Late at night, in front of the bonfire, Gauss was tallying up his gains over the past two days.
Although he came to hunt centaurs, he wasn’t just after centaurs themselves. In fact, the number of demons he hunted was far greater.
"Total monsters killed: 36,315"
He had hunted nearly a thousand monsters in two days, among which 180 were centaurs. Thus, he smoothly advanced his title from Centaur Hunter to Centaur Slayer.
However, there’s still some distance to go to reach the next stage, Centaur Butcher, which requires killing a thousand.
"That’s enough for now."
The current title of Centaur Slayer has two effects.
The first is Paralysis; centaur bodies facing him may experience internal nerve signal disorders, causing paralysis or slowed actions.
The second is Armor-Piercing; his attacks can more easily penetrate the tough skin or worn armor of centaurs.
Considering he wouldn’t likely advance the Centaur Slayer title to the next level in the short term, Gauss decided to end this two-day demon hunting activity.
It’s also a habit of his; out of caution, he rarely stays in one place for long when adventuring solo in the wild.
This minimizes the risk of accidents as the longer he stays in one place, the more likely others will know he’s active in the area.
After settling his mind, the next morning, he rode on Hephaestus and left the Wind Grassland.
...
Upon returning to the Red Dragon Team base, he had just finished soaking in the bath when the butler approached to remind him that others were looking for him.
Gauss knew that, given Aaliyah and the others’ personalities, they wouldn’t seek him out as soon as he returned to the manor unless it was urgent.
So after changing clothes, he closed his eyes to perceive their location.
The next moment, with the activation of [Arbitrary Door], Gauss’s figure appeared in a room.
"Everyone’s here."
Gauss raised his hand to greet them.
"Leader, you returned just in time," the chief butler Ivan said respectfully upon seeing him, handing a newspaper to Gauss.
Gauss took the newspaper, glanced a few times, and understood why the Red Dragon Team was eager to find him.
It turned out that yesterday, the maze outside Barry City that had been temporarily closed finally resurfaced.
In an instant, the attention of many adventurers was once again drawn there.
Compared to the outside world, there are numerous demons in the maze, but there are also countless treasures, naturally attracting bold adventurers.
"Gauss Leader, should our Red Dragon Team set off to Barry to explore the maze?" Ivan turned to look at Gauss, with a bit of anticipation in his eyes.
Over a year ago, when the maze first opened, Ivan quickly learned about it, but he was in another adventure group at the time. The leader’s slow reaction meant that by the time the team was ready to depart, they received the unfortunate news that the maze had closed.
This time, he joined the stronger Red Dragon Team, and with their strength, they could undoubtedly claim a share in the maze reopening.
Earlier, upon hearing rumors of the maze’s impending opening, the Red Dragon Team had already started preparing.
Now, the maze is finally open.
"Naturally."
Gauss nodded.
During the first maze opening, he had explored it, but due to insufficient strength, he only reached the second underground level.
Compared to those with more strength, he could only say he was mostly there to participate.
However, over a year has passed, and things have changed. He advanced from a Level 2 Mage to a Level 7 Mage, with the team’s strength significantly enhanced.
Even though the reopenings of the maze would attract more powerful adventurers, Gauss was confident he could be in the first tier.
After hearing his decision, the others had no significant objections.
Like them, being a free adventure group, they would naturally flock to where opportunities arise, and wouldn’t miss such a maze near the city.
Serdur couldn’t help but show a nostalgic expression, recalling when he first met Captain Gauss and Aaliyah in the maze.
Upon finalizing the action plan, the entire Red Dragon Team began operating at full speed.
However, that became the concern of the other team members, while Gauss, the leader, found himself with some leisure.
Sitting at the outdoor seating of a restaurant on the street, Gauss sipped some red tea.
While he thought about the first "Extraordinary Demon" he had pondered days ago, he also felt that the maze’s appearance might bring some opportunities.
Under normal circumstances, it would indeed be challenging to find such a powerful demon within human territory. The only Extraordinary Centaur is still an opponent he currently can’t defeat, but the maze’s appearance provided him with a new direction.
The maze, compared to the surface world, is akin to an underground Otherworld space.
Numerous demons reside there, so it’s inevitable that extraordinary beings will emerge.
Pulled out of his thoughts, he glanced at the unusually bustling street.
A large number of carriages were lined up waiting to leave the city.
Clearly, they’re not the only adventurer group aware of the maze reopening news.
However, Gauss no longer felt the same urgency.
At his level, he no longer races for momentary speed.
For Bottom Adventurers, even if they arrive one or two weeks earlier, they would likely still only wander on the first underground level.