Chapter 143: Regarding the Level 20 Standard Dungeons (Part Two)

Appearing before the two of them was a purple door, jutting out from one corner of the wall, looking tightly sealed.

"A purple door! Big Brother Zinan said that secret rooms like this have a very high probability of containing treasures and a very low chance of being traps!" Yanan's eyes sparkled slightly as she immediately proposed, "Shall we go take a look?"

Finina glanced at Yanan. When they had first met, this girl was still a timid and delicate beauty. Only after spending time together did she realize that Yanan was actually a lively, energetic, and action-oriented person burning with enthusiasm.

She tilted her head to eye the door, then said, "Very well. Being careful should prevent any trouble."

Since Zinan could walk into this instance dungeon without batting an eye, how could a Sky Blademaster with abilities matching his own possibly be a coward? Back when she was only level zero and followed Zinan out of the city, she had dared to sit right in the middle of a monster zone, hugging an elite monster in her arms without showing the slightest trace of panic.

She, too, possessed her own confidence. The moment she pushed open the door, what Yanan saw was not the gentle and soft-spoken, beautiful and tender young wife who always stood behind Zinan, but rather a Valkyrie who seemed capable of withstanding ten thousand troops. Yanan's heart skipped a beat, and she said with deep yearning, "If only one day I could be as amazing as you."

Finina chuckled softly. From the very first moment she opened the door, she had already surveyed the interior of the secret room. There was only a single chest in the center, which did not look like it possessed any traps. She simply wondered what circumstances would arise once this chest was opened.

"Your Big Brother Zinan once said that what makes someone formidable is not the person, but their spirit."

"Although people with resilient spirits are always more formidable, some things cannot be accomplished simply by having a strong spirit," Yanan shook her head, saying, " Hierarchies of all kinds exist everywhere, at all times. Otherwise, why do you think some people attain higher levels while others remain low?"

Finina felt that this perspective indeed held its own logic. She herself was unsure of how she should reply. Suddenly, she recalled a certain night back in the 'Time Instance' when Zinan had once said these words: "Some people are born fortunate, living a carefree life. Others face all kinds of hardships and struggle even until death. We actually reside in an unfair world. This unfairness will never disappear, so if you want fairness, it is perhaps better to become an unfair person yourself. As for how to do that, that is a matter of how you think."

"The crucial thing is whether to do it or not." Finina repeated the very words she had spoken back then.

With a bitter expression, Yanan said, "The crucial thing is what if you try to do it and still fail?"

"Then you can only struggle until your dying breath, fighting to the bitter end and refusing to bow your head. At the very least, you will feel a bit more at ease in your heart. Departing with a sense of lingering unwillingness is always better than departing with despair."

"That is hardly an encouraging phrase meant to inspire daily self-improvement."

Finina shook her head, pointed at the chest, and steered the conversation away: "Let's see what is inside."

Fortunately, none of those terrifying scenarios happened—no opening a treasure chest only to trigger a massive wave of approaching monsters while the secret room slammed shut. Who said treasures must always be obtained through combat? What about those who happened to find a wallet dropped on the road?

That in itself was unfair.

For two women to confide in each other, stumble upon a secret room, and peacefully acquire a treasure was naturally even more unfair. Finina experienced a sudden flash of inspiration and said, "Therefore, opportunities are actually placed right before our eyes."

At this moment, Yanan completely lacked her usual proactive demeanor, and with a slightly melancholic tone, she said, "Regrettably, the ways of the world are unpredictable."

Finina laughed and scolded, "Just how old are you?"

Yanan burst into laughter. With a roll of her eyes, she looked at the items inside the chest, reached out, gently pinched an object between her index finger and thumb, and pulled it out. It was merely an ordinary bottle. Shaking it revealed that it was definitely not some divine elixir or the like.

Early Spring Dew: Special item. Allows seeds to sprout and grow.

"That's why I say, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment," Yanan sighed.

It was like a pie falling from the sky, except the pie turned out to be left over from the previous day—though admittedly, it was still better than having nothing at all.

Finina, however, took the Early Spring Dew and, with a sudden impulse, retrieved the 'Pristine Flower Fairy Seed' from her inventory. She held both in her hands.

"What is this?" Yanan asked out of curiosity.

"A seed," Finina replied softly, placing the flower fairy seed on the ground. Then, she opened the bottle containing the Early Spring Dew, poured it over the seed, and quietly watched to see what would happen.

Before long, the flower split open, and a deep red bud emerged. Growing at an astonishing speed, within moments it had expanded to the size of a fist.

"How magical," Yanan said, astonished by this ultra-fast growth rate.

The two women squatted on the ground, quietly waiting for the moment the flower would bloom, subconsciously holding their breaths.

"This is a crimson rose!" Yanan rested her chin in her hands, watching in a daze.

"Little Nan seems quite knowledgeable about flowers," Finina smiled.

Yanan gave a gentle smile and said, "My family used to run a flower shop, so I know a little bit about them. The language of the rose is love and romantic longing. Different colors have different meanings; this deep red one, for instance, represents the longing of 'only wanting to be with you'."

Finina's eyes lit up with a dazzling brilliance. For reasons unknown, a boundless wave of affection suddenly welled up within her for this flower, and she smiled slightly, captivating the soul in an instant.

At last, the deep crimson rose bloomed, casting a mesmerizing pink glow throughout the entire secret room. Right at the center of the blossoming flower sat a tiny person, knees drawn up to her chest, with a pair of wings as thin as cicada's wings growing from her back, wearing a pink petal-shaped dress that reached just down to her calves.

Lv0 Rose Flower Fairy.

At that moment, the rose flower fairy's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. They were a pair of pupils as gorgeous as rubies, capable of instantly making anyone lose themselves in them. The rose flower fairy stood up, stretched lazily, fluttered the wings on her back, and with a soft chirp, flew away from the flower, landing squarely on Finina's shoulder.

Chirp, chirp, chirp!

The rose flower fairy cried out softly right beside Finina's ear, looking thoroughly joyful.

"So cute!"

This otherworldly, adorable creature completely captivated the two women on the spot, and they immediately crowded around the newly grown rose flower fairy to tease her.

"Chirp chirp, chirp chirp..." Finina's eyes rolled playfully as she smiled and said, "How about I call you 'Chiu-chiu' from now on?"

...

...

At the far end of the dim labyrinth corridor, the Shadow Assassin cat-girl—who was essentially a little loli's pet—jumped from one side of the wall to the other. Moving in an agile yet peculiar manner, she finally leaped over to the side of the little loli and dropped to one knee.

"Master, we may proceed," the cat-girl's voice was languid and tender.

Zinan rubbed his nose. If Finina was counted, this cat-girl was the first humanoid pet he had ever encountered... even though she was only a cat-folk.

Ye Yanya nodded her delicate chin and pointed a finger, whereupon the cat-girl stood up. Looking at Zinan, she said, "Lord Zinan, please follow this subordinate!"

Zinan paused slightly, pointing at himself in curiosity as he asked, "You know me?"

"This subordinate shares the same mind as the young master; naturally, I am aware of Lord Zinan's affairs," the cat-girl said, her cat ears twitching on top of her head and her long tail swishing behind her. In a slightly deeper tone, she added, "Many thanks to Lord Zinan for saving the young master twice!"

Zinan's interest was piqued, and he appraised the cat-girl. Through subsequent introductions, he learned that the cat-girl's name was Yeyue. Because they were in a party state, Zinan quickly checked the cat-girl's current level—Level 30...

...

...

A pet's level naturally had its limits; some pets required a great deal of experience to level up, while others required very little. For instance, Osiris and the little Ice Phoenix required far more experience to level up than the pets of Gaoming Yang and the others.

Some pets even required less experience than their own masters, making it quite easy for a pet's level to slightly exceed that of its master. Under normal circumstances, a pet could only be up to 5 levels higher than its master.

Zinan was not surprised that the Shadow Assassin cat-girl Ye Yanya was level 30. What puzzled him was how on earth the little loli had managed to train her cat-girl right up to the maximum limit of 5 levels above her own. It truly seemed rather incredible.

Both master and pet adhered to a traditional, archaic style of speech. Zinan gave a quirky smile and joked, "I can't help wondering if you hail from some ancient noble family, carrying on a long-lost legacy."

The little loli rolled her eyes. Unaware that this rolling of eyes had absolutely no effect on Zinan, who simply regarded her as a younger sister, it instead elicited another burst of light laughter from him.

"This subordinate has already scouted the path ahead. I must ask the young master and Lord Zinan to follow closely behind me. There are traps in certain areas, so caution is required," the cat-girl Yeyue said in a sweet voice.

She then crouched down on one knee. The little loli gathered her skirt and climbed onto the cat-girl's back. With a gentle lift, the cat-girl hoisted her up, and the little loli rested her head on the cat-girl's shoulder, quickly drifting off to sleep.

She fell asleep just like that, without the slightest hesitation.

Zinan frowned slightly, but remained silent. On the contrary, the cat-girl seemed to have anticipated this all along and spoke in a low voice, "The young master's constitution is poor. If possible, I must also ask Lord Zinan to pay closer attention in the future and not allow the young master to engage in overly strenuous activities."

Zinan was momentarily stunned, bewildered. "No matter how poor one's constitution is, one still has to walk. Besides, there are health recovery potions..."

The cat-girl lowered her voice. "Before the young master became a Chosen One, her heart was weak. Even slightly strenuous exercise would cause her to faint, and her very life was constrained—she likely wouldn't have lived long. Fortunately, becoming a Chosen One preserved her life. However, any strenuous exercise will still cause her health points to continuously drop, making it extremely dangerous."

A congenital deficiency.

Zinan quickly figured out the crucial point. It explained why the little loli's complexion had always been so pale—even paler than those who logged into the Snow Clan territories. Everything now made sense.

"The young master used to speak very rarely, so she could only communicate through writing. I ask Lord Zinan to bear with her."

"Just call me by my name," Zinan shook his head, then asked with curiosity, "Since Yanya's condition is this severe, why didn't you appear earlier... well, more precisely, why didn't she summon you?"

A level 30 cat-girl—even without knowing her specific abilities, her level alone was quite terrifying.

"Regarding this matter, this subordinate cannot answer," a faint gleam flashed in the cat-girl's eyes.

It was the look of a cat gazing at a mouse.

For a split second, every pore on Zinan's body stood on end, yet his expression remained completely unchanged as he replied, "Never mind."

The cat-girl sighed, then offered a more detailed explanation: "This is a secret between the young master and myself, and it is crucial to the young master's safety, so I cannot speak of it."

Zinan nodded. As for Ye Yanya's affairs, they could only be unraveled piece by piece as time went on. Finina adored her, and Zinan certainly wouldn't use heavy-handed tactics against this little loli. Therefore, he could only try to be as patient as possible.

Besides, leaving aside everything else, back within the Exquisite Palace, the little loli's resolute action to save him had already caused Zinan's favorable impression of her to soar.

While he was lost in thought, a group of rock monsters suddenly charged toward them, numbering eight in total at a glance. The monsters in this instance usually came in groups of four, but he hadn't expected to bump into two groups at once.

The cat-girl turned swiftly and, with a fluid, gentle motion, tossed the little loli aside, then smoothly pivoted to catch her, all without disturbing the sleeping little loli in the slightest. Handing the little loli over to Zinan, the cat-girl spoke in a low voice, "Please leave the monsters here to me, and I must ask Lord Zinan to take good care of the young master!"

With that, she drew the slender sword from her waist. Her sleek black bodysuit instantly blended into the dim lighting of the corridor as she charged head-on into the oncoming group of eight monsters.

With a single leap, the cat-girl landed right in front of the leading monster, standing her ground firmly without yielding even half an inch of turf. She was like an iron barrier that no wind could blow over and no wave could overturn. Her full yet soft figure moved with a certain bizarre rhythm—dodging, evading, and thrusting her sword with peerless speed—single-handedly holding all eight monsters back.

What was even more terrifying was that, regardless of how rapid her attacks or how fierce her blocks were, Zinan couldn't hear the slightest sound.

The cat-girl Yeyue was like a phantom, as silent as she had been when she first appeared.

Quietly and thoroughly dispatching the eight monsters ahead, she turned around and sheathed her sword. Zinan calculated the time: from the moment she struck to the end of the battle, it probably took her no longer than it would have taken him.

She was a terrifying person... or rather, cat.

Because she wore a mask, it was impossible to read the cat-girl's expression, but her steady, soft footsteps suggested she wasn't the least bit tired.

Squinting slightly, Zinan gently transferred the little loli back into the cat-girl's arms. The little loli snuggled once more against the cat-girl's back, shivered slightly to adjust to a comfortable position, and continued to sleep soundly. (To be continued...)