Pfft.
Another Human-Keeping Beast Pap collapsed, lying on its back like a crushed bug, twitching and writhing its thin limbs and long, slimy tongue.
It looked utterly disgusting, like an oversized cockroach. Just seeing it was enough to raise the tension.
After venturing deep into the pitch-black underground cave, the Exploration Squad found themselves navigating a sprawling dungeon maze, forced to deal with threats coming from all directions.
More than one Human-Keeping Beast Pap lurked in the corners, hiding in the shadows or clinging to stalactites above, waiting for the perfect moment to launch a surprise attack.
If they succeeded, they would latch onto a squad member, releasing arcs of electricity from their bodies to overwhelm human senses.
This Deadly Ecstasy had caused countless intruders to succumb, kneeling in submission before eventually losing themselves completely.
However, this group of intruders was different.
Not only did they accurately detect each incoming ambush, but they also countered with precise and powerful attacks every single time.
The grotesque little monsters were treated like sewer rats—driven away, slaughtered, discarded.
Desperate to stop them, the Human-Keeping Beast Pap had no choice but to summon the beasts lurking in the Steep Mountain Range depths, gathering them underground.
Their bait, of course, was Deadly Ecstasy.
But the Exploration Squad had their own trump card—the Resentful Memory: Bloodthirsty Claw Beast.
Not only did it serve as the vanguard, clearing the path like an unstoppable war machine, but it also acted as a massive defensive shield.
Even when facing mid-sized monsters, the Bloodthirsty Claw Beast performed flawlessly.
One by one, the obstacles were crushed. Even the Human-Keeping Beast Pap began to panic.
Their ambushes became more desperate, their attacks more frenzied.
Morel took a deep breath, raised his long-handled smoking pipe, and casually exhaled—unleashing a flurry of pure white Smoke Soldiers.
They surrounded the "Resentful Memory · Bloodthirsty Claw Beast," forming a solid formation for coordinated combat.
The two worked in perfect harmony, and with the "Exploration Team members" following closely behind, they swept through their opponents effortlessly.
Morel, swung his long-handled smoking pipe and knocked down a "Pap Beast," which had dropped from the sky, trying to ambush him.
"There must be something underground. Perhaps it's the 'Unmanned Stone.' The panic from Pap proves that they're protecting something at all costs," he adjusted his sunglasses and made the judgment.
"We must be getting closer to our target," he added.
Germain threw a bottle of "Sanbica's Poison" diagonally in front of him.
The dull-colored poisonous mist spread instantly, consuming several of the gathered "Pap Beasts."
Soon, they started convulsing violently, falling to the ground, digging at their throats as if suffocating, and died.
The "Pap Beast" had a habit of sticking out its tongue, and their tongues were unusually sensitive.
Sanbica created the poison specifically targeting this trait.
The poison wasn't lethal to medium-sized monsters, but it was perfect for the "Pap Beast."
Germain wasn't worried about inhaling the poison by mistake.
On one hand, his "Champion Constitution" gave him incredible resistance to toxins. On the other hand, he carried "Sanbica's Antidote."
At the same time, Sanbica's specially-made "Universal Healing Herb Syringe" gave the team temporary resistance against the "Deadly Ecstasy" of the "Pap Beast."
"Deadly Ecstasy" could stimulate and control the electrical and chemical signals in a living creature's nervous system, using them for the "Pap Beast's" purposes. The "Sanbica-made Syringe" interfered with this process.
The "Sanbica Special Injection" provided the "Exploration Team" with the conditions needed to resist the "Deadly Ecstasy" of the "Human-Beast Pap."
In addition, Shizuku's "Blinky" successfully countered their "Electric Discharge."
The electric arcs, which usually flickered only briefly, were mercilessly sucked in by the "Blinky" in a violent storm.
Even when the situation turned around, as long as "Human-Beast Pap" had wounds, the stored electricity inside its body was quickly drained by the "Blinky."
After testing Shizuku's "Blinky" and confirming its effectiveness against "Human-Beast Pap," her tactical value skyrocketed. She received luxurious protection from Bisky and Morel.
Finally, after traveling several hundred meters below the endless mountain world, the "Resentful Memory · Bloodthirsty Claw Beast" collapsed with a thunderous sound, dissipating into "Nen."
At this point, Bisky suddenly called for the two vanguards at the front to stop.
"Germain, Ging, take a break for a while. We've cleared the path from the mountain top down to hundreds of meters below ground without stopping. The consumption has been too great."
Germain turned around.
Only then did he realize that, although he and Ging had been advancing tirelessly, they had overlooked Bisky, Morel, and Shizuku.
They had never stopped fighting during the journey.
All three were panting heavily, their "Nen" consumption far beyond the ordinary, and it was likely that they had little left.
"You're right. Let's rest here and recover our strength."
Germain agreed without hesitation.
Ging retracted his "Golden Nen" and adjusted his worn-out hat, saying, "I'll take the watch. You all rest easy."
Germain not only had to fight but also maintain the existence of the "Resentful Memory · Bloodthirsty Claw Beast," so his "Nen" consumption was definitely higher than Ging's.
Ging suggested that Germain rest with the others, while he took his position as a seemingly lazy, yet completely focused sentry, standing at the edge of the faint light cast by their torches.
Germain didn't reject Ging's kindness at this moment, so he joined the rest of the "Exploration Team" into a cave with only one entrance and exit.
The members of the "Exploration Team" sat together in a circle.
They ate "Menchi's compressed biscuits," restoring their "stamina" and "Nen," while slightly relieving their "stress."
Bisky then manifested "Miss Cookie" to help reduce "stress," and restore "stamina" and "Nen" for both herself and Shizuku.
The "Piano Massage" for Shizuku was to ensure that her "Blinky" continued to counteract the "electric discharge" from the "Human-Keeping Beast Pap."
As for Bisky's own "Piano Massage," it was to ensure she wouldn't fall into a "tortured state," allowing her the chance to use the "Piano Massage" again later.
During this time, Morel switched shifts with Ging, so Ging could rest for a while.
Even during this period, the "Exploration Team" couldn't find peace, constantly facing monsters that appeared from time to time.
The "Human-Keeping Beast Pap," hiding in the darkness, licking the dry stone walls with its tongue, were the masterminds behind these attacks.
As more comrades lost their lives, the beasts had grown a little smarter. Instead of acting directly, they commanded the delirious monsters to attack the invaders.
However, the reason the invaders were still here was not out of fear of the cave monsters' attacks—they were here to rest for a while.
After the invaders had their fill, they geared up again, effortlessly dealing with the wave of beasts blocking their way.
Germain manifested the "Resentful Memory: Screeching Giant Bat," and this gigantic beast, with its wings spread, launched a surprise aerial assault.
The crowded formation of the beast wave in the cave was torn apart, disrupted, and destroyed.
The "Exploration Team" moved like a sharp blade, piercing deep into the heart of the cave.
They soon realized that the key to controlling the enemy was the "Human-Keeping Beast Pap."
As long as they could expose and eliminate these vile creatures hiding in the shadows, they could effectively prevent more monsters from joining the beast wave.
After descending several hundred meters, the "Exploration Team" quickly realized that they were very close to their final destination.
After killing another "Master-level" monster, Germain's "En" nearly reached its limit, with the return signal indicating as much.
Once they crossed a certain threshold, the "Pap" and those monsters corrupted by "Deadly Ecstasy" no longer appeared.
The entire underground world suddenly fell silent, as if all the battles they had fought up until now were just a dream.
The "Exploration Team" didn't encounter any more attacks, but they didn't believe this place was safe.
On the contrary, they took the opportunity to rest and ate more of "Menchi's compressed biscuits."
With the "Resentment Memory: Screeching Giant Bat" having little health left, Germain decided to send it ahead to scout.
Almost seconds later, a deafening crash was heard.
Boom—
The entire underground cavern shook, and countless stalactites fell from the ceiling, shattering into pieces.
Germain quickly realized that the "Resentment Memory: Screeching Giant Bat" was dead. It had been killed in one strike.
********
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