Chapter 98: Race Through the Levels

Ahhh!!!

Help me!! Help me!!

…

Level 11.

Leading Li Ke and the Middle-Aged Man, Yenir surged forward like a shadow in the darkness, constantly weaving through the corridors.

The duo trailing behind strained to keep pace while their hearts pounded from the wailing cries echoing all around.

At some point, teams in different corridors began emitting heart-wrenching screams—clearly, many had fallen to the monsters’ assault.

Even from a distance, those cries carried an unmistakable note of despair.

“Don’t stop!”

“Faster!”

Unleashing his full mental power as if he had the entire map laid out before him, Yenir continuously expended his energy to scan a 20-meter radius in real time.

Unlike the other teams, who dared not stray from the main route, Yenir’s mental detection made the surrounding corridors feel as familiar as home.

Trailing behind, the Middle-Aged Man couldn’t hide his awe and murmured:

“Why does it seem like we haven’t encountered any enemies along the way…”

“Lord Ye Lin, how did you manage to avoid them all?”

“I don’t know…”

“It feels even easier than Level 7… Surely the lower levels must harbor monsters, right?”

Incomprehensible.

Except for that incident on Level 9—when Yenir effortlessly dispatched a lightning-fast Bone-Eroding Rat—they hadn’t come across a single monster.

Even though the path twisted under Yenir’s lead, aside from a bit of exhaustion from running, they remained unharmed.

Had they not heard the distant sounds from other teams, they might have believed the lower levels were utterly safe.

A rush of relief flashed in their eyes.

Although they hadn’t witnessed the monsters’ full terror here, the distant screams painted a grim picture of other teams’ fates.

“Be careful—at a 97-degree angle ahead, there’s a Corpse Ghost clinging to the cave ceiling.”

“On our left, 16 meters away in the second culvert, a Blood Maiden is hiding.”

“Beneath our right, a Bone-Crushing Worm lurks underground, likely heading toward the center soon.”

Suddenly, they halted.

Yenir’s eyes flashed; like a human radar, he swiftly pinpointed the monsters’ positions before turning to the dumbfounded pair:

“I’ll charge in first and take out the Corpse Ghost in a flash. Three seconds later, you two rush in—I’ll lure the Bone-Crushing Worm away!”

“We rendezvous at the third junction on the right ahead in 30 seconds! Remember, no matter what you hear, don’t look back! And move fast!”

His instructions, almost as if designed for beginners, had the two nodding repeatedly in astonishment.

Damn…

They had assumed Yenir was merely picking up vague monster traces and leading them on detours. But his confident words made it clear that he had seen right through their hiding spots—knowing exactly where every creature lurked!

Ignoring their astonishment, Yenir nodded slightly and charged ahead.

These two were practically his ‘piggy banks,’ so he had to ensure their survival. Compared to Level 7, these lower floors posed little threat to him; even the stealthiest monsters shone like fireflies under his mental detection.

He could even clearly see which way the monsters were facing.

Any chance of a surprise attack on him was virtually impossible.

He mused inwardly; if he hadn’t snagged that orb early from the Corpse Academy, this level would have been a real mess.

……

Half an hour later.

They re-entered the vast, empty karst cave, where several Military Third-Stage fighters, looking rather disheveled, rushed out with their teams.

In stark contrast to the calm of Level 7, the Awakened fighters arriving at Level 14 were almost all injured, appearing utterly disheveled.

Wang Yangping, the first to burst out, wore a grim expression until he saw that Level 14 was temporarily secure—only then did he exhale a deep sigh of relief.

He gradually deactivated his speed-boost skill, unable to help but scrutinize the trailing Military Third-Stage fighter.

“Where are your team members?”

In a heavy tone, Wang Yangping looked back at the other Military Third-Stage fighter and instinctively inquired.

The questioned fighter offered a bitter smile and waved away a chunk of corpse.

“They’re dead.”

“I never imagined the monsters’ ambush could be so hard to counter. I did my best to protect them, but they still perished…”

“Yeah, if I hadn’t activated my skills a few times to save them, I doubt I’d have gotten anyone out alive.”

“I only managed to bring one down—luckily, that person was an Agility Type.”

Gathered together with most of the Awakened fighters lost, the few leading Military Third-Stage fighters bore grim, resigned expressions.

They hadn’t expected the difficulty to escalate so dramatically.

Hoping to reap greater rewards by taking more people along, they nearly lost themselves in the process.

Meanwhile, the rescued Awakened fighters looked visibly shaken, as though they had just brushed with death.

The early excitement over the lucrative rewards had long vanished.

This cursed instance—without Third-Stage fighters, no one survives! What’s the use of high rewards when death means nothing?

For Second-Stage fighters, even the best ended up severely injured—and tragically, not one survived; only the Third-Stage fighters managed to escape.

Although the Third-Stage fighters vowed to protect them, even they couldn’t always fend off the monsters’ sudden onslaughts, leaving everyone vulnerable.

This was getting tough…

He sighed.

Wang Yangping looked upon the fallen with a heavy heart.

The Military Department demanded we retrieve enough Spirit Crystals, and with so few survivors, it seemed impossible to meet the quota.

After Level 14, they would withdraw.

The floors beyond were far too challenging—even without mentioning the Third-Stage Intermediate Mutants at Level 21, the sheer volume of monsters doomed the Spirit Crystal harvest.

Listening to the captain’s concerns, a lone surviving Second-Stage Peak Fighter offered an idea:

“Team Leader Wang, what if we collected Spirit Crystals from the other Third-Stage fighters?”

“If they can rescue a few more, maybe we’ll make the quota.”

After a brief hesitation, Wang Yangping nodded, though he didn’t seem too hopeful.

“The Third-Stage fighters from the Demon-Hunting Team should be able to bring some down. I’d say if the shield-bearer can make it out, he’d be a solid asset.”

“As for that young man…”

Calculating how many could make it out, Wang Yangping shook his head in disapproval—especially when he thought of Yenir.

That strange guy—surely he won’t be unable to get out on his own, right?

In a cave, agile fighters like Yenir face the harshest odds.

Bang!

After a tense wait, Huang Kai burst out like a tumbling meatball, his rugged face marred by a sizzling, corrosive wound that hissed white smoke.

Rolling to his feet, he panted heavily. With a grim expression, he used a small knife to cut away the rotten flesh from his face.

“Damn this cursed instance! It’s infested with these damn creatures!”

Furious beyond measure.

None of the two he led survived, and he himself had been swarmed by a horde of Corrosive Worms on Level 13. Without his high defense, he would have been melted into a puddle.

Feeling the weight of his losses, he couldn’t help but glance at his comrades.

Seeing only a scant dozen survivors scattered about, he felt a perverse sense of balance—clearly, the casualties were severe.

Then, as if struck by a thought, he scanned the area and realized that the useless kid he despised hadn’t come out.

Regaining a semblance of pride, he couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh:

“Damn, is that useless brat still missing?”

“I bet he can’t even get out on his own.”