"Hey, I heard from the others that your strength has grown. Is that true?"
At Stella's home, the members of the Morning Breeze squad had gathered. They had rushed over as soon as they heard she'd been harassed by some street punks.
But when they saw her—unscathed, radiating confidence, even more vibrant than before—they finally relaxed.
Stella smiled reassuringly, warmth flickering in her eyes. Their concern made her feel unexpectedly happy.
"I went back and healed that thug before beating him up again. He was pretty strong," she said casually.
Gibbs raised a brow. "Strong enough to match you, I'd say. But the rumors on the street say you flattened him instantly. Care to explain that?"
"In truth," Stella replied, leaning back slightly, "I ran into something strange in the Dungeon."
And so, she recounted everything: the summoning with Furlcalling Finger Remedy, the unexpected allies and hostile fighters, Bloodhound's Step, the bonfires, and the ability to level up at those fires.
Every detail left her companions wide-eyed.
"What did that potion look like? And that person who helped you—was he alive?" Dany asked.
"I'm more curious about the bonfire," Gibbs muttered, leaning forward.
"Right, right," Ellie chimed in, her eyes bright with curiosity. "You said just by killing monsters, you can… what was the word? In the 'panel' you can 'level up'? What's this 'panel,' anyway?"
As Stella expected, it was the bonfire that fascinated them most.
For adventurers, strength was everything. If something existed that could make them stronger—fast—they'd grab at it without hesitation.
"Basically," Stella explained, "after you kill monsters, you gain souls. You can use those souls at the bonfire to level up."
"Souls!?" Mage Ellie's voice sharpened in alarm. "Using souls for power is a blasphemy reserved for necromancers!"
"Ah, not the kind of soul you're thinking of." Stella waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway—will you use it or not?"
"…I'll use it," Ellie admitted after a pause.
"There you go then."
Clapping her hands, Stella stood up. "Talking's useless. Tomorrow, I'll take you all to see it for yourselves."
.
..
...
The next morning, they arrived at the entrance to the Sein Dungeon.
The dungeon's surface was an ancient fortress in ruins—its walls crumbled, its stones cloaked in moss and strangling vines. Time had gnawed it hollow. The silence of its broken towers whispered of some forgotten calamity. Who had once lived here? Why had this fortress fallen?
Now, however, the place pulsed with life. Adventurers thronged the area, merchants had patched up shattered houses and turned them into makeshift shops, and the noise rivaled Bedford City's busiest streets. Hawkers bellowed their wares. Even unrelated peddlers had set up stalls, lured by the gold flowing from adventurers' hands.
Onlookers gathered in clumps to gawk and gossip about the adventurers, and of course, taverns bloomed like weeds, thriving on the endless traffic.
Under the morning sun, the long-dead fortress seemed alive again.
"Is it just me, or has the crowd gotten even bigger?" Ellie asked, scanning the bustling scene.
"Mostly miners," Dany replied. "The Count doubled their numbers. That's the only reason blood-crystal production is barely steady after the mutation."
"Doesn't that mean he's losing money?" Gibbs asked, frowning.
"No," Stella said, shaking her head. "Every few days, a miner finds a rare purple blood-crystal. Even a small shard offsets the entire investment."
"Oh…" Gibbs nodded slowly, though his blank expression suggested he didn't quite get it.
The number of miners had doubled, but adventurers hadn't increased much. Sein Dungeon's sudden spike in difficulty had scared many off, though new blood trickled in from elsewhere. With fewer casual adventurers and more hardened veterans, the dungeon's reputation—and allure—would only grow.
At the far end of the ruined fortress loomed the true entrance: a teleportation gate. To enter, you had to queue, waiting for strict time intervals.
If you entered within two minutes of another, you'd be grouped into the same instance. Miss that window, and you'd be sent into a separate one—alone.
Queueing was the worst part of adventuring—worse even than Sein Dungeon's poisonous swamps.
After what felt like an eternity, the squad finally got through.
Stella moved ahead with easy confidence, leading them through the upper levels and clearing the swamp in record time. When they reached Blighttown, she slid the large shield from her back with a grin.
Gibbs twitched at the sight. "I've been meaning to ask why you're lugging that thing around… but don't tell me you plan to actually use it here?"
"Why not?"
She shrugged, hefted the shield and her spear, and strode forward. Over her shoulder, she called, grinning,
"Wanna try it? I swear, you'll fall in love with it."
Gibbs hesitated, then shook his head.
Dany and Ellie—both physically weaker—didn't even consider it.
But minds can change.
After watching Stella plow through monsters like an unstoppable wall, Gibbs blurted,
"Actually… let me try it?"
Stella laughed, recalling Maldron's words. "Want to learn? I'll teach you."
Moments later—
"Shield-poke is so fun!" Gibbs bellowed like a kid with a new toy.
Before long, they brought down the Giant Basilisk and lit the bonfire. With Stella—who had cleared the area before—guiding them, they made it through with only minor injuries and no deaths.
That wasn't to say it wasn't terrifying.
The dungeon's sadistic traps nearly drove them insane. Each step felt like gambling with their lives. Mentally, it was almost as crushing as losing a teammate. And while the shield was powerful, it wasn't invincible; they often had to fall back on their old weapons.
At the bonfire, as soon as they sat down, the other three cried out in shock—finally seeing the panel with their own eyes.
Last time, Stella had fought almost everything alone, racking up thousands of souls.
This time, the kills were split among four. Dany and Ellie had a few hundred each, while Gibbs had over two thousand.
"I need over four hundred souls to level up once," Dany murmured.
"Huh? I only need two hundred," Ellie gasped.
"…I need over a thousand," Gibbs grumbled.
Apparently, the stronger you were to start with, the more souls it cost to advance.
The Giant Basilisk had also dropped an item: Soul of the Giant Basilisk. But there was only one.
After some debate, they gave it to Gibbs, since he had contributed the most in battle.
Stella discovered she could no longer use such souls for special effects—it could only be broken down into regular souls for leveling. Apparently, each person had a limit to these unique benefits.
"Strength! I can feel the strength pouring into me!" Gibbs roared as he dumped all his points into Strength. With the veins bulging on his arms and his ecstatic shout, add a golden aura and he'd look like a Super Saiyan.
Dany added a point to Agility, Ellie to Intelligence. Even one level-up felt incredible. Though the boosts were modest, their excitement was obvious.
"With this," Ellie said, eyes gleaming with ambition, "even reaching Gold-rank adventurer won't be a problem!"
"Don't be so sure," Stella cautioned. "Once others discover this, some might grow even faster than us."
Dany stared at the flames of the bonfire, deep in thought, and murmured:
"This kind of thing… is best kept within us."