Chapter Twenty-Six: Facing the Enemy Alone

"Let's go." Although Zhang Ruofeng was somewhat confused, he knew that he was the one who had obtained the skill. While the catalytic effect of Perman's Dragon Blood was involved, if Zhang Ruofeng hadn't possessed the potential to unlock such a skill, his blood would likely have evaporated and killed him when the overdose took effect, let alone granting him any abilities.

"Mm." Xin Mu could naturally tell that Zhang Ruofeng was in a very bad mood. She remembered the last time she saw him in such a state of emotional turmoil was when he had spent several days and nights unable to take down the entire Black Soul. Back then, he had appeared in the club with that same furrowed brow, and the atmosphere around him was so intense that others didn't even dare to approach. It was one of the few times his classmates had ever brought up anything regarding Zhang Ruofeng.

Zhang Ruofeng walked in front, but he felt anxious. If he continued like this, he would eventually get into big trouble. Even if he couldn't control himself and did something to a girl, he would likely be overwhelmed by his own mysterious heartache before the other party could even react. He was well aware that he was occasionally prone to being consumed by rage or sorrow; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in this place by some twist of fate. Once he started blaming himself too much, he risked entering a berserk state. Before that state ended, Zhang Ruofeng couldn't even remember who he was. His friends used to say that when he went berserk, he was like a wild beast—with no friends, only enemies.

"Three on the right, three on the left." As soon as they reached a fork in the path, Xin Mu whispered the number of enemies. Zhang Ruofeng could vaguely see the silhouettes of the enemies in the darkness. He immediately lowered his body slightly, waiting for the two groups of Earth Bee to either gather or arrive one after another. After all, he couldn't instantly kill those Earth Bee, and repeating the tactic of risking injury just to grab them was clearly not sustainable. Even though his detoxification ability was high, Zhang Ruofeng still really didn't want to enter a negative status again.

"Ruofeng, you go to the right." Xin Mu said calmly. She could see that the Earth Bee on the right had already noticed them, while the ones on the left had not. Zhang Ruofeng turned back, looking at her in surprise. Xin Mu shook her head slightly, "I cannot keep hiding behind you."

"It's still too..." Before Zhang Ruofeng could finish, Xin Mu had already decisively thrown a dagger into the left passage. The Earth Bee on the right lunged forward. Seeing Xin Mu holding a dagger in each hand and moving toward the left, Zhang Ruofeng knew she had succeeded in her strike. At the very least, only two Earth Bee were left targeting her, but he was too busy to help and had to brace himself for the fight.

Zhang Ruofeng watched the Earth Bee approach, kicked off his left foot, and used the momentum to leap into the air to meet them head-on. He realized that his usual punches and kicks were far less effective against these Earth Bee; instead, grabbing them and crushing them with brute force worked much better. Without hesitation, he reached out, grabbed two Earth Bee from the air, and slammed them heavily onto the ground. He then raised his left hand to block the stinger of the third. Following the sound of metal clashing, Zhang Ruofeng threw a hook with his right hand into the Earth Bee's abdomen. Just before impact, he pulled back slightly, turning the strike into a push, and used a burst of internal force to slam it directly into the maze wall.

One Earth Bee struggled to get up, but Zhang Ruofeng didn't give it a chance. He crouched down and punched with his left hand, kicking up a cloud of dust and smashing the Earth Bee into black sand. He then quickly stood up and delivered a downward kick, striking the head of the Earth Bee that was trying to fly up from the ground. The second Earth Bee he had slammed into the floor also turned into powder.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..." Zhang Ruofeng didn't expect the Earth Bee he had slammed into the wall to return so quickly. He turned back to see it lunging at him. Unable to dodge in time, he blocked upward with his right hand. The Earth Bee didn't stop, and its stinger pierced through his skin. Zhang Ruofeng winced in pain, then raised his left hand to grab the Earth Bee's torso and crush it, turning it into fine sand in his palm.

Zhang Ruofeng had no time to pick up the Magic Stone on the ground, nor did he treat his wound. He simply shook his hand and rushed to the left passage where Xin Mu was. He saw a shallow scratch on her face—nothing serious—but she was supporting herself with only her right leg, suggesting her left leg was likely completely numb. One Earth Bee was still attacking her, and she only had one dagger left. Judging by the angle, it would be very difficult to kill it with a thrown blade.

"Don't come over." Xin Mu barely managed to deflect the Earth Bee's attack, but her right hand was grazed by another shallow cut. Zhang Ruofeng knew that due to her personality, she rarely listened to others' advice. Her privileged upbringing made her quiet and refined, but it also gave her immense self-confidence. She had been an overachiever since childhood, always delving deep into whatever she studied. Even with the ll game Zhang Ruofeng usually played, Xin Mu had dragged him into an all-nighter for two days and nights, skipping classes just to grind her level to 60. Her determination once she set her mind on something was evident.

"Don't let it affect you. Lower your body, sink your center of gravity, and force it to fly lower instead of constantly swinging your dagger upward." Zhang Ruofeng said from the side, keeping an eye on his wound healing while observing Xin Mu. If she were about to be stung again, he would definitely not stand by and would step in to finish the Earth Bee.

"This method is clumsy and only defensive, but you can't afford to go on the offensive right now." Zhang Ruofeng added. Xin Mu's throwing knife technique relied heavily on the angle of release and body coordination. With Zhang Ruofeng's hint, she instantly realized her mistake. She lowered her body, and in several head-on exchanges, she either deflected or dodged the Earth Bee's attacks. When the final attack was dodged, the Earth Bee's back was exposed to her. Ignoring the numbness in her left leg, she put all her strength into her right leg and threw the dagger. It struck the Earth Bee's back, turning it into powder, while Xin Mu lost her balance and began to fall.

"Don't push yourself so hard." Zhang Ruofeng took three steps forward to catch her from behind. Xin Mu's tense body slowly relaxed, reminding him of the first time he had fought someone and his left leg started cramping afterward. He couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Don't laugh." Xin Mu, lying in Zhang Ruofeng's arms, didn't know what he was laughing at. She thought he was laughing at her, which made her feel even more embarrassed. After all, she knew the risks posed by the monsters on this floor, and her combat style was more advantageous than Zhang Ruofeng's, yet she had still ended up in such a sorry state.

"No, no, no." Zhang Ruofeng quickly clarified, "I was just laughing at myself for having so little faith in you, and for worrying blindly."