Chapter 217: Isolde's Purposal!

Isolde stared at the case being pushed back toward her, her mouth slightly open.

“You… you’re serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Soren leaned against the edge of her desk, arms crossed, watching her reaction with quiet amusement.

“I told you, I have plenty. Keep the rest. Use it for whatever research you are doing.”

For a moment, Isolde just stood there, looking between him and the case like she was waiting for the punchline.

When none came, she finally let out a long breath and closed the case gently, almost reverently, before setting it on her desk.

“You really are something else, junior.”

She muttered, shaking her head.

“Most people would hoard these things like their life depended on it. And here you are, giving them away like candy.”

“Well, it’s not like I need them all. Might as well let them go to someone who actually knows what to do with them.”

“Tch, easy for you to say.”

Isolde sat down on her stool, still eyeing the case like it might disappear if she looked away too long.

“Do you even know what I’m trying to make with these?”

“No, but I’m guessing it’s something big, considering how excited you are.”

“Excited? Me? Don’t flatter yourself.”

She huffed, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her words.

“Fine, I’ll tell you since you brought me this much.”

She stood up and walked toward a sealed cabinet at the back of the lab, punching in a code before it slid open with a soft hiss. Inside was a small, intricate device that looked like a half-finished pendant, wires and crystal fragments jutting out from unfinished slots.

“This is a Resonance Key. Or it will be, once I finish it.”

“What does it do?”

“With enough Echo Stone energy infused into it, it can bypass certain barriers, the kind that block entry into hidden gates.”

Soren’s brows lifted slightly.

“Hidden gates, huh.”

“Don’t act so surprised. You should know hidden dungeons exist too, right? Well, I found one.”

That caught his attention immediately.

“You found one? Where?”

“That’s the thing. I can’t go in, not without finishing this key first. The barrier rejects anyone without proper resonance.”

She held up the pendant, studying it carefully before glancing back at him.

“It’s a C-rank dungeon, freshly discovered. Barely anyone knows about it yet, not even the Academy.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Soren felt his mind go somewhere else entirely.

A hidden C-rank dungeon, discovered around this time, sealed behind a barrier that required something like an Echo Stone to bypass…

‘Wait, could it be…’

Memories from his past life began surfacing, fragments of a game he once spent countless hours grinding through.

The Sunken Sanctuary.

A dungeon that wasn’t supposed to be discovered until much later in the story, yet here it was, surfacing far earlier than it should have.

If his memory served him right, this place held a relic capable of significantly boosting growth.

No wonder Isolde looked this excited despite trying to hide it.

“Soren? You still there?”

Her voice snapped him back to reality.

“Ah, sorry. Just thinking.”

“Thinking about what exactly?”

“Nothing important. So, this Resonance Key, how long until it’s done?”

“With these Echo Stones you brought, maybe a week, give or take.”

She tapped the pendant lightly, a small smile creeping onto her face.

“So? Want to come with me when I go? Consider it payment for everything you’ve done for me so far.”

Soren paused, weighing his options carefully before answering.

“Not yet.”

“Eh?”

Isolde blinked, clearly not expecting that response.

“I’ll level up a bit more before trying that place. C-rank dungeons aren’t something to take lightly, especially a hidden one we know nothing about.”

“You? Being cautious? Now that’s a first.”

She raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips.

“What, you thought I’d just rush in blindly?”

“Knowing you and that Howling Chasm stunt, yeah, kind of.”

Soren rolled his eyes at her bluntness, though he couldn’t deny she had a point.

“Anyway, once I’m ready, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, can I ask you something?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“Would you be willing to craft for me whenever I need something, as long as I pay you properly for it?”

Isolde crossed her arms, considering his words for a moment before a small smirk appeared on her face.

“Heh, you really know how to ask the right thing. Sure, as long as the price is right, I’ll craft anything you want.”

“Then, would you consider joining my exploration team?”

That caught her off guard for a second, her eyes widening slightly before she let out a short laugh.

“Joining your team, huh. Never thought I’d hear that from you either.”

She tapped her chin, pretending to think it over even though her decision was already made the moment he asked.

“Fine, I don’t mind. Crafting for a fixed group sounds better than waiting around for random commissions anyway. Plus, with someone like you bringing in resources like this, I doubt I’ll be running into funding problems anytime soon.”

Soren smiled, satisfied with her answer.

“Welcome aboard then, Isolde.”

“Don’t get used to ordering me around just because I joined, though. I still outrank you, junior.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, senior.”

Isolde scoffed at the obvious sarcasm in his tone, though she didn’t bother arguing further, choosing instead to busy herself with carefully sorting through the Echo Stones he brought.

As Soren turned to leave, his mind still lingered on the Sunken Sanctuary, on what it held and what kind of opportunity it could bring once he was strong enough to step inside.

‘Things are getting more interesting.’

He glanced back one last time before stepping out of the lab, watching Isolde mutter to herself excitedly while inspecting the stones.

‘Well, at least I gained a reliable Crafter for my team. That alone is worth more than I expected.’

With that thought, Soren made his way back toward the dorms, already planning his next move.