters might survive the winter and the Green Dragon Queen’s influence over the Emerald Forest.
• Gauss and Alya returned to camp and found it corroded by poison, with many people unconscious or dead.
• Gauss and Alya asked Quek what had happened, and he said a Poison Wyvern had attacked the camp with its breath.
• Quek told Gauss and Alya that Guildmaster Eberhard had gone into the forest to fight the Poison Wyvern.
• Quek warned that the wyvern’s departure from the forest’s depths could mean years of turmoil in the Emerald Forest.

After the Poison Wyvern's attack killed and injured dozens, Eberhard led the shaken Winter Hunt party back to Grayrock Town and suspected the attack had been timed with inside knowledge. Gauss returned home with Alya, grateful to be safe, and fell into bed to sleep.

• Eberhard returned to camp, ordered the party to pack up, and privately admitted that his pursuit of the Poison Wyvern had failed.
• A subordinate reported that the attack had killed 63 people and injured 30, and Eberhard suspected the wyvern had received information or magical reconnaissance.
• Eberhard led the guarded caravan back to Grayrock Town without another attack and headed to the Adventurer's Guild to report the incident.
• Gauss and Alya returned to town, parted ways, and Gauss stopped to greet Sophia at the inn.
• Gauss cleaned his bed with Prestidigitation and lay down to sleep.

After the Winter Hunt rewards were settled, Gauss and Alya rested in Grayrock Town while he practiced Alarm and Burning Hands. On the final day of the year, Gauss left town to train in the snow and sensed that his Class Rank was close to advancing to Level 2.

• Gauss woke rested, fed Raven Ike, and visited Alya, where he discussed the Winter Hunt rewards and practiced Alarm with Ulfhen.
• Gauss and Alya stayed in Grayrock Town as out-of-town adventurers departed and residents prepared for the New Year.
• Alya told Gauss she had not visited her distant home in years, while Gauss considered visiting his own family next year.
• The Adventurer's Guild settled the Winter Hunt rewards, leaving Gauss with more than forty-three gold coins after he repaid his loan and sold their loot.
• Gauss left Grayrock Town to practice spells in the snow and sensed that the mana vessel marking his Class Rank was nearing Level 2.

Gauss practiced Burning Hands near Grayrock Town and raised the spell to level 3. As dusk fell, his Mana Cup began transforming, signaling that he was on the verge of breaking through to Level 2.

• Gauss practiced Burning Hands after removing Magic Missile from his [Sub Core Spell Slot], making his training more efficient.
• Gauss read about magic and battlefield spellcasting while the guards on Grayrock Town's wall discussed the failed Winter Hunt and watched him practice.
• Gauss continued practicing until Burning Hands reached lv3 and its spell model became more refined.
• Gauss sensed his Mana Cup begin to transform as its runes shone and its stored energy surged against an invisible barrier.

Gauss advanced to Class Rank 2, gaining stronger magic power and greater capacity for spells. He headed back to Grayrock Town to ask the Adventurer's Guild about advancing his rank, determined to keep traveling and take control of his life.

• Gauss's Class Rank rose to 2, increasing his attributes, magic power, and ability to bear spell models.
• Gauss reflected on how a higher Class Rank transformed a class holder's overall strength and wondered whether he could challenge a level 3 class holder.
• Gauss packed his belongings and walked toward Grayrock Town after deciding to check with the Adventurer's Guild about advancing his adventurer rank.
• A gate guard greeted Gauss and wished him a happy New Year, and Gauss returned the greeting as he entered town.
• Gauss considered the guards' confined lives and resolved to keep pursuing his ambition to travel and see the world.

Gauss passed the assessment to become a 2-Star professional adventurer, then visited the skill shop with Alya. He bought Identify and planned to focus on practicing his existing skills, leaving him with 32 gold coins.

• Gauss confirmed he had met the quest requirement for promotion and booked an assessment at the Adventurer's Guild.
• Alya waited outside the testing room, managed her disappointment at Gauss's progress, and congratulated him when he passed and became a 2-Star professional.
• Gauss and Alya went to the skill shop, where Alya planned to buy another cantrip and Gauss considered the available 1st Circle Spells.
• Gauss decided to practice Burning Hands and Monster Strength Transformation rather than buy more offensive spells or pursue a second class.
• Gauss bought Identify for 11 gold coins, leaving him with 32 gold coins.

Gauss and Alya spent their Winter Hunt earnings on practical magic items and prepared for the New Year while Gauss studied Identify and planned his next year of hunting. As snow deepened over Grayrock Town, enormous griffins descended into its central square.

• Alya bought Divine Guidance, and Gauss purchased a black Protective Mage Robe for seven gold coins.
• Alya bought Ulfhen a weight-reducing saddle, a Protective Shawl for Raven Ike, and a root-sensing Small Shovel.
• Gauss returned home, decorated his house, and studied the 1st Circle Spell Identify while planning to train and hunt goblins and Elite Monsters after the festivities.
• Heavy snow fell over Grayrock Town as several enormous griffins descended into the town square.

Gauss visited the Adventurer's Guild and Black Anvil Smithy, where he bought a Magic Item sword after using Identify to examine the weapons. He celebrated the Year-End Festival with Alya, Sophia, and Winnie, ending the chapter amid the town's festivities.

• Gauss saw several powerful griffins resting outside the Adventurer's Guild and went inside to return and borrow books.
• Gauss visited the Black Anvil Smithy, where Gron Bates recognized him as a Bronze Two-Star Adventurer and praised his progress.
• Gauss used Identify on Gron's swords and bought a Steel Single-Handed Sword that reduced air resistance when swung.
• The apprentice recognized Gauss as the former black-haired boy who had once worked at the smithy and hid outside after Gauss left.
• Gauss and Alya shared a Year-End Festival dinner, then joined Sophia and Winnie at the town square to toss coins into the bonfire and watch the performances.

Gauss and Alya traveled from Grayrock Town to Barry after hearing that a new underground labyrinth had appeared nearby. They entered the bustling Forest Capital and headed toward the Adventurer's Guild, while Gauss remembered his agreement with Hailiel to find the Golden Beak Caravan.

• Alya told Gauss that a newly emerged labyrinth had been discovered near Barry, and they decided to go explore it.
• Gauss and Alya prepared supplies and secured two seats on the first caravan departing for Barry.
• During the journey, Gauss met the Iron Arm party, whose members congratulated him on reaching level two before turning their attention back to the labyrinth.
• The caravan reached Barry, where guards checked Gauss and Alya's identities and admitted them through the city gates.
• Gauss was stunned by Barry's bustling streets and Mother Tree Terra Hill, then agreed with Alya to find the Adventurer's Guild and ask about the labyrinth.
• Gauss remembered that Hailiel had mentioned the Golden Beak Caravan west of Barry and decided to investigate when he had time.

Gauss and Alya reached Barry and registered to explore the maze, then searched for an affordable inn. They found a room after a landlady turned away a half-snake adventurer, and rested before setting out for the maze the next day.

• Gauss and Alya traveled to the Southern District Second Branch of the Adventurer's Guild and registered for maze exploration.
• The receptionist gave Gauss and Alya a detailed Maze Guide, and they decided to leave for the maze the following day.
• Gauss and Alya rejected the expensive hotels near the Guild and went to a cheaper inn listed in the guide.
• At the inn, Gauss saw a half-snake adventurer whom the landlady had falsely told that all rooms were rented.
• Gauss and Alya rented two rooms, then went upstairs to rest.

Gauss and Alya explored the maze’s first underground level, fought monsters, and found valuable silver ingots. Their unexpected treasure was interrupted when a gigantic mass rose from the ground and attacked them.

• Gauss and Alya descended into the maze and cautiously began exploring its first level with Ulfhen.
• Gauss killed groups of goblins and other low-level monsters while they searched the ruined underground settlement.
• After killing sixty monsters, Gauss and Alya rested in a damaged building and discussed how vast and strange the maze was.
• Alya found silver ingots hidden beneath loosened floor tiles, and Gauss stowed the treasure.
• A gigantic shadow rose beside an ancient well and hurled a mass of viscous material through the window, but Gauss pulled Alya out of its path.

Gauss and Alya encountered a mud statue, an Elite Monster, and began fighting it outside a ruined building. Gauss learned that the creature could rapidly rebuild its body, then attacked it with Magic Missiles while searching for a way to reach its core.

• Gauss identified the mud statue as an Elite Monster after it attacked the ruined building, and he and Alya moved outside to avoid being trapped by a collapse.
• Gauss chose to fight the mud statue, hoping to add it to his Elite Monster compendium, while Alya stayed mounted on Gray Wolf Ulfhen and Raven Ike drew the monster's attention.
• The mud statue replenished its body with soil, and Gauss realized that damaging its outer form would not defeat it unless they reached or shattered its core.
• Gauss dodged the mud statue's next attack with Enhanced Leap and used the Gauss Field to block the dangerous flying fragments.
• Gauss took out his Bone Staff and fired three Magic Missiles at the mud statue.

Gauss and his companions defeated the Mud Statue by using Alya’s vines to expose and track its shifting core. Afterward, Alya suspected Gauss might actually try to eat dirt when he started thinking about Elite Monster meat.

• Gauss studied the Mud Statue’s resilience and kept his distance while attacking it with Magic Missiles.
• Raven Ike dropped seeds onto the Mud Statue, and Alya used Nature’s Power and Entangling Spell to make them grow into vines that restrained it and helped her sense its core.
• Alya called out the core’s changing locations, letting Gauss strike it repeatedly until the Mud Statue’s body collapsed.
• Gauss received the Mud Statue Hunter title and advanced his Elite Monster progress to three of five types defeated.
• Gauss denied that he would eat the Mud Statue’s remains, but his thoughts about trying Elite Monster meat made Alya worry he might eat dirt.

Gauss and Alya searched the remains of a Mud Statue and uncovered two White-grade Magic Items before camping in the maze. The next morning, they explored a ruined village and noticed signs that someone had recently passed through.

• Gauss Identified a Cracked Mud Statue Demon Core that the pair dug from the earth mound.
• Alya found Mana Soil, which Gauss Identified as a Magic Item useful for alchemy, enchanting, spells, and growing magical plants.
• Gauss and Alya searched the mound, collected ordinary soil, and camped safely in a ruined building for the night.
• Gauss studied his mental map by the campfire and realized the maze was larger than he had expected and they had not reached the edge of its first level.
• Gauss and Alya explored a ruined village, where Gauss spotted fresh crushed leaves and warned Alya that someone had recently been there.

Gauss and Alya encountered a half-snake adventurer battling four humans over a Magic Bracelet, but Gauss refused to intervene. After the humans retreated, the half-snake person gave Gauss the bracelet and departed, leaving the two with a new magical item.

• Gauss and Alya hid near a ruin and saw four adventurers demanding that a half-snake person hand over a Magic Bracelet.
• The half-snake person used curses and a magic whip to overpower the adventurers without dealing fatal blows.
• One of the adventurers called for Gauss and Alya to help, but Gauss stayed out of the fight.
• The human squad retreated, and the half-snake person recognized Gauss and Alya by their scents.
• The half-snake person gave Gauss the Magic Bracelet, explaining that he had refused to let the humans take it, then departed.

Gauss tested the Spirit Bracelet, a Blue Quality relic from the Lost Kingdom, and found that it enhanced his perception and charisma while revealing traces in his surroundings. He and Alya resumed hunting in the maze, where Gauss upgraded his Gray Mud Monster title and used the bracelet to spot traps.

• Alya and Gauss inspected the bracelet left by the half-snake person, and Gauss identified it as a Blue Quality magic item with perception and charisma effects.
• Gauss and Alya tested the bracelet, confirming that it improved perception and charisma and helped Gauss see traces on the ground.
• Gauss and Alya searched the village ruins again but found only a few Ancient Silver Coins.
• Gauss killed his fiftieth Gray Mud Monster and upgraded his title to Gray Mud Monster Killer, gaining increased damage and a chance to speed up his next attack.
• Gauss and Alya rested near their camp, and Gauss relied on the bracelet to detect traps throughout the maze.

Gauss and Alya continued exploring the maze, salvaging trap parts and preparing to search its second underground level. After Gauss rescued a lower-ranked adventuring party, they learned where the entrance was and set out for it.

• Gauss and Alya spent the day disarming traps, gathering scrap metal, and resting before continuing their maze exploration the next morning.
• Gauss spotted a lower-ranked party surrounded by goblins, kobolds, and gray mud monsters, and quickly killed the attacking creatures.
• Alya gave the party Mana Berries to help their injured Shield Bearer, and the adventurers told Gauss where they had found the entrance to the second underground level.
• Gauss and Alya followed the party's directions and headed for the second underground level while its entrance remained in the same place.

Gauss and Alya entered the maze’s second level, a lush underground world, and chose a path with few footprints. A predatory plant attacked them from above, leaving them facing an unfamiliar threat.

• Gauss and Alya found the shifting passage beneath the crooked tree and descended with Gray Wolf Ulfhen and Raven Ike.
• They crossed the spatial passage and emerged onto the second level, where glowing insects and dense vegetation filled the green landscape.
• Gauss inspected the nearby tracks and chose a route with few footprints to avoid other people.
• Gauss spotted a sudden attack and used Enhanced Leap to pull Alya out of its path.
• Gauss and Alya saw a huge, tooth-lined flower bud hanging from a vine rooted in the rock above.

Gauss and Alya explored the maze’s second level, killed Snakevines, and gathered edible Lantern Ball Fruit. They reached a sunken platform with bubbling pools and a suspicious treasure chest, and the chapter ended as they approached it together.

• Gauss killed a Snakevine with Fire Bolt, unlocked the Snakevine Hunter title, and noticed that the maze seemed to suppress fire.
• Gauss and Alya spotted more Snakevines and avoided their ambushes by watching carefully.
• Gauss identified Lantern Ball Fruit as edible, and he and Alya picked and ate some before storing the rest.
• Gauss and Alya found a deep platform ringed by bubbling green pools, with a lavish treasure chest at its center.
• Gauss and Alya climbed down the vines together with Gray Wolf Ulfhen and a crow, then reached the platform and faced the chest.

Gauss and Alya discovered that the apparent treasure chest was a Treasure Chest Monster, while Acid Slimes and Bush Crawlers emerged to attack them. Gauss fought the chest monster as Alya handled the lesser creatures, and he began looking for a way to overcome its shell defense.

• Gauss used Mage Hand to investigate the chest, then struck it with a Magic Missile and revealed the Treasure Chest Monster.
• Acid Slimes crawled out of the acid pools and Bush Crawlers dropped from the ceiling as Ulfhen howled and Aik took flight.
• Gauss killed an Acid Slime and a Bush Crawler, unlocking their Codex entries, while Alya agreed to hold off the other monsters.
• Gauss used Enhanced Leap to dodge the Treasure Chest Monster’s corrosive tongue and found that its shell deflected his Magic Missiles.
• Gauss avoided close combat as the monster tried to snatch his sword, then spotted something in the terrain that gave him an idea.

Gauss defeated the Treasure Chest Monster with a fire-and-oil trap, bringing his Elite Monster count to four and gaining a specialized title. He discovered the monster’s tongue was edible and prepared to cook it, while Alya and Ulfhen finished off the smaller monsters.

• Gauss used Fire Oil, Burning Hands, and Wind Dance to kill the Treasure Chest Monster after exploiting the vulnerable underside of its shell.
• Gauss received credit for his fourth Elite Monster type, advanced his Path of the Elite progress to 4/5, and gained the Treasure Chest Monster Hunter title with its Penetration effect.
• Gauss opened the monster’s shell and found its cooked tongue inside as Alya and Ulfhen finished the smaller monsters.
• Gauss checked the Emerald Forest Surrounding Ingredients Compendium and learned that the tongue was edible if its outer layer was shaved off, while the tongue root and shell were not edible.
• Gauss placed the Treasure Chest Monster’s tongue in a cast-iron pot and felt his Energy Gland urging him to eat it.

Gauss prepared and cooked the Treasure Chest Monster’s tongue, and he and Alya discovered that the Elite Monster’s meat was delicious and energy-rich. After sharing the roast with Ulfhen and Aike, Gauss rested and felt that he might have grown slightly stronger.

• Alya asked whether the meat Gauss was preparing came from the Treasure Chest Monster, and Gauss confirmed it using the Emerald Forest Surrounding Ingredients Compendium.
• Gauss cleaned and sliced the monster’s tongue while Alya gathered dry vines for a cooking fire.
• Gauss grilled the tongue on a heated stone slab, tasted it, and praised its flavor and energy.
• Alya tried the meat and enjoyed it, then she and Gauss shared pieces with Ulfhen and Aike before resting.
• After their meal and rest, Gauss felt that he might be a little stronger.

Gauss and Alya explored the dangerous second level of the maze, where Gauss defeated a hidden Carnivorous Plant and collected its possible seeds. After resting at a signpost, they spotted a mysterious dark green pavilion surrounded by an energy membrane.

• Gauss and Alya confirmed that eating Treasure Chest Monster meat caused no unpleasant symptoms, and Gauss stored the monster's shell and teeth.
• Gauss renewed [Gauss Field] on the party as they continued through the maze's second level.
• Gauss avoided an oversized Venus flytrap, then killed the Carnivorous Plant with [Magic Missile] and unlocked its Codex entry and the title [Carnivorous Plant Hunter].
• Gauss collected several unknown spherical objects from the plant before he and Alya rested beside a signpost.
• Alya spotted a dark green pavilion or giant birdcage wrapped in a hazy green energy membrane.