Chapter 25: A Leap in Strength, Sweeping Through Nightmare Difficulty!

"If you let me use the Mirror of the Abyss, I will carry you through a Nightmare-difficulty run."

Li Yao repeated himself.

"Absolutely not!"

Hearing this, Uncle Wu quickly spoke up to stop him. "Young Master Li, it’s not that I don’t trust you. You’ve already proven your strength by soloing the Nightmare difficulty."

"But! Forming a party increases the dungeon's difficulty. A full team of five increases it by 100%, and a duo increases it by 25%."

"I know," Li Yao said nonchalantly. "It’s only 25%, and aren’t there two of us?"

Honestly, Li Yao didn't care much about a 25% increase. His current stats were vastly superior to when he had soloed the dungeon. He was confident he could carry four people, let alone just Qin Yue.

"I certainly believe in your strength, Young Master Li..." Uncle Wu paused, glancing at Qin Yue. "To be blunt, my young lady might not even reach the level required for this 25% difficulty increase. Entering a Nightmare-level dungeon would only make her a burden to you..."

"Hey!" Qin Yue was furious the moment she heard that. She was about to retort when she realized Uncle Wu was speaking the truth. She was only level 8; even as an A-rank job holder, she couldn't contribute much. Thinking of this, she looked at Li Yao with a pitiful expression, terrified he would refuse to take her along. "Li Yao, I’m very easy to carry. Master-level difficulty wouldn't be bad either..."

"Master-level won't do; it's a complete waste of time." If it weren't for the level 20 restriction on Purgatory-level, Li Yao would have gone there to level up instead. "Don't worry, Uncle Wu, I’m confident about Nightmare level. If there’s any danger, I’ll just have Qin Yue use an Escape Scroll to get out."

"You’re truly confident?" Uncle Wu asked, staring at Li Yao earnestly. The temptation of clearing the Nightmare difficulty was too great, and if his young lady could hitch a ride... Most importantly, Li Yao had the credentials to be convincing. Before this, who would have believed a Summoner could solo a Nightmare-level dungeon?

"I’m confident."

"Very well!" Uncle Wu nodded heavily and immediately took several vials of potions from his storage ring, handing them to Li Yao. "These are percentage-based health recovery potions. They work on summoned creatures as well, and the cooldown is very short. Use them as you see fit."

"Of course, this isn't the reward. If you can truly help my young lady clear the Nightmare difficulty..." Uncle Wu trailed off. "The Qin family will reward you handsomely."

Even if the Mirror of the Abyss was precious, it couldn't compare to a Nightmare-level dungeon clear. Carrying someone through a Nightmare run was a massive favor; the Qin family couldn't let it go unacknowledged.

Li Yao took the potions and placed them in his storage ring. These percentage-based potions were incredibly valuable; even if he didn't use them in the Nightmare dungeon, they would definitely be useful later.

"Alright, let's not waste time. Let's go."

From start to finish, Li Yao remained as calm as a deep, still well, as if clearing a Nightmare-level dungeon were a mundane, everyday task. This gave Uncle Wu and the others immense confidence.

Qin Yue formed the party, added Li Yao, and used the Mirror of the Abyss to reset the dungeon cooldown. "Okay, we can go in."

Qin Yue opened the dungeon, looking somewhat nervous as she carefully selected the Nightmare difficulty. Instantly, the dungeon vortex turned a deep, blood red.

"Young Master Li hasn't even come out yet, and someone else is choosing Nightmare difficulty?"

"Haha, they really think they’re on his level? That’s hilarious!"

The crowd didn't believe it. No one had ever cleared the Nightmare difficulty before; how could it be successfully conquered twice in a single day?

Only Jiang Ningyu noticed the two figures stepping into the dungeon. Li Yao... Qin Yue...

"He’s actually taking Qin Yue to run the Nightmare difficulty!"

Jiang Ningyu watched them, then thought of herself. Next, she would be running a Normal-level dungeon with her newly formed team. Normal... Nightmare... Qin! Yue!

Jiang Ningyu gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes fixed on the dungeon vortex. Only she knew the depth of the disparity she felt. Perhaps one wouldn't feel much if they had never possessed it, but once you have something and lose it... If she hadn't broken up with Li Yao, the person standing beside him, entering that Nightmare-level dungeon, would be her.

...

Back on that same hillside, Li Yao and Qin Yue landed. Looking at the several goblin tribes in the distance, Qin Yue’s long legs felt slightly weak. Under her Appraisal skill, the monsters' stats were all question marks. Both their oppressive presence and their appearances were fundamentally different from the Hard-level dungeon.

"Is this... Nightmare-level difficulty?"

Her teeth were chattering. She had entered Master-level dungeons before and reached the final boss, but that couldn't be compared to this. Just the sight of the monsters roaming the goblin tribe made her feel that her own team could never handle it, let alone the hidden boss-level monsters within.

Li Yao didn't respond, nor did he pay any mind to her current state. "Predator, keep an eye on them."

Li Yao snapped his fingers. The Azure Bird flew from his shoulder into the air, and the Void Predator appeared before them. No further instructions were needed. The two units, along with the Void Mantis hidden in the shadows, surged forward.

After devouring the Goblin King, the Void Predator had grown significantly larger, its footsteps thudding against the earth. The dungeon run had officially begun.

Qin Yue suddenly felt that terrifying goblin squad lock onto her. It was a sensation of utter helplessness, where the body couldn't resist and could only wait for death.

Li Yao gently patted her shoulder. "Let's go. My summons can't be too far from me."

"O-okay!"

In an instant, that sense of helplessness vanished. Qin Yue felt she could do it again. Back then, everyone thought Li Yao was asking for trouble by entering the Nightmare level, but Qin Yue believed he had his own plans. Now, looking at Li Yao’s calm face, that intuition returned. With a powerhouse here, what was there to fear?

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the tribe, flesh and blood flew everywhere. The sound of goblin limbs colliding with the walls echoed incessantly.

[Killed Goblin Priest, Experience +0.08%]
[Combat Training triggered, Void Mantis Strength +1]
[Killed Goblin Warrior, Experience +0.07%]
[Combat Training triggered, Void Mantis Strength +1]

The crisp, pleasant chime of experience gains rang out continuously. Qin Yue’s expression shifted from terror to contemplation, and finally, to utter bewilderment.

With the Void Predator acting as a bulwark, the Void Mantis and the Azure Bird could unleash their attacks without restraint, slaughtering the goblin tribe like a bulldozer. With the Void Mantis’s high mobility, it didn't even need Li Yao’s protection to weave in and out of the monster swarms. As for the Azure Bird, it simply cast a Glacial Storm and hid behind the Predator, whose massive frame blocked every incoming attack.

Li Yao, conquering the Nightmare difficulty once more, no longer needed to lure monsters; he was simply sweeping through the entire goblin tribe.