Into the Nightmare: A Dungeon Adventure

Leaving the instance, Xia Xue activated the Primary Cooling Talisman with urgency.

Just ten seconds later, they re-entered the nightmare-level Xihai Mine instance.

This time, Xia Xue radiated a newfound energy. Running alongside Lin Moyu, she was bursting with excitement, her enthusiasm palpable.

Lin Moyu raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit perplexed. What was with all the excitement? After all, wasn't it just a matter of luring monsters and defeating them? It was merely a primary dungeon, nothing more.

Xia Xue noticed his bewilderment and shot him a glare. "What are you looking at? Never seen a beautiful woman before?"

Lin Moyu had known her for years, and he couldn't deny she was stunning. Comparing Xia Xue to Ning Yiyi was difficult; each had her own allure. Xia Xue was petite and cute, while Ning Yiyi was tall and imposing, each exuding a unique charm. But Lin Moyu didn't dwell on that; to him, Ning Yiyi was a friend and Xia Xue a classmate.

Ten minutes later, the formidable nightmare boss—the Goblin King—lay defeated before them, its eyes still filled with resentment and anguish as it met its end.

Lin Moyu smiled softly. "Four more times."

They cleared the dungeon four times in a row in less than an hour. Xia Xue had exhausted the talisman's uses, leaving it dimmed and indistinguishable from an ordinary stone, its runes barely visible.

She stashed the cooling talisman away. "It needs to recharge."

Cooling Talismans weren't disposable; once their uses were depleted, they required a recharge, a complex process that only an advanced alchemist could perform—though Xia Xue wasn't sure how advanced.

After those four runs, Xia Xue had leveled up to 14 with 20% experience. If they ran it two more times, she would definitely reach level 15. Meanwhile, Lin Moyu was still at level 15, now boasting 85% experience. With the two of them teaming up, their dungeon runs would yield only 26% experience gain—an efficiency that was significantly slower.

With a day and a half left before the big exam, they had time for two more dungeons. Xia Xue was thrilled. "If I can hit level 15 before the big exam, I'll definitely get into Xia Jing Academy!"

She grinned at Lin Moyu. "Nerd, are you about to level up?"

Lin Moyu nodded. "Soon."

For now, Xia Xue didn't feel the need to compete with him. "By then, you'll be level 16 and I'll be at 15. This year, the two of us from Xihai City will get into Xia Jing Academy! I can just imagine Principal Lu waking up laughing from his dreams."

Having a student admitted to Xia Jing Academy was a point of immense pride for high school principals, especially given the difficulty of getting in. Only top talents could gain admission, as the academy only accepted 1,000 students from across the entire Shenxia Empire, with many spots filled by candidates from large cities and influential families.

Last year, when Lin Mohan was accepted into Xia Jing Academy, Principal Lu had celebrated for days. A few years back, Su Qianxing had entered the academy and was still spoken of as a prodigy. In short, admission to Xia Jing Academy was an extraordinary honor.

They found a spot to rest, waiting for the cooldown time to expire. Xia Xue turned to Lin Moyu. "Hey, do you want to try for the top prize?"

Lin Moyu glanced at her. "The provincial championship?"

"Yeah! If you win, you'll rack up a lot of points, and at Xia Jing Academy, points are invaluable."

"The best part is that you'd get a chance to join the School of Creative Theology."

Lin Moyu recalled what Ning Yiyi had said: points were more useful than gold coins at Xia Jing Academy. He also remembered her mentioning the Creation Seminary. "Do you know much about it?"

Xia Xue adjusted her curled legs. "Not in detail, just what I overheard my dad say. Creation Seminary is supposed to be the most prestigious academy in the Shenxia Empire."

"While Xia Jing Academy recruits elite students, Creation Seminary is for the absolute top-tier among them."

"My dad said it's incredibly hard to get in, and that I probably won't have a chance."

"But I think you have a shot; you should try."

"I heard senior Su Qianxing got into Creation Seminary before, and he's the only one from Xihai City."

Xia Xue's eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Moyu. She believed he had a real chance. After all, he had led her through the nightmare dungeon with such skill, completely changing her perception of him.

"I'll definitely give it a shot," Lin Moyu replied, determination evident in his voice. He was intent on going to Xia Jing Academy, especially since his sister, Lin Mohan, would be there. If the opportunity arose, he'd also aim for Creation Seminary.

Suddenly, Xia Xue's gaze brightened. "Look! Isn't that Gao Yang?"

Indeed, it was Gao Yang, lingering at the dungeon entrance, seemingly searching for a team.

Xia Xue used a detection technique and chuckled. "I can't believe this guy is already level 11. It's a pity he's a knight; it's hard for him to find a team."

Running a dungeon required a knight of a certain level, and a level 11 knight wouldn't last long against the monsters inside, even in a regular dungeon where at least a level 13 knight was necessary.

Gao Yang, realizing he couldn't find a team, wore a disappointed expression.

Lin Moyu suggested, "Why not invite him to join us?"

Xia Xue giggled. "Why not? I'm fine with it!"

Xia Xue called Gao Yang over, and he approached with an exaggerated grin.

"You two…"

Xia Xue interrupted coldly, "Shut your mouth, or I'll tear you apart."

Famed for her haughtiness, Xia Xue only showed restraint around Lin Moyu, who was naturally cooler. She didn't want to escalate things unnecessarily.

Gao Yang flinched, scratching his head. "Just kidding! Don't take it seriously."

Xia Xue continued, "Stop searching for a team. Once our cooldown is over, I'll take you through the dungeon."

"Really? You two are my saviors!" Gao Yang exclaimed, his excitement palpable. "You don't understand; the school I want to join only accepts students at level 12!"

His expression was comically exaggerated.

Xia Xue frowned. "If you keep this up, I might change my mind."

Gao Yang quickly composed himself. "Miss Xia, don't worry! I'll be on my best behavior. If you point east, I won't go south; if you point north, I won't go east."

"Enough! Just be quiet!" Xia Xue retorted, conjuring a ball of fire in her palm, ready to unleash it if he stepped out of line again.

Gao Yang wisely fell silent. "But how long will it take for you two to cool down?"

Xia Xue checked the time. "Ten hours."

Ten hours felt like an eternity to Gao Yang, who knew he might not find a team in that timeframe.

"Okay, you two rest up and chat. I'll go hunt some wild monsters," he said before turning to Lin Moyu. "Good luck, Moyu! Take care of Xia Xue!"

With that, he dashed off.

Fuming, Xia Xue stomped her foot and flung a fireball, which exploded harmlessly behind Gao Yang, sending sparks flying.

"Ahh!" Gao Yang yelped, clutching his backside as he sprinted away.

Xia Xue muttered, "That guy's mouth is too loose; he just doesn't know when to stop."

Lin Moyu felt a similar frustration but couldn't help but admire Gao Yang. While others kept their distance, Gao Yang had always been friendly and open, never deterred by Lin Moyu's reserved nature.

He recognized that Gao Yang was simply a genuine tease.

After ten hours, Gao Yang rejoined the team. Lin Moyu, now captain, led them into the nightmare-level dungeon.

As soon as they entered, Gao Yang fell to the ground, panic etched on his face. "Hey, hey… Miss Xia, Boss Lin, how did you guys get into nightmare difficulty?!"

Xia Xue rolled her eyes. "Stop talking nonsense and just follow us. You won't even need to fight."

"Wait, what?" Gao Yang's expression flickered through confusion, panic, and fear.

Xia Xue recalled her first experience in this dungeon—she had been terrified, too. To protect his life, Gao Yang closely followed Xia Xue, too scared to stray.

This was nightmare-level difficulty; even the monsters here could easily end his life.

Ten minutes later, as they stood over the defeated boss, Gao Yang's jaw dropped.

"This... this is dead?"

Xia Xue shot him a glare. "Can you keep it down? You're drooling."

Wiping his mouth, Gao Yang suddenly hugged Lin Moyu's leg, pleading, "Boss Lin, can I tag along with you on future dungeon runs? I'll be like your lucky charm!"

Xia Xue shook her head in disbelief. "Why are you so spineless? You're a knight—have some dignity!"

Gao Yang exclaimed, "What good