You promised to wreak havoc on the dungeon, but instead you've got Dragon Slime!

The four of them skillfully pulled out several bottles of potions crackling with blue electricity that they carried with them, and gulped them down with a few "thumps"—

Lightning resistance, all set!

Just as he was about to take a step, a paralyzed mushroom corpse lying dead on the ground, like an inconspicuous lump of mud, appeared right at the berserker's burly feet.

"Tch, a rotten mushroom that's in the way."

Without even looking, the berserker stepped on it with his massive, unguarded foot.

"Boom——!"

It was as if a thunderclap had exploded from the ground!

A massive shockwave, carrying a numbing, metallic stench, suddenly erupted, instantly sending the four confident elites flying, leaving them dazed and disoriented.

They struggled to sit up, only to find a strong, cold, stiff sensation rapidly spreading through their limbs and bones.

Even trying to move my fingers became incredibly difficult.

The effects of paralyzing the venom sacs are severe and rapid.

"Damn it! Wasn't it supposed to be dead already?! How did it explode?!"

The berserker growled in disbelief.

The four men sat disheveled beside the blasted crater, their faces and heads covered in dust. Their expressions had changed from smugness to utter blankness and bewilderment.

Ron, who was watching all this from the shadows in the distance, was not surprised at all.

It was that weird "teleporting mushroom" that was responsible—

After being killed, it can enter a state of suspended animation with a single drop of blood, then silently reappear next to its target and deliver the final... explosion.

The elven girl was the first to react. She endured the numbness and tried to raise her trembling hand, gathering the unique dispelling magic light of a priest to try and eliminate the deadly paralyzing poison.

But it's too late.

"Shh...shh..."

A dense, chilling sound surged forth from the dark corners and above the rock walls like a tide.

Countless giant tarantulas, the size of cartwheels and covered with barbs, swarmed out!

Their scarlet compound eyes locked onto the four motionless "wooden stakes" on the ground, and they swarmed forward!

Its sharp mouthparts opened and closed, and its highly venomous chelicerae tore at the fine chainmail and leather armor.

What's the use of having the best equipment?

Unable to move, unable to defend, and even more so to launch a counterattack.

They could only stare wide-eyed in despair, feeling the intense gnawing and the injection of deadly poison into their bodies.

Even the finest equipment is nothing more than an appetizer before the giant tarantulas' delicious feast when the wooden stakes are completely unprotected.

Soon, all the struggling and growling subsided.

At that moment, Ron leisurely summoned the "entry panel" that was invisible to others.

On the pale blue screen, numbers jumped, clearly displaying the results:

More than twenty new LV1 entries flashed and appeared.

What's even more exciting is that five new LV2 entries have been added to the corner of the panel!

They are all labeled with their source: "Black Language Cave", and are "freshly baked" - undoubtedly "contributed" by the five elites who have just disappeared on the ground.

"I see……"

A flicker of realization and excitement crossed Ron's eyes:

"Just give me a LV2 attribute directly? I don't have to synthesize it from LV1!"

With a change of heart, he did not hesitate to pair the remaining LV1 entries together.

With a faint glow, the total number of LV2 entries on the panel increased to 12.

His gaze swept quickly across the newly acquired "word entries," and he soon identified two that held the most potential:

【Soul Chain LV2】：

The wearer can unleash a ghostly chain of energy that forcibly links multiple targets (whether friend or foe) for a short period of time.

Those who are linked to share all the harm they suffer!

[I'll form the head LV2]:

The wearer can instantly assimilate and absorb other monsters within a certain range, forming a giant composite!

The attack power and core attributes of all fused monsters will be stacked, instantly boosting them to an astonishing level!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Ron couldn't help but click his tongue, a smug smile spreading across his face:

"Here comes the baby, right?"

The reason why those pioneering groups were able to penetrate this place before was because these monsters were not strong enough to kill them in one hit, and they had plenty of potions that made them immune to various negative status effects.

With these two powerful keywords... the situation instantly reversed!

His consciousness extended into the depths of the underground city, locking onto the last few fire elementals floating in the magma, each with a different form of elemental energy:

The "Mud Fire Elemental" covered in viscous bubbles, the "Frost Fire Elemental" radiating a chilling aura, the "Illuminating Fire Elemental" with its blinding light like a light bulb, and the "Sleeping Fire Elemental" seemingly in a deep sleep...

"Okay, it's your turn to upgrade."

With a slight thought, Ron directly branded the two alluring LV2 attributes onto the sluggish, muddy fire elemental from a distance!

[Entry fusion! Compatibility detected... New species born!]

A bright light flashed across the panel, and a brand new name popped up:

[Combined Chains, Mud, and Fire Elements]!

Deep within the cave, in the lava pool, the chosen fire elemental trembled violently.

The dark red flames that had been flowing on its body suddenly lit up, their color emitting an ominous, ghostly white glow, and its entire form became clearer and more solid.

Most strikingly, a heavy "belt" made of solidified lava and wreathed in eerie blue flames suddenly appeared at its originally indistinct waist position.

His body, which was originally flowing and mangled, now faintly exuded an indescribable, destructive aura... a sense of oppressive power befitting a "king".

"puff……"

Seeing this, Ron couldn't help but cross his legs, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"This setup... seems familiar... It's like the transformation belt from Armor Hero..."

Chapter 44 The Silver Blade Team

He relaxed his body, turned his gaze back to the distance, and looked forward to the unfolding of this increasingly interesting "drama".

Adventurer's Continent, Dark Hills.

Near the entrance to the Black Language Grottoes, in the famous Resurrection Cemetery, many people were already sitting or standing, waiting.

Their gazes, whether open or hidden, were all fixed on the empty space between the stone tablets—

This is the place where adventurers who die are expelled by the dungeon's laws and are resurrected.

Soon, accompanied by several flashes of grayish-white light, five figures wearing only underwear and completely unarmed fell awkwardly between the cold stone tablets with a "thud," causing a small commotion.

"Whoa! Look! Someone's fallen!"

A wanderer leaning against a tree trunk on the outside shouted.

In an instant, all eyes in the vicinity of the cemetery focused on them, filled with undisguised scrutiny and discussion.

"Hiss... Aren't these the 'experts' recruited by the Eagle Legion? The Eagle Legion, ranked nineteenth on the leaderboard!"

Those with sharp eyes immediately recognized the pale faces of several of them.

"How could that be? Wasn't it a sure thing?"

The five men were now blushing furiously, wishing they could disappear into the ground immediately, especially since the unrestrained whispers around them felt like needles pricking their hearts.

Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a breastplate with an eagle emblem, his face so gloomy it could drip water—

The leader of the Eagle Regiment pushed through the crowd and charged forward.

Seeing these five "elite" soldiers, their equipment completely destroyed and utterly dejected, his anger almost spitting out of his eyes. He forced out a low growl through clenched teeth:

"a bunch of idiots!"

However, as the leader of the large group, he was well aware of the cruel laws of land reclamation.

Although the defeat was painful, the intelligence was invaluable.

He suppressed his anger, his face grim, and quickly ordered his trusted men to take the five men to a secluded corner away from the crowd.

Sharp eyes like a hawk:

"Don't give me that long face! This isn't over yet! Write down everything you encountered inside, everything you saw, heard, and felt, down to the last detail! Not a single word is left out!"

Yes, one failure does not mean the end.

Using the firsthand intelligence gained at the cost of the lives of the defeated team, the Eagle Regiment will quickly adjust its strategy and organize new, more targeted teams to re-enter the fray.

Land reclamation is sometimes a brutal relay race.

Not far away, in the shadow of another towering rock, the Silver Blade's leader, Viser, stood silently like a statue, his expression serene and unmoved.

How could a top-tier adventurer team like Silver Blade stumble in the lowest-level E-rank dungeon?

Absolutely impossible!

He firmly believed that the same was true for the second-place Holy Lance and the third-place Golden Wind.

Now, the real contest has just begun.

The only measure of victory is whose pioneering team can break the record for the shortest completion time!

This is the silent power struggle between top-tier groups.

Deep within the Black Language Grottoes.