Chapter Nineteen: The Black-Haired Dog

I fought my way through the swarm, advancing step by step as I slaughtered the insects. At that moment, a multitude of enormous cockroaches appeared, dozens rushing at me from every direction. I was completely immersed in their world. Then a spined serpent emerged from beneath the ground right in front of me. It hadn’t even had time to announce its presence before I struck it hard in the face with a single punch, eliciting a pained shriek. Immediately afterward, a shadowy figure streaked through the air with a strange glow, arriving in an instant. I leapt high, summoning a surge of energy in my hand, and delivered another heavy blow to the serpent’s face, the same spot I’d hit before. A gaping bloody hole exploded in its head, the force blasting it into a headless corpse that crashed to the ground without so much as a final groan. [For the latest updates, search here.] This was the skill book the Roc had gifted me: “Energy Explosion”—costs 50 magic points, inflicts 100 points of constant, attribute-free explosion damage on a target, five-second cooldown (can be upgraded).

This skill was extraordinarily useful and rare, especially as one learned from a skill book and could be upgraded. Using the serpent’s body as leverage, I jumped again, fists clenched. On the ground, another serpent spewed spikes at me. I smashed it aside, and as a gigantic cockroach struck my back with its claws, I was hurled against a boulder, shattering the rock. I spat blood, then quickly drank a potion to recover.

I stood up at once, limbs stretched and hands pressed flat against the cockroach’s head. It tried to retract its head, but was too slow; with a sharp sound, my ten fingers dug deep into its skull, green blood oozing. With a mighty shout, I hoisted the massive cockroach as easily as a rag doll and hurled it far across the cavern.

To be used as a weapon must have been a terrible experience for the cockroach. Its body flew like a stone from a catapult, slamming hard into a cluster of spined serpents on the other side. With a thunderous crash, the cockroach and seven or eight serpents were smashed to pieces, dying gruesomely in the frenzy. I leapt onto the cockroach’s body and finished it off as well.

Suddenly, a beam of white light shot skyward, forming a pillar that pierced heaven and earth. The surrounding serpents spat spikes, but each was rebuffed by the white light. My battered body began to heal with astonishing speed, visibly regenerating in the radiance. My waist, legs, and feet reformed and reassembled, my entire frame evolving and transforming, growing stronger and more resilient.

Upon slaughtering that cockroach, the surge of experience propelled me past level twenty. My skill cultivation was activated, and my attributes soared instantly.

Weiwei Long
Class: Summoner
Level: 20
Health: 1000
Magic: 500
Attack: 195 (Base 90 + Bronze Knuckle 100 + Gloves 5)
Defense: 75 (Base 50 + Wolfbone Armor 10 + Ninja Boots 15)
Reputation: 10
Luck: 0

These stats were utterly monstrous. Even warriors likely had only similar attributes, and they certainly didn’t have so much magic. One hundred ninety-five attack, seventy-five defense, and a thousand health—these were never meant for a summoner. With such damage, even the level twenty-five enhanced minotaur guards could no longer threaten me.

As the white pillar faded, my body was fully remade. The remaining cockroaches and spined serpents charged, but I grabbed one serpent, beating its head relentlessly as it shrieked. Its scythe-like forelimbs slashed at me, inflicting wounds everywhere, blood streaming down my body. Yet I struck its head until it collapsed and shattered.

Letting go, the headless serpent slumped to the ground. These insects had no emotions, no fear. With a thunderous crash, a cockroach smashed into me, and I blocked it with my fists. We clashed hard, neither yielding, both shaking from the impact.

In terms of strength, the cockroach was not inferior to me now. Suddenly, another serpent struck from behind, catching me off guard and knocking off fifty health. Down to only 450 health, the situation was grim. I decisively consumed a village chief’s bun, instantly restoring all my health. This item could instantly recover all health, but it was rare and precious—I’d saved it for this moment.

“Ding~! Little Black Dog has finished evolving and is ready to be summoned!” The system notification arrived just in time. I summoned it immediately, and a strange howl echoed in front of me. The once kitten-sized black dog was now a handsome, black-furred wolfdog, its growls rolling out in waves.

Name: Black-Furred Dog
Type: Animal
Race: Beast
Quality: High
Can Evolve: Yes
Life: 200
Attack: 350
Defense: 100
Skills: Shadow Ball, Fury, Crunch, Ghost Claw
Description: Covered in glossy black fur, this striking canine summon barks incessantly at people and, when displeased, charges forth to bite.

Such stats were unbelievable for what was once a useless puppy. The evolution had transformed it from a harmless companion into a formidable, battle-ready ally.

I issued a command, and Black-Furred Dog immediately howled and lunged at a spined serpent. The serpent counterattacked with its scythe-like forelimbs, slashing fiercely.

Meanwhile, two more serpents crawled over, spitting spikes at me. I retreated a few steps, then charged at them. Serpents were strong at range but weaker in melee compared to cockroaches; they had low health and defense, clearly monsters with high attack.

I kept moving, staying close to the serpents and attacking relentlessly. Their bodies were covered in bone plates. I circled behind one, climbed onto its back, and unleashed an energy explosion. The blast to its head dealt a massive –854 damage, dropping it instantly. That was a critical hit; otherwise, I might not have done so much damage.

Meanwhile, a cockroach was being toyed with by Black-Furred Dog, spinning in confusion. Realizing the trick, it roared and turned, but too late. Lured by Black-Furred Dog, it lunged, spewing green liquid, but the dog dodged. I appeared in a flash; sensing danger, the cockroach tried to retract its head, but my fist smashed down, turning its face into pulp.

With 195 attack, I didn’t even need full force. Its body was hard, but its head was frail, now mashed into a mess, half its health gone. Without a single cry, the cockroach collapsed, and Black-Furred Dog leapt to bite through its neck, finishing it.

Afterward, I pressed on, slaughtering more serpents and cockroaches, racking up experience. Soon I saw the Tunnel Worm nearby, but two serpents larger than the others guarded it.

As I approached, they gave me a sinister smile. Unafraid, I rushed forward with Black-Furred Dog. Suddenly, roles reversed—the hunters became prey.

The two serpents attacked madly, spitting spikes. Black-Furred Dog and I dodged, but still took hits, chugging health potions to stay alive. Then Black-Furred Dog opened its mouth, launching a black energy ball at one serpent’s chest. The explosion sent it charging at the dog, and both serpents broke off to engage us one-on-one.

I roared in fury, squaring off with a serpent. My punch missed as it dodged, then its tail struck me, dropping 100 health. Its forelimbs came at me, but I sidestepped, grabbed one limb, and broke it with a powerful blow. I rammed the serpent, knocking it down, then climbed onto its body, pounding its neck until a crack sounded—the bones snapped. With a forceful slap, I knocked its head clean off, leaving it forever on the ground.

Meanwhile, Black-Furred Dog tackled the other serpent, biting its throat, but couldn’t penetrate—the bones were too hard. The serpent roared and struck with its forelimbs, injuring the dog badly, though not fatally. Suddenly, Black-Furred Dog’s eyes glowed red, its teeth shimmering with black light. It dodged the Minotaur Guard’s swing and bit again, this time sinking its fangs into the serpent’s neck with a crunch, severing its ugly head.

Then I jumped into the Tunnel Worm’s mouth, crawling through a passage formed of its own flesh and blood. This tunnel allowed the swarm to travel through the worm’s head or the network, and I used it to emerge from the other side.

Soon, I received a notification: “Ding~! Congratulations, mighty adventurer! You bravely arrived alone to defeat the powerful Thunder Beast. Are you prepared? If so, the battle will begin.”

I sucked in a cold breath. The first boss was none other than the most formidable insect soldier—the Thunder Beast. My chances of victory were slim.