For a while, Alex had known something.

His body had restrictions. He didn’t even know how many there were but knew that one stopped him from progressing any further in his power level.

It didn’t stop his body from growing stronger. His body kept growing, and so did his original mana pool, which he never touched as he had infinite mana.

It was because of this restriction that he reached the thirteen-star, star-formation realm.

At first, he didn’t think it was a bad thing, but by now, he had realized that this restriction made it hard for him to press further.

After reaching thirteen stars, his progress turned painfully slow.

It was then that this one dungeon appeared in his dream world.

From what Sophie told him, he had to clear that dungeon to move to the star connection realm.

But he was trying to push the date later because no one knew how long it would take him to clear this dungeon, and the longer it took, the longer he would be inactive in the world, sleeping.

Now, when the competition was paused, and there was at least a week-long break, along with the fact that Keryu was gone, Alex finally decided to enter the dungeon.

Of course, the recent defeat gave him a push, but he was now determined to grow stronger.

So he stood in front of his new challenge in the dream world, staring at it.

It was a towering structure with a blood-red glow.

Its seven stars gleamed like ominous beacons against the endless void of his dream world.

The tower stood in eerie silence, a fortress of power that only the strongest could dare challenge.

Alex gazed up at it, the weight of the trials ahead settling onto his shoulders.

He knew what awaited him inside—monsters, battles, and a final confrontation that would push him beyond his limits. Yet, he felt no fear, only anticipation.

“You’re really doing this, huh?”

A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Turning slightly, Alex met Sophie’s gaze, her light blonde hair glowing softly under the crimson hue of the tower’s light. Her royal blue eyes were filled with concern, but there was also an undeniable trust in them.

“You know I have to,” Alex said, offering her a small smile. “This tower exists for a reason. If I don’t challenge it, I won’t be ready for what’s coming.”

Sophie crossed her arms, studying him for a long moment. “You always act like it’s just your burden to bear.” Her voice was gentle but firm. “You’re not alone in this, Alex.”

His smirk deepened. “I know. But inside that tower, I will be.”

She sighed, knowing there was no convincing him otherwise. Instead, she stepped closer, placing a hand on his chest. “Then don’t die in there.”

They knew that dying in the tower didn’t mean actual death, but death was still a death.

“Not planning to,” Alex assured her before he turned and stepped forward.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, the world around him shifted.

A flash of red consumed his vision, and the next thing he knew, he was standing in an expansive grassland.

The air was crisp, carrying the scent of wildflowers and damp earth.

The horizon stretched endlessly, with golden plains swaying under a dim, warm light.

Despite its open beauty, the eerie silence told Alex all he needed to know—this wasn’t a peaceful meadow. It was a battlefield.

He took a step forward, and the ground trembled slightly.

Instantly, figures began to emerge from the earth—monstrous creatures with twisted limbs and gleaming eyes.

The first floor’s guardians.

Humanoid beasts covered in dark fur, their elongated claws gleaming under the light.

Some wielded rusted weapons, while others relied on their sheer brute strength. Their guttural growls echoed through the grassland as they formed a loose perimeter around him.

Alex exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. “Alright then, let’s get this over with.”

He could sense they were strong. Around the peak of star formation, to be precise.

Worse yet, they were more than thirty.

‘Hah… I guess the tower judged this number to be the least I’m capable of.’ Alex sighed inwardly, for the first time feeling the consequences of being highly evaluated.

The dungeon changed according to people’s power level. It was a rule of the dream world.

If he had entered the dungeon with seven-star strength, his challenge wouldn’t have been this hard.

But now that he was way stronger than that, he had to bear the consequences.

The challenges he would face on the next floors would be greater—Alex knew that. So, his goal on this floor was to conserve his stamina.

The beasts, on the other hand, didn’t seem to want to cut him some slack.

The first beast lunged, its claw aiming for his throat. But before it could even close the distance, a ball of fire was shot at its fur.

“GRAAAHHHH!!” It roared in pain as its whole body started to burn in a way that someone might mistake it for a ghostrider’s beastly version.

It was just a seven-star beast.

Alex didn’t even need to move from his spot to kill it.

All he needed to do was push as much mana as possible into his fireball, and the beast would turn into freshly baked beef meat.

Hearing their friend’s agonizing roar, the others momentarily hesitated before charging all at once.

Alex didn’t move an inch. He calmly turned every single beast into braised meat. If some of them reached too close to him, he would move a step, just enough to avoid their attacks before he would shock them with thunderbolts.

He took care of them with minimal effort by only using mana—something he didn’t lack.

One by one, the creatures fell, their bodies dissolving into wisps of energy as soon as they hit the ground.

‘Tsk. High-quality beef wasted.’

Minutes later, silence returned to the plains. Alex stood amidst the fading remnants of his enemies, his breathing steady.

The grass in the surroundings shizzled; the aftermath of the battle could still be felt.

The beasts were all gone, but the ground spoke of the massacre that had happened.

Excluding a meter radius around Alex, every part of the land around him had at least one burned patch on the ground.

Suddenly, the air grew heavy.

From the far end of the field, a monstrous presence made itself known.

A towering beast stepped forward—much like a minotaur—its massive frame covered in jagged, obsidian-like armor. Twin horns curved from its skull, and glowing red eyes fixated on Alex with primal hatred.

Huff!

Its snout huffed steam, making Alex raise his brow.

‘Is it already cooked from the inside?’ He wondered.

It was the boss of the first floor.

But to Alex, it was just another piece of beef ready to get cooked. He, however, knew this one, unlike the mobs, would make him move a bit as it was a star-connection realm beast.

The minotaur, on the other hand, growled as it saw Alex, standing relaxed in front of it.

It could smell the scent of its kind’s burnt flesh in the air, so it knew that Alex had already defeated them, yet he appeared relaxed.

That was unacceptable for the beast.

Without delay, it stomped forward, the impact shaking the ground.

Alex remained still, his gaze locked onto the beast. He could sense its power, but he knew—this was just the beginning.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” he muttered, even though he knew that this floor wasn’t anything special. It was just a warm-up floor.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep