The dark and endless mine stretched deeper into the abyss.
After descending a dilapidated staircase, the group arrived at a platform leading to two new tunnels. The previously narrow space widened slightly.
Fu Zeren asked, “Which way?”
Chu Shiye replied, “The left.”
Just as they prepared to move, Ji Mian tugged Chu Shiye’s hand, stopping him.
“There’s something coming,” Ji Mian said calmly.
His simple statement immediately put the previously bored ability users on alert.
From the entrance of the left tunnel, several beasts emerged, snarling and growling.
“I’ve got this!” Berg roared confidently.
“Weaklings like these should bow before me!”
Ji Mian stood calmly at the back. As a “healer,” he naturally had no intention of stepping in. He even held onto Chu Shiye’s hand, making sure he stayed put as well.
Chu Shiye obediently stayed by Ji Mian’s side without a word, doing exactly as he was told.
Berg and his subordinates quickly dispatched the beasts, sneering. “Pathetic!”
He shot a glance at Chu Shiye. “So these are the creatures you lost to back then?”
Chu Shiye replied evenly, “These aren’t the ones I encountered.”
Berg smirked. “Doesn’t matter!”
“Anything in my way—god or beast—I’ll kill them all!”
Chu Shiye: “…”
Berg’s lackeys burst into applause. “Boss, you’re so cool!”
Fu Zeren coughed lightly. “Let’s move on. It looks like we still have a long way to go.”
The group continued deeper into the mine, encountering more groups of beasts along the way. However, the beasts were no match for the C-level ability users like Berg and Heisen, let alone Black Snake, who didn’t even need to lift a finger. The beasts were easily crushed.
“This is so boring, absolutely boring!” Berg shook his head. “Is this what it means to be powerful? It’s so lonely at the top!”
“You’re telling me the beasts you faced were all this weak?” he asked Chu Shiye again.
Without any change in his expression, Chu Shiye repeated, “No.”
As they pressed forward, one of Berg’s lackeys couldn’t hold back anymore and spoke up.
“Boss, how much further do we have to go?”
There was a hint of unease on his face.
“We’ve been walking forever, just going in circles. Honestly, I’ve already forgotten how to get back.”
“If this keeps up, are we sure we’ll even make it out?”
Hearing this, the other lackeys exchanged worried glances, their unease clear.
The mine’s interior was far more complicated than any of them had anticipated. They had passed countless forks and interconnected tunnels that seemed endless, like a labyrinth with no way out.
Even with maps, it would be difficult to navigate, let alone in a place where no maps existed.
Berg was momentarily speechless, but Chu Shiye spoke up. “I remember the way.”
Heisen narrowed his eyes. “Do you really?”
“If I didn’t, we’d all be trapped here,” Chu Shiye replied calmly.
Heisen was left at a loss for words.
“Stop doubting him and keep moving,” Fu Zeren said. “Even a pebble in this mine can have its uses.”
The moment he finished speaking, a chill ran down his spine.
Startled, Fu Zeren glanced up to find Ji Mian looking back at him with a faint, dismissive glance.
Fu Zeren: “…”
Black Snake raised an eyebrow, pulled out an e-cigarette, and bit down on it without a word.
The group continued their descent. After a while, Ji Mian whispered to Chu Shiye, “I’ve gotten used to this path. I can walk on my own now.”
“Oh,” Chu Shiye replied softly.
A second later, he slowly, reluctantly, released Ji Mian’s hand.
Ji Mian studied Chu Shiye’s expression.
*Strange, why can’t I tell if he’s happy or unhappy this time?*
After a moment, Ji Mian reached out and lightly tugged on Chu Shiye’s sleeve, holding onto it without letting go.
Chu Shiye froze for a moment but maintained his composure, continuing to lead the way forward as if nothing had happened.
Ji Mian thought: *Ah, I see now. He’s happy.*
The people behind them: “…”
*Seriously? This is a bit much, isn’t it?!*
—
About half an hour later, Chu Shiye stopped.
At his feet, a staircase led further into the depths.
“I recommend sealing this entrance,” Chu Shiye said. “Don’t go any further.”
Fu Zeren raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
Chu Shiye’s tone remained steady. “It’s very dangerous inside.”
“I heard the same thing from you in the hospital,” Fu Zeren replied. “Yet here I stand. So, Mr. Chu, you should already know my answer.”
The dark depths of the mine seemed endless, the oppressive silence broken only by the faint sound of footsteps.
“Is the strong one down there?” Berg asked eagerly as he stepped forward. “I can’t wait!”
The ability users behind him seemed invigorated, their spirits high. Chu Shiye turned to Ji Mian and whispered, “You should head back—”
“I’m not going back,” Ji Mian said simply. “I can’t remember the way.”
Chu Shiye: “…”
“Let’s go,” Ji Mian added calmly. “At this point, you can’t leave, and I’ll stay with you.”
Chu Shiye stared into Ji Mian’s eyes for a few moments before softly murmuring, “Okay.”
The staircase ahead was steeper and more treacherous than the ones they had descended before. Chu Shiye was the first to reach the bottom. He turned to Ji Mian and held out his arms.
Ji Mian shook his head. “Not necessary.”
With steady footing, Ji Mian descended gracefully, landing without issue.
Berg called out, “Hey, hey! Give me a hand!”
Chu Shiye turned and walked away without looking back.
Berg: “Damn it!”
Berg awkwardly lowered one leg, his body shaking slightly as he gingerly climbed down. It took considerable effort for him to maneuver his bulky frame to the ground.
Just as Berg landed, a wolf’s howl suddenly pierced the darkness from deep within the mine.
The sound sent shivers through Berg and the other ability users.
They could feel the surge of dangerous, overwhelming mental power in that howl.
“Hurry up! Stop dawdling!” Berg barked.
His subordinates scrambled to leap down, rolling on the ground and immediately taking defensive positions.
From the shadows, a beast emerged, its movements deliberate and unhurried.
It was a solitary wolf, its coat snow-white and its body massive. Its left eye was closed, a deep scar running across it—a clear sign of a blade’s strike.
The sound of teeth grinding against flesh echoed. The wolf was chewing something.
It was a human hand.
The bodies of the two C-level ability users who had died in the mine were missing one arm and half a torso.
Berg and the others: “…”
At the back of the group, standing unusually calm, were an E-level ability user and a supposed healer.
Ji Mian’s gaze lingered on the wolf’s blinded eye as he asked Chu Shiye, “Did you do that?”
Chu Shiye nodded. “Yes.”
He recounted the story quietly. Two C-level ability users had approached him, claiming they had detected unique energy within the abandoned mine and wanted him to join their exploration.
They sought him out because the mine was a labyrinth, nearly impossible for ordinary people to navigate once inside. But Chu Shiye could memorize even the most complex terrain after walking it once.
He also possessed an innate sense of danger, a gut instinct that had saved his life numerous times.
When they reached this spot in the mine, Chu Shiye had sensed something was wrong and warned the others to leave immediately. However, they ignored him and pressed on, ultimately encountering the powerful beast.
As the wolf attacked, the two C-level ability users used him as bait, even cutting off his escape route.
Chu Shiye had fought desperately, managing to blind the wolf’s left eye and force it to retreat. Barely alive and severely injured, he had crawled back to the mine entrance, relying on memory to escape.
As for the two C-level ability users, they were either lost in the mine’s maze-like corridors or fell prey to the wolf again—or perhaps both.
In the end, they died just meters from the exit.
Ji Mian reached out and patted Chu Shiye’s head.
Chu Shiye looked up at him.
Ji Mian said softly, “That’s to comfort you.”
Chu Shiye obediently lowered his head again, his demeanor subdued.
Meanwhile, Berg and his subordinates continued their tense standoff with the lone wolf.
The wolf’s cold gaze fixed on them, its presence exuding an overwhelming sense of danger.
One of Berg’s subordinates whispered, his voice trembling, “Boss, this beast… it feels completely different from the ones before…”
The man, a mere D-level ability user, was shaking so badly even while hiding behind Berg that he could barely stand.
“Shut up!” Berg snapped.
Though his tone was fierce, his forehead glistened with a fine layer of sweat.
This was a formidable beast—possibly even stronger than him.
Could it be at the peak of C-level?
Damn it! Aren’t Black Snake’s people going to do anything?!
Grinding his teeth, Berg barked, “Attack!”
“Leave it alive!” Fu Zeren called out hurriedly. “This is no ordinary beast. We need it captured for research!”
Berg wanted to curse, but before he could say anything, the lone wolf let out a long, resonant howl and charged forward, its sharp fangs aimed directly at Berg’s throat!
Berg reacted instantly, summoning his hedgehog-like mental manifestation. “Defend me!” he roared.
The hedgehog’s spines bristled and pointed toward the wolf. But the beast was unfazed, raising a massive paw and slamming it down.
The force created a miniature whirlwind within the mine, sending the hedgehog flying through the air—and Berg along with it. His massive body slammed into the stone wall with a sickening thud.
Berg spat out blood. “Damn it!”
Heisen glanced at Black Snake. Seeing him give the slightest nod, Heisen immediately joined the battle.
His Tibetan mastiff spirit beast and Berg’s porcupine were both battle-hardened manifestations.
The two C-level ability users who had previously died in the mine were auxiliaries, their combat abilities relatively weak. In contrast, Heisen and Berg were among the stronger combat-oriented C-level users. Yet, even their combined strength was utterly inadequate against the lone wolf.
After only a few exchanges, the ability users engaged in the fight were already battered and barely holding on.
“Black Snake!” Fu Zeren shouted anxiously. “Are you not going to step in yet?!”
At Fu Zeren’s repeated urging, Black Snake finally spoke, his tone languid. “Fine, I’ll handle it.”
Removing the e-cigarette from his lips, Black Snake’s pupils suddenly contracted into slits, resembling the cold, vertical eyes of a snake.
A chilling wind swept through the air as Black Snake’s spirit beast materialized in the swirling darkness.
It was a colossal anaconda, its massive body spanning several meters and several times larger than the injured wolf.
Sensing the imminent danger, the wolf hesitated and attempted to retreat. But despite its enormous size, the anaconda moved with startling speed. In the blink of an eye, its massive, barrel-like body coiled tightly around the wolf, immobilizing it completely.
Berg was stunned. Was that… a one-hit takedown?!
So this is the power of a B-level ability user… Damn it, the gap between us is way too big!
He gritted his teeth, swallowing his frustration. Meanwhile, Fu Zeren stepped forward eagerly. “Keep it alive! We need it for research!”
But Black Snake’s tone was icy. “A man-eating beast like this must be killed.”
The anaconda’s coils tightened with a chilling crack, the sound of bones breaking echoing through the mine. The wolf’s limbs twitched as it let out agonized howls.
The other ability users looked on in stunned silence, awed by Black Snake’s sheer power. For a moment, it was as if they themselves were the dying wolf, trembling in fear.
But then—something unexpected happened.
Realizing it couldn’t break free from the anaconda’s grip, the wolf raised its head high, its lone eye gleaming with fierce determination.
Its fangs suddenly extended, and with a powerful bite, its teeth pierced through the anaconda’s thick body!
The anaconda recoiled in pain, releasing its hold. The wolf landed gracefully, baring its sharp fangs as it let out another long, resonant howl. Its aura surged, becoming even more ferocious.
The other ability users turned pale, with some even collapsing to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
The pressure from the wolf’s mental power was overwhelming—a suffocating terror.
It was only then that they realized this was no C-level creature at the peak of its class… This wolf was a true B-level beast, equal in rank to Black Snake—the strongest person on the planet.
The anaconda coiled protectively at Black Snake’s feet as he narrowed his eyes. “Interesting.”
At this point, every other ability user was either injured or paralyzed by fear. No one could make a move.
The situation was grim. Yet, as if things couldn’t get worse, the wolf’s body began to emit a crimson glow.
The wounds it had sustained earlier were slowly healing.
It raised its head, its gaze mocking as if to say: What now? Want to try again?
The battered ability users: “…”
Then, suddenly, light burst forth from the darkness of the mine.
Chu Shiye turned toward the source of the light.
Ji Mian spread his long, slender fingers, scattering radiant light. The shimmering glow enveloped everyone around them, instantly healing their wounds.
Berg and Heisen, who had been on the brink of collapse, felt their strength fully restored.
Berg: Holy crap! This healer is insane! Terrifying!
Heisen: ??? Wait, did I really get chased off by a healer before?!
No, that’s impossible. Even if he’s a healer, how could his healing abilities be this strong? How can he heal us all in an instant?!
As the group stared at Ji Mian in shock and disbelief, he calmly locked eyes with the lone wolf.
He spoke, his voice steady and commanding: “Let’s go again.”
The wolf froze for a moment.
“…”
R : …
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