The first light of dawn pierced the darkness and began to illuminate the sleeping Lower City.
The light drove away the lesser Devil Creatures that had roamed freely through the long night. They let out resentful screeches and retreated into gutters and corners where the sun never reached, waiting for the next night to fall.
Bai Chen, however, was not in a warm bed, enjoying the bliss of being embraced by two soft, delicate lolis.
He had become a mass of pure shadow, lurking silently on the roof of his own dilapidated little house, perfectly blending into the shadows around him.
With a thought, he opened a translucent panel in his consciousness that only he could see.
[Host: Bai Chen]
[Attribute: Shadow System]
[Species: Devouring Demon God (wields the authority of Devour and can acquire abilities by devouring different Devil Creatures)]
[Abilities currently acquired (current ability limit: 3; one slot unlocked with each level gained): S-Rank Shadow Tentacles, S-Rank Moon Ice Domain]
[Level: 10 (Experience: 6%/100%)]
[Master: Lin Luoluo (S-Rank mental strength): Talent: Ten Thousand Arts Sovereign]
As a Devouring Demon God, he had far more paths to growth than an ordinary Contract Spirit.
Besides gaining experience by killing Devil Creatures as usual, he could also level up slowly by absorbing and devouring the energy between heaven and earth.
The hours of Chou, from one to three in the morning, were when Shadow Energy was most active.
He had spent nearly the entire night here, soaking up the thin energy in the area like a greedy sponge.
Unfortunately, the Lower City was simply too barren. Energy of every attribute was pitifully scarce.
Not to mention the many Devil Creatures lurking in hidden, dark corners, competing with him for the same Shadow Energy they fed on.
As a result, a whole night of cultivation had yielded a negligible increase in experience, barely one or three percent.
Bai Chen wasn't troubled by it.
Every little bit helped; grains of sand could pile up into a tower.
To level up quickly, he would ultimately have to get the bulk of his experience by entering the spatial rifts connected to other worlds—the [Mine Tunnels]—and actively hunting Devil Creatures.
As the sky grew brighter, the Shadow Energy in the air became sluggish and thin. Bai Chen prepared to stop absorbing it and return to the room.
Lin Luoluo and her younger sister would be waking up soon.
Today was the important day of the Contract Spirit Master assessment. They couldn't be late.
Just as he was about to dismiss his shadow form and return to his bouncy Slime shape, however, his keen senses suddenly detected two figures approaching.
He could sense the malice coming from both of them.
As a Demon God, he was especially sensitive to such emotions.
His body stopped changing at once. Maintaining his shadow form, Bai Chen concealed himself completely in the deepest shadow cast by the eaves.
Soon, two figures appeared at the entrance to the alley and stopped in front of Lin Luoluo's home.
One was tall and thin, the other short and fat.
"The slums... Number 27, East Third Street. This must be the dump, right?"
The tall, thin man looked over the wooden house, which was practically falling apart, his tone contemptuous.
"That little girl's place really is a dump. It's like a pile of garbage."
"Hmph. That's what she gets for being blind enough to offend our young miss."
The other man gave a cold snort, the fleshy rolls on his face trembling. "She should've known what would happen.
"Enough talk. While the streets are empty, let's hurry up and finish the job, before the long night brings too many dreams."
The two stopped at the door, putting their heads together to discuss their plans.
A scar ran down the tall, thin man's face from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth.
The short, fat man wore an undisguised look of lust. He pulled a photograph from his pocket, a half-length portrait of Lin Luoluo.
Staring at the photo, he suddenly let out a nauseating, lecherous chuckle.
"Still, this chick really is pretty, and that figure... tsk, tsk, tsk. Shame she's a cripple."
He stroked the photo with his short, thick fingers, his gaze growing filthier. "After we take care of her Contract Spirit, how about we... heh heh, have a little fun while we're at it?"
The tall, thin man grinned. "Heh heh, I hear she's lame too. I've never played with a lame girl before."
Listening to the two men's vile conversation from the roof, Bai Chen's consciousness turned ice-cold in an instant.
It really was her!
Jiang Ruoxue—that woman really hadn't let the matter rest!
She knew very well that once Lin Luoluo, with her S-Rank mental strength, successfully registered as a Contract Spirit Master, dealing with her would become much more troublesome.
So she had chosen to send people over on the morning of the assessment itself, to strangle Lin Luoluo in the cradle!
What a vicious heart!
What made Bai Chen's killing intent boil even more was that these two scumbags actually harbored such filthy thoughts about Lin Luoluo!
Just then, the two men were ready to make their move.
No longer bothering to hide, they each summoned their Contract Spirit, preparing to force open the flimsy wooden door.
Bai Chen swept his gaze over the two Contract Spirits and instantly identified their origins and strength.
One was an earth-type [Shatterrock Hound].
Its entire body was made of rough, gray-brown rock, with thick limbs and the appearance of a vicious bulldog.
The other was a poison-type [Stingtail Scorpion].
Its carapace was deep purple, and the poisonous stinger on its raised tail glinted with a cold, eerie light.
A C-Rank Contract Spirit, [Shatterrock Hound], level 9.
And a C-Rank Contract Spirit, [Stingtail Scorpion], level 11.
The Stingtail Scorpion in particular was level 11, unquestionably a Second Tier Contract Spirit that had completed one breakthrough task.
For the Jiang Family to send such forces against a young girl who had only summoned her Contract Spirit yesterday, they had definitely set their minds on ruthless measures.
Below, the Shatterrock Hound had received its master's command. It gave a low growl, pawed at the ground with its thick limbs, and lowered its head, aiming its iron-hard skull at the rickety wooden door.
In the next second, it would charge.
At last, Bai Chen made his move.
The instant the Shatterrock Hound was about to smash its head through the door—
The most inconspicuous patch of shadow in front of the doorframe seemed to come alive!
Several thick, pitch-black tentacles shot out of the shadow!
Like giant pythons lying in wait in the abyss, they moved faster than the eye could follow, wrapping around the Shatterrock Hound's stout, rocky body in an instant.
The Shatterrock Hound didn't even have time to howl before the tentacles squeezed its hard body tight.
"Crack... crack..."
A series of cracking sounds rang out.
Bai Chen suddenly exerted his strength!
The terrifying power brought by his S-Rank talent was revealed in full!
The C-Rank Shatterrock Hound, renowned for its defense, was as fragile as a biscuit before the pitch-black tentacles.
Spiderweb cracks appeared across its sturdy rock body and quickly spread over it.
"Bang!"
A dull thud rang out.
The Shatterrock Hound's body was crushed into a lifeless pile of rubble, scattering noisily across the ground.
[Successfully killed level 9 Shatterrock Hound. Experience increased by 7%.]
Almost at the same instant, the system notification sounded in Bai Chen's consciousness.
Outside the door, the short, fat man jolted violently, as though a sledgehammer had struck him in the chest.
"Pfft—"
He spat out a mouthful of blood. His face turned as white as paper, and he nearly fell to the ground.
His Contract Spirit had been killed in an instant, and the backlash from their forcibly severed mental link had left him badly injured.
"My... my Shatterrock Hound!!"
The short, fat man's eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at the pile of rubble and the black tentacles slowly stirring in the shadows, fear from the depths of his soul gripping his heart.
What the hell was that thing?!
That was a Shatterrock Hound!
It had both offense and defense, and was especially known for its defense!
At level 9, it was strong enough to pass the First Tier Contract Spirit Master assessment!
If working for the Jiang Family didn't pay more, he would have registered with the authorities long ago!
He had thought this job would be as easy as plucking something from within reach, and that he could take the chance to play with the little beauty in the photo and make a windfall besides.
Who could have imagined that such a terrifying danger lurked in front of this dilapidated wooden house in the slums?
"It killed my level 9 Contract Spirit instantly... Th-this is at least a Second Tier Devil Creature!" The short, fat man's voice trembled, and he was nearly in tears.
He and the tall, thin man instinctively took Bai Chen for a powerful wild Devil Creature that had happened to wander here.
After all, the Underground City was full of danger at night, and powerful Devil Creatures occasionally ran rampant.
That was also why they hadn't dared act late at night and had deliberately chosen to make their move as day was breaking.
But to their surprise, they had still kicked an iron plate!
The tall, thin man's eyes flickered. He reacted much faster than his companion.
He immediately stepped back, ordering his Stingtail Scorpion to move quickly away from the deadly shadow by the door.
"I didn't expect such a powerful Devil Creature to be lurking here." His voice was dry, and his heart pounded wildly.
"Th-then what do we do about our mission?"
The short, fat man asked, at a complete loss.
His Contract Spirit was dead, which was no different from a calamity crashing down on his head.
His only hope now was to complete the mission and receive a generous payment from the Jiang Family. Perhaps then he would have a chance to buy a new Contract Spirit.
The tall, thin man was much calmer. His mind raced as he analyzed the situation.
He knew that Devil Creatures that dared roam near human settlements were usually quite intelligent.
They understood that if they attacked humans indiscriminately, they would inevitably bring the city Guard Corps down on them in a full-scale purge.
Perhaps it had attacked the Shatterrock Hound only because the hound's charge had made it feel threatened, triggering a defensive counterattack.
"Let's leave here first and keep watch at the entrance to the alley."
The tall, thin man lowered his voice and swiftly made his decision.
"With this Devil Creature here, those two little girls will become its food as soon as they step outside! As long as they die, our mission will be complete!"
A vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
"Even if we take ten thousand steps back, and they're lucky enough that this Devil Creature leaves before long, we'll keep watch on the road they have to take to the Assessment Center and ambush them as soon as they come out!"
The short, fat man immediately agreed to the plan.
Though he regretted that he wouldn't get to play with the delicate little beauty in the photo himself, staying alive mattered more right now.
"All right! We'll do as you say!"
In the shadows on the roof, Bai Chen heard every word of their conversation.
"You're plotting against Luoluo, and you think you can leave right under my nose?"
A trace of icy disdain flashed through Bai Chen's consciousness.
Want to leave? Did you ask me first?
Even so, he didn't attack immediately.
The trials of life and death in the Monster Forest had given him a predator's instincts.
The best moment to strike was always the instant the prey turned around, believed itself safe, and let its guard down the most.
Just as the tall, thin man and the short, fat man exchanged a glance and turned to slip away, Bai Chen struck again!
This time, his attack was aimed straight at the Second Tier Contract Spirit following behind the tall, thin man, its poisonous tail raised high—the Stingtail Scorpion!
The shadows erupted again. Several tentacles shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, tearing through the air with piercing whistles as they pounced on the Stingtail Scorpion!
The tall, thin man was, after all, a Second Tier Contract Spirit Master and a veteran who had entered Mine Tunnels several times. His combat experience was far beyond his companion's.
The instant Bai Chen attacked, a sense of deadly danger made his hair stand on end!
He whirled around, his pupils contracting sharply!
What met his eyes were the thick black tentacles already upon him!
"What?!" Horror filled the tall, thin man's face, and stormy waves surged in his heart. This Devil Creature is that violent?! We're already leaving, and it's still attacking us?!
His judgment had been wrong! This was a terrifying predator of extreme aggression!
Shocked though he was, his reaction wasn't slow.
At the brink of life and death, he unleashed all his potential and roared:
"Stingtail Scorpion, release [Poison Sting Combo]!!"
What the tall, thin man had unleashed was a Life Skill,
And Poison Sting Combo was a C-Rank poison-type Life Skill!
At its command, light flashed across the Stingtail Scorpion's deep-purple carapace, and its raised tail became an afterimage in an instant!
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"
The dense sounds of projectiles cutting through the air ran together as countless poisonous stingers, glimmering with an eerie purple light, shot toward Bai Chen's tentacles like a rainstorm blotting out the sky!
But just as the stingers were about to hit the tentacles, Bai Chen used his second ability.
The ability from the S-Rank talent [Cold Moon Fox]—[Moon Ice Domain]!
In an instant, an invisible chill burst outward with Bai Chen at its center!
The air temperature plummeted, and a visible layer of white frost rapidly formed over the ground and walls.
The incoming stingers slowed as soon as they entered the domain, and fine ice crystals quickly coated their purple surfaces.
But that wasn't all!
With a thought from Bai Chen, the moisture in the air in front of his Shadow Tentacles was instantly drawn out, condensing into a thick, translucent wall of ice!
"Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink—!"
The barrage of poisonous stingers slammed into the ice wall, producing a string of crisp impacts and scattering countless shards of ice, but they couldn't advance an inch.
At the same time, Bai Chen's Shadow Tentacles underwent an astonishing transformation.
A layer of crystal-clear ice armor rapidly covered the pitch-black tentacles, instantly turning the once-flexible limbs into spears seemingly cast from ice crystal. Their hardness soared, and their tips gleamed with a chilling light that made the heart tremble!
The few poisonous stingers that managed to get through the ice wall struck the ice-armored tentacles, producing only a handful of insignificant sparks before being easily deflected.