Of course, every advantage came with its own drawbacks.
After fusing with Gorgon's Spirit Origin, Shara also inherited Gorgon's hatred toward humanity. Combined with her original hostility as a Xenos, the result was far more than a simple 1 + 1.
Without exaggeration, if Cao Ye were not her Master, who knew what might have happened.
"Since we're already here, let's explore the Dungeon together," Cao Ye said.
"Understood, Master~"
Shara's voice had become deeper than before, yet it carried a faintly seductive tone.
Rustle…
A group of monsters suddenly appeared.
They came in many forms, most of them insect-type creatures.
Whoosh—
Before Cao Ye could even react, Shara had already moved.
It was a complete massacre.
Within seconds, every monster was wiped out.
Each one died from a single strike.
With Shara's current strength, she could already be considered a top-tier Level 6, perhaps even approaching Level 7.
Cao Ye couldn't help feeling speechless.
His snake girl had basically become overpowered.
Meanwhile, he still had to level up the normal way.
With Shara's strength clearing the path, Cao Ye smoothly entered the Lower Floors of the Dungeon.
The Great Tree Labyrinth spanned Floors 19–24.
Once someone stepped into Floor 25, they entered a completely different zone of the lower levels.
The Water City Labyrinth.
If the Great Tree Labyrinth belonged to the domain of trees, then the Water City Labyrinth belonged to the domain of water.
Water was everywhere.
Rivers, pools, and countless aquatic monsters.
In front of Cao Ye stretched a narrow passage with a flowing stream.
Suddenly—
Splash!
Several monsters burst out of the water.
Man-Eating Fish.
One of the most common monsters in the Water City Labyrinth.
These vicious fish attacked adventurers passing through the area. A single bite from them was extremely painful.
Whoosh—
Cao Ye was no weakling.
A black sword appeared in his hand.
With a few swift strikes, he wiped out the entire group of piranha monsters.
Gurgle…
"Hm?"
Just as Cao Ye began thinking the Water City Labyrinth wasn't particularly dangerous—
A strange sound echoed.
He looked toward the darkness.
Pairs of crimson eyes appeared.
At least twenty to thirty pairs.
Swish—!
The creatures charged out of the shadows.
Now their forms were visible.
Huge ice-blue crabs.
Many of them were blowing bubbles as they advanced.
But the size and numbers of these monsters were honestly ridiculous.
These were Metal Blue Crabs, a common monster of the Water City Labyrinth.
Their shells were extremely durable, granting them incredible defensive power.
Their large pincers were also formidable weapons.
However, they had a very obvious weakness—
The gaps between their shells were large, making them easy targets.
No matter how strong their defense was, a well-placed attack could kill them instantly.
Because their shells dropped frequently, many blacksmiths loved collecting them as forging materials.
BOOM!
But before Cao Ye even made a move—
Shara attacked.
Her clawed hand smashed down on a Metal Blue Crab.
The terrifying strength shattered its shell instantly.
The crab died on the spot.
This reminded Cao Ye of one of Gorgon's skills.
Monstrous Strength
A skill that temporarily boosts strength.
It was an attack trait possessed by monsters and magical beasts.
Under this ability, even the highly defensive Metal Blue Crabs were killed in a single hit.
Cao Ye had a sudden realization.
He might have created something terrifying.
Especially since Shara was now an Avenger-class existence.
He couldn't help feeling a little sorry for whoever might face her in the future.
As they continued deeper, Cao Ye encountered many other monsters:
Great Water Serpents, over ten meters long with pale green scales and massive snake heads.Crystal Giant Turtles, enormous creatures whose bodies were covered in crystalline armor.
Eventually, Cao Ye arrived at his destination.
One of the Dungeon's true natural wonders.
The Great Azure Falls.
A massive waterfall nearly 400 meters wide.
Its height was at least double that.
Because the waterfall existed inside a massive cavern, the refracted light through the water created a beautiful emerald-green glow.
Just standing there was overwhelming.
The thunderous roar of water echoed endlessly.
And beyond the waterfall—
There was no normal passage.
Instead, a massive hollow abyss opened below.
This was the defining landmark of the Water City Labyrinth.
The enormous waterfall flowed directly from Floor 25 down to Floor 27, bypassing Floor 26 entirely.
Unlike other areas of the Dungeon, the Water City Labyrinth was not traversed floor by floor.
Instead, adventurers descended through spiraling passages and massive vertical drops.
One wrong step here—
One slip—
And falling into the abyss meant almost certain death.
Unless you were incredibly lucky.
The Water City Labyrinth also served as a boundary line.
Once adventurers passed beyond it, they entered the Deep Floors of the Dungeon.
A completely different world.
A true danger zone.
The labyrinth became far larger.
Monster spawn rates skyrocketed.
Monster strength increased dramatically.
However, Cao Ye had no intention of going deeper today.
Reaching this point was enough.
[Daily Quest: Reach the Great Azure Falls in the Water City Labyrinth]
Progress: 25 / 25
Reward: 20 Diamonds
Quest complete.
Another 20 diamonds obtained.
Combined with the 50 diamonds he already had, Cao Ye now possessed 70 diamonds.
If luck favored him, he could accumulate enough for another ten-pull in two days.
Even with bad luck, it would only take three days.
"Alright," Cao Ye said.
"Let's head back."
"That's it?" Shara asked in confusion.
"We're already here, and we're leaving?"
"Today's exploration ends here," Cao Ye replied.
"Next time, we go deeper."
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