The news of the discovery of the level 38 elite dungeon spread quickly.

Although the achievement of being the first to discover it held significance, once an elite dungeon was found, it became publicly accessible on the map. As long as the seal wasn't broken yet, everyone would start on equal footing.

[Onmyoji 'Chris' (Online)]
- Rain, you must be busy preparing for the dungeon with your party. I’m rushing my party members to get ready too. Let’s give it our all this time as well!

I read the message from Chris.

A smile unconsciously crept onto my lips.

Companions.

Friends.

People I once swore I’d never form bonds with again.

Lately, I’ve found myself thinking that maybe Chris is an exception.

She didn’t pry into my life. She didn’t ask questions about who I was.

Chris simply looked at me with warmth.

But she had her party members to lead.

Chris, thank you so much.

As for me, I still want to do things on my own for a while longer.

It feels like this world has something it wants from me.

I composed a reply, filled with gratitude and a touch of guilt, hoping my feelings would be conveyed properly.

- Yes.

"Uh, um."

Would that response seem too cold?

I’d rarely used messaging before, so I wasn’t very skilled at conveying feelings through text.

Maybe I should add something extra.

I added a small emoticon I’d seen on the internet at the end of the message.

---

I had reached level 38 and met the entry conditions for the next elite dungeon.

Now, before me stood a new challenge: a one-player dungeon in the *Silva Plains*.

As soon as the *Fortress of Aspero* was discovered, this dungeon had revealed itself.

It had been hidden behind the mist, beyond the *Silva Lake* and the vast forest.

[Entry Level: 38]
[One-Player Dungeon]
[Tower of Training]

"A dungeon where you can acquire new skills, huh?"

There wasn’t much information available yet since it had only recently opened, but there were rumors that clearing this tower would grant new class skills.

Now that the next elite dungeon had been revealed, I needed to hurry. It was time to focus on strengthening my foundation.

The tower’s appearance reminded me of Italy’s *Leaning Tower of Pisa*, surrounded by mist, giving it a mysterious atmosphere.

From the entrance onward, the *Tower of Training* was a solo instance dungeon—my own personal challenge.

I’d already soloed group dungeons before. A one-player dungeon shouldn’t be too difficult.

---

[*Tower of Training, First Floor*]

Upon entering the tower, I found myself in a wide, circular room.

*Ooom.*

A magic circle in the center of the hall emitted a resonating sound as something huge appeared.

"Groooar."

A massive figure, at least three times the size of an adult human. It carried a colossal war hammer on its broad shoulders.

It was a familiar sight.

The boss of the level 15 elite dungeon, the *Orc King*.

"Oh, it's been a while."

I grinned. I had a feeling I knew how this tower was structured.

*Tatat.*

Drawing my sword, I lightly stepped forward and charged at the creature.

"Groooaar!"

*Thoom!*

The *Orc King* let out a roar, and its enormous body leaped into the air.

---

[*Tower of Training, Seventh Floor*]

"Kraaagh!"

The body of the demon *Zarcan*, torn apart by my sword, vanished in a flash of light.

I sighed lightly.

"It really is a solo dungeon."

From the first floor to the seventh, I had faced familiar bosses from previous elite dungeons, one by one.

However, they only had HP appropriate for the level 38 dungeon—there were no minions or complicated mechanics, just simplified versions of the bosses.

Any player who had cleared elite dungeons before would have little trouble getting through.

*Thud, thud.*

I quickly sped through the first seven floors and ascended to the eighth.

---

[*Tower of Training, Eighth Floor*]

What awaited me on the eighth floor seemed different from the previous floors.

"Oh."

It was a person.

A middle-aged man with black hair, clad in steel armor.

His armor was different from the ceremonial armor worn by knights of the kingdom or the empire. The countless battle scars etched onto the armor’s surface showed that he had fought in numerous battles.

The greatsword in his hand glowed faintly with a blue light. Was it a magic sword?

As I stepped into the hall on the eighth floor, his eyes, which had been closed, opened slowly. He looked directly at me and nodded slightly.

"To think another has made it this far. I am honored to meet you. I am Jeff, the *Warrior Captain* of the *Doll Kingdom*."

He bowed politely, and I found myself bowing in return.

The *Doll Kingdom* bordered the *Silva Plains*. This tower wasn’t just a challenge for players—it seemed NPCs had their own reasons to challenge it as well.

I smiled as I met his gaze.

So, it’s a competition with NPCs.

"You’ve made it this far, which means you must possess incredible strength despite your slender form. But I have no intention of yielding this place."

*Shing.*

He raised his greatsword, the blue light growing stronger.

Slowly, he assumed a fighting stance.

"Now then, I look forward to an honorable duel."

[Level 38]
[Warrior Captain Jeff]
[HP: 1,000,000/1,000,000]

---

*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*

*Warrior Captain Jeff’s* heavy sword strikes reverberated through my guard, despite my improved stats.

His four-part combo—two horizontal strikes, one diagonal slash, and a powerful upward cut—was dangerous. If I got hit by the final upward slash, I’d be launched into the air, likely followed by a devastating blow.

Even players who breezed through the first seven floors of the tower would likely find themselves struggling against *Jeff*.

However, he wasn’t an elite dungeon boss. His HP was high for a human NPC, but there had to be a way to beat him.

*Clang!*

"Oh."

I watched as my *Starlight Slash* was blocked by his guard, letting out a surprised exclamation.

So, he knew how to block like a swordsman, huh?

In that case...

I acted on instinct.

*Smack!*

"Hah!"

Ducking under his second strike, I planted my palm on the ground and kicked his leg, throwing him off balance and interrupting his combo.

*Tatat!*

I unleashed a barrage of *Starlight Slashes*, leaving multiple scars on his armor.

*Jeff* quickly regained his footing and swung his sword forcefully.

*Clang!*

I blocked the blow with ease, grinning in satisfaction.

This solo dungeon was designed like a PVP encounter. While his patterns were threatening, he wasn’t immune to status effects like an elite boss.

If you couldn’t find an opening, you could simply chip away at his health in this manner.

[Level 38]
[Warrior Captain Jeff]
[HP: 484,027/1,000,000]

*Crash!*

"Ugh!"

The shoulder of *Jeff’s* armor shattered, unable to withstand the repeated strikes of my sword.

It seemed his high HP had been boosted by the durability of his enchanted armor.

However, no matter how threatening his attacks were, if he couldn’t follow through, he was just a target.

But *Jeff* clearly didn’t plan on going down that easily.

*Ooom.*

The blue light of his greatsword intensified, and frost began to spread from the corners of the hall.

A special attack using his magic sword?

I raised my sword vertically, watching his movements closely.

"Haaah!"

His body exuded a chilling aura as he charged at me with a battle cry.

*Wham!*

Dodging the trajectory of his sword, I sliced at his leg, but something caught my blade mid-strike.

It felt similar to the resistance I experienced when using status effects on elite bosses.

I immediately realized what was happening—I couldn’t interrupt this attack.

*Tatat!*

I quickly used a backward dodge to avoid the next three strikes and blocked the fourth. *Clang!*

"Huh!?"

I tried to move, but my feet were stuck. The frost that had spread across the hall had frozen the ground, trapping me.

*Clang!*

I blocked his next strike, beads of cold sweat forming on my forehead as his image blurred into afterimages.

A counterattack.

A shiver ran down my spine, and before his afterimages vanished, I used *Counterattack* to move behind him.

My feet broke free from the ice, and I quickly struck his back with a barrage of *Starlight Slashes* enhanced by the *Vitality Buff*.

*Clang! Pow!*

"Urgh!"

*Jeff* barely managed to raise his sword, but my strikes slipped through his guard, repeatedly hammering his armor.

*Crack!*

"Aaargh!"

The sound of his armor shattering marked the end of the battle.

[Level 38]
[Warrior Captain Jeff]
[HP: 10,000/1,000,000]

---

"This armor is completely destroyed... I liked this one."

"Jeff, you were incredibly strong!"

Even with my poor communication skills, I could at least talk to an NPC. After all, it wasn’t like talking to a real person.

*Jeff* was indeed strong. If he hadn’t been restricted by the one-player dungeon system, he

 would have been a much more dangerous opponent.

"Haha! You flatter me. You’ve reminded me that I’m merely a frog in a well."

I squirmed slightly at his compliment.

Smiling kindly, like a grandfather looking at his grandchild, *Jeff* turned and walked down the tower.

"It was a good fight. I hope you obtain the power you seek at the top of this tower."

*Jeff* was a great warrior.

I bet he’ll end up with a fan club once more players pass through this tower.

---

[*Tower of Training, Ninth Floor*]

The ninth floor was the top of the tower.

The hall was empty, save for a single magic circle.

*Ziiing.*

As I stepped to the edge of the circle, a light scanned over me.

It wasn’t hard to figure out what this meant.

The *Tower of Training* was said to grant skills unique to each class.

I could only guess that the final boss would also be different depending on your class.

*Ooom.*

The sound of the magic circle vibrating filled the room.

*Shing.*

I drew my sword, preparing for the final battle.

The light gathered in the center of the magic circle, forming the shape of a person.

*Fwoosh!*

Before I could react, a cold sensation brushed past my waist.

"Huh."

The world spun around me.

The ceiling, the air, the floor—everything was spinning.

My body... was flying?

Through the dizzying whirlwind of motion, I caught sight of something slowly kneeling.

A human lower half.

No upper body.

Ah.

I’ve been hit.

I didn’t see it.

*Thud.*

---

"Gah…!"

I regained consciousness at the entrance of the ninth floor hall.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

My heart was racing.

I knelt on the ground, clutching my chest, trying to calm my frantic heartbeat.

"Hah… hah…"

After a moment, my breathing and pulse returned to normal, and my mind cleared.

Did I just die?

At least it happened so quickly I didn’t even feel any pain.

It had been a long time since I’d faced death. I hadn’t died even in the last elite dungeon.

"What... what just happened?"

How could a solo dungeon contain an attack I couldn’t react to?

With a 100% synchronization rate, if I couldn’t react, no player could.

What kind of ridiculous monster...

I stared toward the center of the ninth floor hall.

The figure was still there, shrouded in light.

Despite the glowing aura, I could make out the outline.

It was the small body of a girl.

Long hair flowed down her back, with her bangs slightly covering one eye.

In her hand was a familiar-looking sword, known as a sacred blade.

And then, the name interface of the boss appeared before me.

[Level ??]
[Ancient Hero ■■]
[HP: ???/???]