On the twentieth day after reaching Level 3, Genichi finally ground every last stat up to SSS1499.
For these twenty days, with Alise at his side, he had practically slaughtered his way through everything from the nineteenth floor to the twenty-fourth. Sixteen hours of fighting a day, eight hours of rest, over and over, never stopping once.
Monsters fell because they could not endure, or because they were torn apart segment by segment.
Magic stones piled up like mountains. His stats climbed steadily, step by step.
At last, today, the final stat reached its peak.
SSS1499.
Genichi stood in Demeter's room, letting her hand rest against his back as she drew the last stroke.
A moment later, Demeter lightly patted his shoulder.
"All done."
She rose, then turned back and sat on the edge of the bed.
Genichi took the sheet, glanced over it, then, as always, held it to the candle flame and burned it away.
Demeter watched him do it, and something complicated flickered through those amber eyes.
"So next…" She hesitated. "Next is the Black Goliath, right?"
Genichi lifted his head to look at her. In those pitch-black eyes, there was no ripple at all.
"Tomorrow."
His answer was brief, absolute.
Demeter nodded.
She did not ask if he was confident. She did not ask if he needed more preparation. She did not ask him to choose a different path.
Because she knew him. He relied only on himself.
And all she could do was help him.
"Don't worry," Genichi said.
"As long as you release your divine presence once inside the Dungeon. The moment it's done, I'll send you back immediately." He paused. "You won't be in any danger."
Demeter looked at him. Warmth glimmered softly in her amber eyes.
"You know…" Her voice was light. "I'm not worried about myself."
Genichi fell silent.
Of course he knew.
She was worried about him.
Worried he would be hurt, that he would die, that he would not come back.
But what could he say?
That he would return safely?
That he had prepared for everything?
That he had Alfia, Alise, Apparition, and a dozen other hidden cards?
She already knew all of that.
And she would still worry.
That was Demeter.
After a quiet moment, Genichi finally spoke.
"I'll be fine…"
His voice was calm, yet carried a certainty that made people want to believe him.
Demeter stared at him. Turbulent emotions rose and churned behind her eyes.
She knew she could not stop him.
She had known it from the very beginning.
This boy possessed a will like steel, a resolve that would not bend until it achieved its goal. No one could stand in the way of what he chose to do.
And she did not want to stand in his way.
She only wanted one thing.
For him to come back safe.
Demeter stepped forward, opened her arms, and gently hugged him.
Genichi's body stiffened for a fraction of a second, then relaxed.
He simply stood there, letting her hold him.
"No matter what…" Demeter's voice brushed his ear, soft but firm. "Come back safe."
Genichi was quiet for a beat. Then he lifted a hand and lightly patted her back.
"Yeah. I will."
Early the next morning.
Sunlight spilled through the window, bathing the room in a warm, golden glow.
Genichi finished gearing up and checked the supplies in his storage pouch one last time.
Everything was ready.
He pushed the door open and stepped out.
Demeter was already waiting outside.
She wore dark casual clothes, a black cloak draped over her shoulders, hiding half of her honey-colored hair and half of those amber eyes.
When she saw Genichi, she gave a small nod.
"Let's go."
Genichi walked to her side and took her hand.
Demeter's fingers closed around his.
Warm. Soft.
The next second, the air snapped.
Apparition.
With a sharp crack, their figures vanished from where they stood.
Dungeon, seventeenth floor.
A vast space. A towering ceiling. Dim, oppressive light.
The air itself felt heavy, as if some colossal thing were lurking deep in the shadows.
Genichi and Demeter appeared out of nowhere.
Demeter scanned the surroundings. A complicated feeling flashed through her amber eyes.
So this was the seventeenth floor.
The place this boy had once challenged alone.
"Begin," Genichi said, pulling her back from her thoughts.
Demeter drew in a slow breath and nodded.
Then she closed her eyes.
In the next instant, an invisible pressure burst outward from her body.
Divine presence.
The authority of a god, enough to make mortals collapse to their knees.
Even though it was not aimed at Genichi, he still felt that soul-deep tremor.
Gods were terror made real.
And the Dungeon's answer to Demeter's divine presence was rage.
A thunderous rumble rolled through the space.
The entire floor began to shake violently.
The ground quivered. The walls shuddered. Pebbles and fragments rained down from the ceiling.
The tremors grew harsher, more frenzied, as if the Dungeon itself were roaring in fury.
In the next moment, the wall of the seventeenth floor split open.
A massive hand reached slowly out of the seam.
That hand was black.
Black skin. Black nails. Black flesh.
Completely unlike the gray hide of an ordinary Goliath.
Genichi's pupils tightened.
The Black Goliath.
It worked.
The giant hand clamped onto the edge of the裂 opening and tore.
The wall ripped apart like paper, and a hulking figure stepped through.
Over six meters tall, even larger than a normal Goliath.
Its entire body was coated in black skin, muscles knotted and bulging like a living mountain.
Its eyes were deep red, glittering with bloodlust in the darkness.
Those eyes locked onto Demeter.
Locked onto the god who had just released divine presence.
Genichi did not hesitate.
He seized Demeter's hand in an instant.
Crack.
Apparition triggered.
Right under the Black Goliath's stare, Demeter and Genichi vanished.
They reappeared in Demeter's room.
Demeter stumbled, bracing herself against the table before she could steady her footing.
The sensation of Apparition was truly unpleasant.
But she had no time to care.
Her hands gripped the window frame so hard her knuckles went pale, her eyes reddening.
"…Be careful…"
Her voice was barely more than a tremble.
"Come back safe… No matter what…"
"I'm going," Genichi said.
With a soft crack, his figure disappeared from Demeter's room.
On the seventeenth floor, Genichi faced the Black Goliath.
He could feel the pressure radiating from that enormous monster, far beyond an ordinary Goliath.
Level 5, maybe even Level 6.
But he did not retreat.
He tightened his grip on his blade and took a slow breath.
Then he charged.
(End of Chapter)
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