C21 I like to be Alone

The poisonous spider was pivotal in this battle. Without it, the fleeing Rock Goblin could have easily called in a horde of its kin.

Zhang Ze resorted to his tried-and-true tactic. Whenever a Rock Goblin attempted to escape, he commanded the Poisonous Spider to ensnare it with webs—a strategy that never failed.

Despite an unexpected setback in a later fight, Zhang Ze ultimately accomplished his mission.

At one point, Zhang Ze was besieging a pair of Goblins when, suddenly, another duo emerged. With no other option, he found himself in combat with four Goblins simultaneously.

During the fray, the Hard Armor Turtle, having reached level three, bore the brunt of the attack from the four Goblins and met a valiant end.

A Poisonous Spider perished as well. Yet, ultimately, it was Zhang Ze who triumphed, claiming victory over four Goblins.

"Now my squad consists of four Sword-shield Goblins, three Rock Goblins, one Poisonous Spider, plus two big bosses. My team is at full capacity," Zhang Ze noted as he reviewed his summoning team, quite pleased with the lineup.

"Now I can ascend to the third floor to gauge the boss's power," he mused.

Following the map, Zhang Ze made his way toward the Goblin King's location on the third level.

The third level of the Devil Domain was unlike the first two. The boss, the Goblin King, resided within a fortress crafted from tree stumps. Inside, a multitude of Goblins stood guard, protecting their king and warding off intruders.

As such, it was nearly impossible for Adventurers to venture into this layer of the Devil Domain alone; forming a team was the only safe approach.

Upon reaching the stronghold's perimeter, Zhang Ze observed numerous Adventurers teaming up. One group, in particular, stood out with its sheer number of members.

A man clad in a purple robe bellowed to the crowd, "I possess S-grade talent. I offer free guidance for rookies against the boss. If you're interested, join our team—we're about to reach full capacity!"

Many rookies were drawn to him, enticed by the promise of a free battle with the boss.

As awareness of the Devil Domain's significance grew, more and more people ventured into its depths, and many spotted opportunities for profit.

In particular, formidable Adventurers could command hefty fees for guiding novices in boss battles.

Yet, with little oversight, such private deals often led to disputes, typically leaving the rookies at a disadvantage.

Still, many placed their trust in these so-called experts; not everyone possessed the strength to conquer a boss.

This trust, however, opened the door for scammers to exploit the unwary for profit, sometimes with fatal consequences for the inexperienced.

Zhang Ze shook his head slowly, "They've been duped."

The Goblin King's stronghold boasted four entrances. Opting to avoid the crowded eastern gate, Zhang Ze set his sights on a less populated entry point.

Armed with an array of Summon Monsters, he was confident that caution would prevent any mishaps.

"Hey, Archer brother, how about joining my team? I'm just five short of a full roster."

Out of the blue, a man in a purple robe called out to Zhang Ze, "Rest assured, you can keep whatever loot drops from the monsters. I want nothing."

Zhang Ze gave the man a brief look and declined, "No thanks, I prefer to go it alone." And with that, he strode off.

The man in the purple robe let out a small sigh, his face etched with disappointment.

The novice players around murmured among themselves, their opinions of Zhang Ze decidedly negative.

"He's so full of himself. An expert personally invites him, and he turns it down!"

"Exactly, he's just an Archer, yet he insists on storming the stronghold solo. Is he asking for trouble?"

"Let's just ignore him. He'll be full of regrets once the Goblins have him cornered!"

Circling the stronghold, Zhang Ze noted the sparse number of Adventurers to the north and chose that as his point of entry.

No sooner had he decided than a host of Summon Monsters, large and small, materialized behind him, swaggering into the stronghold in his wake.

Inside, the stronghold resembled a labyrinth, flanked by towering wooden stakes. Zhang Ze couldn't walk far without encountering Goblins, sometimes even spotting groups of two or three clustered together.

Venturing in alone would indeed be perilous for an Adventurer, as they could easily become trapped in an encirclement with no means of escape.

Zhang Ze, however, harbored no such concerns. With ten Summon Monsters at his command, including two of boss caliber, he was well-equipped to handle even multiple pairs of Goblins simultaneously.

His primary concern was the elusive Rock Goblin, known for its tendency to flee.

-177! (Sword-shield Goblin)

-228! (Rock Goblin)

-285! (Iron Tooth Wolf)

-310! (Heaven Swallowing Frog)

Zhang Ze made his way toward the stronghold with ease. Upon reaching the deepest layer, his backpack was filled with at least a hundred Low Rank Devil Soul Spheres.

"At last, I've reached the innermost layer. Just a bit further and I'll come face to face with the third layer's boss, the Goblin King."

While consulting the electronic map, Zhang Ze took a moment to sit and rest.

His ten Summon Monsters formed a protective circle around him, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Once rested and regrouped, Zhang Ze and his Summon Monsters advanced further into the stronghold.

Suddenly, he halted. He noticed that others had already arrived, and not just a few—they were engaged in battle with the Goblin King.

But something was amiss; the Adventurers were being slaughtered by the Goblin King and his minions!

The novice Adventurers stood no chance against the fierce Goblin King and his horde, taking a severe beating and scrambling to escape in disarray.

Yet they found themselves ensnared, their escape routes sealed off by rows of Sword-shield Goblins. Breaking free from the encirclement seemed nearly impossible.

One by one, the novices fell, their screams echoing as they perished, leaving behind only the contents of their backpacks and their gear scattered on the ground.

Zhang Ze's brow furrowed in concern. The fleeing Adventurers looked familiar to him; they were the same novices who had joined the purple-robed man's team earlier.

"What's happening here? Where's the purple-robed man? Why isn't he assisting them?" Zhang Ze was riddled with questions. He refrained from charging in headlong, wary of the overwhelming number of Goblins.

Rushing in would be futile; Zhang Ze knew he couldn't rescue everyone, and he risked injury to himself in the attempt.

Moreover, he was under no obligation to assist these individuals, especially considering their earlier mockery of him.

Right now, Zhang Ze's primary concern was locating the man in the purple robe.