C9 Entering the Second Level!

Everyone spun around in disbelief, only to see that the dirt wall Ba had raised was effortlessly demolished by the Iron Tooth Wolf! Ba had been slain by the beast as well.

"Ba's gone too!"

"Such a fearsome elite boss!"

"Who is this Rakshasa, and how can he summon these creatures? Is it his Innate Skill?"

Panic set in among them, and in their distress, they failed to notice the Violent Rabbit, previously ensnared in the mire, had vanished.

In an instant, the Violent Rabbit reappeared next to a tall, slender man, sending him sprawling with a single punch!

The man landed directly under the Iron Tooth Wolf's paws and screamed in agony as the wolf ended his life.

"What just happened? Wasn't that rabbit stuck in the quagmire?" Blood Right Hand exclaimed, stunned.

"Confused, are you?" Zhang Ze emerged from behind the Iron Tooth Wolf, a smile playing on his lips. "The moment I recall the Violent Rabbit, all its negative effects are nullified."

Blood Right Hand, gazing into Zhang Ze's smiling face, felt a profound fear for the first time.

As the Iron Tooth Wolf closed in, Blood Right Hand shook uncontrollably. "If word gets out that you've killed us, you're finished! Let us go now, and we can pay you!"

Zhang Ze smirked dismissively. "If I recall correctly, you mentioned that no one would find out unless I spilled the beans myself."

Blood Right Hand was speechless, realizing Zhang Ze was not so easily fooled.

"We'll fight him with everything we've got!"

The trio, teeth clenched, launched a desperate assault but found themselves encircled by the Iron Tooth Wolf, the Hard Armor Turtle, and the Violent Rabbit. Amidst their agonizing screams, their lives came to a brutal end.

Shaking his head, Zhang Ze strolled over and began collecting their belongings into his backpack.

"These guys were carrying quite the haul!"

He tallied up their loot: thirty-six Low Rank Devil Soul Spheres, four Medium Rank Devil Soul Spheres, three pieces of Level D equipment, one piece of Level C equipment, and an item known as the Berserk Talisman.

Berserk Talisman

Quality: C

Damage: 0

Special Effect: Sends a target within three meters into a berserk state for 100 seconds.

Durability: 1/1

"This talisman's pretty good. Could come in handy when it really counts!" Zhang Ze nodded in approval.

On his return journey, Zhang Ze ran into Wang Yang and his two female friends again.

"Bro, you're alive! That's fantastic!" Wang Yang exclaimed with gratitude, "I can't thank you enough for stepping in to help us earlier! It's rare to find someone as kind-hearted as you these days. I'm definitely going to repay you!"

"If there's anything you need, just ask. I'll do whatever I can! Need cash? I can give you a million. Will that cover it?"

Zhang Ze dismissed the offer with a wave of his hand, "No need for that. I just couldn't stand by and watch those thugs hurt people. Just be more careful in the future." With those parting words, he walked away.

Zhang Ze couldn't accept Wang Yang's money; it would risk revealing his identity.

In this world, transactions were made with electronic currency, which required real names for any transfer. If Wang Yang were to send money to Zhang Ze, his true identity would be compromised.

Reaching the first floor's stone gate, Zhang Ze saw several people attacking an Iron Tooth Wolf. He went through the gate and ascended to the second floor.

The landscape transformed before him once again, revealing a vast underground cavern. It was shadowy and moist, with the occasional waft of a foul, fishy odor.

The altar was teeming with Adventurers, some actively recruiting teammates.

"We're looking for those with Level B talent or higher. If your talent isn't up to par, you can join by contributing ten Low Rank Devil Soul Spheres!"

"Looking to team up! I've got Level C talent, support class!"

Zhang Ze consulted the Devil Domain Guide. This level was home to three types of monsters: Poisonous Spiders, Giant Mosquitoes, and Heaven Swallowing Frogs.

The guide detailed that Poisonous Spiders were adept with their venomous stingers and could spin webs of silk. Once ensnared in a spider's web, a person would be immobilized for some time.

The Giant Mosquito's attacks might not pack a punch, but its ability to vanish and reappear at will, along with its blood-sucking, made it a tricky foe.

The Heaven Swallowing Frog, on the other hand, was a behemoth with skin so tough that regular attacks barely scratched it.

Its special attack, Vibration, could stun all targets within a certain radius and inflict area-of-effect damage simultaneously.

"I'll target a Poisonous Spider first," Zhang Ze decided.

Leaving the altar behind, he navigated the labyrinthine underground caves and quickly located his quarry.

Summoning both the Hard Armor Turtle and the Violent Rabbit, Zhang Ze held back on calling forth the Iron Tooth Wolf, his ace in the hole, for the time being.

"Take down that Poisonous Spider," he commanded. The Hard Armor Turtle and Violent Rabbit charged at the command.

The spider, sensing the threat, spat out a web, ensnaring the lead Violent Rabbit, then raised its tail, firing a volley of toxic spines.

-25! (Poisonous Spider)

-20! (Poison damage)

-23! (Poisonous Spider)

-19! (Poison damage)

Zhang Ze noted that while the spider's direct attacks weren't particularly strong, its venom was lethal, dealing 15-20 points of damage every second.

The Violent Rabbit's health was rapidly depleting. Within mere seconds, a Level 1 Violent Rabbit succumbed.

Zhang Ze wasn't troubled by the loss; the Violent Rabbit was too frail. It made more sense to allocate the valuable summoning slot to the Poisonous Spider, especially since it could engage from a distance and lure other monsters.

With the Poisonous Spider at his disposal, Zhang Ze no longer had to rely on the sluggish Hard Armor Turtle to initiate battle. He could now direct his summoned creatures to strike more efficiently.

After the demise of the second Violent Rabbit, the Poisonous Spider was eventually overwhelmed and defeated.

Zhang Ze collected two Low-Rank Blue Devil Soul Spheres and summoned his own Poisonous Spider.

Poisonous Spider (Rakshasa)

Level: 1 (MAX: 5)

Experience: 1/10

Blood Volume: 300

Attack: 100-150

Defense: 200

Skills: None

"The Poisonous Spider truly deserves its reputation as a second-floor monster; its attributes surpass those of the Violent Rabbit and the Hard Armor Turtle."

Zhang Ze, with his Summon Monster squad in tow, pressed on into the cave's depths. His current tactic was simple: attack on sight. The demise of a Violent Rabbit or Hard Armor Turtle was inconsequential; he could easily replace them with a Poisonous Spider or a Giant Mosquito.

Should a Violent Rabbit or Hard Armor Turtle be fortunate enough to survive and level up, Zhang Ze would allow it to retain its summoning slot.

Put simply, Zhang Ze valued powerful Summon Monsters and discarded the weaker ones.

A Giant Mosquito emerged ahead, and under Zhang Ze's direction, the Summon Monsters converged on it in a fierce assault.

The Giant Mosquito's defense was notably weak, and its attack strength modest at best. Yet, its evasion skills outshone those of the Violent Rabbit. Moreover, it possessed the vampiric ability to leech blood and replenish its health points.

It took the combined efforts of four Hard Armor Turtles, one Violent Rabbit, and one Poisonous Spider nearly twenty minutes to finally vanquish the Giant Mosquito.

"This Giant Mosquito's tenacity is impressive. Whenever its health points drop below 50%, it starts to siphon blood. This creature might just maintain its hold on a summoning slot," Zhang Ze mused as he summoned the Giant Mosquito, contemplating its stats.

Giant Mosquito (Rakshasa)

Level: 1 (MAX: 5)

Experience: 1/10

Blood Volume: 350

Attack: 90-120

Defense: 250

Skills: None

"I've got two summoning slots left to fill. It's time to level up the Summon Monsters and bolster their combat prowess."

Resolved, Zhang Ze and his Summon Monsters resumed their hunt for battles. Two hours on, his team was at full strength.

Following numerous skirmishes, Zhang Ze's Summon Monster squad now included three Hard Armor Turtles (with one reaching LV2), a LV2 Violent Rabbit, two Poisonous Spiders, and three Giant Mosquitos.

"I think I'm ready now. Time to head up and check out what this Heaven Swallowing Frog on the second floor is all about."