Chapter 49: Venturing into the Underground Dungeon, the Nine-Story Demon Tower

Glancing once more at the enchanted diamond pickaxe’s durability, Chen Fan decided to use a single diamond to repair it. After all, the Fortune attribute was not easy to come by. Once everything was settled, Chen Fan woke everyone up and distributed golden apples and food.

At this moment, Li Chengdong frowned as he held the gleaming apple in his hand and asked, “Brother Fan, if I took a bite of this apple, wouldn’t my teeth shatter?”

Chen Fan chuckled softly, patting the back of Li Chengdong’s head. “This isn’t a real ‘golden’ apple; it’s just a type of food in this world.”

Li Chengdong looked skeptical—what kind of food could be like this? But driven by curiosity, he placed it in his inventory. Trusting Brother Fan was always the right choice.

Everyone packed their gear, each armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows, then they entered the mine shaft, heading toward the dungeon. Most Minecraft players loved adventure. Every expedition was a novel experience and an opportunity to gather valuable treasures.

“Master, where are we heading this time, with such a grand expedition?” Ram asked as he kept pace with the group.

Chen Fan’s tone was calm. “I discovered a dungeon the day before yesterday, but only reached the fifth level.”

“A dungeon?” Ram pondered. “Master, do you mean the underground dungeon?”

Chen Fan paused, puzzled. A dungeon was a dungeon—why was there an ‘underground dungeon’? Suddenly, realization dawned. “Are there different types of dungeons?”

“Yes,” Ram patiently explained. “This world has desert dungeons, jungle dungeons, and sky dungeons.”

Chen Fan finally understood. No wonder he had been able to go deeper—he should have guessed earlier.

He pressed on, “Ram, besides dungeons, is there also a Nine-Layer Demon Tower?”

Ram’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Chen Fan as if amazed at how much he knew. “Yes, there is a Nine-Layer Demon Tower. But it’s a ruin filled with countless monsters. Even worse, there’s a legendary giant serpent boss inside. Many have tried to challenge it, but none have returned alive.”

“A legendary boss? That sounds thrilling!” Chen Fan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. If they could clear it, wouldn’t they be able to craft accelerated torches? “Do you know its exact location?”

“No, Master!” Ram replied. Seeing Chen Fan’s excitement, he felt uneasy. “That place is extremely dangerous—one in nine won’t survive. You mustn’t take the risk.”

Before Chen Fan could respond, Yang Keli tugged his sleeve with a worried expression. “You really want to go to the Nine-Layer Demon Tower?”

Chen Fan smiled, gently ruffling Yang Keli’s hair without directly answering. His gaze was resolute and curious; the mystery of the Nine-Layer Demon Tower had ignited his desire to explore.

“Let’s first scour the dungeon thoroughly,” Chen Fan said, composing himself as he led everyone deeper into the mine shaft.

After a long walk, the six of them finally arrived at the dungeon. Chen Fan had explored once before; the dungeon glowed faintly, and a chill lingered in the air.

They reached the staircase leading from the fifth to the sixth level without incident when the faint sizzling sound echoed again.

“Is that the borers?” Yang Keli frowned.

“Right,” Chen Fan turned to instruct them. “When we go down, form a circle and move forward slowly. If you see cracked stones, do not touch them.”

Everyone nodded solemnly, beginning their cautious descent.

As soon as they stepped onto the sixth level, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere engulfed them. At the same time, sounds around them grew clearer.

This level’s stones bore no moss or moisture; the ground was dry, and dust hung thick in the air.

They formed a circle and advanced carefully, eyes alert to their surroundings.

Suddenly, a spiked borer emerged from a crack in the stone, writhing as it crawled toward them.

Chen Fan’s reflexes were sharp; he swung his diamond sword and killed it instantly, whispering, “Everyone be careful—watch your feet and surroundings!”

When they reached a more open area, dozens of borers surged from all directions like a tidal wave, charging fiercely while emitting chilling screeches.

“Damn, so many!” Xu Xinjie exclaimed, his eyes wide with terror as he instinctively stepped back.

“Everyone, plant your shields firmly on the ground and form a tight circle. Keli, you stand in the center and keep a close eye on the ceiling,” Chen Fan commanded swiftly and steadily.

“Got it!” Yang Keli nodded.

“Understood!” the others responded in unison.

They quickly followed Chen Fan’s orders, setting their shields upright to create a solid defensive ring. Yang Keli stood in the center, weapon ready to strike any borers dropping from above.

Soon, the borers battered against their shields like relentless waves, their sharp mandibles scratching the metal with eerie creaks.

Li Chengdong gripped his iron sword tightly, his face pale though he forced himself to stay calm, muttering, “I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid…” Yet the sweat on his brow betrayed his fear.

Ram and Rem showed no emotion as they swung their weapons rapidly, dispatching approaching borers one by one.

Many borers leapt down from the ceiling, attempting to break through the circle’s center.

Fortunately, Chen Fan had anticipated this. Yang Keli deftly slaughtered each descending borer with graceful, practiced strikes.

In this world, borers had 16 hit points, twice as much as in Minecraft. But with their superior weaponry, Chen Fan’s team found killing them manageable.

Still, the sheer number of borers meant several broke through the defense, inflicting injuries.

These creatures dropped no items upon death, only a small amount of experience.

Gradually, through their collective efforts, the borer numbers dwindled rapidly.

After more than ten minutes, over a hundred hostile borers were finally cleared, and calm returned.

The group sighed in relief, replenishing food and water.

After a short rest, Chen Fan paired everyone up in twos to explore the sixth level and search for the stairs to the next floor.

Chen Fan and Yang Keli walked ahead. Along the way, she couldn’t help but ask again, “Chen Fan, do you really want to go to the Nine-Layer Demon Tower?”