The 11th Floor was a vast grassland shrouded in thick fog. Roland's first opponent was a Hard-Armor Armadillo, a monster with a nearly impenetrable shell but a soft interior.
As it curled into a ball and charged like a tire, Roland dodged and precisely pierced its soft underbelly. He moved like a shadow through the fog, clearing out swarms of Imps and Orcs with a mixture of swordplay and wind magic.
The spawn rate here was much higher. Roland didn't even have time to harvest all the magic stones, only grabbing the largest ones to stuff into his backpack.
"ROAAR—!!"
A massive roar echoed through the fog as a new threat emerged.
A Silverback emerged from the thick fog, beating its chest before charging at Roland. Its muscles were like coiled steel, covered in white fur except for the dark, dull silver hair cascading down its back. It possessed terrifying arm strength and wore crude yet sturdy armor.
The earth trembled as the ape galloped on all fours. In the blink of an eye, the man and the beast closed the dozens of meters between them. As the Silverback swung a massive fist, Roland tilted his body slightly to dodge. The moment the heavy blow whistled past, he stepped forward, accelerating instantly. His sword slashed deep into the ape's unarmored joint.
Squelch!
Greenish blood sprayed. The elbow joint was sliced open, leaving only a few strands of muscle clinging to the shattered bone. The Silverback let out a guttural, agonizing roar. Driven into a frenzy by the pain, it tore off its own dangling arm and hurled it at Roland like a club before lunging with its remaining limb.
Roland leaped to avoid the projectile, but a massive fist followed immediately. He barely managed to raise his sword to block, but the "Iron Fist" hit like a sledgehammer. The impact sent him flying through the air. He tumbled across the grass several times before regaining his footing.
Seeing the cracks forming on his blade, Roland didn't hesitate; he hurled the broken sword at the charging ape and drew a fresh one from his Backpack. As the Silverback swung again, Roland circled toward its missing arm. The missed punch sent the ape stumbling to the ground. Roland leaped onto its back, a cold glint in his eyes. His sword became the Silverback's Sword of Damocles.
Thrust!
The blade easily pierced the ape's skull. Roland jumped down as the beast dissolved into ash, flicking the blood off his sword. "Whew, talk about a rush!" He exhaled. His boiling mana finally settled; if he hadn't finished it then, his instincts would have forced him to blast the creature apart with magic.
After a short rest, he continued hunting. On this floor, aside from the Silverback and the three-meter-tall Infant Dragons, nothing could threaten Roland—even when he only used his sword. Eventually, he put the sword away and began training his base stats using his bare fists: dodging Imps to train Agility and wrestling Orcs to train Strength.
By the time he returned to the surface, the sun had set.
[Roland - Status Update]
Level 1
Strength: E442 → D563
Endurance: E467 → D542
Dexterity: D502 → C642
Agility: E492 → C604
Magic: B721 → A887
Astraea handed him the parchment, looking impressed. "Your growth is still incredible. Your Magic is almost at S. Roland, you might actually break the limit. No... knowing you, you will surely surpass it!"
"The limit?" Roland asked.
Astraea drew two 'SS' marks in the air. "Base stats usually peak at S999. Ottar, the 'Warlord,' is the most famous example. He refuses to level up until his stats hit S999 to maximize his potential. But S999 isn't the true end. It's just that for most people, even reaching S is impossible, so the gods don't treat 'SS' as a standard. However, some do break through S999 into the SS rank. I believe you can do it."
Roland stood tall. "I understand. I'll show you that I can surpass any limit, Lady Astraea!"
He spent the next few days pushing himself. By the third day on the 11th Floor, he was capable of defeating Silverbacks even while being swarmed by other monsters.
[Roland - Status Update]
Magic: A892 → SS1008
Astraea touched the parchment gently. "You did it, Roland. You reached a rank that mortals can't even touch. If this leaked, every god in Orario—even Loki and Freya—would try to take you."
"I'm not going anywhere," Roland replied firmly. "And I don't think I'm done yet. Just watch me."
The other adventurers on the 11th Floor began to whisper as they watched him. "Is he really Level 1? He's fighting Silverbacks with his bare fists!"
Roland, currently in his Swift Master form, was engaged in a brutal slugfest with an ape. He ducked and weaved, his mana-reinforced fists moving in a blur. "Ora ora ora ora!" His punches were so fast the air pressure cleared the surrounding fog. Finally, with a mana-boosted kick, he spiraled through the Silverback's chest, ending the fight.
On his way back through the 1st Floor, he spotted a rare monster: Jack Bird, a golden-feathered chicken. It didn't attack; it just ran. Roland blinked behind it and killed it instantly. It dropped a Golden Egg—worth at least 1,000,000 Valis. He stowed it in his backpack, eager to show off to his "sisters."