Right after the Aracelli Race members disappeared with Cassy, the members of the three ns—Dragon''s Roar, Ironblood Knights, and Light of Glory—stood in confusion, bombarding each other with questions.


    It was Liz who exined the situation while undergoing healing from the few healers present. When they learned they had been under enemy control, the revtion hit them hard, filling the air with a palpable sense of shame.


    They had been so sure they could protect Cassy and the others, confident in their abilities, even feeling insulted when Aster had forcibly taken over. Yet, in the end, their pride meant nothing—they had unwittingly aided the enemy in snatching Cassy back.


    It wasn''t a stretch to say that it was their fault she had been abducted!


    "So, what''s the n now, Leader?" Kali asked once her injuries were sufficiently healed.


    Aster nced around at the girls gathered around him in silence. Kali, Tina, Liz... they were all that was left. Their party, oncerger, now felt empty and lonely.


    There was no other choice now. To save Cassy, they needed to grow stronger—and fast. Aster had to push through floors at a breakneck speed, hunting and leveling up as quickly as possible. With only five days left, there was only one real option.


    "I''m going ahead of you all—alone," Aster dered with grim resolve.


    The girls were too weak in their current state. If they tried to follow him, they''d only slow him down. Leaving them behind was the only way to reach level 100 within the time limit.


    "... Yeah, I figured," Kali sighed, scratching her head. "We''ll stay here on the 20th floor, then—until Cassy returns."


    "..."


    Aster smiled, relieved to see that Kali understood his n without the need for long exnations. Another reason he needed to go ahead alone was to make sure Cassy wouldn''t be left behind. If they all advanced while Cassy was away, it would be nearly impossible for her to catch up once she was freed. Thinking of her future, this was the best option.


    "But first, we should return to the surface."


    Aster needed an update on the situation aboveground. More importantly, he needed to alert Magnus that Cassy had fallen into Lori''s hands. Plus, with him having reached level 50, he needed ess to the ss Exchange Hall to see if his ss could be upgraded.


    His ss rarity was Unique Mythic, an unprecedented level. Since Rare sses get upgraded every 25 levels, up to 10 times, given the pattern, he estimated that Unique Mythic sses are upgraded every 45 levels, with a maximum of 30 times.


    In short, level 50 meant he was due for his first ss Upgrade.


    With a tight schedule ahead of him, Aster went off alone to face the Floor Boss. Meanwhile, Argus, Kali, Tina, and Liz headed toward the camp, preparing to teleport back to the dungeon''s entrance.


    As Aster neared the boss''s summoning zone, a light ball quickly appeared, morphing. Lori''s team had left it untouched, standing just outside the summoning range, so the boss got summoned at once without dy.


    "But I don''t have time to waste."


    Aster drew a temporary weapon to rece his broken sword—a weapon he used daily: a kitchen knife. "Let''s get this over with."


    The summoning finished quickly. Before him stood a towering monster, asrge as a house, its body formed from massive, rusted stones. It was an Elite Rusty Iron Golem, a creature that shouldn''t even appear on the 20th floor.


    *SLASH!*


    But that didn''t matter.


    With one swing of his fire-d kitchen knife, Aster cleaved the golem in two. The burning red edge of his Elemental Sword sh sliced clean through the monster''s stone body, searing its core as if aser had passed through it. In a single hit, the Floor Boss copsed.


    Aster didn''t even blink, taking the result as inevitable. Without hesitation, he moved toward the portal and stepped into the 21st floor.


    ---


    "... And that''s the gist of it."


    Inside Gravenne Tower, two figures sat across from each other, their expressions dim and serious.


    One was a handsome man who appeared to be in his thirties, with semi-long brown hair, sharp red eyes, and a single fang peeking out from the corner of his lips. The other was a young man with ck hair, bundled in thick clothes and wearing a white scarf.


    "I see..." The older man, Magnus, closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "So, Ms. Cassandra has fallen into the enemy''s hands, as expected." His voice was a mixture of disappointment and calcted indifference.


    "You..." Aster''s brow furrowed. "You knew this would happen?" Find your next read at empire


    "Not exactly ''knew,'' but the oue was always a strong possibility."


    Magnus had already been tracking the six Aracelli Race members who entered the dungeon. Given their strength, it was clear that no matter how hard Aster''s team fought, they wouldn''t be able to prevent Cassy''s capture.


    "The fact that yousted over three days? That was a surprise. Your perseverance kept the city''s damage to a minimum."


    Thanks to Aster pulling half of them, all the Aracelli Race members left on the surface had been hunted down safely. He hadn''t been informed of who did the hunting though. He didn''t need to know.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Though peace had been restored, the city hadn''te out unscathed. Buildings had been destroyed, facilities burned, and countless lives lost. Despite these losses, Orinfeld City''s damage was lighterpared to other cities around the country.


    "Anyway, the ss Exchange Hall..." Magnus shifted the topic with a snort, sensing the heavy atmosphere. "It''s up and running again. You can visit now."


    "Thanks. I''ll head there immediately."


    Aster was in a hurry—every second counted. He needed to upgrade his ss, unlock more useful skills, and grow stronger as quickly as possible.


    "Wait."


    Magnus''s voice stopped Aster in his tracks. "What?" Aster turned, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.


    Magnus smiled, clearly enjoying the tension. His tone was leisurely, almost yful, as he said, "I have a way for you to reach level 100 in one day."


    Aster''s eyes widened at the offer. "Really? What is it?!" he demanded, eager to know.


    Magnus''s grin widened, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "I don''t mind telling you... but first, remember our promise? The date''s long passed. You''ll get your answer after you fulfill your part of the deal, Mr. 100% Human—Aster Mistral."