Foreboding Serpent Forest

Dungeons aren't really just underground.

This is common knowledge in this world.

"Gaiton, you go ahead of me," Lu Cang commanded.

"Huh?"

"Me?"

The fat man holding the shield hesitated.

Lu Cang almost rolled his eyes.

What was this guy talking about?

You're the tank of the party, if you don't go first, am I supposed to, the mage?

"Yes."

"Oh... Alright."

Gaiton walked in front of Lu Cang.

Behind Lu Cang was the Healer Jidi, and a little further behind Jidi was the Gatherer, Uncle Zhou Er.

You're a Warrior, aren't you?

Standing further back than the healer? Are you even a man...

But Lu Cang couldn't be bothered to say anything else.

After all, he had only hired him as a Gatherer and only paid for that role.

If he didn't put in the effort of a Warrior, there was nothing Lu Cang could do.

The forest was filled with mist.

As the four of them entered the forest, Lu Cang gently raised his hand.

Wind Blast (LV: 172)

BOOM!

A terrifying hurricane scattered in all directions!

The mist that filled the entire forest vanished in an instant.

After the mist dispersed.

The entire forest lit up with a clear and soft glow.

This light illuminated every detail, casting away all shadows without a single blind spot.

Constant Lamp (LV: 200) (Evolvable)

The maximum skill level for a Level 2 Mage is LV: 200.

Above LV: 100, the experience required to upgrade each spell increased significantly.

In five days, Lu Cang hadn't managed to train all his skills to Level 200.

Other spells couldn't be practiced on the go.

Only harmless spells like Constant Lamp, which could be cast anytime, were maxed out by Lu Cang.

And after reaching Level 200, Lu Cang discovered...

Transcendent Magic at Level 200 could still evolve further.

However, Lu Cang wasn't in a hurry to evolve Constant Lamp and decided to skip it for now.

The mist was blown away, and the light was cast.

The entire, previously hazy forest, instantly became clear.

How many snakes were on which tree.

What dangers lurked in which tree hollow could all be seen clearly.

Immediately after...

BOOM!

BANG!

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!

Fireball, Ice Shuttle, Earth Spike, Curse Arrow, Silent Wind Swarm...

Various spells were unleashed.

It was like a downpour, with charred, frozen, and shredded... all sorts of snakes falling from the trees.

Before long.

Within the visible range, all the Demonic Beasts were cleared out.

At least, as far as the eye could see.

Not a single one escaped.

"So... so strong."

They had only just entered the dungeon and had dealt with all visible Demonic Beasts as if they were cutting vegetables.

"Let's go collect them," Lu Cang said to the uncle.

The uncle paused for a moment before reacting, then began collecting the Demonic Beasts Lu Cang had slain.

Lu Cang watched him work.

"Mend," he whispered.

As he touched the dead Demonic Beasts, the damage to their bodies partially recovered.

Mend, huh?

Gatherer is also a profession.

Since it's a profession, it comes with corresponding skills.

However, the recovery wasn't complete.

The bodies of the Demonic Beasts weren't restored to their original state.

Especially the snakes that had been burned to charcoal; only a small amount could be recovered.

But for the snakes with less apparent injuries, like those electrocuted by the arcs of "Lightning Flash," the recovery was much better.

They could basically be restored completely.

But those directly hit by Lightning Flash and blown into pulp...

Ugh, truly beyond help.

While collecting these snake corpses, he also found two special mushrooms, which he gathered.

After finishing the collection, he reported, "Seventy-two gray snakes, each worth about 10-20 copper. Fifteen venomous gray snakes, all with complete venom sacs, each worth 12 silver. Plus the 2 Snake Mushrooms collected, the total harvest is about 2 gold and 15 silver."

Huh?

That's a lot.

Back in the Shadow Cave, the reward for clearing the dungeon and completing the commission was only 2 gold and 26 silver.

Now, without even considering the reward, it was already 2 gold and 15 silver.

And they hadn't even fought the dungeon Lord yet.

It seems bringing a Gatherer really does increase the harvest significantly.

Of course, it might also be because of the Harvest Moon.

"Alright, let's continue exploring forward."

They continued onward.

They didn't encounter many monsters.

Perhaps it was because Lu Cang had cleared out the vast majority of the Demonic Beasts as soon as he stepped into the dungeon's territory.

If one were to normally explore through the mist, it would take a considerable distance before gradually encountering the snakes hidden in the trees.

But Lu Cang had forcefully blown away the wind, illuminated the area...

Then he immediately began his slaughter, giving these Demonic Beasts no chance to ambush.

Continuing to explore forward, they encountered a sparse scattering of Demonic Beasts.

Lu Cang was extremely cautious.

He used "Wind Blast" to clear away fallen leaves, ensuring the path ahead was unobstructed.

At the same time, he used "Sunken Shadow Swamp" to pave the way forward.

This ensured that the ground he walked on wouldn't suddenly have hidden pitfalls or traps.

As for the Demonic Beasts that appeared within his line of sight, as soon as he saw them, Lu Cang would immediately unleash Lightning Flash and Wind Blade.

The Demonic Beasts didn't even get a chance to enter Lu Cang's attack range before being obliterated by the ferocious magic.

These cautious actions...

Made Gaiton and Jidi feel a bit ashamed.

Seriously... bro. You're so strong, what do you need us for?

This kid's strength doesn't seem like he'd get hurt at all.

They had actually teamed up with Level 2 mages before.

The strength those mages displayed was probably less than one percent of Lu Cang's...

When they needed them to be effective, they would have to listen to them babble for a long time before they could finally cast a weak, harmless Fireball.

If it weren't for the flexibility of magic and its diverse applications... adventurers would still prefer teaming up with archers over Mages.

When both are ranged attackers, at least the latter don't need to chant spells or regenerate mana.

Jidi gazed at Lu Cang's retreating back, and couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration for the child before her.

This must be what a prodigy Mage is like...

They walked for about a kilometer.

The most time-consuming part of the journey was the Gatherer, Zhou Er, collecting materials.

He couldn't pick things up as fast as Lu Cang killed monsters.

"Zhou Er, come back."

"But Captain, there's still..."

However, upon seeing Lu Cang's calm gaze, Zhou Er immediately stopped what he was doing and rejoined the group.

Lu Cang could sense it.

The Dark Element ahead was agitated, gathering intensely in one direction.

The surrounding leaves rustled.

Lu Cang followed the direction of the elemental flow.

Swish--

Finally, through the dense foliage that obscured his vision, he saw a massive snake head!

Its body also became clear, shedding its camouflage that blended with the trees!

Hiss--

The Giant Snake coiled among the trees, flicking its scarlet tongue.

Lu Cang's expression turned grim.

This snake.

He knew it.

What a coincidence, are you the Lord this time as well?

"Shadow Giant Snake King"