They didn't wait for morning.
By the time the settlement had quieted and most people had settled into rest, Lin Mo opened his eyes again. The decision had already formed—clear, simple, and necessary. Slowing down to avoid attention made sense, but slowing down too much meant wasting time, and time, in a place like this, was just another resource.
Shi Yue noticed immediately. She didn't ask what he was thinking. She already knew.
"…We push," she said softly.
Lin Mo nodded once.
They didn't use the remaining stones recklessly, but they didn't hold back either. One more was enough. The moment the Qi entered again, both of them adapted faster than before. There was no adjustment period now, no learning curve. The technique, the flow, the control—it all connected instantly.
Cycles formed one after another, smooth and continuous. The difference from earlier was clear. What had once required effort was now instinct. What had once been unstable now held naturally.
The accumulation was fast.
Too fast for most.
But not for them.
Lin Mo felt the build-up almost immediately, but this time he didn't stop early. He controlled it, guided it, compressed it instead of letting it spread loosely. The Qi within him thickened, not just increasing in quantity but in quality, becoming more cohesive, more responsive.
Shi Yue matched that pace without falling behind. If anything, her refinement was sharper. Where Lin Mo pushed forward, she perfected each step, ensuring nothing was wasted.
The result—
was immediate.
Another shift.
Not subtle this time.
Clear.
Defined.
Lin Mo opened his eyes.
"…Fourth Layer."
Shi Yue exhaled slowly.
"…Same."
They had crossed it in a single night.
That alone would have drawn attention anywhere else.
Here—
it was something they had to hide.
—
They stopped immediately after.
No extra cycles.
No unnecessary risk.
—
Lin Mo tied the remaining stone pouch securely and tucked it away. There was no point exhausting everything at once. Their speed was already ahead of what this place expected. Going further without reason would only create problems.
Shi Yue adjusted Lin An'an again, who had stirred slightly but quickly settled back into sleep.
For a moment, both of them sat in silence.
Not resting.
Thinking.
—
"…We skip levels," Shi Yue said quietly.
Not a question.
A statement.
—
Lin Mo nodded.
"…We don't stay at the bottom."
—
There was no benefit in repeating low-level tasks now. Not when their strength had already surpassed most of what those tasks required.
—
"…Second-tier isn't enough anymore," she added.
—
Lin Mo agreed.
"…We move up."
—
Not gradually.
Not cautiously.
—
Efficiently.
—
Morning came quickly after that.
The settlement returned to life, movement picking up as people gathered near the board again. This time, when Lin Mo and Shi Yue approached, they didn't go to the lowest section.
They went straight to the middle.
—
Fewer people stood there.
Stronger ones.
—
Lin Mo scanned the postings quickly.
Hunting tasks.
Escort tasks.
Resource retrieval.
—
One stood out.
"Ridge beasts. Two confirmed. Reward: refined stones."
—
No layer requirement listed.
But implied.
—
Shi Yue glanced at him.
"…Manageable."
—
Lin Mo nodded.
"…Fast."
—
They took it without hesitation.
—
The difference this time was immediate.
The moment they stepped away from the board, the attention around them shifted slightly. Not obvious. Not direct. But noticeable enough.
They had moved up.
And others had seen it.
—
Lin Mo didn't slow.
Didn't react.
He simply led them out again.
—
The path toward the ridge was longer than the previous task, but not unfamiliar. They had already crossed similar terrain. The difference now wasn't the environment.
It was what waited there.
—
They found the first beast quickly.
It wasn't large.
But it wasn't weak either.
Its presence alone confirmed it was above what they had faced before.
—
It noticed them immediately.
—
And charged.
—
Lin Mo moved first.
No hesitation.
—
The difference in strength showed instantly.
—
He didn't dodge completely.
He redirected.
Stepped in.
Struck.
—
The impact landed clean.
The beast staggered.
—
Shi Yue followed.
No delay.
—
Her strike hit the exposed side.
Precise.
Controlled.
—
The fight didn't last long.
—
Because it wasn't a struggle.
—
It was execution.
—
The second beast lasted slightly longer.
More aggressive.
More reactive.
—
But the result—
was the same.
—
By the time it ended, neither of them was breathing heavily.
—
They didn't waste time.
Didn't linger.
—
Lin Mo confirmed the kills.
Shi Yue gathered what was needed.
—
And they left immediately.
—
No damage.
No delay.
—
Fast.
Clean.
Efficient.
—
By the time they returned to the settlement, the sun hadn't even begun to set.
—
This time—
people noticed.
—
Not just glances.
—
Attention.
—
Lin Mo walked straight to the exchange point and placed the proof down.
The same man from before looked at it.
Paused.
—
Then looked up at them.
—
Longer than before.
—
"…Fast," he said.
—
Lin Mo didn't respond.
—
The man nodded slowly and handed over the reward.
More stones.
Better quality.
—
No extra words.
—
But the look remained.
—
Lin Mo took the pouch.
Turned.
Left.
—
Shi Yue walked beside him.
—
"…We won't stay unnoticed," she said quietly.
—
Lin Mo nodded.
—
"…We don't need to."
—
Because now—
they weren't catching up.
—
They were moving ahead.