You Won't Have to Lift a Finger.
Sophia wore an expression of wide-eyed curiosity.
"You actually didn't know?"
Then she suddenly burst into a fit of girlish giggles.
"You didn't know!
There's actually something you don't know."
Morintis didn't respond, simply watching Sophia quietly.
Was it really that funny?
He wasn't a walking encyclopedia; there were plenty of things he didn't know.
Sophia seemed to have found an amusing point, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"Say something nice, and I'll tell you."
Morintis turned his head away and closed his eyes.
If she didn't want to say it, so be it.
Asking him to say something nice was impossible.
Seeing Morintis like this, Sophia instantly lost interest.
"What a blockhead.
Can't even take a joke."
"They say Mages have the most flexible and agile minds.
Nothing like you, so rigid."
"I seriously suspect you're a fake Mage."
"Fine, I'll tell you.
It's because I used a Cooling Charm."
Morintis searched his memory for information about Cooling Charms but found no knowledge on the subject.
He didn't even know what a 'charm' was.
It wasn't something taught in school.
Sophia explained, "A Cooling Charm can cancel out the dungeon cooldown, allowing you to enter the dungeon repeatedly."
As she spoke, she took out a palm-sized object and handed it to Morintis.
"This is it."
The charm looked like a gem, its surface shimmering with an enchanting light, covered in intricate, mysterious runes he couldn't decipher.
A faint glow lit his fingertip.
Using his Detection Skill, Morintis obtained the item's information.
[Low-Grade Cooling Charm]
[Usage Count: 7/10]
[Description: Can cancel a dungeon's cooldown time.Only effective for dungeons below level 20.]
So such a thing existed.
Morintis felt he truly had been ignorant.
Sophia said, "I used this charm to enter the dungeon continuously.
Now you understand?"
If he had something like this, he could run the dungeon repeatedly, and his level would rise rapidly.
Morintis asked quietly, "Is this thing expensive?"
Sophia replied, "I don't know either.
My dad gave it to me to use."
"But it's probably quite pricey.
My dad looked a bit pained when he handed it over."
Sophia came from a very well-off family with excellent conditions.
The Xihai Xia family was notable throughout Jiangning Province.
If even her father found it expensive, it was clearly of considerable value.
After this analysis, Morintis dismissed the idea of trying to acquire one himself.
Sophia continued, "There are two days left.
I need to use all 7 remaining resets on this charm."
"Plus my natural cooldown resets, I need to run the dungeon at least 9 more times.
That should guarantee I reach level 15."
"Oh heavens, this young lady is going to be worked to death."
Sophia wore a woeful expression, which actually restored some of the youthful demeanor appropriate for her age, shedding a bit of that aloof young lady persona.
Morintis thought for a moment.
"I can take you through the dungeon.
I guarantee you'll reach level 15, and you won't have to lift a finger."
Sophia's eyes lit up.
How could she have forgotten?
Right beside her was someone capable of soloing the dungeon!
If she followed Morintis, she wouldn't have to fight.
And a two-person party would yield more experience per person than a three-person one.
No effort, more experience?
This was a fantastic deal.
The only issue was that her level would still lag behind his.
But even if she didn't party with him, could she catch up?
Sophia wasn't confident.
After consideration, Sophia made a decision.
So what if she couldn't catch up to his level immediately?
Ensuring entry into Xiajing Academy came first.
Their professional journeys had just begun; the future was long.
She could catch up eventually.
"Alright, I agree.
You take me through the dungeon, and I'll share the charm resets with you."
Morintis knew Sophia would agree.
Anyone not too foolish would refuse such an offer.
This way, he could also run the dungeon more times.
Although the experience per run would be less, the increased number of runs would ultimately yield greater gains.
It was a win-win situation.
Sophia said, "Then let's not waste time.
Let's enter the dungeon together."
Morintis didn't move.
"Two more hours, and my cooldown will be over."
Using one of the precious charm resets with only two hours to wait wasn't worth it.
Sophia wasn't stupid; she could do the math.
"Fine, we'll wait two hours.
This young lady will nap first.
Wake me when it's time."
With that, she lay down and fell asleep almost instantly.
Sleeping so unprotected in the wild was dangerous.
But Sophia slept soundly and securely because Morintis was beside her.
No matter how competitive she felt towards him, she knew his character well and trusted him completely.
Curled up, Sophia slept deeply, a slight smile on her lips.
Morintis issued a guard command to his Skeleton Warrior and returned to meditation, recovering his Spirit.
Two hours later, Morintis's dungeon cooldown ended.
"Get up."
Morintis woke Sophia.
Sophia, bleary-eyed, mumbled, "So soon..."
She got up, stretching, revealing her slender midriff.
In that moment, she unabashedly displayed her graceful figure.
Sophia was tall, about 170 cm, with a curvaceous build.
Standing next to the 180 cm Morintis, she seemed only slightly shorter.
Side by side, they looked like a perfect match.
Only the Skeleton Warrior standing nearby spoiled the scenery somewhat.
After two hours of sleep, Sophia had recovered much of her energy, and most of her fatigue had faded.
They formed a party with Morintis as the leader and approached the dungeon entrance.
Sophia used the Low-Grade Cooling Charm, causing her dungeon cooldown timer to vanish.
A faint light swirled around her.
Sophia nodded at Morintis.
"Done.Let's go in."
Morintis activated the dungeon and selected Nightmare difficulty.
Sophia's face drastically changed.
"Did you select the wrong one?!"
Before her words fully faded, the two vanished from the dungeon entrance.