Global Necromantic Specialist

"What's your level now?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Marsh opened his eyes and saw Jeny standing nearby.

Her delicate face had a slight layer of dust, and a faint surge of elemental energy surrounded her. Clearly, she had just finished a battle, having exited the dungeon moments ago.

Jeny stared at Marsh with dissatisfaction, her eyes narrowing.

"Level 14," Marsh replied calmly.

"What?!" Jeny exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief. "How can you level up so fast?"

She had teamed up with a group and completed two runs of the Xihai Mine dungeon on normal difficulty, advancing from level 10 to level 11. Two consecutive runs had drained her energy. Even if Marsh could clear a dungeon solo, it didn't explain how he had reached such a high level.

No matter how hard she tried, Jeny couldn't imagine that Marsh was running the dungeon on Nightmare difficulty.

Marsh offered no further explanation.

"Believe it or not," he said, shrugging slightly.

Jeny knew Marsh wasn't the type to exaggerate or lie. If he said he was level 14, then it was the truth.

Her dissatisfaction deepened.

When they started this journey, Jeny had been confident. On the first day, she was level 5 while Marsh was level 7—a gap of two levels. She thought she could close the distance as they progressed.

Now, at level 11, she found herself further behind than before. Marsh had widened the gap.

With a snort of determination, Jeny turned and walked away, muttering under her breath, "I won't lose to you."

Marsh watched her retreating figure and sighed.

Over the years, Jeny had always been competitive.

Before their career advancements, he had consistently outperformed her in academics, always ranking first while Jeny was perpetually second. After their career changes, his progress had once again left her in the dust.

He understood her frustration. Jeny had always wanted to surpass him, but Marsh never gave her the opportunity.

Moments later, he noticed Jeny and her group re-entering the dungeon.

"Strange," Marsh muttered. "Didn't she just finish a run? How is she going back in so soon?"

The rules of the dungeon dictated a cooldown period after completion, regardless of difficulty. Marsh had tested this extensively. After clearing the Nightmare version, he couldn't re-enter even the normal version for 12 hours.

Yet Jeny had re-entered almost immediately after her last run.

Marsh recalled the faint aura that surrounded Jeny just before she entered the dungeon. It seemed like she had used some kind of item or ability.

"Interesting..." Marsh mused. "It must be something that allows her to bypass the cooldown."

He decided to keep an eye on her.

Hours later, Jeny emerged from the dungeon again, looking visibly exhausted. Despite this, she quickly found another team and prepared for yet another run.

Marsh noticed she used the same item or ability before entering.

"That item must be the key," he thought.

By this point, Marsh had returned to meditation, focusing on recovering his mental strength. His skeleton warriors remained on alert, monitoring the area.

Several hours passed. Eventually, Marsh heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He opened his eyes to see Jeny collapse onto the ground beside him.

She was completely drained, her exhaustion evident in the way she sprawled out without care.

"I'm so tired," she groaned, her voice muffled as she buried her face in her arms.

Despite her exhaustion, Jeny managed to muster some bravado. "I'm level 12 now! I'll catch up to you soon!"

Marsh remained quiet, knowing that her pace wouldn't be enough. At level 12, it would take three or four normal dungeon runs to advance to the next level. Catching up to him was nearly impossible unless...

"You should try the Nightmare difficulty dungeon," Marsh suggested after a moment. "It's faster for leveling."

Jeny scoffed, rolling onto her side to glare at him.

"Are you joking? Elite teams only take professionals at level 16 or 17. I'm level 12—no one's going to let me join."

She gestured toward the groups gathered near the dungeon entrance. Most of the elite teams were calling for high-level professionals with specific gear requirements.

"Unless you're a healer, they won't lower their standards," Jeny continued. "For someone like me, it's impossible."

Marsh didn't respond, observing the elite teams silently.

Jeny sighed and sat up, brushing dust off her clothes. "That's why I have no choice but to keep grinding normal dungeons. If I push hard enough, I might hit level 14 or even 15 before the exam deadline."

Hearing her determination, Marsh finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

"How are you ignoring the cooldown time?"

Jeny froze for a moment, her expression shifting.

"What do you mean?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"I saw you," Marsh said plainly. "You entered the dungeon right after finishing a run. That's not possible without something bypassing the cooldown."

Jeny hesitated before sighing in defeat.

"Fine," she admitted. "I'm using a special item—a Cooldown Bypass Scroll. It's rare and expensive, but it lets me skip the dungeon cooldown once per use."

Marsh's curiosity was piqued. "Where did you get it?"

"My dad gave me a few," Jeny replied. "He knows how important the academy entrance exam is, so he pulled some strings to get them for me."

Marsh nodded, understanding now how she was managing such rapid progress.

"Even with the scrolls, this pace is exhausting," Jeny continued, rubbing her temples. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."

"You'll burn out if you push too hard," Marsh warned.

"I don't have a choice," Jeny snapped, frustration evident in her voice. "I have to make it into the Xiajing Academy. And if that means pushing myself to the limit, so be it."

Marsh studied her determined expression. Despite their differences, he respected her resolve.

"Good luck," he said simply, returning to his meditation.

Jeny stared at him for a moment before letting out a huff.

"I don't need your luck," she muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

As she stood to leave, Marsh couldn't help but admire her tenacity. Despite her exhaustion and frustration, Jeny refused to back down.

"She's stronger than she looks," Marsh thought, closing his eyes once more.

The competition between them wasn't over yet.

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