"Hello Maki, I've been waiting for you." Luks was dressed in a single-color training outfit, his appearance giving off a strong military aura. His clothes resembled those of someone from the army, his hair was cut in a soldier's style, his gaze was sharp and penetrating, and his tone was steady and serious. "Hello, Luks." I checked the time at his words—I had arrived five minutes earlier than agreed. Had this guy already been waiting? He asked me to follow him into a room where we could talk in peace.

His house was impressive, very similar to the Timal family's estate. According to Arisa, barons and viscounts were granted the same size of land to build their vast houses, but they couldn't exceed a certain limit unless they rose in rank. Counts were granted larger plots—in this case, since there were only two counts within the marquisate, the other mansions were used whenever higher-ranked nobles visited the city.

My conversation with Luks was calm and straightforward. He was also curious about me and my strength. His expression faltered slightly when I told him about my future—he would attend the school in the marquisate, while I would be moving far away, meaning we couldn't train together. I recommended he train with the girls at school. Someone with his strength wouldn't be a bad addition to their group.

Training together and being part of a group are very different things. The first is mutually beneficial, but the second demands trust—trust in your companions to survive situations where death breathes down your neck. If the girls chose to train with him or let him join them, that would be their choice entirely.

I probed his Imra as subtly as possible. He didn't seem to be lying—his answers were frank and straightforward. He seemed like a decent guy. He'd been taken in by the viscount when he was still very young, after his parents had been killed in a monster attack within Count Bonilla's territory. When his affinity and potential were discovered, the viscount had formally adopted him.

The only sensations I picked up from his Imra were serenity, self-confidence, and good intentions. I sensed no ill will toward me or the girls. If he did have darker thoughts, then he was hiding them perfectly, but for now, I could consider him a trustworthy person—someone worth knowing.

Before we parted, he made me promise to visit again before returning to my hometown or heading to Skyblue River City. I accepted without hesitation. "Luks really gives off the air of a soldier—that must run in his family." We touched briefly on the subject, and it turned out his was one of the few families wholly devoted to serving the marquisate and the empire.

They had been the empire's sword and shield for generations. If conflict or war arose, they would always be the first to step forward. They were a military family through and through. They had never had trouble with the empire and had never been suspected of treason—that alone said a lot about their character. It was also another reason the girls would feel safe letting him join their group.

The day flew by. When I wasn't training, my thoughts kept circling back to the dungeon. My mind refused to stop imagining the thousands of possibilities waiting inside. Only when I was fully focused on not losing an arm or a leg while training with the bracelets did I manage to forget the dungeon for a while.

The dungeon was located within the estate grounds of the gigantic mansion, though several kilometers away from the castle itself. Security was no joke—there were many ruby-rank guards patrolling the entrance, and they had ways of contacting the marquis directly if anything happened. I wouldn't be surprised if a diamond-rank guard was hidden somewhere as well, ready to prevent larger problems.

We walked a long distance through several enchanted passageways. You needed the right mana and Imra signature to open them. With my limited experience, I could only deduce one thing: a ruby-ranker wouldn't even scratch these enchantments. Finally, we reached a vast underground chamber, spacious, pristine, and immaculate.

In the center stood a massive, beautifully decorated platform. The golden dungeon gleamed fiercely before me. I was the only one who stepped forward alongside Julio. "Are you ready?" the marquis asked, his eyes on the dungeon before us.

I turned to see the three girls and Camux cheering me on. I answered with my best smile and a thumbs-up. "Yes, I'm ready." I looked down at the bracelets strapped to my arms and legs. My body was in excellent physical condition, and my mind was focused entirely on the challenge ahead.

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"Gase and Ho also wish you good luck. Gase left you this message: 'I'll beat you senseless if you don't clear all eight floors and get the best reward.' Don't make her angry—it's terrifying when she's angry." Julio leaned toward my ear to whisper.

"I definitely don't want to be beaten by her. I'll give it everything I've got." I chuckled softly at her words. She really would force me to fight for hours, cutting or breaking my limbs and making me heal over and over just to keep training.

I gave one last glance back at the four people behind me. The three girls all shouted good luck at once, while Camux just crossed his arms with a broad grin. "See you soon." I bid Julio farewell and stepped into the center. The moment I touched the dungeon, I felt myself being pulled inside by a strange force.

For a few seconds, I floated in a black void, feeling something scan me inside and out. This had to be what Julio mentioned—the dungeon analyzing me to determine my opponents. I wouldn't be facing monsters of a fixed rank, but rather foes calibrated to match my power and test my abilities.

The unsettling sensation in the darkness vanished. My vision adjusted quickly, and I found myself standing on a small golden platform. Its circuits and engravings were exquisite, truly befitting the nobility.

"Welcome to this Hero's Dungeon. You are on the first floor, challenger." The robotic voice of the omnipresent words rang in my mind. "Defeat the Red-Chested Gorilla to clear this floor." Just one opponent? That sounded easy.

I stepped off the platform and followed the "marked" path ahead. There was no sign or indicator—simply a trail where no trees grew in this forest. I took that open path as the way toward the Red-Chested Gorilla. Minutes later, I found him, sprawled across a huge black rock, chest up, looking completely unconcerned, as if nothing in the world could challenge him.

"Stupid ape." My insult made him react instantly. I wasn't sure if he understood my words or if it was simply my presence, but he snapped to full alert, staring at me, waiting for my move before deciding his own.

Since this was a trial of strength, I didn't hold back. I summoned my best armor, conjured two Joyeuse blades, and prepared myself to strike. "Let's test your strength first." It was probably foolish of me—to compare myself with a gorilla boasting absurdly massive arms and standing close to two meters tall. But my curiosity wouldn't let me walk away without finding out.

The gorilla's expression shifted the moment he saw me fortify my body. His face turned deadly serious, and he roared while beating his massive crimson chest. Orange flames burst across his arms and legs. Before I could taunt him further, the beast was already charging toward me.

"You're fast." I couldn't fathom how such a hulking body could move with this speed—it was almost as fast as me at full burst with my electrical affinity boosting my legs. I didn't back down. Without fear, I stepped forward to trade blows. His arm ignited with an explosive force, driving his fist at my chest with terrifying speed. I crossed my swords in an X-block, thinking I could hold, but I was wrong. The blow lifted me off the ground and sent me flying.

I twisted midair and landed without too much trouble, though my arms throbbed painfully, nearly numbed from that single strike. My swords were chipped, almost shattered from one hit. "You're ridiculously strong, gorilla." I doubted he understood, but he lowered into a stance, ready to charge again.

"As if I'd let you hit me twice." At the sound of another explosion, his arm rocketed forward. I ducked at the perfect moment, slipping into his guard, and thrust my right blade toward his abdomen. But this mountain of muscle wasn't just strong in his limbs. His mana, Imra, and sheer body density dulled nearly all the impact, leaving only a shallow cut.

The gorilla glanced at his abdomen, noticing the creeping death-mana corroding from the wound. Without hesitation, he burned the injury shut with his own flaming hand. His intelligence was crude, his speed and skills inferior to mine, but his strength and defense were on another level.

The fight turned into a deadly dance. I dodged each punch and kick by mere centimeters, chipping away at him with precise strikes. Sometimes I had to block, which left my blades battered, forcing me to reinforce them with mana on the spot. Slowly but surely, accumulated damage weakened him, draining his stamina, speed, and agility. My blows landed more often.

"It's time to put you to sleep for good, big guy." Slipping past a left jab, I drove both blades deep into his chest. I hadn't expected his counter. With reckless abandon, his right arm detonated and smashed into me even as his bones cracked from the force. I couldn't dodge in time—I could only block with my arm.

The strike shattered my Warlike Architecture, hurling me backward. My arm hung limp, shattered to pieces, blood dripping from torn flesh. Yet as his triumphant grin faded, he watched in disbelief as my mangled arm knit itself back together. I lifted it before his fading eyes. With that final sight, he closed his eyes forever and fell to the ground.

"Congratulations, challenger! First floor cleared." The voice echoed in my mind, accompanied by glowing words. "Your parameters have been recalculated for the following floors. You will be transported to the next in one hour, or you may advance immediately by shouting 'next' on the platform."

"I need to recover some mana." That gorilla had forced me to spend more than I liked. I would use this time to rest and prepare my tank at full capacity for the next floor. And I also needed to analyze a few things.

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