My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

After leaving the city, the group headed straight into the depths of the forest.

As expected, we did encounter some wandering monsters along the way.

Most of them are forest wolves, venomous boars, or giant beetles with a level not exceeding 10.

However, these scattered monsters posed no threat to the team at all.

Often, as soon as a monster appears, several sword beams or magical missiles will whistle past and instantly kill it.

The marching speed of the troop was hardly affected.

Lin Mo silently followed Su Lin, feeling it was a waste to watch the monsters fall one by one.

If I were to kill these myself, I'd get attribute points for each of them.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding trees began to thin out.

Rusty mine car tracks and abandoned mining tools began to appear on the ground.

Finally, a huge mine ruin built against the mountain appeared before everyone's eyes.

At the entrance to the mine, there was even a small squad of guards dressed in the standard armor of the Ancient Wood City.

Upon seeing the lord of Fano, they immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

After exchanging a few words in hushed tones, they waved for them to leave.

Clearly, the city lord had already arranged for security here.

As you enter the mining area, a strange smell begins to permeate the air, a mixture of mineral dust, musty odor, and a faint fishy smell.

Lin Mo walked in the group.

He could clearly hear the whispers of his fellow adventurers around him.

"Finally arrived. This place looks eerie."

"I heard that this mine was quite prosperous decades ago, but then somehow a large number of spider monsters appeared and took over the place."

"It's not just a lot; I've heard that a Dark Ink Spider King lives in the deepest part, supposedly a level 20 Beast King!"

"Level 20?! My god, does that mean we have to fight it this time? I just reached level 10!"

"What are you thinking? This isn't the way to court death! We're here to hunt little spiders and level up!"

……

Lin Mo listened silently to these discussions, gaining a clearer understanding of the situation in the mine.

Ordinary spiders, elite spiders, and the final boss, the Dark Ink Spider King.

His goal was very clear.

It's that Dark Ink Spider King!

Lin Mo needs its skill essence to break through the level 10 bottleneck.

As Yin Xue had said before, he could see his mother once he reached level 20.

Just then, the city lord of Fano, who was walking at the front, stopped in front of a dark mine entrance.

He turned to face the crowd, his voice echoing through the empty mine:

"Everyone, this is the abandoned mine. Before you go in, I'll give you a brief introduction to the situation inside and the rules of this training."

Everyone quieted down and listened intently.

"This abandoned mine has three levels in total."

Fano pointed to the deep cave entrance.

"The top level, which is your main activity area, contains spider monsters that are no more than level 10, but there are many of them. They are your target for leveling up and gaining points this time."

"Further down is the middle layer, where some elite-level Dark Ink Spiders will appear, their level is around 15."

"Heroes have ventured down to the middle level before, but at best they were injured, at worst... they died!"

The adventurers present were relatively calm upon hearing the word "death," but the heroes began to whisper among themselves.

Fano's tone became serious, silencing the crowd as he emphasized the point.

"And at the very bottom is the lair of the Dark Ink Spider King! It is absolutely forbidden to set foot there! The strength of a level 20 Beast King is far beyond your imagination. Unauthorized intrusion will only lead to death! Do you all understand?"

"Understood!"

The crowd responded in unison.

Fano nodded and continued, "Your goal today is to hunt spiders. For each spider you kill, take its fangs as proof. Two fangs from ordinary small spiders will be worth 1 point. The training period is 6 hours! After the training, we will tally the total scores for each team. The team with the highest score will receive a level 10 Beast King Essence..."

He paused deliberately, noticing that all the heroes and adventurers held their breath.

Then he slowly said, "The Empire's White Tiger Legion can be given priority for introductions, allowing them to join the Heroes' Association ahead of time!"

"Wow!"

"Joining the Heroes' Guild ahead of schedule!? Wasn't it said we'd learn basic common sense later in Ancient Wood City?"

"Lord City Lord, you've really gone all out this time! Not only did you get the level 10 essence, but you also received extra rewards!"

……

A gasp and a heated discussion immediately erupted from the crowd.

Especially the brave ones, their eyes instantly turned fervent.

Their adventurer teammates behind them also wore expressions of eager anticipation.

"I heard that adventurers who join the Hero's Guild can also enjoy benefits."

"Yeah, if I can successfully register, my life will be secure!"

"Haha, I'll have to put in some effort this time!"

……

Suddenly, someone said, "Lord, you only mentioned that ordinary spiders have fangs. What if they have elite-level fangs?"

Fano laughed when he heard this: "There are basically no elite spiders in the upper levels, so don't even think about it."

Undeterred, the man asked, "What if?"

Fano sighed and said, "If you actually kill an elite-level Dark Ink Spider, two teeth will count as 5 points!"

Upon hearing this, the heroes began to whisper amongst themselves again.

Then Fano coughed, silencing the murmurs of the crowd.

His gaze sharpened, especially as it swept over the faces of his fellow adventurers.

"I don't care about your individual strengths, or what your true purpose is in coming here!"

Fano's voice carried an undeniable authority.

"But now that you've become the hero's teammates, you must remember your responsibilities and do everything in your power to protect your hero's safety! If your negligence leads to serious injury or even death to the hero..."

His eyes were cold.

"Then you will not only lose everything, but you can forget about continuing to be adventurers in the Holy Wood Empire! Remember that!"

These words clearly carried a warning tone.

Afterward, Fano had the guards distribute several sturdy little cloth bags to each person to hold the spider's fangs.

They also provided a small portion of dry rations and water as supplies.

Most importantly, you need a structural diagram of the mine's interior to help you determine the direction.

With everything ready, Fano stepped aside.

Take a deep breath and announce loudly:

"The trial begins!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the eager warriors, along with their teammates, rushed into the mine.

They were afraid that if they were even a second too slow, someone else would snatch all their points.

Su Lin looked at Lin Mo, her eyes asking, "Shall we go in too?"

Lin Mo shook his head, his tone calm: "No rush."

He stood at the entrance of the cave, calmly watching the crowd surge in.

Once most people had gone inside and the cave entrance had become deserted, he said to Su Lin, "Stay close to me, or find a place to hunt ordinary spiders on your own."

After saying that, he didn't wait for Su Lin's response.

He had already started walking, slowly and deliberately, into the mine.

His target was never the ordinary spiders at the top, but the Dark Ink Spider King at the very bottom.

There's no need to crowd if your purpose is different from others.