"That depends on whether you can find more Ruins or dungeons," Howard replied, not rejecting the offer outright because, after all, the rewards from dungeons and Ruins were indeed enticing.
Caitlin smiled and then queried further, "Do you know that Abby?"
At her question, Howard remained silent, uncertain of what exactly was going through this girl's mind.
Seeing Howard's non-response, Caitlin understood and refrained from pursuing the matter further.
Soon after, having cleared the area of monsters and gathered all the potions, Glyn walked over to Caitlin, a light smile playing on his lips as he said, "I will share half of these potions with you later."
"Hehe, it's fine even if you don't share, but then don't even think about getting the reward for the final kill on the Extraplanar creature," Caitlin retorted with a radiant smile.
Indeed, even though Glyn and Caitlin were classmates, they didn't especially trust each other.
Or it could be said that ever since the world underwent a transformation, adopting the law of the jungle, trust had become a rarity among people.
Even kin might turn against each other over a single treasure, let alone individuals without blood ties.
"Let's move, continue exploring the rooms!" Glyn called out to the group of students, urging them to thoroughly search the rooms once more.
Inside the rooms on the first floor, most were pretty ordinary, housing nothing but everyday items.
Only a very few contained potions and various Death Experimenters.
These Death Experimenters varied greatly - some were desiccated corpses, while others had limbs transformed into tentacles, leaving only a human head.
There were even those encased in steel from head to toe!
It was evident that these individuals had endured inhuman torments while alive.
This spurred a wave of righteous indignation among many of the young people, vocally condemning the heinous research the cultists had undertaken on human bodies in their twisted experiments.
Initially, Glyn intended to help hone the skills of the elite team members, but as monsters started appearing more frequently and in greater numbers, it became impossible to ensure the safety of the squad members.
Left with no choice, Glyn had to unleash his full power, taking down all the monsters single-handedly.
Meanwhile, Howard delightedly absorbed experience points, unable to suppress a smile as he saw his experience bar rapidly filling up, signaling an impending level up.
Inside the Ruins and dungeons, it didn't matter who killed the monsters; as long as they were defeated, everyone would be rewarded.
The crisp notification sound reverberated ceaselessly in Howard's mind.
Fortunately, the elite team members were at a lower level, which meant they too were leveling up like crazy after gaining experience.
Countless lights blinked, masking the noise created by Howard's leveling up.
Time passed gradually.
Glyn transformed into a god of war, leaving no monsters alive wherever he went.
From the first to the second and all the way to the fifth floor, Howard's level skyrocketed to level 14!
By the end of the Ruins expedition, Howard might even reach level 15! This leveling speed was nothing short of extraordinary.
After all, this wasn't a game but the real world, merely integrated with the gaming universe complete with its data and settings.
Despite the overlap, people still had only one life to live.
Therefore, the awakened could not treat this as a gaming world where one could recklessly grind levels, with death only meaning a respawn back in the city.
In this world, the awakened would only dare to level up under relatively safe conditions.
Ensuring safety meant lower yields, naturally slowing down the pace of leveling up.
If others found out about Howard's leveling speed, their jaws would undoubtedly drop in shock.
All the way to the fifth floor, there wasn't much variation among the monsters, apart from variously killed Death Experimenters.
The only addition was an assortment of spiders and scorpions type monsters, which had developed considerable strength through prolonged evolution.
Regrettably, Glyn, who was sent by the higher-ups to be the guide for the elite team, was even more powerful.
There was no need for Howard to summon the firedragon for assistance.
Alone, with a force as powerful as a thunderbolt, Glyn managed to swiftly annihilate many monsters.
Of course, this took a toll on him, requiring him to consume a blue potion periodically to replenish his MP.
"Whew!"
Having just bisected a centipede as long as a person, Glyn couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh as he spotted the staircase leading to the sixth level not far away.
Finally reaching the sixth level!
Continuing this spree would surely wear him out to death.
Unfortunately, Glyn had already made a promise with Caitlin.
Regret swelled within him, wishing he had brought a guardian with him to reduce his burden.
He could have been like Caitlin, leisurely witnessing others battle monsters while enjoying a romantic relationship.
Yes, naive Glyn had mistakenly believed Howard and Caitlin were a couple.
"With every level, the monsters grow stronger, and the potions become increasingly bizarre," he mused. "On the fifth level, we encountered corpses with tentacles, bodies overrun with vines, and even corpses integrated with the bodies of ferocious beasts. I can't imagine how twisted the experiments on the sixth floor would be."
Glyn sighed, "Moreover, that Extraplanar creature hasn't shown up yet, which honestly is quite concerning."
"What's there to worry about?"
"Merely the possibility of it being sentient, that's all."
Caitlin chuckled lightly, "What does it matter if it has intelligence? The spacerift in the SilentForest can only harbor an Extraplanar creature up to LV60 at most. With so many experts here, how could we fail to kill it?"
"Besides, my dear here has experience in single-handedly killing an Extraplanar creature," she added, casting a loving glance at her companion.
Hearing this, Glyn's eyes instantly brightened as they met Howard's. "Hahaha, well since this distinguished individual has remarkable strength, I have nothing to worry about."
"Let's move, on to the sixth floor!"
With newfound confidence, Glyn no longer hesitated, taking strides towards the sixth level.
Yet, upon truly entering the sixth floor, the faces of everyone, including Howard, Glyn, and Caitlin, turned gravely serious.
Unlike the previous floors, the passages outside the rooms on the sixth level were already enveloped in vines and spider webs.
Countless bodies lay haphazardly across the ground, blocking their path forward.
Surveying the strange corpses, Howard had a premonition that they would undoubtedly revive.
Moreover, the hallway itself seemed to harbor a potent murderous intent!
As expected, before Glyn could advance a few steps, a white spider web suddenly fell from above, instantly ensnaring several students including Hulles and Chakal.
The next moment, the web started to ascend slowly, hauling the entangled individuals with it.
"To hell with you!"
Fortunate for his quick reflexes, Glyn clenched his fist, hurling a bolt of thunder towards the source of the white web.
Following the thunder's explosive rupture, a terrifying flash of lightning struck, forcing a black spider to plummet from its height.
However, this was just the beginning.
A subtle noise resonated, startling Howard, Caitlin, and the others.
Turning their heads, they witnessed over a dozen spiders converging from all directions, surrounding them in a menacing circle!