The dungeon I was about to enter was called the Black-Mane Gnoll Habitat.
It was a dungeon inhabited by gnolls far stronger than ordinary ones.
Gnolls were creatures that naturally moved in packs.
Therefore, the standard method for clearing this dungeon was to enter with a team.
“Hello. Do you already have a party?”
Someone called out to me as I approached the portal alone.
The slightly chubby boy looked to be in his late teens.
‘He must have awakened at a young age.’
With that thought, I answered the young Ascender’s question.
“No.”
“Then would you like to come with us? We only need one more person before we can begin.”
When I looked behind him, I saw another boy and several girls.
All of them appeared to be in their late teens.
Had they come here for practical training from an Ascender high school?
In any case, I had no intention of joining their party.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I plan to clear it alone.”
“…What?”
The boy stared at me with an expression that seemed to ask what kind of absurd nonsense he had just heard.
“W-Wait. You’re going in alone?”
“Yes.”
The boy looked me up and down again.
“You don’t even seem to have proper equipment. Aren’t you being reckless?”
“Mister! You’re going to die young at this rate. How could you possibly solo the Black-Mane Gnoll Habitat?”
One of the children standing behind the chubby boy joined in.
Apparently, they had been listening to our conversation.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’ll handle it myself.”
“Tsk tsk. This is why old-timers are hopeless.”
“See? Men don’t die young for no reason.”
They shook their heads at my answer.
Wait.
Did they just call me an old-timer?
I could forgive the rest because they were clearly trying to stop me out of genuine concern.
But being called an old-timer hurt a little.
I was still a perfectly healthy man in his mid-twenties!
More importantly, who called a stranger an old-timer to his face?
‘Let’s just go.’
I nearly gave them a lecture as an adult, but ultimately shook my head.
There was no need to create unnecessary trouble.
“He really won’t listen.”
“Leave him alone. Once he gets taught a lesson near the entrance, he’ll come running straight back out.”
“It would be hilarious to watch him flee with his tail on fire.”
“Hey, let’s make a bet. I say he comes out within ten minutes……”
“I say five!”
Their voices faintly reached my ears.
They seemed to be placing bets about me.
To be honest, their behavior felt extremely disrespectful, and for a moment I considered giving those brats a proper lesson.
‘Forget it. They’re only children. Besides, in situations like this, showing them is always faster than arguing.’
Let us see whether they could still say such things after watching me walk out of the dungeon perfectly unharmed.
“Water Bomb.”
BOOOOOOM———!!
A Water Bomb the size of a soccer ball flew into the middle of a pack of Black-Mane Gnolls and exploded with a thunderous roar.
PIERCE! PIERCE! PIERCE! PIERCE! PIERCE!
“YELP!”
“YIPEEE!”
“WHINE, WHINE.”
The power of the Water Bomb was extraordinary.
At the moment of detonation, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of streams of water transformed into spikes and riddled the Black-Mane Gnolls’ bodies with holes.
‘Water Bomb becomes more impressive every time I use it.’
It had not received the Legendary grade without reason.
It consumed noticeably less mana than Thunderbolt.
Its destructive power was inferior to Thunderbolt, but still more than enough to devastate the monsters on the first floor.
It also possessed a considerable attack radius.
Once Sage’s Aura and the Tome of the Sage were added, a single Water Bomb was more than sufficient to overwhelm the monsters of the first floor.
“Water Bomb!”
“Water Bomb!”
“Water!”
I fired Water Bombs without pause.
Whenever my mana ran dry, I simply withdrew a Mana Potion from the Subspace Ring and drank it.
Monsters at my own level were no longer opponents worthy of me.
‘I could probably clear higher-level dungeons.’
I even had enough leisure to entertain idle thoughts.
In no time at all, I reached the Boss Room.
There, I encountered the dungeon boss.
[Lv 6]
[Boss]
[Black-Mane Gnoll Captain]
“Grrrrrrrr.”
The boss stood three or four heads taller than an ordinary Black-Mane Gnoll.
It also walked on two legs.
When it rose and raised its mane, it exuded the oppressive presence of a giant.
“GRAAAAAAAH!!”
It unleashed Fear toward me.
The Fear contained the Abnormal Status (Confusion).
However—
[The Tome of the Sage’s <Status Effect Resistance> has activated.]
That does not work on me.
“Grrr?”
The Black-Mane Gnoll Captain looked slightly bewildered when I remained unaffected.
If your Fear failed, you should have charged at me more fiercely.
Why would you stop and hesitate?
Not that the result would have changed even if it had rushed toward me.
I raised my hand toward the confused creature.
“Thunderbolt.”
Thunderbolt, amplified by Sage’s Aura, struck directly into the Black-Mane Gnoll Captain’s heart.
KRA-KA-KA-KA-KRAK—!!
SHIIIIING!
When I left the dungeon through the exit portal, brilliant light filled my vision and the scenery changed.
[Your level has increased.]
‘Excellent.’
A grin spread across my face at the refreshing sensation rising from within my body.
With this, I had reached Level 6.
I was steadily gaining one level every day.
I had not even experienced the leveling stagnation that supposedly began at Level 5.
At this rate, might I actually reach Level 10 in roughly two weeks?
Just as I was about to check my Status Window with a satisfied expression—
“H-Huh?”
I heard a familiar voice.
When I turned my head, I saw the same children who had invited me to join their party earlier.
“W-What? Didn’t he just come out through the exit portal?”
“Y-Yes. I didn’t imagine it, did I?”
“Did he really clear it alone?”
“Could he be Level 10?”
“Even at Level 10… what kind of Trait would let someone solo the Black-Mane Gnoll Habitat……?”
They stared at me in awe.
Then they hurried over.
“Brother! Did you really clear it alone?”
“Oppa, please carry us too!”
Good grief.
A moment ago, they had been calling me an old man and a middle-aged mister.
Now their forms of address had suddenly changed to Brother and Oppa.
Their shamelessness was almost astonishing.
Still, I could understand why their attitudes had changed.
The Sky Tower was a place governed by survival of the fittest.
A person’s standing was determined by the power they possessed.
In other words, if someone appeared weak, they had little room to complain when treated as weak.
Conversely, countless people eagerly wagged their tails before anyone they recognized as powerful.
Inside the <Sky Tower>, even when an incident occurred, judging the perpetrator under the law was nowhere near as easy as it was outside.
‘Even so, these children are ridiculous.’
To be honest, hearing them make bets behind my back earlier had irritated me.
Now, however, their behavior seemed almost amusingly cute.
‘Is it because they’re young? They aren’t entirely unlikeable.’
I had originally planned to scold them once I cleared the dungeon and encountered them again.
However, I was in a good mood after leveling up.
Watching them now, I wondered why I should become angry with children who were practically babies.
“Yes, I cleared it alone. And what do you mean by carrying you? You wouldn’t gain any Experience that way.”
“No, Oppa. We want to know how you clear dungeons!”
“Hmm. You want to know my secret?”
“Yes!!”
I grinned at them and answered.
“Awaken a ten-star Trait.”
“What?”
“Come on. Do you think we’re idiots?”
“Oppa, you joke too much. Ho. Ho. Ho.”
“If you had awakened a ten-star Trait, why would you be wandering around here? One of the Five Great Clans—or even a famous foreign clan—would have taken you away.”
“Exactly.”
I had told them the truth, but naturally, they assumed I was joking.
Even if I had claimed to possess a nine-star Trait rather than a ten-star one, they would have told me to stop lying.
Obtaining a nine-star Trait was already so impossible that it was comparable to plucking a star from the sky.
“In any case, I told you everything. I’ll be going now. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”
“Yes, Brother. Take care!”
“Next time, please clear a dungeon with us!”
“Goodbye~”
After the brief incident with the children, I found a quiet place with no one nearby.
‘Status Window!’
I wanted to see how my Stats had increased with this level-up.
After gaining 1 Magic Power at Level 4, my Magic Power had once again failed to rise at Level 5.
Still, my Mental Power had increased by 3 at Level 5, so it had not been a bad result.
‘What about this time?’
[Level] 6
[Stats]
Strength: 10
Agility: 9
Vitality: 10(+5)
Magic Power: 3(+5)
Mental Power: 21(+5)
“Oh!”
An exclamation escaped me.
Strength had increased by 1, Agility by 1, Magic Power by 1, and Mental Power by 2.
My Magic Power had successfully increased this time.
‘Today must be my lucky day.’
Not only had my Magic Power risen, but my Mental Power had also increased by 2.
With this, Sage’s Aura amplified my power by 10(+1.6) times.
It was now approaching a twelvefold increase.
‘Excluding my initial Stats, it seems the multiplier rises by 0.1 each time Mental Power increases by one.’
Once my level rose further and I advanced the Tome of the Sage to its maximum grade, amplifying my power by dozens of times might become trivial.
‘Could my Fireball eventually become stronger than another mage’s Hellfire?’
Hellfire was one of the primary spells used by a member of the Great Seven Ascenders known by the epithet Archmage.
Perhaps the day would come when my two-star Fireball surpassed a nine-star Hellfire.
* Phewww. The radius within which I can move has increased again. Excellent.
With my Magic Power increasing by another point, the area Aleon could travel around me expanded slightly.
WHOOSH.
Until recently, he had seemed capable of moving within a radius of roughly two meters.
Now, it had clearly increased.
It appeared to be around two and a half meters.
As I watched Aleon fly around me, a sudden idea flashed through my mind.
‘Oh. Maybe I can use Aleon as a scout later.’
Had Aleon heard that thought, he would undoubtedly have flown into a rage.
Several days passed.
During that time, I continued clearing dungeons without pause.
Before I knew it, I had already reached Level 9.
It was an insane leveling speed.
If I successfully completed the Ascension Trial to the second floor, the result would undoubtedly create a tremendous sensation.
A record-breaking shortest time.
I was no longer becoming a mere super rookie.
I was becoming an ultra-great super rookie.
If I continued growing like this, wealth and fame were practically guaranteed.
‘Everything has gone remarkably smoothly since Yeonhee dumped me.’
Yeonhee, enjoy dating your man who can only reach the sixth floor~
I’ll be playing on the ninth floor among the world-class Ascenders.
I grinned foolishly while imagining my glorious future.
Then—
Stop smiling and consume your elixir.
Yes, Master.
I withdrew a bottle of <Beginner Mana Circuit Improvement Elixir> from the Subspace Ring and drank it.
GLUG!
[Your <Mana Circuits> have been slightly strengthened.]
A System message echoed inside my head.
It was proof that my Mana Circuits were gradually improving.
Without that message, I might not have noticed the elixir’s effects at all.
Of course, I did not know whether it was truly because of the elixir, but my Magic Power had increased by one additional point while advancing from Level 6 to Level 9.
‘In any case, Aleon said the effect grows stronger with consistent long-term consumption.’
Before completing the <Philosopher’s Stone>, I should revive my Mana Circuits as much as possible.
All right.
Let us begin another day of leveling.
At the earliest, I would reach Level 10 today.
At the latest, tomorrow.
That meant it was almost time to prepare for the Ascension Trial.
At that moment—
DING!
A text message arrived on my phone.
‘Who is it?’
The few friends I possessed had all stopped contacting me lately, so there should not have been anyone likely to send me a message.
‘Could it be… Lady Gain?’
My financier… No.
My dependable supporter!
Feeling strangely excited, I hurriedly checked my phone.
[Newly awakened individuals must verify their Awakening at an <Ascender Management Center> within thirty days.]
‘Ah……! I forgot about this.’
After Awakening, a person had to report to an Ascender Management Center within thirty days and officially register as an Ascender.
Anyone discovered after the reporting deadline faced an enormous fine.
The longer someone remained unregistered, the more unimaginably severe the accumulated penalty became.
During the early years, there had reportedly been an Ascender who operated unregistered for several years before being discovered.
According to rumor, the resulting fine was so immense that he would have needed to perform forced labor for the rest of his life.
‘I should take care of it immediately.’
The registration did not require me to reveal the grade or nature of my Trait, so there was no danger of my secret being exposed.
With that thought, I visited the Ascender Management Center.
“There are so many people……”
Had some kind of Ascender boom begun recently?
I had not noticed when I awakened, but apparently the number of non-Ascenders awakening had risen sharply around that time.
Some even claimed that the first floor’s population had doubled compared to before.
Since it had been my first time reaching the first floor, I had no basis for comparison.
However, seeing the center this crowded made it seem that the number of newly awakened people truly had increased.
‘This may take a while.’
Just as I folded my arms and leaned back against the chair—
‘Huh?’
I spotted a familiar face.
‘That man is…….’
The heavyset brute.
He was the same heavyset man I had encountered on the day of the God Tree’s tutorial.
A person who appeared to work at the center was guiding him toward the interior.
‘Why does that man keep bothering me?’
An uneasy feeling arose within me.
At the same time, I looked toward Aleon and murmured.
‘I think the time to use you has arrived sooner than expected.’
What are you talking about?
‘Ah, nothing. I just wanted to ask you a favor.’
I could never tell him that I intended to use him as a scout.
Absolutely not.
A favor?
‘Yes. That heavyset man from earlier keeps striking me as suspicious. Could you secretly see what he came here to do?’
Aleon should be capable of it.
He was like a semi-spiritual being invisible to everyone except me.
He could pass freely through walls.
Therefore, sneaking into the room the man had entered and spying on him should be entirely possible.
‘Of course, I can’t force him if he refuses.’
Aleon might object that assigning him such a task diminished the dignity of a Great Sage.
Hmm. Very well. Ordinarily, asking this noble one to engage in something as base as spying would be unthinkable. However, I shall gladly grant your request this time. That man has also bothered me for reasons I cannot explain.
Unexpectedly, Aleon willingly agreed.
And the purpose behind the man’s visit, which Aleon soon discovered—
‘Good heavens!’
It was something shocking even to me.
Had I not sent Aleon, I might have found myself in serious danger.