You are all my wings!

Lyon understood.

He reached out and grabbed Iris's shoulders, looking directly into her eyes.

This move took Iris somewhat by surprise. She looked at Leon in astonishment, thinking that Leon was finally going to reveal his purpose. But having been caught once before, she found that she was not instinctively averse to Leon's contact.

Moreover, this time, Iris saw that Leon's expression was so solemn, unlike the ulterior motives she had imagined. She was originally prepared to make her move ahead of time.

"Iris, actually, I did a divination for our expedition before we set off today. Do you want to know the result?"

"Seeing how serious you are, I'm afraid to ask you anything."

Iris shook her head as if she breathed a sigh of relief, then nodded and said:

"Tell me, what exactly happened?"

"The divination results tell me that our exploration of the dungeon this time may yield clues related to what you need."

Iris was momentarily stunned, then realized what was happening and showed a look of shock:

"Are you saying that the dungeon where my father met his tragic end was this Alado dungeon?"

"It's highly likely, since you witnessed your mother here, which means that after years of searching without any leads, she might be planning to return to where she started, right? Of course, it's also possible that it's to resolve the issue of her failure to advance to the legendary level, but I think the former is more likely."

Lyon's divination was, of course, a lie.

However, these reasonable speculations, combined with the plot that Leon knew from his previous life, undoubtedly have a high accuracy rate and are more reliable than ordinary divination.

The reason he brought this up at this time was to pave the way for his future involvement in the Hamla debacle.

At the same time, it also prevents Iris from suspecting something after he obtains the Elemental Ring and turning against him in the future.

After all, as long as the favorability rating cannot reach 100%, it may decrease at any time due to external forces.

Therefore, Lyon's principle is that he will never take the initiative to test human nature.

"Okay, you've convinced me, Leon."

Iris smiled; at least this time Leon didn't have any ill intentions, and a great weight was lifted from her heart.

"If we actually come across any clues later, I'll really have to think of a way to thank you."

"Then I'll look forward to it."

Lyon had already started a fire, and the flames leaped up around their sleeping bags.

“Iris, considering that my physical strength and magic power are not as good as yours, you should sleep first, and I will keep watch for you. Then we can take turns. This way, I will be in good condition when I wake up, and you will not be too exhausted. Let’s go to the 25th floor. No objections?”

"No objection."

Iris was equipped with protective gear and wasn't afraid of Leon's night attack. So, in front of Leon, she took off her leather armor, revealing her bare, unadorned undergarments and beautiful figure.

Her hips, like flower petals, were turned away from Lyon.

Two long, slender, white arms gripped one side of the sleeping bag.

Then, she crouched down and crawled into her sleeping bag, her movements as quick and delicate as a squirrel climbing a tree, with a touch of elegance.

After a while, the flames began to shrink.

“Iris,” Leon suddenly spoke.

"What? You're already finding night watch boring?" Iris chuckled, feeling that this kind of dungeon adventure wasn't so bad after all.

"She has a great figure and her movements are adorable."

Iris didn't answer. She paused for a moment, then abruptly turned to the side to avoid being seen by Leon's flushed face.

[Character Iris's affection level +2%, current affection level 68%]

Damn it, why do I feel so happy!

Didn't I only temporarily team up with him in the first place to find evidence that he lied to me?

No, Iris, you must calm down!

I must be wary of the possibility that he is lying to me!

Her flushed face didn't subside even after she fell asleep.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Water Capital

Six hours later.

The fair, radiant face inside the sleeping bag suddenly stirred, its long, delicate eyelashes trembling slightly.

Iris slowly opened her eyes, her pupils, like jade pearls, revealing a hint of confusion. She stared at Leon's profile as he sat by the fire for a while, seemingly attracted by his handsome appearance, or perhaps wondering why there was a man beside her.

"By the way, I'm in the underground city, not at home."

She murmured softly, then realized what was happening, and her bewildered face flushed slightly.

After a night's sleep, her memories seemed to reset and resurface. Oh no, how come she still remembered that line after just one night's sleep?!

"You're awake, Iris?"

"I slept very well and had a good dream. I feel like I could tear the Minotaur apart with my bare hands right now."

Iris pretended to have forgotten what Leon had said last night, quickly crawled out of her sleeping bag, and then showed off her arm muscles to Leon with an arrogant look on her face.

Her beautiful figure and bust curves were quite impressive.

"Then I'll leave the night watch to you."

Leon glanced at it, nodded to himself, and then casually crawled into his sleeping bag.

That calm demeanor made Iris feel frustrated. Damn it, didn't you just say I was cute? Why aren't you saying it anymore?

Iris quickly snapped out of her daze, realizing how strange she had been to care so much about such things. She turned her head to look at her surroundings, trying to shift her attention, and asked:

"Did any monsters disturb me while I was asleep?"

“A group of second-tier slimes passed by, but the beast-repelling incense worked, and they didn’t invade. After they passed by, there was no further activity.”

"Slimes? Come to think of it, there are quite a lot of slimes here."

"This is the dampest underground city on the continent, so it's normal that there are a lot of slimes here."

"By the way, I didn't say anything in my sleep, did I?" Iris wondered if it was because of Leon's words, but last night she dreamed of many strange scenes, which made her feel quite excited and nervous in her dreams.

"daydream?"

Leon paused for a moment, then gave a meaningful look, his gaze sweeping over Iris's body as he clicked his tongue occasionally.

"What do you mean by that look?! I'm the type who never talks in my sleep! Don't try to fool me with some nonsense!"

Iris had just put on her leather armor when she sensed the ill intent in Leon's eyes, and she quickly crossed her arms and backed away.

“Iris, stop fooling yourself. You are actually talking in your sleep.”

"Then tell me, what did I say?"

"It smells so good, so delicious, so sweet! I want to eat more!"

Leon mimicked Iris's tone of voice, his voice filled with longing for food.

It smells so good? It smells so sweet?

When did I eat that stuff?

Although Iris thought it was impossible, there's always something unpredictable in dreams. Maybe she'd forgotten? She just felt a sudden heat creep up her neck, cheeks, and earlobes, rushing to the top of her head, as if steam was rising from her head.

She abruptly turned her head, her face away, forcefully suppressing the unnaturalness in her voice, which seemed to be stuck in place:

"That's enough chit-chat, let's go to sleep! I'm in a hurry!"

Leon laughed and stopped teasing Iris.

In fact, Iris was not talking in her sleep.

But judging from Iris's state and expression while sleeping, she must have had a wonderful dream of indulging in delicious food.

Therefore, his imitation of sleep-talking is not inherently problematic.

I never expected that Iris would feel so ashamed in this regard; it's quite unexpected.

Incidentally, Leon didn't rest during his six-hour watch either; he was meditating on the magical imagery of intermediate-level fire magic.

Although it is very difficult for a first-tier mage to master intermediate magic, it does not prevent Leon from starting to train early and striving to reach the level of no-casting as soon as he learns it.

……

25 floors.

After a six-hour rest, Lyon was full of energy, and Iris had calmed down as if nothing had happened.

The two had already descended to the 25th floor.

The view on this floor is quite different from the previous floors.

Because this place is filled with many ancient and mysterious buildings, clustered together, forming one broken castle after another.

In the center of this shattered castle, a large underground river cascades down from the upper levels, transforming into a super waterfall that runs through ten underground levels from the 25th to the 35th floor.

The sound of water has been constant for days, attracting countless aquatic monsters to gather here.

At the top of the waterfall, the space is vast and open, and the fluorescent moss on the top of the rock wall is ancient, emitting a fluorescent brightness comparable to the twilight outside.

Bathed in a hazy, golden light, the waterfall takes on an even more unique atmosphere.

Therefore, it is hailed as one of the nine most spectacular sights on the mainland.

Spectacular and awe-inspiring.

This is the 25th floor, which is known as the starting point of the Water Relics.

After walking for a while, the two crossed a passageway and came upon a magnificent view that made them forget everything.

"This is really great. Just seeing this legendary water city makes the trip worthwhile."

Lyon couldn't help but sigh at the sight he had never seen in his previous life.

“Our Holy Land of Elves has an even more powerful waterfall, far superior to this one.”

"Really? You seem to like this place quite a bit."

"You're talking nonsense."

"That's not necessarily true, but if you have the chance, Iris, you must take me to see your hometown."

"Hmph! I'm just your teammate, not your guide," Iris said, still feeling annoyed.

"Didn't you say before that you wanted to visit my hometown and see what it's like? Why won't you let me visit your hometown now?"

“I…” Iris was still struggling with her words and didn’t know how to respond.

Lyon smiled faintly.

As they were talking, their expressions changed slightly, and they immediately switched to a state of alert.

In the distance, a unicorn three and a half meters tall leaped out from the waterfall in front, carrying a lot of water vapor, and strode onto the water. It did not sink, but instead ran across the water.

This unicorn is entirely white, with glossy fur that is impervious to water. Magical patterns of water and clouds shimmer beneath its four hooves, and the sound of rushing water echoes as it runs.

The way it came towards us was truly magnificent.

However, the surging magical aura and the terrifying expression that seemed to devour people made the two realize that this guy was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

"A powerful Tier 3 monster, the White Unicorn, Unniss!"

Leon whispered the name of the monster.

Iris recognized the monster, and her expression immediately turned serious. She had to put aside her earlier frustration for the time being.

Although they might not be unable to handle monsters of this level.

But they've only just entered the 25th floor, and haven't even entered the side street area yet.

Moreover, judging from the timeline, it shouldn't be past the time when Kairon and his team cleared out the powerful monsters, right?

Is it because the Water City itself is quite special?

If we encounter these kinds of monsters too frequently in the future, we'll have to consider a temporary retreat.

After all, the aura of water-based monsters is too strong in this area, and the number of monsters is definitely more than in other levels.