Chapter 313: The Tenth Floor and the Lake
"Good night, Boss!"
"Boss, sleep well!"
Amayee and Amay greeted Li Meng before retreating to their tents.
Li Meng chuckled softly and, alongside Bella, headed toward the source of the commotion.
"It's the Boss and the squad leader!"
"The Boss is here!"
The group lit up at the sight of Li Meng and Bella emerging from the mist.
"Bella, is the Screaming Rabbit King the boss of the ninth floor?"
Following behind him, Bella nodded slightly.
"It's the trickiest boss. It uses its voice to hypnotize adventurers, making it almost impossible to guard against. Once it locks onto someone, the only way to escape is to rush to the next floor as quickly as possible. Otherwise, it'll keep haunting them until they're completely exhausted—then it shows itself."
The deeper the labyrinth, the larger the floors. The ninth floor marked a turning point.
Above the ninth floor, adventurers could typically descend to the next level within a few hours. Below it, reaching the next floor could take days.
The ninth floor, shrouded in thick mist, was massive.
"Is it strong?"
Stopping at the front of the group, Li Meng asked.
"Killing the Screaming Rabbit King isn't hard. The challenge is finding it."
The first five floors were a haven for novice adventurers.
Floors 5–15 were for mid-tier adventurers.
Floors 15–30 catered to high-tier adventurers.
Above the 30th floor, teamwork was essential for survival.
Even elite five-member squads found it difficult to operate above the 30th floor.
"I'll be right back!"
In a flash, Li Meng leaped into the air, vanishing into the mist like an arrow.
Bella only felt a gust of wind blow past as the Boss disappeared.
---
In the mist...
"So this is the Screaming Rabbit King?"
Li Meng studied the massive white rabbit before him.
It was enormous, standing over ten meters tall. Its appearance was identical to a regular rabbit, down to the red eyes and oversized front teeth.
Between those teeth hung the severed head of a woman, her mouth opening and closing, emitting cries for help.
The scene was grotesque, but to Li Meng, it was nothing more than a minor spectacle.
[Screaming Rabbit King (Labyrinth Monster) (Non-Consumable)]
- Level: 71
- Strength: 417
- Defense: 327
- Agility: 518
- Magic: 711
- Labyrinth Contract: LV3
- Voice Hypnosis: LV4
"What a cute little thing."
With that, Li Meng launched a punch.
Boom!
The air shook with a deafening roar as a wave of energy exploded outward.
The Screaming Rabbit King's massive body shattered instantly, dispersing into ash without a trace of flesh or blood.
The powerful blast of force cleared the mist, revealing a hundred-meter radius of empty space.
"Is this a labyrinth magic crystal?"
Li Meng picked up a blue, fist-sized crystal from the ground.
The magic crystal shimmered, translucent and brilliant.
[Labyrinth Magic Crystal]
- Magic Attribute: None
Although the Rabbit King's magic stats weren't particularly high, its crystal contained immense magical energy, surpassing ten thousand units.
While it couldn't compare to elemental magic crystals, labyrinth crystals had the advantage of being attribute-less, making them adaptable to various magical properties.
With the crystal in hand, Li Meng turned and headed back toward the camp.
---
At the camp...
"The Boss is back!"
The adventurers' eyes brightened as Li Meng emerged from the mist.
Casually tossing the crystal, Li Meng sent it flying toward Bella.
"Continue resting. Dismissed!"
Without another word, he brushed past Bella and returned to the camp.
Catching the crystal, Bella stared at it in awe.
Could this be... the Screaming Rabbit King's magic crystal?
"That has to be the Rabbit King's crystal."
"It's huge—definitely from the Rabbit King."
"The Boss is amazing. He found it and dealt with it so quickly."
"A true powerhouse like him wouldn't be troubled by something like the Rabbit King."
Amidst the admiring murmurs, Li Meng entered his tent.
And so, the Rabbit King's encounter became a minor episode.
As the group dispersed, the camp soon fell silent once more.
---
When Bella returned to the tent, Li Meng was already asleep.
Crawling in, she lay down beside him, her gaze lingering on his round, bald head.
Reaching out, she hesitated, then pulled her hand back.
"What's behind that silver mask of his?"
Her curiosity stirred—about his race, his appearance.
As these thoughts swirled, Bella drifted into sleep.
---
The next day...
Though the labyrinth lacked day and night, the group adhered to a regular schedule.
At dawn, the team set off.
No one lingered on the ninth floor—it offered little reward for adventurers.
Rather than dealing with Screaming Rabbits, it was better to move on to the next level.
It wasn't until the third day that the group found the path to the tenth floor.
---
The tenth floor...
"It's the Battle Axe Minotaurs! Take them down!"
In the dimly lit cavern, a fierce battle erupted.
A dozen towering minotaurs wielding axes charged at the team.
Standing 2.5 meters tall, each minotaur carried a long-handled axe.
They resembled upright buffaloes but with humanoid bodies and bull heads.
The warriors formed a shield in front of the mages and archers, holding their ground.
Magic users chanted incantations, their spells illuminating the dark cavern with bursts of colorful energy.
The coordinated assault overwhelmed the minotaurs. In a single round of attacks, the creatures dissolved into ash, leaving behind several labyrinth magic crystals.
The Brotherhood members, experienced and efficient, stepped forward to collect the crystals.
"Keep moving!" Bella called, leading the group deeper into the tenth floor.
---
Several days later...
"Don't slack off—assign two people to guard the entrance!"
The team's luck turned as they stumbled upon a cavern with a water source.
The entrance to the cavern was narrow, but the interior was vast.
What appeared to be a pond was more like a lake.
One side of the lake was frozen, while the other boiled with bubbling water.
The group set up camp on the icy side.
Standing on the ice, Li Meng gazed at the steaming waters. What kind of creature could create such a bizarre fire-and-ice phenomenon?
"Boss, the water at the boundary is just right!" Amay called out, her words making Amayee and Ame's eyes light up.
"Hold on. There might be something dangerous in the water. Let me check it out first."
Noticing their excitement, Li Meng immediately guessed what they were thinking.
Without waiting for a response, he dove into the water with a loud splash.