From luring the monsters to killing them, eliminating a single bat took roughly thirty seconds.
That amount of time was enough for Ling Yu to complete a full lap and return precisely to the "starting point."
And so, the previous scene repeated itself.
All fifteen bats were dealt with in a total of seven minutes—Ling Yu even helped attack the last one.
That bat, which died beneath a dagger, finally preserved the dungeon monster's last shred of dignity.
[System]: Go to Frostwind Forest and search for the Dark Altar hidden within. Clear the altar dungeon and collect Dark Bat Wings (10/10) [Completed]
"Thanks, seriously—thank you!" Sheng Sheng was deeply moved. Ling Yu really did deserve the title of her closest friend.
Seven minutes sounded short, but it required nonstop sprinting—equivalent to running three kilometers at full hundred‑meter dash speed.
Even though the game had no Fatigue stat, the process still consumed a great deal of energy. With only the speed of an eleven‑level Assassin, it was impossible to completely pull away from the bats.
While grinding mobs, Sheng Sheng had glanced over a few times and saw Ling Yu weaving and maneuvering at incredible speed.
—In any case, ordinary people absolutely couldn't pull off movements like that.
Faced with Sheng Sheng's praise, Ling Yu didn't take credit.
"I trained in real life," he said.
Sheng Sheng: "…" Her eyes filled with suspicion.
With skills like that, how had he ended up nearly dying from a single stab before?
Her imagination immediately spun out countless melodramatic scenarios.
Ling Yu seemed to understand her look. After a brief silence, he changed the subject. "The quest's done. Leaving?"
"Wait!" Sheng Sheng pointed at a nearby building. "I want to go inside and take a look."
They were standing right at the entrance of the research institute.
Among ZG people, there are four universally forgiving phrases: "He's still a child," "It's the holidays," "The person's already dead," and "Since we're already here."
"Doesn't hurt to check," Sheng Sheng said after a moment. "If you've got something urgent, you can head out first."
Ling Yu shook his head. "There might still be monsters. Let's go together."
With that, he stepped into the research institute first.
Sheng Sheng scratched her head and followed with her staff.
This dungeon was called Paolis Research Institute. Although the Dark Bats had completely stolen the spotlight in Sheng Sheng's mind, the true core of the dungeon was actually this small building.
Time passed like a white horse through a crack. No one knew how many years this dungeon simulated. The building clearly bore the scars of time—ivy‑like plants sprawled everywhere, stretching into the cracks of the shattered structure and propping up the remains so it hadn't quietly collapsed into ruin.
It was far too fragile. Sheng Sheng moved up the steps and across the floor with extreme care, afraid that one wrong step might break something.
The inside was a mess.
Even in the dim light, it was obvious the place had once suffered a violent riot.
Tables smashed into splinters, windows shattered into fragments, experimental equipment broken across the floor—clear signs of human destruction were everywhere.
There was almost nothing intact inside the building.
Sheng Sheng carefully swept aside debris with her staff and began searching.
She searched for a full quarter of an hour…
Nothing. Not a single thing.
Sheng Sheng: Did I burn through all my luck today?
"Is this useful?" A low male voice suddenly sounded.
At the same time, a thumb‑sized crystal vial appeared before Sheng Sheng's eyes.
Long, powerful fingers held the vial by its neck, gently shaking it. Inside, the silver‑white liquid rippled slightly.
The surrounding light was dim, yet in that instant Sheng Sheng could clearly see something like a galaxy shimmering within the liquid, sparkling brilliantly.
Relying on years of gaming experience—even though all the identification stats were question marks—Sheng Sheng was certain this was good stuff.
She was excited. "Where did you find it?"
Ling Yu pointed in a direction. "Over there. There was a hidden compartment."
Sheng Sheng was amazed. "You even found a hidden compartment?!"
Ling Yu replied calmly, "I searched according to how my family stores safes."
Sheng Sheng: "…" Sorry. A poor person with zero safes had no right to ask further.
In total, Ling Yu found six of these crystal vials, hidden across three compartments.
Unfortunately, one compartment had been eroded by time. When the vial inside was taken out, the liquid had completely dried up.
"There are four left. Want to split them evenly?" Sheng Sheng asked.
"No need." Ling Yu stuffed all the vials into her hands.
Sheng Sheng's peach‑blossom eyes widened. "That won't do!"
He'd already helped her clear the dungeon for free, and now he didn't even want a single piece of loot?
Sheng Sheng: Man, I do not allow you to be this willful.
"This game's just something I play casually," Ling Yu said. "Giving them to me would be a waste."
Sheng Sheng: "…That argument is sound and convincing."
In the end, all the loot from the dungeon—including the two dried‑up crystal vials—went into Sheng Sheng's inventory.
For once, Sheng Sheng felt a bit guilty. She rummaged through her bag for a long while before pulling out a dagger.
—It was the green‑quality weapon obtained in the beginner village.
"This is for you."
Afraid he'd refuse even this, she quickly added, "I got it in the beginner village. It's not worth much. If you don't take it, I'll just throw it away sooner or later."
Ling Yu: "…"
He looked at her deeply, then accepted the dagger.
Sheng Sheng finally let out a sigh of relief. This was the only unbound item she had. If he'd still refused, there really would've been no way to repay him.
After "dividing" the loot, Sheng Sheng confirmed there was nothing else of value. Only then did they reluctantly leave the dungeon.
On the way out of Frostwind Forest…
Watching the small mobs respawn along the path, Sheng Sheng suggested, "I need to go turn in the quest first. Let's add each other as friends—after I'm done, we can grind monsters together to level up?"
Ling Yu paused briefly. "That would waste your time."
Sheng Sheng waved it off. "How's that a waste? Even if I weren't with you, I'd still need to find someone else to grind with."
Sheng Sheng: Even lone wolves must submit to grinding.
Perhaps shaken by her blunt honesty, Ling Yu ultimately accepted the arrangement.
[System]: You have added [Feathered Ling] as a friend. Current relationship status: [Passing Acquaintance].
After parting with Ling Yu, Sheng Sheng returned to Kaedelin City and, as usual, headed straight to the third floor of the Priest Association.
Antonio was still seated behind the desk, as if he hadn't moved at all since the moment Sheng Sheng left.
Sheng Sheng: Then why had he gone down to the first floor before?
As she pondered this, Antonio spoke up. "Oh~ my dear [Song Unending]. Let me see—you not only completed the trial successfully, but also brought back abundant spoils!"
TL: If you want to read ahead by at least ten chapters, patreon.com/EdibleMapleSyrup