"I was the one who wounded it first! And I got the final blow!" a burly male Apprentice glared at the skinny Apprentice across from him.

"Your acid only corroded its hide! My Ice Cone was what pierced its heart!"

Not backing down, the skinny Apprentice clutched his Magic Staff.

Between the two lay the corpse of a relatively large Inferior Demon, clearly stronger than a common one.

"The rules say the one who lands the final blow gets the crystal first." The burly Apprentice took a step forward, his presence pressing in.

"But my contribution was greater!" The skinny Apprentice took half a step back but refused to yield.

The other Apprentices nearby watched with cold indifference, none of them intervening. In a place like this, conflicts over loot were all too common.

Ian looked away and went back to extracting crystals from the Inferior Demons he had killed.

He had killed eleven of them and quickly collected eleven Rice Grain-sized Abyssal Crystals. He put them in a small leather pouch and stored it in his gray Dimension Bag.

But as he walked toward the last Inferior Demon—which was also the one closest to the two who were arguing—the burly Apprentice suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing on Ian.

"Hey, you." The burly Apprentice pointed at the Inferior Demon at Ian’s feet.

"My area-of-effect Witchcraft clipped that one. I get a cut."

Ian froze and slowly looked up.

The burly Apprentice stood nearly six-foot-three, his muscles bulging. He had clearly chosen a path of physical enhancement, and his aura was strong for a High Level Apprentice.

He saw that Ian’s performance had been average and that he was alone, so he figured he could take advantage of him.

A few of the surrounding Apprentices looked over, their expressions varied.

Ian was silent for a second, then spoke calmly, "I killed this one by myself. It has nothing to do with you."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear and distinct.

The burly Apprentice narrowed his eyes. "What did you say, kid?"

"I said," Ian said, standing up. From under his gray hood, his eyes met the other Apprentice’s, "these are my spoils."

The tension ratcheted up again.

The skinny Apprentice took the opportunity to quickly extract the crystal from the disputed Inferior Demon, then retreated to the side to watch the show.

The muscles on the burly Apprentice’s face twitched as he strode toward Ian.

The muscles all over his body swelled slightly, and a faint metallic sheen appeared on his skin—some kind of skin-enhancement Witchcraft.

"I’ll say it again. I get a share of those spoils."

Ian didn’t speak. His right hand hung naturally at his side, a faint, ice-blue light swirling at his fingertips.

He didn’t want to cause trouble, but he was keenly aware that in the Underworld of this Demon Hunting war, any sign of weakness toward one’s peers was a dangerous act.

If you backed down once, it would happen a second time, and a third, until you eventually became a pushover that anyone could walk all over.

"Enough."

A frigid voice cut in.

Kalem had approached at some point, his scarred face expressionless.

"Want to fight amongst yourselves? Fine. After we’ve cleared this area, I’ll mark out a spot for you. To the death, for all I care. But right now..." His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over the two of them. "Anyone who stirs up more trouble, I’ll throw them into the depths of the caverns myself."

The burly Apprentice’s expression changed. He shot Ian a venomous glare but ultimately retreated sullenly.

Kalem looked at Ian, his gaze deep. "You’re Ian?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Nice work," Kalem said flatly, then turned to leave. "Rest up. The next defensive round starts in three minutes."

Ian nodded slightly, crouching down to extract the last crystal.

’Gaga,’ a voice in his mind chirped, ’that big oaf has it in for you. I can sense killing intent.’

’Let him,’ Ian thought, storing the crystal. ’I’ll find a chance to take him out later.’

He just didn’t want to be too conspicuous, but that didn’t mean he was weak.

With his current strength, if an Official Wizard developed killing intent toward him, he’d have to find a way to eliminate them secretly.

He gazed into the depths of the cavern, where heavier footsteps were approaching.

The second wave was coming.

And this time, the auras were clearly much stronger than the Corrosive Claw Inferior Demons’.

Kalem’s warning had barely faded when the darkness in the depths of the cavern began to churn like boiling water.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

It was no longer the chaotic shuffle of the Corrosive Claw Inferior Demons, but a heavy, rhythmic, and unnerving cadence, each step making the ground tremble.

"Everyone, on guard! We’ve got big ones!" Kalem’s voice rose sharply, the muscles on his scarred face tightening.

Rod stopped toying with the Blood-Colored Dice. The strange smile on his lips vanished, and his gaze became as sharp as an eagle’s.

Kelly’s hands were already on the twin staffs at her waist, and the surface of the Metal Short Staff flickered rapidly with blue light.

Ian’s pupils shrank as he spread his Spiritual Power to its fullest extent. It pierced through the dim light and chaotic Energy Field, allowing him to vaguely "see" the silhouettes of the newcomers.

They were five Demons whose bodies were far larger than the Inferior Demons.

"Magma Rock Scale Beast, Sewn Hatred, Shadow Devourer, and two Tier One Poison Claw Nightwalkers..."

Kalem’s voice was heavy and suppressed. "They’re all Tier One Demons! Dammit, the threat assessment for this Demon Nest was wrong!"

Before his voice had even faded, the five Demons charged out of the cavern!

"ROAR!"

The Magma Rock Scale Beast was the first to let out a deafening roar. The sound wave, carrying the stench of hot sulfur, washed over them. A few Apprentices in the front rank were stunned, their protective Energy Shields fluctuating violently.

"Attack! Focus fire!" Kalem roared. He clapped his hands together, and three heavy Crystal Shields instantly materialized before him, forming a triangular barrier in front of the defensive line.

Rod tossed the Blood-Colored Dice high into the air. It spun rapidly, six tormented faces flashing in turn, before finally landing on "Madness."

"Pain Diffusion," Rod murmured.

The die exploded, turning into a pale red mist that quickly enveloped the charging Magma Rock Scale Beast and Sewn Hatred.

The Magma Rock Scale Beast’s movements suddenly stiffened. The molten liquid in the crevices of its scale armor churned violently. It let out an agonized roar and thrashed its head wildly.

The Sewn Hatred’s countless arms also began to flail uncontrollably. A few of its arms even bent backward to attack its own torso!

Kelly raised both her staffs at once. She tapped the ground with her wooden staff, and the earth suddenly buckled. Dozens of thorny vines erupted from the ground, snaking toward the Shadow Devourer and Poison Claw Nightwalkers.

She pointed her Metal Short Staff to the sky, and a blinding bolt of lightning struck down, precisely hitting one of the Poison Claw Nightwalkers.

BOOM!

The lightning exploded. The Poison Claw Nightwalker was sent flying, its body charred black. But after landing, it rolled and got back to its feet. The scorch marks were quickly covered by new, dark purple skin. Its regenerative ability was terrifyingly strong!

However, the crisis had only just begun. "Careful! They’re charging the line!" Kalem shouted.

The Magma Rock Scale Beast powered through Rod’s mist of pain, lowered its head, and charged, its thick tail sweeping out!

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The three Crystal Shields shattered one after another. Kalem let out a muffled grunt and stumbled half a step back, but his hands quickly formed a Sealing Technique. A blazing white Flaming Spear condensed in his palm, and he hurled it forward!

The Flaming Spear pierced the Magma Rock Scale Beast’s shoulder, blasting a large hole. Molten blood sprayed out. The beast roared in pain, its charge slowing slightly.

But taking advantage of the chaos, the Sewn Hatred had already broken through the left flank!

Its seven or eight arms swung wildly, the rusty swords and Bone Blades creating a storm of death.

"Block it!" On the left flank, in Rod’s group, a middle-aged Apprentice gritted his teeth and stepped forward, raising a wide Force Field Wall with both hands.

SHKRRR!

The Force Field Wall lasted only a second under the Sewn Hatred’s chaotic blades before shattering. The middle-aged Apprentice was impaled through the chest by a Bone Blade. He collapsed without even a scream.

"No!" A female Apprentice beside him screamed, her eyes wide with fury and grief. She shot out several Ice Cones, but they only left shallow white marks on the Sewn Hatred’s body.

The Sewn Hatred violently flung the arm that had impaled the corpse, sending the body flying toward the female Apprentice like a broken rag doll. At the same time, another of its arms, holding a blade, slashed horizontally!

The female Apprentice scrambled to dodge but was a fraction too slow.

A flash of the blade, and an arm was severed at the shoulder!

Blood gushed out as the female Apprentice screamed and collapsed.

The left flank of the defensive line was instantly torn open!

At almost the same time, the situation on the right flank grew critical.