Fourth Floor

"Is the gap in strength really this vast?" Zhang Ruofeng thought to himself, "Judging by the name, this person probably isn't even the strongest combatant." Zhang Ruofeng clicked his tongue in secret and began to head toward the Dungeon with Xin Mu. Xin Mu, however, was truly indifferent to such matters; Zhang Ruofeng could tell from her expression that she felt absolutely no ripples of emotion.

"I wonder what the other powerhouses are like. If I have the chance, I really want to see for myself." After killing a Weak Mushroom, Zhang Ruofeng shook his head. Getting distracted during combat was a major taboo. Even if he had caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg regarding the powerhouses, he couldn't let his heart be shaken, especially with Xin Mu by his side.

"Let's set today's goal at the 6th floor. I want to test the actual effects of my skill. Although the negative effects are quite obvious, I feel there should be some positive ones as well. I have to try it to know for sure. But staying on the top few floors to intentionally get injured is too stupid and inefficient, so we should venture deeper to test it out." Xin Mu nodded in agreement. Zhang Ruofeng had always felt that Xin Mu was the truly cold one; unlike himself, who intentionally hid his various personality traits, Xin Mu was genuinely someone who didn't take much to heart.

The two headed downward without encountering any setbacks. Aside from Zhang Ruofeng accidentally getting bitten on his right hand by a spider on the third floor, they reached the stairs to the fourth floor of the Dungeon with almost no obstacles.

"Sizzle..." Zhang Ruofeng hadn't expected the healing effect of "Boiling Dragon Blood" to be so powerful. While he was still cleaning the blood around his wound, a sharp pain radiated directly from his right hand. Then, a mist formed from blood began to rise from the wound, and the muscle healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Although the wound wasn't large, a cut that would usually take Zhang Ruofeng several days to heal was completely restored in less than five minutes.

"This is truly miraculous." Zhang Ruofeng flexed his right hand. There was no abnormality; it was as if there had never been a wound, leaving only a faint scar.

"We're at the fourth floor. Be careful." Zhang Ruofeng and Xin Mu nodded to each other and began to head into the fourth floor. The walls of the labyrinth had turned a yellowish-brown, but visibility was even lower; one could only see clearly for less than five meters ahead, and things became very blurry beyond ten meters.

"Bzzzzzzzz." A faint buzzing sound echoed through the corridors. The monsters on the fourth floor were giant Earth Bee, similar in shape to bees, each the size of a soccer ball. They survived by sucking blood and consuming the juices of mushrooms growing in the Dungeon. Being stung would cause localized paralysis, and because they lived in groups, the longer one stayed, the more numerous and dangerous they became. Since a single Earth Bee would leave after finishing its blood meal, one or two posed no danger. However, for newcomers, a large swarm was not only difficult to defend against, but the paralysis from their stings would eventually lead to death by blood loss or cardiac arrest from excessive paralysis. Therefore, high-level adventurers usually came to this floor first to clear out the majority of the Earth Bee that had accumulated overnight, reducing the pressure on the novice adventurers who followed.

"Five on the left." Even in the dim environment, Xin Mu could accurately inform Zhang Ruofeng of the monsters' positions. In this environment, Zhang Ruofeng could only see about 5 meters, but perhaps because she had practiced throwing knives for a long time, Xin Mu's range of vision was significantly further than his.

"Hoo." Zhang Ruofeng exhaled slightly. By now, the Earth Bee were less than 10 meters away, and the buzzing was naturally very clear. Zhang Ruofeng was quite curious as to how these monsters could see him from so far away; perhaps they didn't rely on vision. At this moment, Zhang Ruofeng could finally see the incoming Earth Bee. They were earth-yellow, matching the walls of this floor, and quite large. The most striking feature was the thick, 15-centimeter-long stinger on their abdomens. Their mouths and legs didn't differ much from his expectations, so Zhang Ruofeng estimated that these Earth Bee fed by sucking through their stingers.

Zhang Ruofeng looked at the Earth Bee. They were all flying together, and seeing no stragglers, he stopped overthinking which one to kill first. He lunged forward and threw a punch, his left arm guard whistling through the air as it struck the abdomen of an Earth Bee directly in front of him. The creature was sent flying instantly, and Zhang Ruofeng hurriedly ducked his head as another Earth Bee's stinger grazed the top of his scalp.

"Do these Earth Bee actually aim for the head?" Zhang Ruofeng had assumed these blood-sucking creatures would prioritize the torso, but he hadn't expected them to target his head directly.

"Hiss!" An Earth Bee on the left let out a sound like a cry. Xin Mu had pinned one's wings directly to the wall. Even as it struggled, she threw another dagger, piercing its abdomen. As green fluid leaked out, the Earth Bee stopped struggling and turned into a pile of black sand.

Back on Zhang Ruofeng's side, he felt as if he were playing dodgeball. Although he had sent the first one flying, these flying creatures were very light, and his damage output was limited, so they quickly flew back to attack him. Zhang Ruofeng dodged between the four remaining Earth Bee. He quickly avoided one trying to attack his leg, grabbed another by the upper abdomen with his right hand, and stomped hard on one on the ground, but his head was knocked sideways by another, preventing him from pursuing further.

Zhang Ruofeng didn't panic. Although an Earth Bee's wing had cut his face, he didn't even have time to wipe it before tossing the struggling creature in his hand into the air. Xin Mu accurately sent a dagger straight into the Earth Bee's mouth, and it instantly turned into fine sand.

"Hiss." Zhang Ruofeng was ultimately stung on his right shoulder by an Earth Bee. After a brief moment of pain, he felt the strength in his right hand rapidly draining away. However, he had no time to worry about it. He swung his left hand back, the tip of his arm guard slicing off a section of an Earth Bee's wing. The creature lost its balance and crashed into the wall. Zhang Ruofeng wouldn't give it a chance to fly again; a straight punch hit the Earth Bee's head, flattening it instantly before it turned into dust.

"Hoo, two left." Zhang Ruofeng caught his breath and began to search for the remaining targets.