After a quick search of the bodies, they found quite a bit of loot.
Their cloaks and daggers were all magic items. Even at the most basic level, they were worth a fair amount of gold coins. With cash and other tools combined, it was probably over eighty gold coins.
Moreover, according to the interrogation just now, this money was because they always splurged and indulged after each operation; otherwise, they would have had more savings and wealth.
This also indicated that the number of adventurers they had harmed was not small.
"Dying so quickly was really too easy for them." Aaliyah kicked the corpse again, annoyed at being ambushed like this.
But luckily, they had Gauss.
Her gaze fell on Gauss, and the tall, white figure from earlier reappeared in her mind.
Though it was a bit frightening at first glance, thinking back, she found that stance a bit cool.
Ultimately, the bodies were stripped and tossed into a corner.
The plant life on the second level of the maze grew rapidly, so soon, they would be covered with plants and insects, becoming nutrients for the ever-growing maze.
Meeting the same end as the innocent they had persecuted.
...
A quiet night.
Due to the raiding interruption the previous night, the guards on duty were exceptionally diligent.
Even Gauss only maintained a light sleep, ready for any unexpected events.
"Ha—"
Gauss yawned.
After washing up, and during breakfast, he suddenly noticed Aaliyah frequently glancing at him, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Is there something you want to say?" he asked directly.
Hearing this, Aaliyah hesitated for a moment, then bashfully said.
"Gauss, can you also make me a clay figure?"
She had just seen Serdur trying to paint a clay figure, and upon asking, discovered it was something Gauss had made for him the previous night after she had fallen asleep.
"Why, mine aren’t even well-made. Are you sure you really want one?" Gauss scratched his head in confusion.
"Yes, I do." Aaliyah nodded vigorously.
"Alright then." Gauss didn’t want to make one because he found it embarrassing.
But if she insisted, he’d make her one.
Soon, he pinched some clay and activated shaping magic.
The clay wriggled, and before long, a palm-sized clay figure appeared in Gauss’s hand.
The clay figure held a crooked wooden staff, wore a robe, and had a crown made of intertwined green vines on its head.
"Thank you."
Aaliyah didn’t make any further requests, happily taking the clay figure aside to bake and dry it.
The completed clay figure, once infused with magic power or natural energy, would even glow slightly, adding a special effect to its otherwise unattractive form.
"Next, let’s head west as much as possible."
Before setting off, Gauss confirmed today’s direction.
Last night’s interrogation of the Hyena Squad revealed another crucial piece of information: the entrance to the third level might be to the west.
This theory was based on a pattern: although maze entrances were random, the next respawn point would not be too close to the previous one.
The Hyena Squad was also looking for the third level. Based on their intel, the latest entry point appeared on the east side, so the current entry point might have refreshed to the west side of the map.
After packing up their gear, the team hit the road once more.
Along the way, Gauss continued to clear out the surrounding small and ordinary creatures, needing more spirits.
In the maze’s second layer, most wild creatures were insects—beetles, aphids, spiders, and so on...
Soon, the amount of spirits he collected began to rise steadily.
However, he noticed a particular pattern.
The strength of clay creatures was related not only to the spirit’s essence and the number invested but also to the amount of magic power consumed.
For instance, a clay spider required more magic power than a mosquito, though it was also much stronger.
Having expended magic power to compress nearly a hundred ordinary spiders into a clay spider, it was already formidable.
Watching the white spider quickly crawl and follow beside him, Gauss’s lips curled slightly upward.
This spider was about the size of a dinner plate, using up most of his current stock of enchanted clay.
Despite its modest size, its jumping ability and movement speed were excellent.
Each leap could cover nearly ten meters.
Moreover, its eight legs could harden, forming sharp, blade-like weapons.
Ordinary low-level monsters stood no chance against it.
With its powerful jumping ability, it could leap onto an enemy’s face, using its blade-like appendages to pierce vulnerable spots like eyes.
Even if caught and had a limb broken, it wouldn’t matter.
After breaking free, it could absorb stray clay from its surroundings to regenerate, though it would require a bit more magic power.
More importantly, since the clay spider was a direct product of his magic, in the linked state, any low-level monsters it defeated were counted as Gauss’s kills, contributing to his bestiary tally.
Gauss was thrilled by this.
Now, on his journey, he didn’t even need to lift a finger. The clay spider would automatically seek out monsters along the path, gathering spirits while also increasing his kill count in the bestiary, and even improving his spell proficiency.