By now, Bai Chen had completely ignored the staff member's warning and brought Lin Luoluo to the deepest part of the Forest Grotto.
The Underground City where Lin Luoluo lived was a place where even the sun had to be simulated with artificial lighting.
Naturally, she had never seen a real forest in all her life.
So when she saw the scene before her, she couldn't help widening her eyes.
Unlike the outskirts of the Mine Tunnel, where there was nothing but damp soil and cold rock, this place was like a forest transplanted underground.
Unfamiliar trees rose from the ground, their tangled roots burrowing deep into the earth and their crowns stretching high, almost touching the cavern ceiling.
Strange vines hung down from above.
Bai Chen extended a black tentacle, plucked a small, palm-sized flower growing beneath a tree, and gently tucked it into Lin Luoluo's hair.
"Xiao Luoluo, when we get the chance, I'll take you back to our Slime Forest for a look."
"It's full of disgusting Slimes, but the trees are much lusher than they are here. They even glow at night. It's beautiful."
Hearing Bai Chen's words, the girl's eyes filled with anticipation, and she nodded vigorously.
"Mm-hmm, Xiao Bai, I believe you!"
After all the battles along the way, Bai Chen's experience had long since reached the level 10 cap.
A panel appeared before his eyes at just the right moment, displaying the spiritual materials required for his breakthrough.
[One Second Tier Shadow System Demon Crystal or three Demon Crystals of other attributes.]
[Netherworld Grass ×1]
On their way here, Bai Chen had taken care of a Killer Rabbit that had only recently broken through to the Second Tier, as well as a level 15 Demon Wolf.
The Killer Rabbit excelled in speed, while the cunning Demon Wolf was adept at using shadows to launch sneak attacks.
But neither of these Second Tier Demons was even as strong as the Scorpion King they had encountered during the assessment.
So the two of them had dealt with them easily.
They had obtained two Second Tier Demon Crystals: the Demon Wolf's was wind-attribute, and the Killer Rabbit's was metal-attribute.
Shadow System Demon Crystals were hard to find, but Demon Crystals of other attributes weren't difficult for Bai Chen to obtain.
Now, the only thing that was hard to find was Netherworld Grass.
That was also why they had ventured into the depths of the Forest Grotto, where Third Tier Demons might appear.
Back in the Slime Forest where Bai Chen had lived, the environment had been ideal for Netherworld Grass, and a large clump had grown beneath a tree.
But here, finding Netherworld Grass was clearly not easy. Perhaps it grew only in the deepest reaches, in dark places where energies converged.
Bai Chen had also just learned from Luoluo that this rare-attribute material could sell for several hundred silver coins per plant.
They were short of money right now, so if they could find a stalk of Netherworld Grass to help him complete his breakthrough task, nothing could be better.
The two of them proceeded cautiously.
The deeper they went, the dimmer the light around them grew.
Powerful Third Tier Demons might appear here, and this was a region where even a powerful Mining Team could meet its end.
Bai Chen suppressed his aura as much as possible, keeping constant watch for any movement around them.
Lin Luoluo sat atop his head, anxiously observing their surroundings.
They walked farther into the depths of the Forest Grotto for another ten-odd minutes.
Then Lin Luoluo, who was lying on his head, suddenly raised a hand and pointed at a spot beneath a giant tree several times thicker than the others.
Lowering her voice, she said with a hint of excitement:
"Xiao Bai, is that... the Netherworld Grass you were talking about?!"
Bai Chen immediately looked over.
Sure enough, a strange plant was growing in the shadows beneath the giant tree's gnarled and tangled roots.
It was black as ink from top to bottom and had seven slender leaves, each shimmering with a dark glow!
"That's it!"
Delighted, Bai Chen instantly tensed a black tentacle and reached toward the Netherworld Grass.
However, when his tentacle was still a few meters away, a hand suddenly reached out from behind the giant tree's trunk and pulled the Netherworld Grass up by the roots first.
"Second Tier Netherworld Grass? My luck's pretty good!"
A lively female voice rang out.
A girl stepped out from behind the tree.
Almost the moment Bai Chen saw her, he sensed that she was no ordinary girl!
It wasn't because of her healthy, wheat-colored skin or the way her outfit outlined her stunning curves, giving her the appearance of a fit, dark-skinned, big-breasted athlete.
First of all, he hadn't detected even the slightest trace of her aura before this.
In a jungle fraught with danger, anyone who could do that clearly had an item that concealed their aura.
Then Bai Chen's gaze fell on the weapon on the woman's back.
It was an enormous war hammer, dark and dull all over. The exposed handle alone was a meter and a half long, and the hammerhead was absurdly large.
"A weapon-type Contract Spirit!"
And judging by the aura it gave off, it seemed to be S-Rank!
Bai Chen was a little surprised to encounter a genius Contract Spirit Master here, walking alone and possessing an S-Rank Contract Spirit.
"Xiao Luoluo, her background doesn't look simple."
"Go ask her if she'll trade it for the two Second Tier Demon Crystals we have."
Bai Chen spoke quickly in Lin Luoluo's mind.
In fact, Bai Chen, who was used to life in the Monster Forest, had first thought of attacking and snatching it outright.
The strong preyed on the weak; it was only natural.
But the other party clearly looked to be someone of unusual status, and she might even be from the Upper City.
Everyone now wore a bracelet that could record their location, so it was better not to cause Lin Luoluo trouble for no reason.
"Okay!"
Lin Luoluo agreed to Bai Chen's suggestion in her mind. She took a deep breath and jumped down from his head, then, once she was standing, called out to the wheat-skinned girl with the mature figure in front of her:
"Hello!"
"Th-this Netherworld Grass is very important to me. Could I trade you two Second Tier Demon Crystals for it?"
Hearing this, the girl finally looked away from the Netherworld Grass in her hand and glanced at Lin Luoluo.
But when she saw Lin Luoluo's timid little face, delicate as a porcelain doll's, a blush suddenly appeared on her wheat-colored cheeks!
What a pretty little girl!
Kalina thought of her own younger sister, who did nothing but make her angry all day long. The difference between them was like heaven and earth.
She almost felt an urge to kidnap Lin Luoluo and take her home.
However, when her gaze passed over Lin Luoluo and fell on Bai Chen, who looked like a puddle of black Slime behind her, her expression changed.
"Hummm—"
A low hum suddenly rang out from the enormous war hammer on her back!
It actually made even the Heaven-Shaking Hammer feel threatened?!
A wave of emotion surged through Kalina's heart.
Even those so-called geniuses of this era from those few families couldn't do that!
No wonder Father said the Underground City was the place to temper yourself. I didn't expect the first Contract Spirit Master I met traveling alone to be this formidable?!
Kalina's eyes widened, and her earlier laziness vanished without a trace.
It was the look of someone who had met a worthy opponent, brimming with excitement and intensity.
The Heaven-Shaking Hammer, the Contract Spirit on Kalina's back, also began to gleam with a dark red light, the entire hammer trembling slightly.
Like a beast roused from sleep, it let out a roar of longing for battle.
Kalina's unwavering stare left Lin Luoluo at a loss.
"Little girl, I'm not interested in your Demon Crystals."
Kalina grinned, her smile full of wild charm.
"But the two of us can have a fight. If you can beat me, I'll give you the Netherworld Grass for free!"
"Fight?!" Lin Luoluo froze for a moment, nervously wringing her little hands in front of her.
"Aren't Contract Spirit Masters strictly forbidden from fighting on their own in the Mine Tunnel—"
But before Lin Luoluo could finish the word "fighting," Bai Chen had already moved!
Several black tentacles shot out like arrows loosed from a bow, tearing through the air and heading straight for Kalina's face!
"Yo!"
Faced with the sudden attack, Kalina was delighted rather than alarmed. With an excited shout, she reached back and seized the enormous war hammer on her back.
Instead of retreating, she stepped forward, sweeping the massive hammerhead toward Bai Chen's tentacles with a howling rush of wind!
"You say you don't want to, but your actions are much more honest!"