The amount of clay harvested for the second time was just enough to mold into the size of an ordinary goblin.
Just as Gauss and the others were eagerly preparing to repeat the process and lure the earth-boring worm to the surface for a third time, an unexpected incident occurred.
No matter how Aaliyah channeled the power of nature, and despite the green glow penetrating the earth’s veins, the underground remained deathly silent, with no response.
The earth-boring worm seemed to have vanished completely.
"Huh? No response anymore?" Aaliyah tried again in confusion, but it was still like a stone sinking in the sea.
The next moment, a muffled rumble of structural collapse could be vaguely heard.
Soon after, the edges of the two deep pits on the ground, created by the earth-boring worm, began to shed soil, and the openings visibly collapsed and shrank, eventually being completely covered by soft earth.
Only two slightly darker and sunken patches of ground were left, as if they had never been disturbed.
"That earth-boring worm... seems to have left?"
Aaliyah put away her oak staff and shrugged helplessly.
"It’s fine, we’ve gathered enough."
Suppressing the regret of not being able to extract more resources, Gauss said steadily.
He understood that against a creature capable of burrowing freely underground, if it chose to avoid battle, there was nothing they could do to stop it.
Gather up all the dark brown [Earth-Eroding Mud Balls].
Gauss activated Clay Magic again, focusing his mind on the miniature clay goblin.
The small dark brown figure, the size of a mouse, quickly melted into a viscous stream of mud and flowed into the newly accumulated mud balls.
The clay surged, and under the influence of magic, the fusion process was exceptionally fast.
In the blink of an eye, a clay construct standing about 1.2 meters tall, looking no different from an ordinary goblin, was in front of them.
Its form was much more solid than before, with its joints moving more securely and powerfully, no longer having the soft and collapsible appearance.
Unlike the clay figure Gauss sculpted himself using his magic power, this gifted clay creature looked vivid and lifelike.
Now it resembled a genuine goblin, except with an unusual dark brown skin tone.
Gauss tossed over a short blade, which the clay goblin clumsily caught.
After receiving the command transmitted by Gauss’ consciousness, the clay goblin turned with the short blade in hand and began to cut the weeds in the field.
Its intelligence wasn’t high, but when given a command, it could carry it out diligently.
Under the interested gaze of Aaliyah and Serdur, this peculiar "goblin" got to work.
Its movements with the short blade were awkward, yet it was strong and swift, as the sharp blade slashed through the sturdy grass stems, scattering blades of grass.
As long as Gauss didn’t call it to stop, it would tirelessly execute the simple command of "clearing the weeds" until its magic power was depleted.
"This... is too strange." Aaliyah shook her head.
A goblin working? Even knowing it’s made of clay, the image of the goblin inevitably felt absurd to her.
If someone unaware saw it, they would surely think it was a malfunctioning goblin.
In most people’s minds, the image of a goblin is far removed from order, productivity, and diligence—more like a synonym for violence, laziness, and chaos.
"Indeed." Serdur nodded in agreement.
If this clay goblin were summoned in some corner of a town, it would likely be "cleared" by a passing guard or an enthusiastic adventurer mistaking it for a demon within minutes.
Gauss stroked his chin and observed its working actions, nodding in satisfaction.
Humanoid creatures indeed have distinct advantages, like dexterous hands that can use tools, making them suitable for some intricate tasks.
Unfortunately, the accumulated goblin essence is still too little, so even if the clay volume is sufficient, it isn’t capable of much combat power.
However, in the future, if enough goblin essence and clay are amassed, perhaps they’ll create a massive goblin clay puppet.
Imagining the future, such a giant goblin clay puppet attacking a group of goblins could sure be a fascinating scene.
But for now...
Gauss activated Clay Magic once more.
Reclaiming the goblin essence, he disassembled its body.
Immediately after, he infused several spider essences.
Blending essence with magic power and clay, several large dark brown spiders slowly crawled up from the ground.
Ultimately, Gauss had around him a total of 1 white and 3 brown, four large bouncing spiders.
For now, the spider form is sufficient to harvest ordinary creatures and monsters, plus the eight-legged form allows for enhanced jumping and terrain traversal capabilities.
He needed a few more clay spiders for patrolling and harvesting essence.
"Let’s go."
The journey to this abandoned herb garden wasn’t for nothing.
Not only did they acquire a batch of clay magic casting materials, but more importantly, Gauss learned that earth-boring worms can produce this special clay.
Once powerful enough, they can capture a few earth-boring worms if needed, forcing them to produce clay for him around the clock.
By then, he wouldn’t need long to have an inexhaustible supply of casting materials.
Of course, he must also consider that by then, he might no longer care about such low-grade clay.
They continued walking for a while.
Suddenly, a blast accompanied by a tumultuous cheer came from afar.
"What the heck is that noise?"
Gauss paused.
After hesitating for a moment, he realized bypassing would mean backtracking a long way.
"I’ll go see what’s happening."
After informing Aaliyah and Serdur, Gauss set off briskly towards the sound.
As he got closer, the noise became clearer. At the end of the passage, a large sunken space appeared before them.
Its layout resembled an ancient arena, with tiered spectator stands surrounding a central plaza.
The commotion was emanating from the center of the plaza.
An adventurer team was engaged in a fierce battle with a giant plant-like demon.
Strangely, the spectator stands, supposedly empty, were occupied by countless transparent specters of Insect Men.
They "watched" the scene, often bursting into a silent, yet perceptible fervent applause.
Is it another phantom?
Gauss felt it was unlikely.
Even he could not detect a true phantom with just the naked eye at the moment.
The shadow before him did not give him any eerie feeling; it seemed more like a frozen residual image.
"No problem, whether it’s a person or a ghost, I’ll know once I test it."
Gauss raised the White Magic Wand, and the tip glowed with a pure, flawless light.
The Light Spell instantly illuminated the surroundings.
And the result was just as he expected.
Under the special Light Spell of his unique trick, the shadows showed no reaction.
They continued to stare with unwavering attention, cheering enthusiastically at the center of the plaza.
Though Gauss’s actions did not disturb the shadows, they caught the attention of the adventurer team in the plaza center.
"Hey! Friend over there! Lend a hand and find the mechanism! There should be something to end this duel."
One person shouted loudly, his voice tinged with urgency.
The situation of this team was worrisome; all four should be level 1 Professionals.
And their opponent was a ferocious carnivorous plant, with a challenge level of at least 2, significantly stronger than them.
Aside from the giant closed gate around them, there was also an invisible energy barrier above, trapping them tightly in the arena-like plaza.
Faced with their plea for help, Gauss hesitated for a moment before decisively turning away.
Just when the adventurers felt their hearts sink, Gauss reappeared, followed by Aaliyah and Serdur.
On the way, he explained the situation to the two, and after a discussion, they decided to assist.
Of course, as long as it didn’t put their own team in danger.
"Near the door, there should be a lever on the wall!"
Seeing Gauss return, hope rekindled in the eyes of the adventurers, and fearing he might leave again, they hurriedly reminded him.
Gauss glanced and did not walk forward.
He signaled Aaliyah and Serdur to retreat to a safe distance before sending a Clay Spider to crawl toward the door.
The spider’s limbs grasped the lever and pulled it down forcefully.
With a clicking sound, as if triggering a key mechanism,
the carnivorous plant in the arena suddenly vanished. Shortly thereafter, the translucent barrier covering the plaza dissipated like rippling water, and the densely packed insectoid illusions in the stands vanished together.
"Thud!"
An adventurer previously entangled mid-air by the plant’s vines fell heavily to the ground, covered in dust. The other three didn’t fare much better, bruised and battered.
However, seeing the plant disappear, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Without caring for rest, they immediately helped each other out of the arena, stumbling as they went.
"Buddy, thanks for the help."
The leading man wore a fatigued expression of shock, panting as he thanked Gauss proactively.
Though Gauss’s aid seemed like just pulling a lever, such goodwill was particularly precious deep in a perilous maze.
After all, not everyone was willing to help strangers; some would rather other adventurers perish, allowing them to seize belongings and reduce competitors.
"Mm," Gauss nodded slightly.
"A token of appreciation, not much but a gesture." The man withdrew a pouch from his pocket and placed it on the ground.
Unfamiliar with each other, he didn’t approach too closely.
This was better for both parties.
Gauss directed the Clay Spider forward, prying open the pouch to reveal about a dozen gold coins and several dozen silver coins.
For the current Gauss, this wasn’t a fortune but certainly not a trivial amount either.
"I’ll accept it then." Gauss accepted openly.
Seeing Gauss accept, the man let out a sigh of relief instead.
"We’ll be off, if we meet outside the maze someday, drinks are on us!"
Not daring to linger, the injured adventurer team hastily assisted each other away, soon vanishing in the winding corridors.
"In quite a hurry," Aaliyah commented.
"Afraid we’ll turn on them," Serdur spoke bluntly.
Gauss shook his head, finding their caution reasonable and not feeling offended.
It was just a pity there wasn’t a chance to inquire about this arena from them.
It appeared this was also a special place within the maze.
Gazing at the empty plaza, a hint of stirring passed through Gauss’s eyes.
He was confident he could handle the carnivorous plant; it would be nice to collect another Elite Demon illustration, as he still needed Elite Points to advance the quality of his [Creeping Species] talent.
Collecting new types of elite illustrations was the fastest way.
"Want to give it a try?" Serdur keenly picked up on his thoughts.
"You two provide cover from outside, and if there’s any unexpected incident, pull the lever immediately?" Gauss suggested.
Serdur and Aaliyah nodded.
However, Gauss didn’t charge straight in.
Instead, he set up camp outside the arena to rest, not stepping into the arena’s center until his strength and spirit were fully restored.
Time ticked away.
The arena remained deathly silent—no demons appeared, no shadows reemerged, only the faint sound of wind in the passageways was clear.
Just as Gauss was perplexed,
a peculiar and clear insectoid wing-ming suddenly resonated above the arena.
The sound seemed to directly impact one’s consciousness. Gauss, Aaliyah, and Serdur instantly understood its meaning.
[All team members must enter the arena to start the trial. Passing the trial will reward everyone.]
Gauss and Aaliyah, Serdur in the passageway shared a glance, their faces showing resignation.