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Chapter 197 : AFK Grinding
Chapter 197: AFK Grinding
The moment he deactivated 【Fiend Form】, Gauss felt his thigh go weak, as if the power that had once been brimming inside him had suddenly been ripped away.
A distinct sense of weakness spread throughout his body.
“Whew—”
He let out a long breath.
Е̃nu̇m̈ а . і̃ ď
After experiencing such overwhelming power, returning to normal actually felt somewhat uncomfortable.
He took some dried meat and a Lantern Fruit from his storage bag and stuffed them into his mouth.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
A faint dizziness came from his brain, the result of lacking energy.
Fortunately, the battle had ended quickly, so the dizziness was not too severe.
“Captain, are you alright?”
Serandur was the first to arrive. He glanced at the unconscious stranger lying on the ground, then turned to Gauss and asked.
W ëb̆ ṅ о_v е̃ l̇ E nů m à
Gauss’s face looked pale now, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.
“It’s fine.”
“Sit down and rest for a while, I’ll check you.” Serandur insisted.
As the healer of the team, he had to ensure Gauss’s condition.
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Under the glow of Serandur’s healing light, the fatigue within Gauss’s body seemed to be dispelled, and his body gradually recovered.
Arya nimbly leapt down from Ulfen’s back.
W̄ ẽ b̌ n о v еľ Еn ǔ m̀ а̊
She first tied up the unconscious “enemy” with rope, then walked over to Gauss’s side.
When she saw the color slowly return to his cheeks, she finally spoke.
“Who are these people?”
“Hyenas from the labyrinth. Not sure when they started following us.” Gauss gave a glance at the enemy tied securely on the ground.
Even though he had held back somewhat, his earlier punch in Fiend Form had not been light.
The back of the man’s head was dented, and his cheek, chin, and elbow had scraped across the ground for several meters, peeling off skin to reveal raw pink flesh as blood seeped out—his appearance was miserable.
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“Serandur, heal him a little, don’t let him die.” Gauss jerked his chin toward the enemy.
He asked Serandur to treat him not out of mercy, but because he didn’t want the man dying before he learned the details.
From the moment he discovered they were being tailed, Gauss had already sentenced these hyenas to death in his heart.
It was a form of “ridding the people of harm.” If released, they would not only remain a threat to him and his team but to other innocent adventurers as well.
After a brief rest, Gauss stood up.
Normally, he would not have needed to activate Fiend Form against them. But he hadn’t wanted to risk letting any of them escape, so he had not held back.
Ĕ n um̀ a .і.d
Looking at the outcome, his decision had not been wrong.
Beside him, Serandur was already tending to the wounded Rogue.
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While treating him, Serandur sighed at how heavy Gauss’s blow had been—if he had waited any longer, the man might really have died.
After Serandur’s emergency treatment, the Rogue barely clung to life, but would still need lengthy healing to fully recover.
“Can you make him wake up for a bit?”
“Yes.” Serandur understood, thought for a moment, then nodded firmly.
Ё nù mа
He drew a small cut on the Rogue’s forehead and sprinkled faint red powder onto the wound.
Moments later—
The Rogue slowly opened his eyes.
Holding his head, he felt something wet and sticky on his hand.
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When he spread his palm, the sight of crimson blood stung his vision, the pain stabbing into him again.
What… happened to me…
Wӗ b nо̃v̈el̄ Е̊ n̄ ǔ m а̄
“Thanks, Serandur.” A man’s voice sounded beside him.
Turning his head, he saw a figure in black robes.
Memories rushed back into his mind.
Right—the job, being discovered, then…
His heartbeat suddenly quickened.
He remembered! He remembered it all!
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It was this man before him—this guy who had turned into a fiend—who had destroyed their entire team…
Am I actually still alive?
Suddenly, he shivered violently.
Because the black-robed man had crouched down, staring straight into his eyes with a piercing gaze.
“Mind telling me when you started following us…?”
...
W̌ еb n оv̆ е̄l̈ Ē n̊ u_m̂ ӓ
Ten minutes later, Gauss finished his “interrogation.”
The process had gone smoothly.
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Arya had found Truth Serum and other drugs among their belongings.
In such a weakened state, the Rogue could hardly resist the effects.
And Gauss had not only questioned him—
The other Rogue, whose arm had been severed earlier, was also saved from the brink of death and interrogated as well.
Ẇ ēbn ӧv̆ě l̄ Ѐn úm á
The two confessions corroborated each other, confirming the information.
It turned out this group of “Hyenas” specialized in lying in wait near the entrance of the second floor. They even deliberately spread news of the entrance to the first floor.
When adventurers entered the second floor, they would tail them from afar using Rogue stealth techniques.
They didn’t attack immediately, sometimes waiting for days, either drugging their targets at night or waiting until they faced danger.
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For example, they would strike when adventurers were locked in fierce battle with monsters or utterly exhausted—then swoop down like vultures to reap the spoils.
According to them, there were several other Hyena teams in the labyrinth, each minding their own prey without interfering with one another.
Еn̈ü m̃ а. і d̂
“These people are really rotten.” Arya sighed.
Exploring the labyrinth was already perilous, with traps, environment, and monsters to contend with—now they also had to beware of these vipers lurking in the dark.
With the information extracted, Serandur sent the two Rogues on their way.
After a quick search, they collected quite a bit of loot from the four.
Their stealth cloaks and daggers were all magical items, even if of the lowest grade, still worth a good amount. Along with their coin and other supplies, the total was likely over eighty gold coins.
And this was after their extravagance—for after every job, they had squandered much of their earnings in debauchery. Otherwise, their savings would have been greater.
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It was clear that the number of adventurers they had preyed upon was not small.
“Dying this easily is too cheap for them.” Arya kicked the corpses twice, fuming. “They dared to ambush us.”
But at least they had Gauss.
Her gaze drifted to him, recalling the tall white figure she had seen earlier.
Though frightening at first sight, upon thinking back, she found that form somewhat dashing.
In the end, the corpses were stripped and tossed into a corner.
Е́n u m а́. і̃ d
On the second floor of the labyrinth, plants grew quickly—soon their bodies would be covered in greenery and insects, becoming nourishment for the ever-growing maze.
Their fate matched that of the innocent victims they had once harmed.
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...
The night passed without incident.
Because of the attempted raid by the marauders, everyone had been extra vigilant during watch.
Even Gauss only remained in light sleep, alert to any surprise.
Е̂ṅû m̃ а́. ǐ d
“Yawn—”
Gauss stretched as he woke.
After washing up and eating breakfast, he noticed Arya frequently sneaking glances at him, as if she had something to say but couldn’t bring herself to.
“Something on your mind?” he asked directly.
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Hearing him, Arya hesitated for a moment, then shyly said:
“Gauss, that clay figure… could you make one for me too?”
É ṅ u ḿ а. і̄ d
She had seen Serandur coloring one earlier that morning. Upon asking, she learned Gauss had made it for him last night after she had gone to sleep.
“Why? My craft is clumsy. You really want one?” Gauss scratched his head, puzzled.
“Yes, I do.” Arya nodded firmly.
“Alright then.” Normally, Gauss didn’t bother, thinking it embarrassing.
But since she asked so insistently, he would make her one.
Quickly, he pinched some clay and cast a shaping spell.
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The clay wriggled and transformed, soon taking the form of a palm-sized clay doll in his hand.
The doll held a crooked little wooden staff, wore a robe, and had a wreath made of green vines upon its head.
“Thank you.”
Arya asked for nothing more, happily taking the clay doll away to bake it by the fire.
Once finished, the clay doll would glow faintly when infused with magical or natural energy, adding a special effect to its otherwise plain appearance.
“Let’s head west today.”
Е̃ nũ m̃ а . іd
Before setting off, Gauss confirmed their direction.
From last night’s interrogation of the Hyenas, they had learned another crucial piece of information—the entrance to the third floor was likely to the west.
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The reasoning was that while labyrinth entrances appeared randomly, they followed a loose rule: new entrances rarely appeared too close to old ones.
Since the last refreshed entrance had been on the east side, the next was likely to be somewhere toward the west.
After packing up, the team moved out again.
Along the way, Gauss continued clearing out small monsters and common creatures. He needed more Spirits.
Еnu m̂ а̂
On the second floor, most of the wildlife consisted of insects—beetles, aphids, spiders, and the like.
Soon, his collected Spirits increased steadily.
During this process, he also discovered a pattern.
The strength of a clay construct depended on the original Spirit’s power, the number of Spirits used, and the amount of magical energy consumed.
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For example, even among insect-type clay constructs, a spider required more magical energy than the mosquito he had made the night before.
Of course, its strength was also greater.
W̊ еb̌ n̊ о̀ v́ е̃ l̈ Ӗ n̂ ûm а
After consuming a few Giant Spider Spirits, and fusing nearly a hundred ordinary Spider Spirits, the clay spider he created already possessed considerable combat power.
Watching the white spider scuttle quickly beside him, Gauss’s lips curved slightly.
This spider was about the size of a faceplate and had consumed most of his remaining magical clay.
Though small, its leaping ability and movement speed were both remarkable.
Each jump carried it several meters forward.
Moreover, its eight legs could harden into blade-like weapons.
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Ordinary low-level monsters stood no chance against it.
It could use its explosive strength to leap directly at a foe’s face, stabbing blade-like limbs into vulnerable spots such as the eyes.
Even if an enemy managed to grab it and break its limbs, it made little difference.
After escaping, it could automatically absorb scattered clay to restore itself—only at the cost of more magical energy.
Most importantly, as a direct product of his own magical energy, the kills made by the clay spider were still counted as Gauss’s by the Monster Encyclopedia.
That had delighted him.
Ẇе b̊n̈ оv̇ е̌l Ĕ n̂ū m а
Now, while traveling, he didn’t need to fight himself. The clay spider would automatically hunt down roadside or forward monsters, collecting Spirits while adding to his Monster Encyclopedia kill count and spell proficiency.
Which meant, when they encountered stray monsters in the morning, Gauss didn’t even bother to act, leaving everything to the clay spider.
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All he had to do was replenish his food and occasionally restore the clay spider’s magical energy.
It really was reminiscent of the carefree “AFK grinding” style from online games of his previous life.
Efficiency-wise, it might not be much better, especially since he currently had only one decent clay construct, but the convenience was undeniable.
Thus, Gauss was satisfied with it.
Е̊ n̄ ŭm̄а..і̆ d̈
Besides, this clay construct had room for growth. With more proficiency, he could “mix in” materials for enhancement, or gather clay and soils better at conducting magical energy, to create larger and stronger clay creatures.
“Serandur, can your Blessing Spell work on my clay spider?” he suddenly asked, turning to him.
“Perhaps. I’ll have to test it.” The half-serpent was uncertain, but still nodded.
By noon, the three had traveled a fair distance west before stopping for lunch.
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“Gauss, does your spider pet need to eat?” Arya asked curiously.
“No, but it consumes my magical energy,” Gauss replied.
Е́ n̈uḿа̀. id
“No wonder.”
Arya realized why Gauss had been eating more frequently that morning.
Ulfen and the raven Ike circled around the new “animal companion,” especially Ulfen, who kept leaping about and even biting the spider’s body from time to time.
Now the clay spider’s body was covered in bite marks and wet saliva.
But since it already recognized Ulfen as a friendly unit, and its intelligence was not high, it simply ignored the wolf-like creature, absorbed in its task.
It silently crushed ants on the ground with sharp legs.
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Faithfully carrying out Gauss’s orders.
Besides absorbing Spirits from dead spiders, it could also absorb Spirits from other creatures, though conversion was far less efficient.
Gauss found Giant Spider Spirits useful enough, so he let the spider keep killing ordinary insects to strengthen itself.
“Tap tap tap.”
“Snap!”
As the clay spider worked diligently, ants were crushed into small puddles of slime, their essence fusing into the clay spider’s body.
Е̊ñü m̃ ã
What a hardworking laborer…
Gauss looked away.
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He crouched down, held back the overly energetic Ulfen, and rubbed its wolf head.
“Ulfen, don’t disturb its work.”
It seemed to understand. When Gauss held it down, it immediately behaved, tongue lolling out as if to say “I’ll behave.”
To be honest, Ulfen wasn’t afraid of its owner, but it didn’t dare disobey Gauss.
W̃ ě b n о̌vӗ l̊ E ñũm̂ а́
The strict hierarchy of canines demanded obedience to the strongest “alpha” of the pack.
And since Gauss was the strongest fighter and leader of the team, Ulfen always acted docile before him—especially when Gauss spoke seriously.
Still, it looked somewhat dejected at the clay spider.
It had been so friendly toward this “little brother,” yet the spider remained aloof, giving no response at all.
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The thought left it discouraged.
But the gloom lasted only seconds—because as soon as Arya walked over with freshly sliced meat, Ulfen perked up, tail wagging wildly.
Wĕb̆nо v̊ е l̄ Ӗnum а̃
The meat quickly made it forget the clay spider.
Tier 2 Spell 【Shaping Magic: Clay】 lv2 (8/20).
After letting the clay spider act all morning, Gauss’s spent magical energy had not been wasted. His spell proficiency had grown by eight points.
Though progress would slow later, he was still very pleased.
Once he reached level 3, he should be able to try fusing other materials, granting his clay creatures additional properties.
That was the potential of clay magic.
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At first it seemed weak, but with practice, it could show versatile and strategic value.
“Still, I need more clay.”
Gauss looked at the small amount of precious white clay left in his hand. It wasn’t nearly enough to make a proper-sized clay servant.
“Serandur, did you ever encounter mud golems or any clay-producing monsters on the second floor of the labyrinth?”
He walked over to where Serandur was testing Blessing Spell on the clay spider.
“Huh?” The sudden question startled him. “Let me think…”
Ẇ е́ b nо̊ v̀ѐl̄ Е̄ n um а̊
“I didn’t run into any mud golems directly, but I might have seen a clue.”
He sounded uncertain.
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“Once I passed what looked like an abandoned herb garden. It was overgrown with weeds, so I didn’t find useful herbs.”
He hadn’t mentioned it before because he thought the information useless.
“Is it far from here?” Gauss grew interested.
“It should be roughly in our direction.” Serandur circled an area on the hand-drawn labyrinth map.
W e b n о́ v̂.е l̈. Ĕn̄ ù m̀ ӓ
“Then let’s swing by this afternoon.”
Gauss needed special soils—clay, black soil, yellow earth—anything suited to channeling magical energy.
He had already tested ordinary soil. Though it could make clay creatures, they were fragile and loose, draining large amounts of magical energy and unable to hold form for long.
Even mud from mud golems wasn’t enough. Only that magical-item-grade white clay was truly suitable.
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And he needed more.
...
Ẽ n̊û m̄_а̌ . id́
Afternoon.
Serandur hadn’t marked the herb garden precisely, only remembered the general direction.
Fortunately, it was on their route, so no time was wasted.
With map in mind, Gauss finally reached the place Serandur recalled.
Dim light revealed not a garden, but ruins overrun by weeds and thorns.
The outer stone wall, once crudely stacked, had largely collapsed, broken remnants barely outlining its borders.
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Creeper-like lichens covered much of the wall, staining it a sickly green-gray.
The three stepped through a crumbled arch of blackened stone pillars, entering the garden. Beneath their feet lay shattered stone slabs of a ruined path.
“Quite the growth.”
Gauss scanned the ground within the ruined walls.
Before him spread wild thorns and dark weeds, so dense there was hardly room to step. Unlike other labyrinth growths, there were no glowing mosses, ferns, vines, or shrubs here.
The air was heavy with the stench of rotting plants and damp earth.
W̄е ḃ n ǒv е l̇ É ǹ ú ṁ ӓ
“Arya, anything?”
Arya crouched down, spreading her hand against the ground.
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Each had their specialty.
Between the three, neither Gauss nor Serandur matched the Druid Arya’s sense of nature.
“This soil feels different from elsewhere.” Arya let her natural energy seep into the ground.
She grabbed a clump of hardened brown-black earth, rubbing it between her fingers, finding it unusual.
Ẅе́ b.n̆ӧv̄еl Én úm а̊
As her natural energy sank deeper, her brow suddenly arched.
“Gauss, something’s moving down there!”
“Yes, I feel it too.” Gauss’s face grew sharp.
The ground beneath them shook violently, like a dragon turning in its sleep.
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“Hold on to me.”
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