The path that Tai Yang led everyone down was quite eerie. Along the way, they barely encountered any beasts, and those they did see were mostly bears, deer, or rabbits, all of which seemed unusually cautious, as if they were afraid of something. When they reached the entrance to the forest, an uncanny silence enveloped the area, as if no living creatures resided there. Everyone took out their torches for light, except for Chang Long, who used Kitsune's fireball, which was larger and much brighter than everyone else's torches.

"Can't you do something like that, Firetail?"

Draco asked enviously. Firetail nodded and breathed out a long line of fire, but it ended up setting a nearby tree ablaze instead.

Screech!

Several dozen bats, each the size of a hen, flew out of the dark forest in a panic, disturbed by Firetail's flames setting their roots on fire.

"Eek. Giant bats!"

Peach Blossom screamed, running to hide behind her brother. Her scream seemed to awaken something that had been peacefully slumbering in the forest.

Hundreds of pairs of red eyes glowed like rubies in the darkness, causing everyone's hair to stand on end. The system notified them that the creatures watching them were called Black Demon Wolves, with a larger one with amber eyes being a Grim Wolf. Their levels were no less than forty, and there were nearly a hundred of them.

"Damn!"

Draco muttered softly. Everyone readied themselves for the attack they expected to come soon.

This was particularly difficult for Jane and Hero, as there was nowhere to hide and snipe from. The forest was dark and full of enemies, and the unfamiliar terrain made them reluctant to separate from the group. They had no choice but to use their secondary weapons, bows, and various secret weapons.

"Is it always like this when you follow Chang Long?"

Jane whispered to Oliang, standing next to her. She noticed that the group seemed unfazed by the overwhelming welcome from the horde of beasts.

"Yeah, pretty much,"

Oliang replied, his tone untroubled.

"Here they come!"

Siegfried announced solemnly. Everyone refocused on the hundreds of beasts surrounding them. The creatures began their assault. Kitsune and Firetail opened with a barrage of flames. The light from the flames revealed the true forms of the creatures and caused them to scatter in disarray.

"Holy crap!"

The burning trees quickly illuminated the area, making it much brighter. The bat beasts, startled again, screeched and flew away. What truly stunned everyone was the appearance of the Grim Wolf. It had sleek, black fur, an elegant form, and a massive, muscular body like a giant.

"I call dibs on this one!"

Siegfried's eyes sparkled as he looked at the Grim Wolf, as if he had found something he really liked. He sensed its strength and wanted it as his companion.

"Be my guest!"

Wet Trash Can readily agreed.

The fierce battle began. The Black Demon Wolves licked their lips hungrily and charged at Chang Long's group, eager to taste human flesh after being starved for so long.

"Release, Hulu!"

Chang Long summoned Hulu to join the fray, thinking it must be bored from being cooped up in the bracelet. She fed it a few medium-sized elemental crystals as it requested. To everyone's surprise, the Black Demon Wolves started trembling when Hulu appeared. They quickly turned tail and fled, leaving the Grim Wolf, the leader, sweating nervously.

Without its companions, the Grim Wolf could not bear the loneliness and hurriedly ran after them. Soon, they heard a loud crash followed by the howls of the wolves in the distance. Chang Long's group cautiously followed the sounds to investigate.

"A pit!"

Aden exclaimed, peering into the dark hole below. Meanwhile, Kimhant took several shots of the pit. Everyone leaned over to look into the dark abyss, estimating its depth to be quite substantial, as even their torchlight could not reveal anything at the bottom.

"What kind of pit is this, in a place like this?"

Zhang Yijie frowned, holding a pouch filled with some green powder.

"Let's go down and check it out!"

Chang Long suggested, preparing to climb down.

"Wait, Chang. It could be a trap!"

Valentine warned with suspicion.

"Kitsune!"

Chang Long called, frowning. Kitsune approached and sat by the edge of the pit, then breathed fire down into it, revealing the bottom where numerous black wolves lay injured and unable to move, howling in pain. There was no sign of the Grim Wolf or any other danger.

"Now we can go down,"

Chang Long said to Valentine and began descending first.

Upon reaching the cave floor, Chang Long's climbing skill leveled up three times due to the pit's considerable depth. She started dealing with the injured Black Demon Wolves that lay there, groaning in pain from their fall. Nearly thirty of these wolves lay dying resentfully, unable to fight back in their final moments. The others gradually followed Chang Long down and began exploring the area with interest.

"It's a labyrinth!"

Kimhant exclaimed, seeing eight pathways branching out from their current position.

"What do we do next, Chang Long?"

Jane asked the group's leader.

"Should we split up? There are multiple paths to choose from. Each group can leave markers along the way, and if anyone finds something interesting, we can contact each other,"

Chang Long suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement, knowing it would take forever to explore the entire place together.

"Then let's pair up… What's this?"

Oliang started to suggest pairing up but noticed that most of the group had already gravitated towards Chang Long, leaving him, Wet Trash Can, Miracle Doctor Zhang Yijie, Tai Yang, Draco, Firetail, and Aden.

"Hehe. How is that pairing up?"

Wet Trash Can could not help but laugh.

"Everyone else can pair up. I'm sticking with Master Chang,"

Peach Blossom said, clinging tightly to Chang Long's arm.

"That's not fair,"

Kimhant protested.

"Yeah, let's draw lots to make it fair,"

Hero agreed.

"Where are we going to find paper to draw lots?"

Jane scoffed. Kimhant opened his bag and pulled out an A4 sheet of paper. Everyone looked at the paper in Kimhant's hand with satisfaction. Just before they started drawing lots, Chang Long interrupted.

"I'll go with Hulu, and Kitsune can draw lots with the rest. Kitsune can assist others, unlike Hulu who doesn't let anyone near him,"

As she said, Hulu ignored everyone else, lounging away from the group with a bored expression. Zhang Yijie could not help but ask Chang Long about Hulu.

"That pet of yours is..."

"A kirin,"

Chang Long nodded. Zhang Yijie was slightly surprised, smiling with an expression that made it hard to guess what he was thinking.

"Wow, Hulu that you talked about is a kirin!"

Hero exclaimed excitedly, looking at Hulu with sparkling eyes. Since playing the game, he had never seen a beast as majestic as this.

"So, it's a sacred beast,"

Jane exclaimed, sharing Hero's excitement.

"Stop paying attention to Hulu. Master Chang, put Hulu away so we can pair up,"

Peach Blossom pleaded pitifully.

"Even if Chang Long puts Hulu away, she still has Kitsune as a companion,"

Oliang reminded Peach Blossom.

"Yeah, Hulu is essential. With it paired up, we'll have just the right number of people for the number of paths,"

Wet Trash Can added.

"Ugh! Fine! I'll go with Sieg. No need to draw lots!"

Peach Blossom said, annoyed, and clung to her brother's arm instead.

"Can I go with you, Boss?"

Kimhant decided quickly, standing next to Kitsune.

"I'll go with Firetail,"

Draco chose, thinking it was better than letting it go with an unfamiliar companion.

"I'll go with Tai Yang,"

Zhang Yijie also thought it was better to go with a familiar pet.

"Well, no need to draw lots then. I'll pair up with Oliang, and Hero can pair up with Jane. Perfect,"

Wet Trash Can nodded. The remaining pair, Aden and Valentine, were automatically partnered.

"Let's draw lots to pick our paths,"

Chang Long suggested.

"Right, Kimhant, cut the paper and write numbers on them. I'll mark the paths,"

Oliang instructed Kimhant. He walked to the pathways ahead and carved numbers into the stone walls of each path with his dagger.

After drawing lots, Chang Long and Hulu got path number one. Siegfried and Peach Blossom got path number two. Kimhant and Kitsune got path number three. Oliang and Wet Trash Can got path number four. Aden and Valentine got path number five. Draco and Firetail got path number six. Hero and Jane got path number seven. And Miracle Doctor Zhang Yijie and Tai Yang got path number eight.

"Brother Jie, are you sure you'll be alright? You do have some self-defense skills, right?"

Jane asked worriedly, noticing that Miracle Doctor Zhang Yijie was not carrying any weapons.

"I have a bit. Don't underestimate me just because I'm a doctor. The poisons I carry are unmatched!"

Zhang Yijie replied with a smile.

"Looks like Brother Jie has it easy. With poisons like that, you don't need to fight as hard as the rest of us!"

Wet Trash Can said enviously.

"You should share some of those poisons with us,"

Peach Blossom tried to coax the doctor, hoping he might give her some.

"Sure! But only if you're skilled enough to use them. Each poison has different components and effects. If you lack the knowledge, it could be dangerous for you,"

Zhang Yijie explained. Peach Blossom pouted disappointedly as she shook her head.

"I don't know anything about poisons,"

Aden, Valentine, Hero, and Jane, however, smiled. They had knowledge of poisons due to their ninja training. Since ninjas often needed lethal results, they sometimes applied poison to their weapons. Jane and Hero, who used both bows and secret weapons before becoming snipers, also knew how to handle poisons. However, unlike Peach Blossom, they did not ask for any.

"Let's get going. If we keep talking, we'll never get anywhere!"

Kimhant complained.

"Oh! Impatient much? If you're so good, why don't you go ahead by yourself!"

Peach Blossom snapped, glaring at Kimhant, who scowled and turned away, making her even angrier.

"Alright, we've talked enough. We should start moving,"

Siegfried agreed with Kimhant. If they dawdled any longer, they might not finish exploring before dark.

Everyone nodded and moved to their designated paths, each marked with a number carved by Oliang. They exchanged smiles and well wishes, then began walking down their respective paths with excitement, eager for the adventures awaiting them.

"Footprints,"

Chang Long noted, examining the ground covered with animal tracks. Using a torch she got from Kimhant, she observed that the footprints were as large as those of a fully grown dog. Hulu continued to lead the way, appearing at ease and unafraid of the cave's darkness.

"Davy-chan, Hisa-chan,"

Chang Long called, summoning the two spirits who had been invisibly following them. They appeared and began their reports.

"In here, there are only ugly beasts everywhere,"

Davy-chan reported first.

"And there are still many wolves that survived falling into the pit,"

Hisa-chan added.

"But it seems they're afraid of Hulu. So, none of them dare to come out and block our path,"

Davy-chan said proudly while shrugging, clearly pleased with his successor.

"Still, we must be very careful. Most of the beasts here are of the dark element. I can sense something very fearsome lurking in this place,"

Hisa-chan warned, laughing softly at Davy-chan's proud demeanor, yet still warned with concern for Chang Long.

"Something fearsome?"

Chang Long repeated, glancing around warily.

"Yes, something we don't even know what it is, ancient... I mean it's been around for a long time. I think it's in what we call hibernation,"

Davy-chan responded seriously.

"Then we should tread lightly so as not to wake it,"

Chang Long nodded and hurried after Hulu, who had walked ahead without waiting.

"Hehe, just you walking quietly won't help. Your friends are having a blast fighting right now, unlike your lonely self!"

Davy-chan laughed.

"One of the paths everyone is exploring leads to where that fearsome thing resides,"

Hisa-chan added.

"Don't you know which path it is?"

Chang Long asked worriedly. With just two people, they might not be able to handle whatever this fearsome thing is.

"No, it's beyond our range,"

Davy-chan shook his head. Even though he and Hisa-chan could move freely, they could not go beyond fifty meters from Chang Long.

"Let's hope Kimhant and Kitsune aren't the ones who find that room,"

Chang Long said softly with concern. Even though Kimhant was level fifty, his combat skills were still lacking. If he encountered beasts of similar or higher levels, he would immediately become a burden for Kitsune.

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