"Establishing mental link... link established."
"Selecting assessment scenario... selection complete."
"Assessment group three, assessment scenario: South Mountain Third Mine Cave."
"Scenario introduction: South Mountain Third Mine Cave was once an important crystal vein for the Federation. Three years ago, however, a small spatial rift unexpectedly appeared deep within the mine, connecting it to the Demon Plane."
"Although the main body of the rift was sealed in an emergency operation by the Federation's experts, the energy leaking from it continued to contaminate the entire mining area. Large numbers of low-level Demons were also able to seep through weak points in the seal."
"Assessment objective: venture deep into the Mine Tunnel and clear out the Demons that have seeped in, or collect the 'Rift Crystals' located in the core mining area. Either will earn contribution points and improve your evaluation."
Just then, the mechanical voice abruptly changed pitch, turning shrill.
"Warning: a powerful Second Tier Demon, the 'Cave Crystal Scorpion,' lurks deep within the Mine Tunnel. It has mutated under the influence of the rift's energy."
"This Demon has a hard shell and deadly venom. It is extremely dangerous. Examinees are advised to know their limits and not provoke it lightly. Although death during the assessment poses no danger to your life, it will cause severe mental trauma and result in immediate failure."
"The assessment is about to begin. Good luck to all examinees."
When Luo Bai's vision returned, he found that they had arrived inside a remarkably realistic Mine Tunnel.
Cold, damp air rushed over them, carrying the earthy smell of soil and a faint trace of sulfur.
Water seeped from unknown cracks in the rock walls, its steady dripping echoing through the quiet tunnel.
"This looks like the entrance to the Mine Tunnel," Bai Chen said in Lin Luoluo's mind.
Blue crystals of all sizes studded the surrounding rock walls. Their faint glow, like stars in the night sky, barely illuminated the area.
Beside the two of them, Chu Feng and Hu Yue'er also began examining their surroundings.
It was their first time entering a simulated scenario like this as well. They looked around at everything with curious expressions and reached out to touch the cold rock walls.
"It really is a one-to-one replica. There's almost no difference between this and reality, is there?!"
Taking in the scene before him, Bai Chen couldn't help marveling.
This level of technology was more advanced than anything in his previous life.
"Mm-hmm!"
Lin Luoluo's little mouth fell open in shock as well. Then she quickly replied:
"I heard that all the scenarios in the Contract Spirit Master assessment are based on abandoned Mine Tunnels that the Federation Cave Exploration Team has completely shut down. They have complete exploration data, so they can replicate them perfectly."
Lin Luoluo looked ahead, where three pitch-black passages branched off.
They were like three gaping maws of enormous beasts, their depths impossible to see.
"Apparently, South Mountain Third Mine has three different tunnels, with low, medium, and high levels of danger. But they all lead to the core mining area at the very deepest point."
She raised her head and asked in her mind, Xiao Bai, which one do you think we should take?
Hearing this, Bai Chen swept his gaze over the three Mine Tunnels before them.
At a glance, there was really no telling them apart. They were equally dark and equally eerie.
So Bai Chen had nothing to agonize over. He spoke directly to Lin Luoluo in her mind:
"Since all three passages lead to the boss room in the end, there's nothing to hesitate over.
"Let's take the middle one. It's the shortest distance in a straight line!"
"I remember that woman Jiang Ruoxue got an S-rank evaluation in less than twenty minutes. We can't let her outdo us. Let's get moving!"
"Mm!"
Although Lin Luoluo still felt a little creeped out by this eerie scene, which she was seeing for the first time, having Xiao Bai beside her made her feel much braver.
Besides, this was no time to be scared. She absolutely couldn't hold Xiao Bai back!
Carrying Lin Luoluo, Bai Chen crawled straight into the deepest darkness of the middle passage. Their figures were quickly swallowed up.
As Lin Luoluo and Bai Chen left without looking back, only Chu Feng and Hu Yue'er remained in the cave.
"Chu Feng, they... they just left like that?" Hu Yue'er was a little stunned.
"Hmph, they're just idiots in a hurry to get themselves killed." Chu Feng curled his lip in disdain.
Only then did Hu Yue'er come to her senses. She nervously grabbed the hem of Chu Feng's clothes and pressed herself against him.
"Then... which way should we go, Chu Feng?"
With the girl's soft body leaning against him, the bit of displeasure Chu Feng had felt because of Lin Luoluo instantly vanished like smoke.
He glanced at the three paths and confidently pointed to the passage on the left.
"We'll take this one."
"Why? They all look the same." Hu Yue'er blinked and asked curiously.
Chu Feng greatly enjoyed being admired like this. He cleared his throat and put on a mysterious air.
"You wouldn't understand.
"There's a man on my father's Mining Team who's been through life and death with him. We all call him Uncle Tang.
"And Uncle Tang's wife works at the Federation Research Institute. As it happens, she's one of the researchers responsible for simulated rift scenarios like this."
"Wow!" Hu Yue'er exclaimed at just the right moment, stars sparkling in her eyes.
Chu Feng grew even more smug.
"Three days ago, I went to visit with my dad. Out of respect for my father, Aunt Tang privately told me secret information about several popular assessment areas."
He paused, then pointed at the three paths and explained, "Although these three paths look exactly alike on the surface, the distribution of monsters and resources inside them is fixed.
"The path on the left has the most Rift Crystals. Although collecting crystals earns fewer points than killing Demons, there's a mini-boss at the end of this path guarding a rare, high-purity Rift Crystal, and it isn't particularly strong.
"As long as we clear this Mine Tunnel, an A-rank evaluation is in the bag."
With that, he gave a cold snort and glanced at the pitch-black passage in the middle.
"As for the path that ungrateful girl took, it has the most Demons, packed closest together. It's also the most dangerous of the three.
"She's walking in there to serve herself up to the Demons!"
Hearing that Chu Feng actually had access to information like this, Hu Yue'er's eyes blazed with excitement once more.
She felt she had been incredibly wise to latch onto the thickest thigh in the whole group!
Her voice grew even more coquettish, almost dripping with sweetness.
"Brother Chu Feng, you know so much. You're amazing! Let's hurry in, then. When the assessment is over, I'd like to invite you to my place for a visit..."
"X-Xiao Bai, c-could you slow down?!"
"You're g-going too fast!"
"You're shaking me so hard I'm going to fall off!"
Meanwhile, a thrilling chase was unfolding in the middle Mine Tunnel...
No, it was a massacre.
By the faint light of the crystals on the walls, a girl's figure could dimly be seen speeding through the air.
Only, beneath the girl was a Slime-like object.
But the Contract Spirit carrying her showed none of a Slime's sluggishness. In the darkness, he was instead like an exceedingly agile hunter.
Countless black tentacles emerged from Bai Chen's body.
The instant they emerged, the tentacles turned from soft and springy to solid and hard, like steel spikes gleaming with a metallic sheen.
S-rank Shadow Tentacles, combined with D-rank Hard Skin.
Every time Bai Chen struck, it was like the swing of a steel whip, lashing viciously at the Demons roaming the tunnel.
Most of the Demons in this area were weak creatures below level five, so nearly every blow Bai Chen struck took a Demon's life!
Most couldn't even get close to him,
while the few Bai Chen missed tried to attack Lin Luoluo atop him,
only for Bai Chen to split open his bloody maw and swallow them before they could even touch Lin Luoluo!
Bai Chen controlled his tentacles, bouncing and swinging along the Mine Tunnel's rock walls at an astonishing speed,
but Lin Luoluo, sitting atop his head, had a rough time of it.
Lin Luoluo was shaken dizzy, her hair disheveled and the hem of her skirt flying.
Unable to brace herself with her legs, she could only cling tightly with both arms to one of Bai Chen's relatively thick tentacles, hanging her whole body from it for fear that a moment's inattention would send her flying at this insane speed.
By the end, Lin Luoluo could only whimper.
"Phew..."
"Finally cleared them all out."
After several months, this was Bai Chen's first time going all out, and also his first time displaying strength beyond his usual level. He felt thoroughly exhilarated.
He could only say that after forming a contract with a Contract Spirit Master, it was like going from solar charging to having Lin Luoluo as a super battery, and his combat power had risen considerably as a result!
Just then, Bai Chen finally noticed Lin Luoluo's whimpering.
Only then did he realize: had Xiao Luoluo asked him to slow down just now? He had been enjoying himself so much that he had completely put it out of his mind.