[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-not-goblin-slayer":3,"chapter-i-am-not-goblin-slayer-i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-161":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Am Not Goblin Slayer",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1030815,1343,"Chapter 161: The Maze Emerges, Forest Capital","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-161",161,"\u003Cp>The New Year festival passed, ushering in the year 1015 of the new calendar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just two days into the new year, the snow and ice began to melt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the thawing period was often colder than the snowfall itself, forcing even Gauss with his cold-resistant physique to add extra layers for warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Knock knock knock!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gauss was packing his belongings to go train in magic, brute strength, and swordsmanship, knocking sounded at his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening it, he found Aria standing outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Happy New Year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Happy New Year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The past two days had been too cold, keeping Aria holed up at home without venturing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss welcomed her inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is something the matter?\" Gauss asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was still time before their scheduled mission departure date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Big news!\" Aria's voice brimmed with excitement. \"I just heard this when I went out to buy meat for Ulfen and the others!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't rush, take your time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss poured her a cup of hot black tea, gesturing for her to drink first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Settling into a chair, Aria cradled the clay cup, took a sip to calm herself, then continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A newly emerged underground maze has been discovered near Barry, the Forest Capital - just these past two days!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\" Gauss's eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was truly explosive news!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the dungeons he'd experienced before, mazes were far more complex - multi-layered structures with unique ecosystems inside, presenting greater challenges but also promising more monsters, traps, and potential treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A newly discovered maze would inevitably draw swarms of adventurers from surrounding areas, potentially spawning temporary settlements nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, it wasn't too far - right at Barry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can we explore it?\" Gauss asked eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably?\" Aria sounded uncertain. \"I think we should go check out Barry first? What do you think? We were planning to go there after the new year anyway - this just moves up our schedule.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After brief consideration, Gauss didn't object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However it turned out, checking it out couldn't hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A maze teeming with monsters and treasures? Impossible to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet one thought nagged at him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unusually early heavy snow before the new year, the attacking poison wyvern, the griffin knights visiting town, and now this newly emerged maze - could these events be connected?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the maze's appearance had been foretold?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with their decision to go to Barry, they couldn't leave immediately. They needed to wait for further snowmelt to clear the roads and gather sufficient supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maze exploration differed from short surface missions where villages and inns were usually nearby. Challenging a maze required extensive preparation - food, water, clothing, cooking equipment, and various tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once underground, adventurers could only rely on what they carried, what they found inside, or trading with strangers unless they returned to the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We'll need to stock up on supplies,\" Gauss said, looking at the equally excited Aria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they could purchase goods in Barry, unfamiliarity with the environment and potentially higher city prices made shopping in their hometown more reassuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right, I've already prepared a list,\" Aria produced a piece of parchment, clearly having come prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss scanned the detailed list and nodded approvingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aria's thoroughness left virtually nothing overlooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the next few days, they simply needed to purchase items according to the list and await the snowmelt for caravans to resume travel to Barry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trade route between Grayrock Town and Barry was normally busy - caravans would depart at the first opportunity after roads became passable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid their quiet anticipation and frequent meetings to prepare supplies, several days passed in a blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though remnants of snow lingered in the wilds, caravans were already preparing to depart for Barry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maze attracted not just adventurers but merchant groups hoping to profit from the influx.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being the first caravan heading to Barry, seats were unusually competitive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, merchant groups posted notices inviting bronze-rank adventurers to join. This time the tables had turned - adventurers had to request seats from the caravans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even that didn't guarantee success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With limited spare seats after accounting for their own cargo, even one-star adventurers struggled to secure spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss's two-person team only obtained seats thanks to his status as a level 2 spellcaster, though they'd have to share a carriage with others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably fellow maze-seekers wanting first-hand information,\" Aria remarked, observing the bustling scene outside their carriage window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at Gauss who had taken out a book for the journey, she felt grateful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Gauss, she likely wouldn't have secured seats on this first caravan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The maze...\" she murmured as their specially-designed anti-skid ox-carriage slowly departed town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Barry was the nearest major city to Grayrock Town, the distance wasn't insignificant - the journey would take several days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan progressed in starts and stops - making camp, eating, resting, occasionally requiring adventurers to help with snowmelt-induced road damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, no major incidents occurred as the caravan maintained steady progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During one rest stop, Gauss encountered the Iron Arms team. After brief exchanges, Quick and others expressed astonishment and congratulations on his promotion to level 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But currently, everyone's attention remained firmly fixed on Barry's maze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For most low-level adventurers, a new maze represented a rare opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Successful exploration could yield rare herbs, treasures, even magical items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the maze's unstable spatial rules initially only permitted entry to lower-level professionals, giving them better odds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors said many had broken through long-stagnant level barriers during maze explorations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such was the maze - filled with traps, dangers and monsters, yet brimming with hope and surprises - an adventurer's dreamland!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After days of monotonous snowy landscapes, the terrain grew damper as they approached the warmer Forest Capital region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, greenery appeared - trees, grass, moss - though the crisp air reminded them winter hadn't fully retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Barry's climate is so pleasant,\" Aria remarked, stretching as she watched the revitalized scenery, clearly preferring vibrant green forests to winter's unchanging snowscapes as a druid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" Gauss nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he known Barry's climate was this agreeable, he'd have visited sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder about Barry's housing prices? Probably much higher than Grayrock Town's,\" Gauss mused silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With better security, thriving commerce and pleasant climate, he could understand why many would want to settle here - making higher prices inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only question was how much higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As greenery returned, more caravans from different directions converged onto the main road leading to the Forest Capital's gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So lively...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peering out, Gauss saw more carriages, ox-carts and special mounts than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before reaching Barry, the city's prosperity and activity were palpable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hours later at Aria's prompting, Gauss looked out to see a magnificent mountain city's silhouette gradually emerging in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Forest Capital flourished with greenery, its terrain rising gradually toward the center where an unimaginably colossal tree stood majestically, its enormous canopy seemingly propping up the sky itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Forest Capital - Barry - had arrived!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Line up properly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the towering city walls dozens of meters high, caravans queued in long lines awaiting entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Merchant groups register here! Visitors this way!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well-armored guards maintained order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Professionals,\" Gauss observed, sensing familiar energy from the ordinary gate guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was merely one of Barry's gatehouses. If even regular guards possessed professional power, what about their superiors and other city forces?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately realized professionals weren't exceptionally rare here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a metropolis of millions, substantial security forces were necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the secondary hub of the Emerald Province and humanity's stronghold facing the Emerald Forest, such strength made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss quietly tempered the pride from his recent promotion to level 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talent was talent, strength was strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he believed himself stronger than typical level 2 professionals with faster future advancement, he'd be helpless against level 4, 5 or stronger opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Grayrock Town where level 2 professionals stood out among mostly level 1s, Barry undoubtedly housed many stronger individuals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guild Leader Eberhard possessed level 9 or higher strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barry certainly contained professionals exceeding level 10, likely numbering more than a handful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While waiting in the long registration line, Gauss realized he'd likely be operating around the Forest Capital for quite some time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hopefully he could make a name for himself soon...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After patient waiting, their turn finally came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gauss, Grayrock Town, level 2 professional...\" the guard verified Gauss's identity. \"Everything checks out. Here for the maze exploration?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, this is my companion Aria.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard nodded - he'd processed countless similar adventurers recently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of surrounding towns and cities' adventurers found the new maze's allure irresistible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their characteristic initiative, more would keep arriving steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barry's town hall had even reinforced gate security to prevent disorder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After identity verification, they were permitted entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing through the small gate and the thick stone-walled tunnel, light suddenly poured in ahead - the view opened dramatically!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vibrant panorama of noise, color and vitality abruptly filled Gauss's vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A main thoroughfare wide enough for ten carriages abreast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neat stone-paved roads flanked by lush green trees separating pedestrian walkways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the bustling gatehouse, his gaze climbed the towering inner walls covered in vine reliefs to the distant city center's sky-piercing giant tree!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even from this distance, he could feel the tree's overwhelming vitality and ancient aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midway up the trunk, magnificent structures clung like an elven city within the canopy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Barry's heart - the Mother Tree Tel'ashir, namesake of the Forest Capital and the city's mightiest guardian and symbol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whew-\" Gauss exhaled deeply, steadying his overwhelmed senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cacophony, powerful guards, simultaneously distant yet immediate Mother Tree - everything bombarded his perceptions intensely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning his attention to nearby streets:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rows of neatly arranged, colorful-roofed buildings lined both sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shop windows displayed dazzling arrays of goods - fashionable clothing, exquisite pastries, spices, leathers and fabrics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the citizens carried themselves differently from small-town folk - neatly dressed and composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing passing adventurers, they showed little fear beyond minor avoidance while continuing conversations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss noticed families strolling streets, children playing around parents - scenes of tranquility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was merely one gatehouse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Gauss knew this might be a prosperous area catering to visitors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A city of millions undoubtedly had less developed districts like slums, yet the sight still awed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he'd visited metropolises in his past life, this exotic mountain city's impact differed entirely from steel-and-glass skyscrapers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After six months in Grayrock Town's mundane surroundings, Barry gave him distinct \"country bumpkin in the big city\" vibes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry, let's keep going.\" Only after some time did Gauss collect himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing Aria waiting patiently, he spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having visited before, Aria hadn't shared his stunned reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, let's pass through the gatehouse to the outer city and find the Adventurers Guild,\" Aria said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked, they surveyed shops lining the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That looks delicious,\" Gauss swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shop windows displayed exquisite foods - fruit tarts, sponge cakes, cream puffs, crème brûlée, velvet cakes, honey...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merchants clearly understood travelers' cravings after long journeys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Want to buy some?\" Aria asked knowingly, glancing sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Better focus first - let's get maze intel from the Adventurers Guild,\" Gauss said, chewing jerky from his storage bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sword thirsted for action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With others already exploring the maze, speed was essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for food...he could resist for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just window-shopping would suffice, he told himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All flashy, insubstantial stuff - his jerky was more filling...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he remembered an old promise from when he first became an adventurer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"West Barry, Golden Beak caravan...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hayley had left hurriedly with scant information he'd thought sufficient then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now facing Barry's immensity, finding them seemed daunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He'd have to inquire around when possible...\u003C\u002Fp>",1935,"2026-06-03T09:23:13.439Z","2026-06-03T09:23:16.563Z",1,"novelbin.me","c6009938c180b594342ff50b6999f50ab768d5e9a1d060ed468696e81fe8dce4","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-162","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-160",414,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-not-goblin-slayer-cover.jpg"]