Gauss looked at the figure in front of him that exuded an oppressive aura, taking a deep breath.
This was a demon he had never seen before.
So unfamiliar, he couldn’t recall its name.
Completely pale, it seemed as if the world around it had faded in color.
It roughly appeared humanoid.
Roughly speaking, because its upper body vaguely resembled a human.
Encased entirely in a pale carapace, with a voluptuous, female-like chest, and white hair falling down. Its vacant gaze was directed toward where the two stood, with a pair of small, slightly curved horns on its head.
Its arms were long and slender, with fingers white as jade, yet sharp body blades grew on its forearms, reflecting a chilling gleam.
The part that launched the attack earlier was precisely those sharp arm blades.
Its lower body, however, resembled a spider with three pairs of thin legs.
The steel-like points stood firmly on the smooth ground without the slightest slip.
Gauss felt a weight pressing on his heart.
This was only the second level of the underground labyrinth, so how could a monster of this level appear?
In his perception, the entity had at least level 3 strength, if not greater.
Yet for some reason, it didn’t exhibit strong aggression.
After knocking Gauss away, it temporarily halted its actions.
The two parties stared at each other from a distance.
Aaliyah looked at the pale, puppet-like creature, filled with trepidation.
She touched the back of her neck, cold sweat pouring down.
Even though she was protected by the Gauss Force Field, the field had its defensive limits, and the part it attacked was the neck, one of the most vulnerable areas for most people.
If it weren’t for Gauss’s quick reaction just now....
Or if her teammate hadn’t been Gauss...the consequences....
"Phew—"
The joy brought by days of smooth labyrinth exploration and abundant rewards was instantly dispelled by the crisis just now.
This is the labyrinth!
Some find unexpected encounters here that turn their lives around, while others with dreams are buried deep within.
She swallowed hard.
Grabbing her wooden staff, she looked at the stationary enemy, moving a few steps to get a little closer to Gauss.
"Be careful," Gauss reminded her.
"Mm."
After reminding her, Gauss focused his attention on the enemy in front of him.
To be honest, he vaguely felt the enemy had a somewhat familiar look.
Thinking carefully, he could vaguely see a resemblance to the ghostly form he saw last night.
However, the ghostly figure had a more humanoid shape, while the creature before him leaned more toward an insect form.
Overall, though, the two shared a similar style in appearance.
Gauss moved a step.
"Creak, creak!"
The spider-like creature opposite suddenly moved a step or two in sync.
Gauss stopped, and it also halted.
Like a puppet pre-programmed in advance.
Gauss frowned.
If possible, he really didn’t want to engage in battle with the enemy in such a cramped space.
This type of terrain clearly suited the mobility combat characteristics of the spider-like creature, but for someone like him—an all-round "player"—casting spells was difficult.
Most spells require a certain amount of space to unleash their full effects.
If too close, the spell’s damage could also pose a threat to him.
Besides, in his perception, the challenge level of the opponent was at least level 3, if not higher.
He was only level 2 now, and although his combat power far exceeded the standard for a normal level 2 thanks to various enhancements, facing a demon with combat power exceeding a level 3 professional might be possible in the short term.
But over time, he would most likely be defeated.
"Should we fight?" Aaliyah tightened her grip on the wooden staff, her expression solemn as she took a deep breath.
She also noticed the nearly synchronized moment just now.
If Gauss decides to fight, although the pressure would be immense, she would bite the bullet and join in, even if just the sight of that creature from a distance was overwhelmingly oppressive.
Gauss glanced at her, seeing her determined expression ready to risk her life alongside him.
He shook his head.
"Don’t worry, it’s not that dangerous yet."
"Here’s the plan: I’ll distract it, and you ride on Ulfen with Aik and head back the way we came," Gauss suggested after some thought. "Once I shake it off, I’ll rendezvous with you."
"How...how can that be?" Aaliyah’s eyes widened. "I’m not the kind of person who would abandon my teammates."
"If you’re staying to fight this monster, then I’m with you!" she said with determination. "Although I can’t help much, I can at least delay its actions."
She thought Gauss was sacrificing himself to save her.
Her heart was filled with indescribable emotion, and her eyes began to well up with tears.
"Why are you doing this?" Gauss sighed. "It’s fine, just go ahead."
"Don’t worry, I’m not sacrificing myself."
"I have this!" As he spoke, he flipped his hand and took out a teleportation scroll from his storage pouch.
"Rest assured, this is a teleportation scroll. If anything unexpected happens, I’ll activate it to escape," Gauss reassured, holding the scroll confidently.
"Really?" Aaliyah looked at the familiar scroll in his hand.
The markings on it indeed resembled those of a teleportation scroll.
After all, their first real encounter in the Jade Forest was because her temporary teammate, a mage, used a teleportation scroll to escape, leaving her to flee the mission in disarray.
As a result, she had a particularly deep impression of the appearance and symbols of teleportation scrolls.
It left a psychological shadow on her.
When she first met Gauss, she worried he might also face an unbeatable enemy in battle and suddenly pull out a teleportation scroll to escape.
Leaving her alone to face the enemy again.
But it turned out Gauss did have a teleportation scroll.
The difference from her previous mage teammate, though, was that Gauss’s scroll was intended to reassure her so she could leave.
Turns out, the problem wasn’t the teleportation scroll, but the person using it.
"You’d better be quick in finding us afterward," Aaliyah instructed hesitantly. "And don’t hesitate to use the scroll. We’ll split the cost together later."
Worried that Gauss might be frugal and endanger himself, she added specifically.
"Okay, okay," Gauss nodded. "Pay attention to my signal. Once I shout, start moving and don’t look back."
"Understood."
Gauss took a deep breath.
He returned the Fine Steel Longsword and White Bone Staff to the storage pouch.
Taking out the Unbreakable Staff.
The heavy weight and solid grip were reassuring.
This was why he chose the Unbreakable Staff.
The brief clash earlier had given him some understanding of the opponent’s strength.
Larger in size, and its power clearly exceeded his own; using a Fine Steel Longsword was unsuitable against such force.
Moreover, the Unbreakable Staff provided additional protection to the Gauss Force Field!
With his gaze focused and a steadying breath, he instantly felt resolute.