It's so quiet now that he's gone. I almost forgot what I should be doing, and where I should go.

  With a long sigh, I opened my status window again.

  Name: Makoto Tanaka

  Level: 155

  Gender: Male

  Race: Human

  Age: 17.4

  Class: Grunt (F Rank)

  [STAT POINTS AVAILABLE: 775]

  [Stats]

  320 STR.

  320 INT.

  320 DEX.

  320 VIGOR.

  320 RES.

  "... Level 155, huh?" I murmured as I looked at my status window.

  'Hmm...' I ran my hands along my arms, chest, ribs. 'I feel... lighter. Orders of magnitude lighter.'

  And...

  'I can see better,' I realized, sweeping my gaze across the dark floor. This place had always been pitch black. A void. Yet now, without the mushroom's glow, I could see everything — the end of the corridor, the arches, the cracks in the far wall. All of it.

  I drew in a slow breath.

  The air here used to be stale. Heavy. Breathing felt like dragging smoke into my lungs.

  But now... it barely bothered me at all.

  I also stopped feeling cold. Completely.

  'This has to be tied to my stats. My levels. Something changed... Right?'

  I pulled up the stat window again.

  '320 Strength, is it? Just...' I shifted into a stance, knuckles tightening. 'How strong am I?'

  I swung my fist at the empty corridor as hard as I could.

  A gust of wind burst forward. Even the big pieces of rubble shook from the force of my punch.

  But despite that... Despite the awe at my own strength I felt climbing from my abdomen...

  'I still don't see myself killing you with this strength.' I thought, glancing back at the corpse.

  'You were really something, mutt.' My gaze lingered on him for a few more seconds before looking away again.

  Then I looked at the nearby wall and punched it hard.

  BANG.

  CRACK.

  It broke. The entire section between the pillars collapsed and fell onto me. I didn't feel the need to dodge. I simply lifted my hand and caught the thick piece of wall that was nearly the size of that rotten mutt.

  'I... am holding this with one hand now.'

  The old me... the one who arrived here god knows when... he would've been ecstatic.

  "Finally, I'm strong enough to fight back," he'd probably say.

  But I know better.

  'I'm an F-Rank. Who knows how many hidden debuffs I have that an S-Rank, or even B-rank doesn't? Who's to say he… is not level 300 by now?'

  'This is no time to relax.'

  I tossed the rubble aside and walked toward the corpse.

  'Either way... This is odd.'

  'I know for a fact that mutt was leagues stronger than this.'

  'So why didn't you dig yourself out? Why didn't you escape the dungeon while I was reviving?'

  I knelt closer to his belly...

  ...just in time to watch it crumble into black smoke.

  'Hmm?'

  And then the message appeared:

  [DROPS AUTOMATICALLY MOVED INTO YOUR INVENTORY (Bottomless Item Storage [EX]):]

  [Abyssal Knight's Greatsword x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Longsword x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Shortsword x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Greatshield x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Shield x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Staff x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Spellbook x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Dagger x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Bow x1 (EX)]

  [Abyssal Knight's Quiver x1 (EX)]

  [Skill Stone x2]

  'Oh?' I thought as I opened my inventory and examined one of the Abyssal Knight's weapons.

  I focused on the greatsword.

  [Abyssal Knight's Greatsword x1 (EX)]

  'Hmm... I suppose I could use a weapon, right?' I thought, pulling the Greatsword out of the inventory.

  CRACK.

  "FUCK!" It slipped instantly, slamming to the ground with zero impact on the floor but almost dislocating my arm from the sheer weight.

  'I'm... unable to lift it!?' I stared in disbelief. 'Me?! I just punched a wall to dust... I can lift one to three tons like they're nothing... but I can't use this sword?!'

  I growled, grabbed the hilt with both hands, and pulled with everything I had.

  The sword didn't move. Not a centimeter.

  '...Fine,' I exhaled. 'I guess there's a reason for it. That mutt was level 1000 while I'm only 155. Maybe this gear is literally locked to beings that strong.'

  I dragged my digital inventory window across it to place it back in.

  'Hm... well, it's not like I need a massive weapon. I'll just settle for a normal sword.'

  I pulled out the [Abyssal Knight's Longsword x1 (EX)].

  Same result. Instantly dropped.

  'FINE. Longsword, shortsword, doesn't matter. I'll use the [Abyssal Knight's Shortsword x1 (EX)] instea—'

  Same.

  'Dagger—'

  Same. Straight to the floor.

  '...Do I even want to try the spellbook or the staff at this point...?' I sighed. That's when I opened my inventory again, reading the Greatsword's description:

  [DESCRIPTION:]

  A colossal blade forged for beings far beyond humans or Gods alike. Its force crushes even Black Steel, its presence warps air and matter around it, and only those above level 1000 are able to move it. To the unworthy, it might as well be a mountain disguised as steel.

  [ABILITIES: SECTION LOCKED. Your level is too low to view this section!]

  'Alright. So...' I sighed again, 'These weapons will practically collect dust in my inventory.'

  I looked at my hand.

  'This confirmed what I already guessed.' I thought to myself.

  'I'm way behind.'

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  A pause.

  After a deep breath, I opened my inventory again; noticing the [Skill Stone x2] I received; immediately taking them out and breaking the two of them.

  [DING!]

  [You have obtained a new skill!]

  [You have obtained a new skill!]

  [Skill: Inspect Item (EX)]

  DESCRIPTION:

  A foundational appraisal skill granting minimal insight into the physical world. Allows the user to identify the name, material, rarity, and basic properties of items, equipment, and simple objects within arm's reach. Does not reveal hidden effects, enchantments, combat stats, monster information, or anything related to living beings. Accuracy improves slightly with the user's level.

  NOTES:

  Cannot analyze living things. Advanced artifacts may return incomplete or unreadable results.

  [COST: --]

  [Cooldown: --]

  [Bound to your soul. Immune to nullification. Cannot be stolen or copied.]

  'Sounds useful… Now for the second Skill stone…'

  [SKILL: Dungeon Gateway (EX)]

  DESCRIPTION:

  A privilege granted only to the one who conquered the Final Guardian's domain. This skill engraves your existence into the dungeon's core, allowing you to open a personal gateway from anywhere in the world—or beyond it—straight to the last location you visited within the dungeon.

  You may also exit the dungeon instantly, appearing exactly where you stood before entering.

  [Note: This skill saves locations you’ve been to (does not include locations you’ve been to before acquiring this skill!)]

  [Cost: —]

  [Cooldown: —]

  [Bound to your soul. Immune to nullification. Cannot be stolen or copied.]

  'I could leave this place, then.' I sighed, staring at the Gateway skill. ‘Though, if it’s just that, why in the world does this skill save locations? For what purpose?’

  '....'

  I shook my head.

  '... Either way, the last place I've been to was the King's castle.' I turned off the screen.

  'I can't risk leaving just yet.'

  'I have to keep getting stronger here.'

  'There could be level 200s or higher near the castle. If I go now, I might get locked away forever by the guards...' I clenched my fist and stood, walking toward the gateway that led into the Ninth Circle.

  'Guess I'm staying here.'

  'I've gotten used to dying anyway. And I'd die a million more times...'

  Clenching my fist.

  '... Before giving Kazuya… or any of them a single reason to be smug about themselves one moment too long.'

  '... Alright.' I sighed, looking at the newly unlocked door.

  It was time for me to move to the next level.

  I replayed the memories of death in my mind.

  'Even that,' I thought, 'Is better than being Kazuya's toy again.'

  'Go forward..!'

  I walked to the great doorway and pushed it open.

  The Ninth Circle.

  The corridor looked identical to the Final Circle's. Same stone. Same arches. Same yawning dark. But through my enhanced vision, it appeared cleaner. Tidier. Safe, even.

  'Since this is the Ninth Circle... the monster(s(?)) should be weaker, right?' I thought, almost letting myself feel relief before the memory hit.

  The mutt.

  The thing that dwarfed me then and still dwarfs me now.

  'The only way I managed to kill him was by being an immortal rat he couldn't shake off. All that bashing I did... it annoyed him to death. Nothing more.'

  I glanced at my stats again.

  'I suppose I'm... not a fly anymore,' I thought, though my fingers tightened instinctively into a fist. 'But I shouldn't assign these yet. Not until I know what actually matters.'

  What if Strength didn't matter here?

  What if Dexterity changed everything?

  What if Resistance meant curse immunity?

  What if Vigor kept me alive long enough to learn something?

  'I need to stay alert... I can't be careless. I just can't—'

  The world blurred.

  A whistle in the air.

  A flash of green.

  A sharp sting across my torso.

  Then nothing.

  No dreams. No thoughts.

  Darkness.

  My vision snapped back an instant later, face-down on the stone where the mutt died in the Final Circle.

  'I just died, didn't I?'

  I blinked the dizziness away, inhaled once, rolled my shoulder until it cracked. My armor reflected the faint dungeon glow like an exhausted second skin.

  'Okay... that thing was fast. Really fast.'

  I stood, brushed the dust off my gauntlets, and retraced my steps to the Ninth Circle's entrance. I stopped right at the threshold and stared into the void beyond.

  'I can't just walk in like a jackass. I need to know what killed me.'

  And the only stat that made sense was one.

  Dexterity.

  'Would increasing that help me react next time?' I thought, pulling up the stat window.

  [STAT POINTS AVAILABLE: 775]

  [Stats]

  320 STR

  320 INT

  320 DEX

  320 VIGOR

  320 RES

  'I guess I have enough stat points to experiment... I hope.'

  I exhaled once, steadying myself.

  'Increase Dex by 180.'

  The numbers shifted instantly.

  [STAT POINTS AVAILABLE: 775 → 595]

  [DEX: 320 → 500]

  A pressure rolled through my limbs like invisible strings tightening and snapping back into place. My fingers twitched. My vision stretched, sharpened, expanded at the edges; like a POV slider in games getting dragged to the right. The room became even brighter.

  'Five hundred Dexterity...' I flexed my hands slowly, watching the faint movement blur then refocus. 'That's almost twice what I had a second ago.'

  My heartbeat tapped faster from the inside, matching the stat screen.

  'If that thing relied on speed... this should at least let me see it coming.'

  I closed the window.

  'I hope.'

  I turned toward the wall. And something in me whispered that I could do things now that were impossible a minute ago. My body felt wound tight, tuned, coiled like a bowstring ready to snap.

  "Hrm!" I burst forward, the stone floor spider-cracking under my boots as I accelerated. I flicked my weight, planted a foot, and ran straight up the wall.

  '!!'

  One meter.

  Three.

  Six.

  My legs carried me like I was climbing a flat road, not a vertical surface. By the time I reached the ceiling, a strange certainty washed over me; if I wanted, I could keep going. I could run across every inch of stone in this dungeon like it was a map unfurled before me.

  I stopped, crouched at the upper corner, and pushed off.

  The flip came naturally. Midair, I felt the seven-meter drop stretch below me, yet some instinct inside me whispered that seven meters, right now...

  THUD.

  ...was nothing more than stepping off a tree root.

  The ground shattered beneath me, cracks fanning out like a broken ritual circle, but my body took no impact. My armor groaned louder than my bones. My joints didn't feel weight, force, or shock. It was like falling in weak gravity. I didn't even need to bend my knees.

  I landed standing. Steady. Effortless. Alive in a way that felt... unfair.

  "Hah." I let out a chuckle. I hadn't known I still had that.

  'I think... I love doing backflips now. And wallrunning.'

  As that crooked smile tugged at my mouth... something else rose inside me.

  Hard.

  I turned toward the corridor wall and felt the urge climb up my spine like a command written into my bones.

  I punched.

  "OOH!" I barked as the wall cracked, then exploded into shards. Dust, rubble, the entire dungeon trembling like a beast waking up under my feet.

  'ANOTHER.'

  I struck again.

  A crater formed. AN ACTUAL, circular dent sunk deep into the stone as if I had just pressed my thumb into soft dough.

  My fist clenched on its own.

  "180 INTO STRENGTH." I demanded.

  The system reacted instantly.

  [STAT POINTS AVAILABLE: 595 → 415]

  [STR: 320 → 500]

  The change was nothing like Dexterity.

  Dex changed how I moved.

  Strength changed how I existed.

  A crushing density flooded my muscles, tendons, even my bones. Not heavy, no… more like something primordial settling into me, a pressure that demanded to be unleashed. My arms hummed with potential. My heartbeat deepened, each thud echoing through my ribs like distant war drums.

  I exhaled.

  The air vibrated.

  My grip tightened again, the metal gauntlet bent inwards against my palm - but did not manage to damage or cut it at all. I could feel it. The steel was the one getting bruised this time.

  'Holy... this is what five hundred Strength feels like?'

  I raised my hand.

  It didn't feel like a hand anymore.

  It felt like a weapon waiting for a target.

  I looked up at the stone ceiling. Dust drifted down in lazy trails from the vibration of my last two hits. I bent inward, tightening my calves, clenching my fists, coiling my muscles like springs ready to rupture.

  The dungeon trembled again. The stone beneath me cracked just from the tension running through my body.

  'But who gives a fuck..!'

  I didn't care.

  I launched myself upward.

  A violent blast erupted where my feet had been. Stone didn't break this time, it pulverized, reduced to dust and expelled outward in a rippling shockwave as I slammed into the ceiling.

  For a brief heartbeat I stood on it, balanced on inverted stone like gravity was a suggestion. I looked down at the floor far below and readied my fist. There was one more thing I hadn't tried yet.

  I pushed off the ceiling.

  I fell like a dropped anvil, every nerve coiling for impact. And in that split-microsecond before landing, I triggered it.

  "[HARD SWING]!!"

  STRENGTH: 500 → 1000

  My fist met stone.

  A detonation. Louder than any bomb, any scream, any collapse I'd ever heard had ripped through the dungeon. The ground buckled. Walls collapsed. Dust and debris blasted outward.

  A crater twice my height swallowed me as I crashed into it, my knees finally forced to bend under the force.

  My arms burned. The gauntlets shattered around my fists, metal fragments skittering across the floor. What remained were my bare hands, exposed to the cold dungeon air.

  'My hands... haah...'

  STRENGTH: 1000 → 500

  I stared at them. The hands I hadn't seen in what felt like months, always hidden under armor. They looked...

  "Muscular," I muttered.

  Veins coiled around my knuckles like etched lightning. My forearm was nearly as thick as my palm. My fingertips were rough, hardened, a fighter's skin. The metal around me began to reform, crawling back into shape over my arms thanks to the Gear Maintenance skill.

  My hands trembled once. A sting ebbed through them, but it vanished instantly.

  'Another stat at work... maybe.'

  But that didn't matter.

  Because the fire rising inside me, the thing screaming for release… was stronger than ever.

  I clenched my fists, bit my lip, and exhaled as the steel rewrapped my arms.

  'I need to focus. I'm still an F-Rank. And there are still nine more floors left to conquer.'