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.

done with the current book in her hands—a literature text regarding

but that was so long ago—back when she just started frequenting

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

of mundane things—like the outlawing of eating certain foods out

of the streets and

Capital. Places

financial limitations and transactional oversights were also mentioned

might have been too complicated for Alicia to grasp in the past, but she understood a lot more

way, she found this whole thing

a world that she intended on leaving

a novel about all of this…' As she chuckled, a

doesn't want to

cause her bright

could dwell on it too much, though, she

of mundane, inconsequential regulations recently placed on previously accepted practices, there were still a few that

of them was

to believe that the Kingdoms used to practice slavery up till even a decade

slave trade was the rising conflict beteeen the Humans

rise

the Dragons invaded, and the Human Kingdoms began to band together,

of them was the abolition

were still some who engaged in the slave trade—both

they were considered among the highest kinds of criminals in

in secret—deep in the inner recesses of

just awful… selling

seemed no matter the world, the stain of slavery remained

it wasn't legal

have some issues with this place.' As Alicia had these thoughts, she noticed

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

'R-Rey?!'

the boy she had been thinking of for so long now entered the Library and instantly

doing here so

know what he did in his spare time, and while she had been meaning to ask him about it,

a smile

'Hmm. Strange…'

to her, she usually

'He smells nice!'

time

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

She responded with a smile

I was thinking we should go

brow

to hang out with her in the library. He was often very interested in reading

the current book