Chapter 48: Beneath the Mine Shaft

Generally speaking, the larger a monster’s body, the more tenacious its vitality. There is no other reason for this than their sheer thickness of blood. This level-12 spider-monster was no exception. Even after enduring a round of ferocious bombardment, it was still able to swing its two pincers in rage, smashing them toward the party.

“Thorns, entangle!” Mira cried out, summoning a mass of brambles to block the giant scorpion’s offensive. Though this spell was classified as an area-of-effect attack, compared to the destructive little girl and the dwarf elementalist, Mira’s magic was little more than a gentle scratch. It could hardly inflict any meaningful damage.

Its merit lay not in force, but in its persistence—vexing, relentless, and restrictive. Entwined in thorns, the giant scorpion found its movements hampered, its actions constrained, and its combat ability drastically weakened.

That, of course, was the main reason this band of rebellious youths tolerated Mira’s endless instructions. Pure practicality.

The little girl’s ammunition was spent. The dwarf’s magic was on cooldown. The titan’s quiver was empty. As for the bear shaman’s “Stillness” incantation, though it technically counted as an area spell, it was only effective against lesser creatures; it could not pin down a monster like this.

The half-mechanical healer was casting life magic to restore everyone’s condition, while Mira struggled on, holding the beast at bay.

As the battle dragged on, the damage dealers found themselves in an awkward predicament. The monster was still alive, but they were already out of mana.

Luo Yong couldn’t help but wonder how these people had managed to clear this dungeon multiple times before. In this party, aside from himself—the newcomer—the elven berserker was absent, and there was one other member whose class and role were still a mystery to him.

“Attack its joints!” the little girl suddenly shouted nearby.

“I know that,” Luo Yong replied, a little irked.

In truth, the monster was already on its last legs. Its massive body lay sprawled on the ground, and aside from the tail and the two pincers, all its other legs had been torn off. If the party could just hold out a little longer, they would surely take it down.

But, as fate would have it, they ran out of mana just before the finish line.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Luo Yong, ever prepared, was constantly replenishing his supply of healing potions. After this fight, he’d have to visit the magic shop and buy another batch. With a few more wind blades unleashed, the battered beast finally let out a reluctant roar, collapsing at last, utterly still.

Luo Yong noticed Mira signaling to him, while the rest of the party instantly fell back.

“Knew it would be like this...” he muttered.

Some bosses, right before death, would feign demise—waiting for the heroes to drop their guard before bursting back to life, regaining a hefty chunk of health and striking out with deadly force. A critical hit right out of the gate.

Many inexperienced heroes had suffered dearly for this. Some, by luck, dodged the blow; others fell, never to rise again.

Luo Yong had already witnessed this during his earlier run-in with the two spider monsters in the catacombs. Their attempts at playing dead had been thoroughly crushed by the emotionless level-13 skeleton soldiers.

But now Luo Yong was a level-8 Wind Whisperer. His wind blades, though they could pierce the monster’s armor, did little more damage than Mira’s spells.

At this point, aside from Mira, the “nice one,” none of the others bothered to warn Luo Yong.

Moreover, most of them had saved some strength, waiting for the right moment to unleash a final burst and claim the kill.

“What an infuriating bunch of little rascals!” Luo Yong grumbled to himself. He retreated quickly, activated a teleport scroll, and hurled a primed tactical scroll at the monster.

Without another word, he stepped into the portal’s shimmering light.

“Oh no! That’s a fire tactical scroll!”

“Luo Yong, you bastard!”

“Run!!!”

Luo Yong emerged from the portal and stretched languidly at the camp, still sleepy from having been roused from his dreams. Moments later, furious shouts echoed from the portal behind him.

One after another, figures tumbled out as if their pants were on fire.

“Get down!” The titan archer, who had retreated furthest, was the last to escape. Flames erupted in his wake, their searing heat and blinding brilliance instantly collapsing the portal, though little damage spilled through.

Yet the group of youths, along with Mira—her clothes tattered from her own thorns—regarded Luo Yong with a peculiar look.

“Madman! Cheat! Scoundrel!”

“I’ll never team up with someone like you again!”

“Luo Yong, you’ve gone too far this time!”

After a brief silence, they erupted into collective outrage as they caught Luo Yong’s nonchalant gaze, as if he’d just tossed a casual fireball.

“Well, that’s a relief. I was worried you’d latch onto me and never let go,” Luo Yong said, striding off toward the magic shop—or rather, the research institute next door.

There, Luo Yong was still considered a new customer. Disguised as a mercenary and looking far from affluent, he minimized his chances of being swindled.

After stocking up on healing potions, Luo Yong opened a portal nearby. With a casual glance over his shoulder, he stepped through.

In the distance, Mira had been watching Luo Yong’s every move. Seeing the teleport open, she called out and dashed after him. The rest of the party wasn’t foolish either—their ultimate skills exhausted, this was the perfect time to go treasure hunting.

Whoosh!

Luo Yong stepped into the mineshaft and was immediately met by a wave of scorching heat. The walls were charred and stained with soot, and the air was heavy with the scent of roasted scorpion.

The supposedly dead scorpion had been blasted to bits, leaving behind only a pitch-black stinger rolling in the rubble.

“This should make a fine alchemical ingredient. The Cursed Witch will probably find a use for it...”

In fact, aside from the crystal core, the stinger was the most valuable part of a scorpion.

Without wasting words, Luo Yong pocketed it at once.

As for the treasure chest...

Luo Yong looked around but saw nothing.

Had his tactical scroll blasted it into oblivion? What a farce!

Though, as a lavish spender, he didn’t care much about a little money, it was still a waste of time and effort.

While he was lamenting, Mira and the others burst through the portal, rushing up excitedly.

“The crystal core! Whoever finds it first gets it!” the little demolisher shouted, brandishing her cannon and sifting through the debris.

Goodness!

Luo Yong instinctively stepped back to avoid accidental injury. This little girl might have been a melee fighter in another life! To be both ranged and close combat—a truly formidable combination.

Perhaps the arrogant elven berserker was no match for her up close!

Clang!

With a triumphant smile, the little demolisher fished a fist-sized gray crystal core from the wreckage.

“Ha! The treasure chest is mine!”

“Priority is mine...” Luo Yong drifted past like a ghost, reminding them of a fact they’d all conveniently forgotten.

“Uh...” The little girl paused, then gave a dismissive snort and strode over to a small, blackened stone pedestal Luo Yong hadn’t noticed before. After placing the crystal core, the pedestal slowly descended, triggering some mechanism below. A treasure chest rose up in its place.

Click!

The chest sprang open. The little demolisher rummaged through it and finally produced a scroll, her face lighting up with joy.

“It’s here! I found it!”

“A Wish Scroll?!”

“It finally appeared!”

“That’s fantastic!”

The group cheered in delight.

The little demolisher gave Luo Yong a sidelong glance, then tossed him the chest, indicating that whatever else was inside, they didn’t want it.

“Take your box and get lost!” she said as she passed him.

“Sunk cost...” Luo Yong murmured, unperturbed. If not for Mira—fellow human and fellow captain—he wouldn’t have bothered with any of this. His own problems remained unsolved...

“Ah!” At this thought, Luo Yong felt a twinge of awkwardness, caught between advancing and retreating.

Under normal circumstances, he would seek out the astrologer Hera to ask a few questions.

But... he had just finished tailing her and discovered things best left unknown.

Who knew if the astrologer drew a divination card before leaving her house each day? If so, Luo Yong had best consider fleeing.

Her level was clearly beyond what he could handle at this stage.

So what should he do now?

“Should I head straight to Borengai? Sigh—”

Lost in thought, Luo Yong paced back and forth. Suddenly, he must have triggered some mechanism, for the entire mineshaft shuddered violently!

“Ah!” Cries of alarm rang out as the ground heaved and split open.

Luo Yong and the group of rebellious youths, still celebrating and slow to depart, tumbled together into the fissure.

Thud...

They landed in a heap.

Luo Yong, however, floated gently down.

Gravity Magic.

Now that he had acquired it, how could he let it languish in storage? It was a fascinating spell—unaffiliated with any school, forming a unique branch of its own, worthy of deep study.

What Luo Yong had just employed was the “anti-gravity” technique.

But the scene before him left no time to savor the feeling of using this spell for the first time.

A chorus of eerie sounds echoed in the pitch-darkness: slithering, clattering, crunching...

In this deeper, darker place, a more chilling horror awaited.