After waiting for several minutes, Jeremy was becoming slightly impatient.
Once the call connected, Jeremy immediately remarked, "It is already eight o'clock in the morning, and you still haven't gotten out of bed? You told me last night that you would do your utmost to level up as quickly as possible.
So why are you still sleeping in? Shouldn't you already be on your way to the ordinary instance by now? You need to explain this to me."
Jeremy felt quite relaxed while speaking with Ritchie, as he knew that Ritchie would not easily lose his temper.
On the other end of the line, Ritchie's languid voice quickly emerged.
"I did indeed tell you that I would strive to level up as quickly as possible. However, you also know that I am not an early riser. If I wake up too early, my entire day tends to go poorly."
Ritchie offered a slight defense and then turned to Jeremy with a question.
"Is your early morning call merely an attempt to get me out of bed so I can level up? If that's the case, why don't you just come downstairs to my place?"
"If I were to come directly downstairs, I would still have to wait for you." Jeremy explained. "So I decided to call you before I set off, giving you a chance to prepare."
Having said that, Jeremy ended the call.
He then gathered his gear and drove directly to Ritchie's residence.
When Jeremy arrived at the foot of Ritchie's building, Ritchie was just finishing up his preparations, slowly making his way down with his equipment.
"Stop wasting time and get in the car! The instance we are heading to today is exclusively yours!"
Jeremy shouted as he opened the car door in Ritchie's direction.
Ritchie quickened his pace and hurried into the vehicle.
Without waiting for Ritchie to settle in, Jeremy pressed the accelerator and sped off.
"You just told me that the instance we are heading to today is exclusively mine. What exactly does that mean? My level isn't even 50 yet, so I can't undergo awakening."
Ritchie had misunderstood Jeremy's statement.
He assumed that Jeremy was referring to an instance specifically for his awakening.
However, what Jeremy meant by an instance that was exclusive to Ritchie was simply one that was highly suitable for Ritchie to level up.
"We're not going to your awakening instance. Moreover, even if you do reach level 50 and qualify for awakening, I won't be able to accompany you into that instance."
After Jeremy spoke, he turned his gaze toward the window.
During the course of their conversation, Jeremy had already driven a considerable distance.
Now, Jeremy and Ritchie found themselves at the very edge of Moonlight City.
This area was rife with abandoned buildings, and there were even some monsters lurking in the shadows.
Neither Jeremy nor Ritchie paid much attention to the monsters hidden in the darkness, as their strength was quite feeble.
Moreover, even if they were to eliminate those creatures, the experience points they would gain would be negligible.
"The instance I referred to as exclusive to you is one that is well-suited for you to level up." Jeremy explained.
Ritchie turned his head and immediately spotted the Longsword of the Undying on the back seat of the car.
Although Ritchie had seen the Longsword of the Undying before and possessed a certain level of understanding regarding it, he had never actually wielded the weapon himself.
Furthermore, Ritchie believed that the Longsword of the Undying inherently inflicted a degree of harm upon its user.
Jeremy was capable of using the Longsword of the Undying because his own strength was exceptionally formidable. He could withstand the damage inflicted by the Longsword of the Undying due to his considerable power.
However, Ritchie felt that he did not possess the same level of strength as Jeremy.
With a slightly hesitant tone, Ritchie inquired of Jeremy,
"Do you truly believe I can use the Longsword of the Undying? Are you not concerned that it may harm me?"
In response to Ritchie's question, Jeremy appeared somewhat indecisive.
Before deciding to entrust the Longsword of the Undying to Ritchie, Jeremy had indeed considered the possibility that Ritchie could be harmed by the weapon.
However, from Jeremy's perspective, this was not a significant concern.
As long as Ritchie was not killed by the Longsword of the Undying, he could bring Ritchie to Emma.
Emma could easily employ her healing skills to restore Ritchie's health.
"I do believe that the Longsword of the Undying will indeed inflict harm upon you. However, in my view, this is not a major issue. As long as you are not killed by the Longsword of the Undying, I will be able to ensure your recovery.
Moreover, as an awakened being, I believe you should not fear pain. If it allows for a rapid increase in levels, enduring a state of suffering should be acceptable."
Jeremy's words left Ritchie feeling quite distressed, yet he found himself at a loss for any counterarguments.
After a moment of hesitation, Ritchie finally replied.
"You are correct, if it means I can level up quickly, I certainly wouldn't mind enduring some pain."
Ritchie's gaze remained fixated on the Longsword of the Undying, as if he were attempting to familiarize himself with it through sheer observation.
"Stop staring at the Longsword of the Undying! No amount of looking will make it familiar to you. If you genuinely wish to acclimate yourself to the Longsword of the Undying before entering the instance, it would be best to actually wield it."
Under Jeremy's urging, Ritchie grasped the Longsword of the Undying without hesitation.
The moment Ritchie's hand made contact with the Longsword of the Undying, he was overcome by excruciating pain.
In an instant, Ritchie hurled the Longsword of the Undying away from him.
"Why does it hurt so much? Did you also endure such intense pain while using the Longsword of the Undying?"
Ritchie's question left Jeremy slightly perplexed.
Although Jeremy was aware that the Longsword of the Undying caused some harm to its wielder, he had not experienced such intense pain during his usage.
Jeremy speculated that this was likely due to Ritchie's lack of familiarity with the Longsword of the Undying.
The best solution he could think of was to encourage Ritchie to try using the Longsword of the Undying once more.
"The more you familiarize yourself with the Longsword of the Undying, the less you will feel that intense pain."