Seeing the familiar dungeon, Luo Fan felt a pang of emotion. This would be his third time entering, and he wondered if he could find the way to the sixth floor.
The dungeon is a strange place. The first five levels are obvious, with interconnected pathways, and guilds even have guides for them. But the entrances to levels beyond the fifth are naturally hidden, and without special means, they are very difficult to find.
Of course, this is also the guild's way of protecting everyone, since the fifth floor is a very difficult threshold for most adventurers to overcome.
Moreover, the entrance to the next level is usually very well hidden, and without relevant information, it's difficult to find the corresponding entrance. Only higher-level mercenary groups can obtain certain clues.
Luo Fan checked many records but couldn't find any relevant information. He had previously thought the dungeon only had five levels. However, he overheard the Duke's steward mention a sixth level, which changed his mind.
No wonder the underground city can continuously provide resources; the resources from the first five levels alone simply cannot meet that demand.
Outside the dungeon, it was noticeably more lively than before. Even the small hut where they used to deal with ghost bats had been converted into a shop to provide convenience for everyone.
There were also many merchants setting up stalls outside, buying and selling all kinds of materials.
After confirming their identities, Luo Fan followed Ai Li into the underground city.
"Go straight to the fourth floor?" It's still Arthur leading the team. Everyone is an old acquaintance and knows each other very well.
“Yes, this time Ellie needs to complete the advancement challenge, and it would be best if she could find a monster of level 30 or above.” Emil nodded. She also came here to gain some experience and earn some credits.
For students in their second year and above, dungeon adventures are a compulsory course and also the easiest to complete, since there are no restrictions.
“Yes, Miss.” Looking at the senior martial artist following behind him, Arthur was quite relieved this time, after all, the Duke’s daughter was also here.
Along the way, Luo Fan and his companions encountered many people, including several groups of adventurers on the third floor.
Taking the shortcut, I hardly saw any monsters.
Arthur explained with a smile, "After spring, everyone looted the surrounding dungeons to make a living. Especially after the festival, the merchants increased their purchase prices."
"Underground city economics, huh?" Luo Fan quipped, looking at the familiar cave and sensing the changes in the surroundings.
"Hey, why are those people following us? Do they have some kind of intention? Well, Ellie is a rich woman now. If we rob her, she'll definitely become rich overnight."
"Looking at it this way, Yasuo is still the best. He wants both people and money. Well, that makes sense, after all, Ellie is a pretty girl."
"Luo Fan, don't mention him to me! I've disciplined him so many times, yet he shows no remorse whatsoever," Ellie complained. Lately, Yasuo had been frequently visiting Ellie, even preparing many new clothes for her.
"It's all because you're rich. If you weren't rich, he wouldn't even bother with you. I'm good to you; I can help you make money and keep those flies away."
"Yes, yes, I know you're the best to me. But if you want me to marry you, no way. At least my mother has to agree."
“That old lady,” Luo Fan quickly changed his form of address upon hearing Ellie’s displeased snort, “I wonder when we will be able to meet again.”
Luo Fan also had many questions for her, such as how he transformed into human form and what exactly happened back then.
"I really want to see her too!"
The fourth floor of the dungeon is not frequented by many adventurers. When you do encounter one, it's usually in a large group. No adventurer would come here alone for a thrill.
They walked a long way but still didn't see any monsters above level 30. At most, they saw level 28 monsters, and there were very few of them, not even enough to fill Xiaoxue's teeth.
Because Luo Fan surpassed her, the little girl has become unusually diligent lately, even consuming magic cores more frequently. However, her body is like a bottomless pit, and she hasn't reached level 30 yet.
Daisy, on the other hand, is progressing steadily and has already reached level 9 of the novice mage class, soon to advance to the next level. After consuming two Ice Stones, her attraction to ice elements has increased by 20%.
"How about we go check out the fifth floor?" Ellie suggested.
“Okay, I have no objection. It feels like the fourth floor has been cleared out by others.” Emil replied, holding her staff, even though she hadn’t used her magic yet.
"But, Miss, the Marquis instructed that we cannot go to the fifth floor."
Why?
Luo Fan also perked up his ears.
"Since the last incident, there have been many more high-level dark-type magical beasts on the fifth floor. With such a small group of us, we are very likely to be ambushed if we go down."
"Ellie, what do you think?"
“We’ll look for an opportunity near the fifth level entrance; we can’t find any targets on the fourth level at all.”
Luo Fan analyzed the situation and realized that the people behind him were only a few dozen meters away, secretly following him. "So that's how it is. After those ghost bats disappeared, the territory they vacated would definitely be occupied by other magical beasts."
"Ellie, we must get to the fifth floor. Someone is setting a trap behind us. Turning back is definitely not an option."
"Ah, are you sure?"
"Hmm, I suspect they are the same group that vandalized the house and left messages inside. They must have been well-prepared to follow us this time."
“Okay.” Ellie and Emil began to persuade Arthur, and finally decided to try the fifth floor.
On the other side...
"Hey boss, it looks like they're heading towards the fifth floor."
"The fifth floor is better; it's more suitable for disposing of bodies and covering up the crime. Tell the brothers to be on high alert and not get ambushed by monsters."
"OK."
"Since you're courting death, don't blame us for being impolite. We might hold back a bit on the fourth level, but on the fifth, there are plenty of surprises." The leader smiled, looking confidently at the cave ahead.
The fifth floor is a large space, and there are no adventurers in sight.
Luo Fan had already detected a level 32 Ice Demon Serpent, which was nestled motionless in a crevice in the rock.
"Xue'er, I'm leaving her to you."
Countless ice spikes shot out, startling the ice snake into emerging from its shell. It tried to dodge but was instantly frozen. A rain of fire followed with a fiery strike, instantly killing the ice snake.
Luo Fan jumped over, dug out the magic core, and handed it to Xiao Xue.
The entire set of movements was fluid and the teamwork was excellent.
Emil knew that as long as that slime was around, his pet probably wouldn't obey his commands. Angela, on the other hand, had only just summoned her little fire bear when the battle was already over.
They continued forward, but at a much slower pace, and Luo Fan and Xiao Xue kept a close eye on their surroundings.
Before long, he spotted a pack of ice wolves a hundred meters away, as well as two shadow beasts hiding in the shadows.
After determining their location, the six people and their pets carefully moved forward towards the pack of ice wolves.
Luo Fan already knew the surrounding environment and chose a side road with fewer monsters.
Not long after they left, a team of more than twenty fully armed men arrived at the scene and quickly discovered the remaining blood.
"Boss, there was just a battle here, and an ice serpent was killed."
"Okay, be careful. Did you find the footprints?"
"Right here, Little Black Dog has already smelled the Soul-Chasing Incense on that big guy."
"Alright, this time it's foolproof. Tell the brothers behind to be careful and not let any other adventurers in."
After confirming their equipment again, the group followed the path Luo Fan and his companions had taken, heading into the cave.
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