Bai Ze’s single sentence effectively cut off any path forward for his classmates. Everyone was left speechless; after all, they were all below Level 10.
As soon as he spoke, one of the male students grew furious.
"I’m honestly laughing. If you don't want to carry us, just say it. Claiming you're already above Level 10? Do you even believe your own words?"
"Forget it, forget it. He’s already broken a record, so what’s left to say? It’s only natural to forget where you came from!"
Bai Ze said nothing, merely patting Sun Tai on the shoulder.
Sun Tai caught the cue immediately. He pointed a finger right at the two of them and started berating them: "You two shameless, cowardly bastards! What does us clearing the Abyss have to do with you? Still here with your passive-aggressive nonsense—did you eat too much shit today?"
"Sun Tai! What did you say!?" The male student was instantly enraged.
Sun Tai didn't hold back. He unleashed a torrent of insults starting with their mothers and extending to their entire ancestry, leaving the classmates so incensed they couldn't even speak.
He wiped his slicked-back, greasy hair with a chubby hand, smoothed his pompadour, and said with extreme flair: "Weaklings! Go back to your Level 1 Abyss!"
Hearing this, the classmates were so angry they nearly coughed up blood.
Bai Ze could barely keep a straight face. He hurriedly dragged Sun Tai away, fearing that if the others were provoked any further, they might lose their tempers and start a fight right then and there.
After this small episode, the two quickly arrived at the entrance of the Level 2 Abyss to choose their target.
There were three Level 2 Abysses in total: the Insect Sea Mists, the City of Exotic Beasts, and the Actor’s Divine Domain.
Bai Ze began his analysis. Although the Insect Sea Mists had many monsters, the experience gained from individual kills was generally low; it wasn't very advantageous and was quite exhausting to grind through.
The City of Exotic Beasts had plenty of monsters, and they were individually strong, providing ample experience. The only concern was that if the entire city’s worth of exotic beasts were to awaken at once, it would create an unmanageable situation.
The final one, the Actor’s Divine Domain, was relatively mysterious. It was said to test a Professional’s acting skills, and Bai Ze didn't feel he held an advantage in that area.
Naturally, he chose the second Abyss: the City of Exotic Beasts.
Inside the City of Exotic Beasts, there were nearly one hundred thousand exotic beasts, all disguised as humans. Once provoked, they would revert to their true forms and attack.
The fastest record for this Abyss was an astonishing 15 days, which showed just how high the difficulty was and how low the clearance rate remained. However, Bai Ze believed that no matter how strong these beasts were, they couldn't surpass Brother Monkey. To him, clearing this Abyss would be as easy as reaching into his pocket.
Just as he was thinking this, a middle-aged man rushed over to advise him.
"Listen, kid, you absolutely must not enter the City of Exotic Beasts. It’s full of them in there. If you’re even slightly careless, one hundred thousand exotic beasts will attack you at once. You won't even be able to run, and I suspect you won't even have the chance to use your exit card!"
"That’s right. This Abyss is arguably the most difficult of all the Level 2 ones. Even we wouldn't dare take the risk."
Bai Ze turned to look. The speakers were a white-haired youth and a bald middle-aged man.
He was just about to say it didn't matter, but the white-haired youth surprised him by extending an invitation: "Why don't you skip the City of Exotic Beasts? The four of us can form a team and clear the Insect Sea Mists instead. We’ll at least walk away with something today, how about it?"
The white-haired youth looked at him with expectation, but Bai Ze chose to refuse. "Sorry, but I’ve already decided on the City of Exotic Beasts today!"
"Sigh! Alright then, I won't try to persuade you further."
As they spoke, more and more people gathered around, many looking at Bai Ze with astonishment.
"You two actually dare to enter the City of Exotic Beasts? You must have a death wish!"
"Indeed, that’s the highest-difficulty Level 2 Abyss. Ordinary people shouldn't even dream of getting out alive!"
"Hmph, just a couple of people looking to die. What does it have to do with us? Let’s go!"
At this moment, the students he had rejected earlier gathered around, mocking him one after another, calling him both excessive and overconfident.
Just then, two petite figures hurried over—they were the two sweet girls from earlier.
"Brother Bai Ze! Can you carry us this time? We want to enter with you. How about we pay 300,000 each?" Xia Qiu spoke up quickly, hoping Bai Ze would take them along.
As soon as she said this, the others nearby were displeased.
"I say, little girls, do you have any idea if the City of Exotic Beasts is a place for decent folks? The danger coefficient is ridiculously high. You’d better think clearly—don't lose your money and your lives along with it!"
"Exactly! Even if this guy named Bai Ze can clear a Level 1 Abyss quickly, at his core, he’s still a blind man! Don't let him end up getting you both killed in there; that would be truly pathetic!"
Facing the advice of the others, Xia Qiu and Xia Chun remained unmoved. They even transferred 600,000 to Bai Ze directly via their phones. "Brother Bai Ze, the money has been sent. What do you think?"
Before Bai Ze could even speak, the people around them started slapping their thighs and shouting: "Oh my god, you two little girls are so stupid! You just gave 600,000 away for nothing!? The City of Exotic Beasts is the most dangerous Level 2 Abyss—you guys are being way too reckless!"
Bai Ze ignored their words entirely, simply waving a hand. "Fine, since the money has been sent, let’s head in!"
He was a man of his word; he said they would enter, and they would. Besides, Bai Ze didn't care for arguing with others, because his strength would naturally speak for itself.
Plus, when those two sweet girls called him "Brother Bai Ze," he felt truly pleased. With such a sweet "brother" greeting, he would be willing to carry them even for less money.
A goofy, infatuated smile crept onto the corner of Bai Ze’s mouth.
"You fool, I'm speechless..." Brother Monkey’s voice drifted in, faint and ethereal.
A moment later, amidst the bewildered and pitying gazes of the crowd, the four figures vanished before the Abyss gate.
The next second, Bai Ze found that the four of them were standing inside a sprawling, high-end villa.
In the center of the villa, a table full of food had already been prepared, and a middle-aged couple walked out from the kitchen.
"Oh! The kids are here? Hurry up and sit down to eat!" the middle-aged woman smiled.
The group was momentarily stunned, as they noticed no monster-like skin patches on the couple; they seemed like perfectly normal humans.
With a "wait and see" mindset, the four of them sat at the table, wanting to see what this couple was up to.
But to their complete shock, after the middle-aged woman served a bowl of soup, the first thing she said was:
"Little Ze, when did you and your friends awaken?"
As she spoke, the woman’s body began to swell and expand with a thunderous roar!