After resting for a night, Gauss and the others got up early the next morning, feeling refreshed as they set off from their camp to the fourth level.
"Clang clang!!!"
"Clang!!"
As soon as he stepped out of the entrance, before Gauss had a chance to observe his surroundings, he heard a piercing metallic clanging sound in his ears.
He looked up in the direction the sound was coming from.
All he saw in the field of vision ahead was a wall of hedge, and the lively noise was coming from outside the wall.
Floating above the wall were several casters, waving their magic staffs, and continuously casting various types of spells over the open land outside the wall. Clearly, a battle was taking place there.
Gauss was somewhat bewildered by the sudden scene.
However, he didn’t rush to take any action. Instead, he closed his eyes, and the powerful spiritual power inside his mind swiftly floated out of his body, then an invisible and intangible energy enveloped the battlefield.
He saw what was happening there.
Several adventure groups were working together to kill the invading monster troops. Warriors outside the battlefield were responsible for frontal combat while Druids raised walls of hedges to segment the battlefield and control the monsters and beasts. Rangers, Wanderers, and Mages provided assistance from the back and flanks.
It seemed very lively, but Gauss knew it wasn’t really the case.
On top of the hedge wall, sat a few relaxed individuals, merely watching the battle without participating. Only one female archer occasionally drew an arrow.
Seeing this, Gauss discerned the intentions of these adventure groups, so he had no intention to intervene. Moreover, the number of monsters attacking the camp was merely two or three hundred, like a drop in the bucket to him.
However, while he remained unresponsive, it drew the cautious attention of the other adventurers originally staying at the camp.
Gauss glanced at the various banners.
The Deer Banner, the Lightning Banner, and a banner with a palm symbol...
From the design of the banners, he could judge these people weren’t from the most famous Golden Team and Thorn Heart of Barry, but rather second or third-tier adventure groups from the Forest City, similar in ecological niche to his Red Dragon Team without him.
Upon glimpsing his Red Dragon Team banner, confusion flickered in most people’s eyes, indicating they hadn’t linked the Red Dragon Banner to any notable adventure group in the city.
Only a few people paused for a moment, seemingly recalling something, and exchanged quiet words with their companions to verify their suspicions.
When the members of the Red Dragon Team all emerged from the passage, the battle outside the wall slowly drew to a close.
Before Gauss led his people to communicate, a few people resembling team leaders brought their people over.
"Welcome to the fourth level of the maze."
"I am George Bell, the president of the Iron Hand Brotherhood."
"This lady is Melissa Dawson, the vice-captain of the Lightning Cavalry Group."
"This is Liam, the vice-captain of the Deer Guard Group."
As he spoke, the man’s gaze almost instantly landed on Gauss.
It was quite easy to determine who was the leader among this newly arrived group.
"I am Gauss, leader of the Red Dragon Team from Farlim."
Gauss extended his hand to shake hands with the three.
Upon hearing Gauss introduce himself, the trio did not show any surprise on their faces, obviously confirming Gauss and his group’s identity during the brief interaction earlier.
"What’s happening outside the wall? Do you need the Red Dragon Team’s help?" Gauss glanced beyond the hedges and inquired.
Although the commotion outside had gradually lessened, indicating the battle was nearing its end, some questions couldn’t go unasked, and besides, asking could inadvertently gather some information.
"Gauss Leader, you’re talking about those outside monsters, right? It’s nothing. We’re used to it; they attack in waves almost every day, especially at midnight. It’s just practice for us." George waved his hand with an unconcerned expression.
Upon hearing this, Gauss also nodded.
The high-level professionals kept still, while the actual fighting was conducted by relatively weaker adventurers, conforming to his assumption of it being deliberate.
"Then I’m relieved. Captain George, if convenient, could you allocate a space for my people to settle down?"
Gauss noticed that the three adventure groups and a few small adventure teams kept their camps rather distinctly separate, so despite it being a brief stop, he consulted the authoritative Captain George, to avoid unnecessary conflict.
"Hey!..."
George and the others apparently had considered this beforehand and quickly called someone over to mark a vacant spot for the Red Dragon Team to settle.
When Gauss, along with a few teammates, climbed onto the hedgerow wall to look outside, the battle had already ended.
Logistics personnel were harvesting demon materials, while some adventurers sat heavily on the ground, panting and resting. Meanwhile, Priests were moving around the battlefield, providing medical treatment to wounded comrades.
"Grit your teeth and hold on, I need to pull the arrowhead out of the wound first."
"Okay!"
"Ah! It hurts!"
The pain of removing the arrowhead from the body is several times more intense than the moment it was pierced during battle.
On one hand, following the end of a battle, sudden relaxation and the fading effect of adrenaline make one more sensitive to pain; on the other hand, barbed arrowheads cause secondary damage to wounds.
Fortunately, after swiftly and efficiently pulling out the arrowhead, a Medical Priest quickly applied a healing skill to alleviate the bleeding and pain.
This is the purpose of medical staff; they might seem inconspicuous, sitting calmly at the back during combat until the battle is over, but seasoned adventurers almost never resent this.