CHAPTER 913: BATTLING THE BLACK DOGS TOGETHER

Kevin’s expression immediately changed, his cold face contorting slightly. "Max? Why are you here too?" he demanded sharply, his tone containing both surprise and a trace of annoyance.

Indeed, the one who had arrived was none other than Max.

Max smiled faintly, though there was something sinister about the curve of his lips, something sharp that made his words feel like a hidden blade. "Oh, it’s Kevin. It’s been a long time since we last met. I’m relieved to see you’re still alive... I was hoping to kill you myself."

Kevin’s face darkened. "Damn it, who told you to bring them here?" He barked, pointing sharply at the sound of claws scraping stone and guttural growls approaching fast.

Max lifted his hands in an exaggerated shrug, feigning innocence. "I didn’t mean to," he replied simply.

And then it came—

"Roar!"

A massive shadow dropped from above, shaking the very cave with its weight. It was the Black Dog King, its two massive heads glaring coldly, first at Max and then at the monk and Kevin, both of whom tensed instinctively.

The Black Dog King’s roar was like thunder in a confined space, the soundwave alone carrying murderous intent strong enough to make their skin prickle.

Dozens of two-headed black dogs, acting under its command, burst forward like a living tide. Their jaws snapped and their roars echoed sharply as they charged, their movement coordinated, predatory, terrifying.

Max took two steps back, coughing lightly as though embarrassed. "Ahem, you two... if you have any personal grudges, maybe keep them for later? Let’s deal with these black dogs first."

Both the Big Belly Monk and Kevin turned their glares on Max simultaneously, silent curses practically visible in their eyes. The Black Dog King itself was peak Legend Rank, an apex existence even among monsters, something that even they dared not provoke casually—yet here Max was, bringing the disaster directly to them.

Still, the choice before them was clear—fight or die.

The two didn’t waste any more time on words. Their bodies blurred into motion, striking down the first wave of two-headed black dogs.

"Puff! Puff! Puff!"

Blood sprayed and yelps echoed as the black dogs at the 3rd and 4th levels of Legend Rank were torn apart, their bodies crumpling lifeless to the cold cave floor.

Max wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Both Kevin and the Big Belly Monk were exceptionally talented, monsters among men, standing at the pinnacle of their peers. Killing ordinary high-level black dogs was effortless for them.

Even so, the true threat had yet to make its move.

The Black Dog King, towering and ferocious, finally lunged at Max with terrifying speed. Its two heads opened wide, black fangs flashing with chilling light as it came crashing down like a falling mountain.

Max’s pupils shrank. This thing’s strength is terrifying! Even with all his techniques, all his power and concepts unleashed, he could only hold the Black Dog King at bay—barely standing his ground.

He swung his Blue Dragon Sword, black flames and sword light clashing violently with the beast’s shadow, the shockwave of impact cracking stone and shaking dust from the ceiling. "Swish!" A black dog lunged at him from the side, only to be cleaved in two by Max’s lightning-fast follow-up slash.

Still, every inch of his body screamed at him to retreat. The Black Dog King was too strong.

Fortunately, Kevin and the Big Belly Monk were also engaging the other dogs, their combined pressure cutting down the tide of beasts and lessening the burden on Max, allowing him the space he needed to survive in the chaos.

Max’s eyes widened when he heard the Blob’s sudden cry of surprise. "Nether Stone?" The usually composed Blob actually sounded shaken. "How is it possible? There are really Nether Stones in this world?"

Max, startled by the unusual tone of his companion, asked hurriedly, "What is a Nether Stone?"

Blob then explained everything he knew—information eerily similar to what Old Devil Dave had once told Kevin. The Nether Stone was said to be an ancient, mythical material, a legendary gateway to the rumored underworld itself.

Not only that, it was a supreme refining material capable of creating Demigod Rank weapons—weapons said to possess spirits of their own, capable of thinking, fighting, and defending their masters independently.

When Max heard this, his heart skipped a beat, and he muttered in disbelief, "Doesn’t that mean the underworld is real?"

Blob hesitated before responding, his voice heavy. "I don’t know. I always thought the Nether Stone was just a legend, something recorded in ancient myths to inspire awe. I never believed it really existed. But seeing one here with my own eyes... Max, I can’t say for certain about the underworld, but this Nether Stone alone is a priceless treasure. Even if it never leads you to the legendary underworld, you could still refine a Demigod Rank weapon from it. That alone is enough to shake the entire Middle Domain."

Max’s heart pounded. His gaze instinctively wanted to shift back toward the object, but he couldn’t afford the luxury of distraction. Dozens of black dogs were already upon him, their snarling jaws and sharp fangs flashing cold light, and at the very front of the pack was the towering Black Dog King, its two monstrous heads glaring at him like he was prey.

Max gritted his teeth, his Blue Dragon Sword whirling as black flames surged around him, keeping the beasts at bay as he retreated step by step. In the midst of the chaos, his eyes finally landed on it—the Nether Stone.

It was massive, about ten feet tall, like a pillar of night ripped from another world. Its surface was pitch black yet strangely lustrous, and carved across its body were mysterious, intricate patterns that seemed to swim like living things under his gaze, shifting and rearranging in ways he couldn’t understand.

Blob’s voice trembled slightly. "Take it out first, Max! We can’t let something like this slip away!"

Max nodded quickly. "Okay!" he said, stepping forward, preparing to store it in his dimensional space.