Chapter Summaries

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.

Gauss and Alya found an indestructible plant pavilion in the ruins but could not discover the key needed to enter, so they camped nearby. When Alarm woke them during the night, Gauss used his Spirit Bracelet to reveal spirits around the camp and drove them off with Light, earning the Ghost Hunter title.

• Gauss and Alya examined the plant pavilion, found a key-shaped recess, and failed to locate anything that fit it.
• Gauss and Alya camped beside the pavilion, ate Treasure Chest Monster tongue stew, and set Alarm while Ulfhen and Ike kept watch.
• Alarm woke Gauss, and he woke Alya after finding no visible danger at the campsite.
• Gauss used his Spirit Bracelet to reveal spirits gathering around the camp, and Alya sensed their chill.
• Gauss cast Light with his Bone Staff, killing nearby spirits and earning the Ghost Hunter title.

Gauss and Alya explored the maze’s second floor for one final day before planning to return to Barry, and they reached its temporary boundary in the black mist. A Pale Guard attacked them there, knocking Gauss back toward the edge.

• Gauss purified 34 wraiths with Light, protected the campsite, and collected their ashes before resting with Alya.
• The next morning, Gauss and Alya agreed to explore for one last day and then head back to Barry to restock supplies.
• Gauss added the Erect Beetle, Spore Mosquito, and Bouncing Bug to his Common Monster Codex as they explored the second floor.
• Gauss and Alya reached a road ending above a vast expanse of black mist, where they heard an ominous chant.
• A Pale Guard attacked from above, and Gauss shoved Alya aside and blocked its hand blade before the impact drove him close to the mist.

Gauss and Alya confronted a pale spider-legged creature on the labyrinth’s second level, whose strength seemed to exceed theirs. Gauss planned Alya’s retreat while preparing to hold the creature off, leaving their next move unresolved.

• Gauss examined the pale, humanoid spider creature after it struck Alya and judged its Challenge Level to be at least 3.
• Gauss tested the creature’s movements and realized it mirrored his steps as they faced each other in the cramped passage.
• Gauss told Alya to escape with Ulfhen and Aike while he distracted the creature, but Alya refused to leave him behind.
• Gauss showed Alya his Teleportation Scroll to reassure her that he could escape if necessary, and she agreed to retreat when he signaled.
• Gauss stowed his weapons and drew the Indestructible Scepter, preparing to face the creature.

Gauss stayed behind so Alya could escape, then fought the Pale Guard while looking for a chance to retreat. He repeatedly restored [Gauss Field] under the guard’s assault, but the passage began to seem unfamiliar as he fled.

• Gauss used [Enhanced Leap] and [Monster Strength Transformation] to attack the Pale Guard while Alya rode Ulfhen away.
• The Pale Guard blocked Gauss’s scepter strike and kicked him backward, badly weakening [Gauss Field].
• Gauss used Light to dazzle the Pale Guard and ran toward the passage they had come from.
• The Pale Guard adapted to the light, caught up with Gauss, and struck him with its arm and leg blades.
• Gauss dispelled and instantly recast [Gauss Field], then noticed the passage looked different and felt uneasy.

Gauss was driven by the Pale Guard into a web-filled nest where three smaller Pale Creatures awaited him. He prepared to kill the weakest one and use a Teleportation Scroll to escape.

• Gauss realized the maze had shifted and kept fleeing the recovering Pale Guard while searching for Alya.
• The Pale Guard knocked Gauss into a nest covered in thick white webs and egg sacs, then blocked the only exit.
• Three smaller Pale Creatures emerged, and Gauss inferred that the Pale Guard had herded him there to face them.
• Gauss drew his Bone Staff, chose the smallest Pale Creature as his target, and prepared to activate his Teleportation Scroll after killing it.