Instead of waiting for the water that was steadily filling up the cavern to recede naturally, a process that could potentially take longer than the time remaining on their clock, they opted to take matters into their own hands. Since Yohan possessed the ability to control water too anyways, they decided to utilize get started.

"Alright, everyone, take a deep breath. On the count of three," Yohan instructed, preparing to manipulate the earth wall and allow the water to rush into the tunnel, completely submerging them. With his exceptional mana control, Yohan skillfully directed the water on the right side, with Rumi offering minimal assistance due to her depleted mana reserves from casting her previous spell.

Unlike Yohan, who possessed [Perfect Mana Control] enabling him to masterfully manipulate elemental magic to some extent despite not being a mage, Yuuki had [Advanced Mana Control]. He mainly used this skill to infuse mana into his body and weapons, enhancing his own stats and his weapons' capabilities. While he could control the surrounding water to some extent, it was not as efficient as Yohan's control. Instead of wasting his mana on that, Yuuki relied on his sword technique, which has something perfectly suited for clearing the water.

While Yohan and Rumi focused on clearing the water with their water magic, Yuuki employed a different approach.

Activating [Seventh Form: Solar Flare], Yuuki's sheathed sword emitted a brief, blinding glow similar to a flashbang. He could only use this technique when Yohan and Rumi were not looking, as it caused a temporary blind debuff for two seconds. Unsheathing his blade, it became infused with a crimson-red glow accompanied by flames.

The fiery aura surrounding Yuuki's sword possessed incredible potency, instantly evaporating the surrounding water upon contact. With a sweeping circular motion, he made multiple swings, causing vast amounts of water to evaporate in an instant. They repeated this process several times until only small pockets of water remained, allowing them to walk on solid ground again. With only eight minutes remaining on the clock, they hastily harvested the hearts of the slain wolves.

"Rumi, hey, lend us a hand with these!" Yohan called out.

"No way!" she exclaimed, disgust evident on her face.

"I can't help but wonder how you managed to play Eternal World before when you can't handle virtual gore like this," Yuuki remarked.

"You guys are unbelievable! I can't stand the stench of these things, let alone carve them up!"

"Are all girls like this, Yohan?" Yuuki asked as he meticulously carved into the chest of one of the wolves, using a small knife infused with his mana to enhance its sharpness.

"Yup, I've dated more than a dozen girls in middle school, and I can confidently say that most of them are just like this."

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"Most? Whatchu mean by that?"

"Yeah, most. A virgin like you won't understand that."

"Huuuuh?! You wanna die?!" Yuuki immediately materialized his sword in anger.

"I'm just joking! I'm only joking, got it?"

They continued carving up and after some time. They managed to gather up approximately 70 Gray Wolf hearts.

...

They were currently on the move, desperately searching for the exit. In order to maintain maximum speed, Yohan piggybacked Rumi, allowing them to cover ground faster while only slightly compromising their speed compared to if Rumi were on foot. Meanwhile, Yuuki took the lead, swiftly dispatching any wolves they encountered with a single strike. They didn't bother carving up these additional enemies since time was running out. Instead, they pressed onward, with each dead ends encountered only wasting their precious time further. Navigating this place was a challenge, as their only source of light came from the bursts of flames Yohan breathed out, resembling fireballs, since his hands were occupied supporting Rumi on his back. Unfortunately, this method also attracted more enemies, making their task seem nearly impossible without relying on this strategy.

"Damn it, where the hell is the exit? How is this supposed to be an easy quest?" Yohan vented his frustration.

Rumi, who was positioned behind him, added an infuriating comment, "You should complain to the guy who chose the Hard difficulty."

"Do you want me to drop you?"

"Nope! Let's please avoid any violence," Rumi quickly responded.

At this point, they had explored more than half of the tunnels in the cave system, with only two minutes remaining on the clock.

Finally, at the end of a tunnel, they caught sight of a glimmer of light ahead, indicating that it must be the exit. And indeed, it led to the forest outside. They pushed themselves even harder, their characters' stamina rapidly depleting. With one final movement skill from both of them,

[Body Flicker Technique]!

[Fifth Form: Lightning Chariot]!

They managed to escape just before the timer dropped to one minute. Bursting out of the forest, their speed uncontrolled, they sent a cloud of dust billowing into the air.

"That was pure hell... Yuuki, please, don't choose Hard difficulty again," Yohan remarked, both of them struggling to catch their breath as they lay on the hard soil.

"Yeah... It was definitely a nightmarish experience... I-I apologize," Yuuki responded, then suddenly inquired, "But I don't think Isshin has made it out yet, has he?"

"Forget about him, let's head to the city now."

Yuuki retrieved three potions from his inventory, conjuring them into his hand with a flicker of blue pixels. He forcefully threw the potions at Yohan and Rumi, causing them to shatter upon impact.

Startled, Rumi grew irritated. "Ugh! Why would you—Oh... It's a potion." However, her frustration returned when she saw Yuuki drinking his potion to restore his HP and stamina. "Oi! We could have just drunk it! Why throw it at us?!" She scolded him, but he simply shrugged in response.

Yohan suddenly burst into laughter, slinging his arms around their shoulders and pulling them into a hug. "Playing games with friends really is the best way to enjoy them!"

With a disgusted expression, Rumi swatted his hands away. "Hey! Too close! Way too close!"

As they all laughed together, an interface appeared in front of their faces.

[Dungeon Cleared!]

[Rewards:

Materials:

Low Quality:Wolf Fangs, 6 Wolf Pelt 5, Wolf Claws 3,

High Quality: HowlStone, 2,

Items and Equipment:

Uncommon: Advanced Torso Plate,

Skills: None,

Consumables:

Potions: Health Potions 5, Mana Potions 4,

Scrolls: Scroll of Invisibility 1,

Elixirs: None.]