Slaughter

Before they returned to camp, the members of the second group, who were busy setting up a temporary camp, waved to Lu Qiming and greeted him before getting back to work. They were curious about the commotion Lu Qiming and Ais had just made in the nearby woods, though.

But setting up camp was the most important thing for them right now.

Seeing this, Lu Qiming felt bad just standing around by himself. He headed toward the few people still throwing punches nearby, planning to see how Finn and the others were doing.

"Finn, how's the training going?"

Lu Qiming walked over to Riveria with a cheerful grin, watching them with a smile.

"I'm starting to get the hang of it. What happened with Ais?"

Finn threw a punch, and a visible shock wave shot from his fist, though it dissipated after traveling only a few meters.

"I taught Ais a few sword techniques. Once you've learned Air Cannon, you can ask her about them."

At Lu Qiming's words, Finn paused in surprise, then resumed punching with even greater force.

He hadn't expected Lu Qiming to teach Ais other, more powerful techniques besides this one, and he didn't seem to mind if they learned them too. Finn didn't know how to thank Lu Qiming now, so all he could do was work even harder to master what Lu Qiming had taught him.

That was the best way he could thank him!

Seeing Finn's movements, Lu Qiming smiled slightly. Sometimes there was no need to say anything; the meaning behind it was already clear.

Then he began watching the others. Besides Finn, Gareth was the only one who could just barely manage to fire an Air Cannon. It was probably because both of them were Lv6 adventurers with powerful physiques and plenty of combat experience.

They had both already begun to grasp the technique.

As for Tiona, Tione, and the werewolf Bete, whose personality was just like a certain Young Master, they could only gather air around their hands for now. They probably wouldn't be able to use the technique successfully until they leveled up again.

That was, after their physical abilities had improved significantly once more.

The group continued practicing under the watchful eyes of Lu Qiming and Riveria until the crystals in the sky above the 18th Floor gradually dimmed. Ais, who had been practicing alone in the woods, also returned, utterly exhausted.

Judging by her expression, she had probably gotten the hang of Draw Sword Strike. As for Void Draw Sword Strike and Phantom Sword Dance, even with magic to assist her, she still couldn't master them just yet.

That evening, after the entire Expedition Team had dinner together, everyone returned to their tents to rest and recover their strength for the next day's descent into the Dungeon's deeper levels.

The next day, the crystals at the top of the 18th Floor had barely begun to glow when the Expedition Team had already finished breakfast, packed up camp, and prepared to set out again.

At the entrance to the 19th Floor.

Finn stood at the front, looking over the group. After confirming that everyone was ready, he turned to Lu Qiming.

"Qiming, we plan to push straight through to the 50th Floor this time. Are you confident, as our vanguard?"

"Of course. I've been looking forward to this for ages."

Divine Judgment appeared in Lu Qiming's hand, its blade humming softly as if yearning for blood and slaughter.

"Expedition Team, move out!"

As soon as Finn finished speaking, Lu Qiming vanished in a flash of black and charged into the entrance to the 19th Floor.

In the dark passage, the monsters wandering about seemed to sense something. They roared and began gathering near the entrance. After they left, pairs of bloodthirsty, savage, yet intelligent beast eyes appeared on the dark red walls, staring through the stone toward the entrance to the floor.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

The sound of stone walls breaking echoed through the passage as countless monsters were spawned by the Dungeon.

"Heh heh. Hahaha. We meet again, my little darlings!"

A bloodthirsty, frenzied grin spread across Lu Qiming's face. A crimson aura coiled around him as he stared at the monsters surrounding him the moment he entered, his killing intent growing stronger by the second.

"Here I come, my little darlings. Let's become one!"

Dual Blade Thrust

He bent his knees slightly and gripped Divine Judgment with both hands, his black eyes fixed on the monsters roaring ahead.

Boom!

In an instant, Lu Qiming vanished, leaving behind a crater riddled with cracks in the ground.

The razor-sharp blade swept across a monster's neck. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and its roar cut off abruptly.

Flashes of sword light lit up the dark red passage as a figure swept through the monster horde.

The next second, all the monsters fell silent. Their bodies halted mid-charge, then toppled like weeds, the splattered blood covering the ground.

Lu Qiming appeared behind the monsters, lightly licking the blade of Divine Judgment as a terrifying smile tugged at his lips.

"Not enough! Still not enough! I want more!"

His low, bloodthirsty voice rang out. Lu Qiming looked behind him, where newly spawned monsters were streaming toward him without end.

"Hahaha, you're here, my darlings! Let's keep the party going!"

Amid his manic laughter, Lu Qiming charged into the horde. Heads, blood, limbs, and warm entrails flew through the air alongside him, filling the entire passage with the stench of blood.

When Finn and the others entered the passage, they were met with blood spraying everywhere, monsters' dying roars, and Lu Qiming's frenzied, bloodthirsty laughter.

The hellish scene shook them all to the core.

"C-Captain, what's gotten into Qiming?"

The timid elf Lefiya stared anxiously ahead. She had no doubt that if she went near Lu Qiming now, he would cut her head off with a single sword strike.

"This is probably what Qiming looks like when he's really fighting!"

Finn watched solemnly as Lu Qiming unleashed a bloody storm amid the monster horde. He had noticed the bloodthirsty smile on Lu Qiming's face when he killed monsters on the upper floors, but it had never been this terrifying.

He had assumed Lu Qiming was holding back because they were nearby. Now it seemed the monsters on the upper floors simply hadn't been numerous or powerful enough.

"Then, Captain, should we go help Qiming?"

Lefiya looked nervously at Finn.

"No. We agreed that he'd take care of the monsters up ahead. We'll just collect the Magic Stones and drops. Besides..."

Finn pointed at Lu Qiming, who had just smashed a Goat-Headed Monster's head and was now waving at them, and smiled.

"He doesn't need our help."

"Oh."

Lefiya nodded and began collecting the Magic Stones on the ground.

As for the members of the first group beside her, they completely ignored the bloody scene Lu Qiming was making and his frenzied laughter. Their captain was only a little less terrifying when he unleashed his Magic Spear.

Besides, as top adventurers, they had long since grown used to scenes like this. If they couldn't even handle this, they would never have become top adventurers.

Slaughter was always like this. Bloodshed and death had always been their companions.