Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?

"Pfft—"

Uffie finally couldn't restrain her laughter, trying to hold it back but unable to suppress the corners of her mouth.

It felt just like that, as if a child was sulking with their parents over some disagreement, even deciding to become an emotionless learning machine to make the parents regret it, yet in a moment, they couldn't hold back laughter because of a joke told by the other party.

With this laugh, they could no longer maintain the sulking pose.

"Isn't it because you let me down!" Uffie's steps unconsciously slowed down, "Besides, how could I pull off something like that!"

Gapar also slowed his pace, a grin peeking under his beard, but still proclaimed in a mock-angry tone:

"It's no use arguing, there's always gonna be brats calling me that! I've worked so hard this year, have you put in half as much effort?"

"I wouldn't be so sure!"

Seeing the opportunity, he then challenged:

"So the old man is here to challenge you, my daughter. Dare to compete with me?"

Uffie suddenly halted and turned her head, a fleeting smile on her face, trying hard to compose and said, "Compete in what? Are you planning some bully-the-lesser deal?"

It had been a long time since she faced her father, and turning around now, she felt a bit out of sorts.

"Let's see who becomes more famous—though, your fame is no less than your old man's, a competition between us is meaningless," Gapar also stopped, gasping with the vigor of a senior, his hurried journey evident in his heavy breaths.

"Then?"

"Let's have our apprentices compete. I heard from that lad Banto you took on some disciples in the Warrior Country."

Uffie blurted into laughter, responding:

"You sure? Although Leon and Dal are outstanding talents, they can't quite compare with my disciples!"

She clenched her fist, asserting decisively:

"Because my disciples, are dragons!"

"Hmph, if we're talking dragons, Leon has driven out plenty." Gapar referred to the Luminous Stone Dragons of Lake Lienia, which had not had a peaceful sleep in their nests since a surge of adventurers appeared there.

"Even so, they can't match my disciples. Do you know who I am?!"

Uffie stepped forward, arms crossed in a pose akin to the Heavenly Element Breakthrough, exuding utter confidence.

Gapar seized the moment to stride forward several steps, standing directly before his daughter, and laughed dominantly, "In terms of training apprentices, I'm far more professional than you."

"Hmm?" x2

Their foreheads collided abruptly, eyes locked in sparks as if charged with electricity, the prospect of them wielding mighty power next seemed utterly fitting.

"..."

The atmosphere suddenly went silent, and a Beastification citizen mistakenly ambled into the alley, promptly scampering away in panic.

Both father and daughter's expressions twitched simultaneously, then—

"Hahahaha!" x2

They burst into laughter together.

Uffie shouldered her dad back half a step, while Gapar kicked a trick angle at his daughter's shin, catching himself on the spikes of her exoskeleton.

"So the contest is set, see you in half a year! I will definitely win," Uffie declared.

"Yeah, it's settled then!"

They bumped fists, and the impact of the fist bump cracked the surrounding walls, Gapar gently patted Uffie's alienated shoulder, saying:

"First, come with me to get some treatment for your body."

"I'm fine like this," Uffie habitually shook her head.

"Nonsense, bugs are ugly."

"Do you have a way to cure me?"

"Of course."

Gapar pulled out a silvery-white object from his bosom, something extremely precious known to adventurers of the Yanor Kingdom.

[Tear-Drop Embryo]

"Redemption lies within."

Not long after, in Savis City.

"I, was I under an illusion?"

Seeing Gapar and Uffie emerging with a harmonious father-daughter demeanor, Leon froze in place.

Has it only been around ten minutes? I haven't even thought of comforting my teacher about his child's rebellious phase, yet they made up already?

Could it be that Teacher Gapar had Uffie beat him up to cool off some steam?

Reflecting on his father-son relationship, Leon thought if his own father let him beat him ten times, perhaps their animosity would be zeroed—not by forgiveness, but because Tepi couldn't endure ten rounds and might ascend to the heavens.

"I'm taking Uffie for treatment in Sain, I'll leave things here to you for now," Gapar merrily said to Leon, "Thanks for your hard work these two days, afterwards I'll teach you a new Combat Skill I've devised."

In fact, it was a secret Combat Skill learned from the Warrior Country.

"Teacher, just go about your business, I'll take care of things here."

Even without a reward, Leon would lend a hand.

However.

The next day, watching the father-daughter figure re-enter Sain Dungeon, he pondered all night but couldn't figure it out.

How did they actually reconcile?

A significant driving force for Uffie was the desire to surpass her father.

And Gapar's earlier playful challenge was in fact a sideways acknowledgment of Uffie's hard work over the years, neither stating it directly, but both understood it well.

The twisted, unsaid words for years didn't seem difficult to articulate when prompted by an unexpected event.