After taking a brief rest, Gauss and Aria stood up and cautiously stepped on the slippery moss-covered ground, carefully approaching the deep green “birdcage” pavilion.
Although this space was wrapped in lush greenery, the neatly arranged stone floor beneath their feet and the relatively open surroundings, with few wild bushes growing chaotically, faintly revealed traces of artificial planning. It resembled an abandoned ancient public square rather than a purely natural cave.
Clearly, this was also the architectural remains of an ancient civilization.
As they got closer, the full view of the pavilion finally appeared clearly before them.
It was not a traditional stone pavilion, but rather seemed woven and entwined from countless living, deep green broad-leaved plants similar to ivy, crafted in an incredibly exquisite manner.
They intertwined, spiraled, and arched, ultimately constructing a hemispherical dome about three meters high and roughly two meters in diameter, forming a gigantic plant birdcage.
What caught the eye most was the faint green energy barrier enveloping the entire pavilion’s exterior.
It resembled a thin, translucent layer of water ripples or a drifting mist, gently wrapping the entire plant green pavilion.
Through it, one could vaguely discern an entrance leading downwards.
As for anything else, the view was unclear.“Shouldn’t be able to get in, right?” Aria probed, tapping the pavilion’s surface with her oak staff.
Contrary to its delicate and fragile appearance, the green plant pavilion felt exceptionally sturdy to the touch.
Gauss also raised his refined steel longsword and swung it several times, his palm numb from the recoil, but it produced no effect.
Then he tried Magic Missile, Mage Hand, Burning Arrow, Burning Hands, and various cantrips and spells one after another.
No matter what he used, the slender green plants, leaves, and the faint watery aura remained motionless, firmly blocking everything outside.
This green pavilion clearly possessed some kind of indestructible characteristic far beyond their current strength.
“There’s a groove here, looks like it’s meant to hold something?”
Aria pointed at an irregular indentation naturally formed by vines near the door.
“Probably need to find the corresponding ‘key’ to unlock this pavilion?”
Gauss guessed, his intuition telling him this was indeed the case.
He memorized the shape of the indentation firmly in his mind.
The two then carefully searched the surroundings, but unfortunately found no objects resembling that shape.
“I wonder if we’re the first ones to discover this green pavilion,” Aria said, peering inside.
Gauss shook his head. “Hard to say.”
If others had been here before, or would come later, it would mean more people joining the hunt for the ‘key’.
But the Maze was vast, and since it was still in its early open phase, it wasn’t strange that only the two of them had discovered it.
“Let’s camp here for tonight,” Gauss surveyed the area.
During the search for the ‘key’, they had already scouted nearby and found no dangers.
Moreover, compared to other areas, there were fewer insects in this hall, making it a good campsite.
The faint light in the air gradually dimmed.
Aria yawned.
Today’s activities had been a bit more intense than usual.
They woke up early, rescued a stranded adventurer team, searched for the entrance to the second level, reached and explored the second level, killed a Mimic Chest, and continued exploring.
“Eat dinner and then rest,” Gauss said, still fairly energetic.
He stirred the pot with a ladle.
The Mimic Chest tongue meat stew was quickly ready.
The rich aroma soon spread throughout the camp.
As expected, good ingredients made any dish delicious.
Unlike noon, tonight’s preparation was stewed but still tasty.
After a full meal, Aria grew even sleepier.
They picked a corner near a wall to set up their tent.
Gauss scattered insect- and snake-repelling powder around while cautiously casting Alarm.
After finishing these precautions, he sat by the campfire reading the formation manual by firelight.
Only when sleepiness began to creep in did he pat Urfen and Eck beside him, signaling them to stay alert.
Besides the Alarm spell, Urfen and Eck themselves were tasked with guarding the team.
He unzipped the tent flap and lay down inside.
“Hm?”
Half-awake, Gauss was startled by an unusual sound.
He checked the Alarm spell—it had been triggered.
His heart tightened instantly.
He first checked his Gauss Field, which was intact without the slightest damage.
This eased him slightly.
He then took out the Hundred Bone Staff from his Storage Bag.
Carefully, he climbed out of the tent.
Outside, Urfen was lying by the fire asleep but was awakened by the noise, groggily lifting its head.
The raven Eck lightly stepped on the nearby clearing.
Gauss glanced around; the camp was silent except for the crackling fire. There seemed to be no abnormalities.
“False alarm from the spell?” Gauss frowned.
He was sure he hadn’t seen anything unusual.
But this was the first time such an incident had occurred, and magic was usually quite stable during use.
The Alarm spell had been triggered a few times before, but always for a reason—either a passing giant python or a hawk landing near the camp.
Could it have been Urfen or Eck triggering it? No, they were preset as immune targets.
Out of caution, Gauss woke Aria in the neighboring tent.
“What’s wrong?”
Aria rubbed her sleepy eyes and stepped out, a red pillow mark still on one cheek.
“The Alarm spell was triggered,” Gauss answered.
“What?” Aria’s yawn froze mid-air, and her sleepiness instantly vanished! She immediately drew her oak staff, nervously glancing around.
“Where’s the enemy? Where?”
Yet, what she saw was the same as Gauss’s view—nothing unusual.
At that moment, a cold wind swept past.
Gauss and Aria shivered simultaneously.
An icy chill that pierced their souls rushed through their bodies in an instant.
Where was this wind coming from?
But the next moment,
He quickly realized something was wrong.
With his constitution, how could a mere gust of wind cause such shivering?
Recalling the alarm triggered without cause, a guess rose in his mind.
The faint glow of the Empathy Bracelet covered his eyes, and his vision began to shift slightly.
Upon careful observation, within the originally transparent air, he faintly caught drifting, distorted, blurry phantoms.
“Are these wandering spirits?”
Gauss confirmed his original suspicion.
Wandering spirits, also called spirits, were disembodied, confused souls. Normally, when intelligent life passed away, their souls would naturally dissipate, unable to form spirits.
But in certain special environments or under the influence of dark magic or rituals, wandering spirits could be born.
They possessed some form of undead nature, requiring no air, food, or sleep. Ordinary weapons could not harm them.
Wandering spirits?
Aria looked around uneasily.
After Gauss’s reminder, she also felt an invisible chill wrapping the camp, as if countless unseen eyes were spying from the shadows.
“!”
Urfen rose from the ground. It hadn’t sensed much but, seeing both owners on high alert, became cautious as well.
“What should we do now? Leave?”
“No need,” Gauss shook his head.
This group of wandering spirits seeking life energy had picked the wrong opponents.
Ordinary adventurers might be powerless against them, forced to have their vital energy drained and then set off the next day, but that didn’t include him.
He raised the Hundred Bone Staff and shouted sharply,
“Light Cantrip!”
The Light Cantrip, perfectly suited to the Bone Staff, released a brilliant radiance.
The hall instantly brightened as if it were daytime.
“Ugh!!!!”
“!!!!”
A piercing, dreadful scream rang out. Countless phantoms distorted, struggled, and fled frantically under the intense light filling the hall.
Some nearby were even killed by the Light Cantrip in a very short time, faint black smoke drifting in the air.
“Wandering Spirit eliminated *1”
“Title acquired: Ghost Hunter. This title will upgrade as the number of kills increases.”
“Title effect: Scorch. Against wandering spirits and related advanced ghost-type creatures, your effective attacks will additionally carry a lasting burning effect.”