An Extra’s POV

"Huu…"

Once Rey was done collecting all the Monster Cores, he heaved a heavy sigh.

As misty breaths escaped his lips and nostrils, he could clearly see the gateway to the next Floor.

The doorway existed at the furthest end of the ring—almost as if it was being guarded by the Boss Rey had just defeated.

That was his next destination.

"I Leveled Up three times just now…" Rey mumbled, realizing just how much EXP he must have received from the Boss and his minions.

With every Level Up, it got increasingly difficult to do so again.

Considering the fact that Rey had Leveled Up a total of five times before reaching the Boss Room by killing hundreds upon hundreds of BigFoot Monsters, it was surprising that he was able to Level Up three times just from a hundred others and a Boss.

'The BigFoot Monsters here were holding weapons, so they're probably stronger than the ones I faced outside…' Was Rey's line of reasoning.

The Boss had to also be quite strong.

With those thoughts in mind, Rey was happy he didn't dawdle at all.

'I still have about two hours left. I can still challenge the next Floor, right?'

Rey knew he was pushing it, but he liked his current streak.

He didn't want to ruin the momentum.

'If I can reach Level 30—no, Level 35—today… I'll be satisfied!'

He stared at the black gate that led to the next Floor. It wasn't covered in frost or anything, which surprised Rey.

That had to mean that the gate had special properties, or… the Floor that it led to was extremely hot.

Rey braced himself more for the second possibility.

"I'll have to speedrun this one…" He whispered, more white clouds of cold air escaping his lungs.

Time wasn't on his side.

*******

Alicia silently read her book in the library, flipping through the pages with a small smile on her face.

She wasn't smiling due to what she was reading, but because of something else.

… Someone else.

'In a few more hours, Rey will come here.' She didn't want to explicitly admit to herself why she was happy about this prospect.

But she was.

hands—a literature text regarding the common practices of the

before, but that was

since then, and so she wanted to revisit the literature and see if she could have a new, more informed, grasp on

mundane things—like

sanitation of the

rule only applied to high-brow areas like the Capital. Places such

and transactional oversights were also mentioned in

too complicated for Alicia to grasp in the past, but

way, she found this whole thing

much about a world that she intended on

should write a novel about all of this…' As

want to

thought was enough to cause her

it too much, though, she quickly brought her

a lot of mundane, inconsequential regulations recently placed on previously accepted practices, there

them

to believe that the Kingdoms used to practice slavery up till

the Humans and other Races, as well as the most important

The rise

Kingdoms began

of them was the abolition of the

still some who

considered among the highest kinds of

in secret—deep in the inner recesses of the

selling humans as

world, the stain of slavery remained in

wasn't legal

place.' As

was a familiar presence she could spot from a mile away, and seeing him made her smile return

'R-Rey?!'

been thinking of for so long now entered the Library and instantly spotted

he doing

in his spare time, and while she had been meaning to ask him about it, Alicia

a smile as he

'Hmm. Strange…'

close to her, she usually had

'He smells nice!'

this time

like he smelled or anything—at least, Alicia didn't want to think he did—but he

She responded with a

hang out? I was thinking we should

brow in

very interested in reading as much as he could, and he even sought her consultation on

thinking of introducing him to the current book