Early the next morning, Jeremy was jolted awake by the ringing of his phone, still half-asleep.
Irritated, Jeremy picked up the phone and exclaimed, "Hello, why are you calling me so early?!"
On the other end of the line, a voice that was very familiar to Jeremy resonated.
"It's already 6:00 AM, it can hardly be considered too early. I'm calling to let you know that I have fully recovered. We can now challenge the instance together."
Ritchie excitedly informed Jeremy.
"I get it! You've fully recovered. However, I still need to sleep a little longer, I'm not fully awake yet!" Jeremy replied dismissively before abruptly hanging up the phone.
Just as Jeremy was about to drift back to sleep, the phone rang again.
"Didn't I tell you? Once I wake up, I'll discuss our next course of action with you. Why are you calling me again?"
Jeremy shouted at the phone, still grumpy from being roused.
There was a moment of silence on the other end before Bonnie's voice came through.
"Jeremy, if you're truly exhausted right now, then please, go ahead and continue sleeping. I only called to inform you about my current situation."
Upon hearing Bonnie's voice, Jeremy suddenly realized that he had directed his anger at the wrong person.
Quickly, Jeremy adjusted his tone.
"I'm not angry with you. Before you called me, my friend Ritchie had just phoned. You should be well aware of him, he's notoriously unreliable.
I was venting my frustration towards him. If you were in my shoes, you would undoubtedly feel the same way about his antics."
Bonnie readily accepted Jeremy's explanation.
"Alright, you don't need to offer so many justifications. I have complete trust in you. What I need to convey is that I am currently very safe.
Moreover, in the upcoming operations, I may only be able to act alongside you. My father has stipulated that unless I am accompanied by someone he deems appropriate, he will not allow me to enter the instance."
Jeremy could indeed empathize with Benjamin's decision.
After all, Benjamin was Bonnie's father.
Any father, upon witnessing his daughter facing perilous circumstances, would undoubtedly feel a deep sense of urgency. Thus, it is only natural that any father would strive to ensure his daughter's forthcoming actions were as safe as possible.
Bonnie could only guarantee her safety by accompanying Jeremy in her endeavors.
"I understand. I will formulate a plan of action as quickly as I can. Once I've had sufficient rest, I will take you into the instance for an adventure."
"I understand. So, you should rest well, I won't disturb you any longer." After saying this, Bonnie promptly hung up the phone.
"Ritchie is still the same as ever—totally missing the point." Jeremy muttered in exasperation.
Jeremy did not have to wait long, within just a few minutes, Ritchie arrived at Jeremy's residence.
"Now can you finally tell me who we are going to pick up?" Ritchie asked directly as he stepped into Jeremy's home.
"We're going to pick up Bonnie. She will be fighting alongside us in the upcoming mission." Jeremy stated calmly, revealing Bonnie's name.
Upon hearing Bonnie's name, Ritchie could no longer maintain his composure.
"Bonnie is actually going to join us? Your relationship with her doesn't seem to be very cordial, does it? I remember she even mocked you not long ago."
Ritchie's question was entirely reasonable.
After all, Ritchie had never experienced the instance in the Land of Eternal Night.
He was unaware that Bonnie and Jeremy had not only reconciled but that their relationship had also progressed to a deeper level.
In response to Ritchie's astonishment, Jeremy merely replied with a calm demeanor.
"Indeed, Bonnie and I had some conflicts in the past, but those were merely trivial disagreements typical among classmates. In the face of the impending apocalypse, we must work together to ensure the safety of Moonlight City."
Although Jeremy's words were an attempt to mask the true reason, they nonetheless succeeded in touching Ritchie.
Ritchie clapped his hands and exclaimed, "You have truly changed significantly from the person you used to be. I believe the old you would never have uttered such profoundly moving words."
"I never imagined you harbored such grand aspirations—are you truly planning to save the entire Moonlight City? I initially thought your relentless extermination of monsters and clearing of instances was solely to enhance your own strength and ensure your safety."
In response to Ritchie's somewhat awkward remark, Jeremy simply stated with a measured tone,
"If we cannot guarantee the safety of Moonlight City, then we cannot ensure our own safety either."
After expressing this thought, Jeremy turned his gaze firmly towards Ritchie. "You should be ready by now, right? If so, let's not waste any more time here. We need to hurry to the city and pick up Bonnie."
Once Jeremy had gathered all the necessary equipment he needed to bring, he promptly led Ritchie out the door.
Before leaving, Jeremy made a point to call Bonnie.
"I have already decided on the next instance we will be tackling. I will send you the coordinates for the instance, so please prepare yourself quickly, I will be arriving in the city shortly."
"I understand, and I will make all the necessary preparations immediately."
Bonnie was taken aback by how quickly Jeremy intended to take her along to clear the instance. She had assumed that Jeremy would focus his energy on other matters.
With determination, Bonnie carefully packed all the items she needed into her backpack. Among these, the most crucial piece of equipment was undoubtedly the new staff her father had provided for her.
The staff she had previously used had been damaged during the instance. Her father, Benjamin, had specifically located a replacement with similar attributes in the warehouse of Moonlight City.