Everything had been going smoothly for several months, Ais had seen her status start to grow rapidly from Riveria's teachings, Alfia's training, Dungeon Diving with Bell, and Gareth's admonishments about taking care of one's weapons after she came home after having meet Tsubaki.

  Despite that, her progress has started to stall drastically. When she used to gain dozens of points a a day, she was now lucky to gain a dozen. As the days pasted her frustrations began to mount and they promoted her to ever greater heights of recklessness.

  Having run out of tears to shed, Ais continued to throw herself into battle day in and day out. She advocated for taking longer quests and at deeper floors. Sometimes her requests were granted by the group and sometimes they weren't and it left her feeling frustrated. Despite that frustration her status continued to grow so she felt fulfilled during those day until:

  Ais Wallenstein

  Age 14

  Level 1

  Strength: D-589- D-592

  Endurance: D – 580 - D-582

  Dexterity: A-825- 826

  Agility: A-850-854

  Magic: I-0

  Ais stared at the parchment in her hands, her golden eyes narrowing. The numbers and letters stared back, mocking her. Loki's scrawled notations confirmed it—her progress had slowed to a crawl. The once-steady advancement had stopped.

  "Grr," she growled, her voice low and rough with frustration. Her fingers curled tighter around the parchment, crumpling it.

  "It's too low…" the thought crossed her mind

  Finn stepped closer, his calm presence a contrast to the storm brewing within her. His gaze softened as he met hers. "Ais, this is the path we all followed. Don't take it too hard."

  Riveria chimed in with a measured tone. "As you master your ability, your rate of development naturally slows. It's not as though you've hit your ceiling. Growth is still possible—it's just… different now."

  "Exactly!" Loki chimed, her irreverent energy a poor match for Ais's mood. "That's just how a status works. Everyone hits this point eventually, even the best. Maybe especially the best." She grinned, her teeth flashing as if this were some kind of inside joke Ais should appreciate.

  The words washed over Ais. They spoke sense, logic even, but it didn't change what she felt. For months, every battle, every triumph had brought leaps in her status. Each increase had been a tangible reminder that she was moving forward, closer to her goals. Now? Now those leaps had shrunk to increments so small they felt meaningless.

  She looked down again at the sheet in her hand. As. Multiple. The highest rank in her attributes wasn't enough to feel like progress anymore. There was no euphoria this time, no rush of validation. Only emptiness. And doubt.

  Ais exhaled sharply and crumpled the parchment in her hand. She turned away, pacing toward the edge of the room where the sunlight spilled in through a window. Her status was a reminder of the warrior she was trying to be. The warrior she HAD to be.

  What had changed? The battles hadn't grown any easier. If anything, they had become harder. The foes she faced now required everything she had. But now, no matter how many monsters she felled, how much effort she poured into her training, it wasn't enough to feel that sense of… progress.

  Her steps slowed as she reached the window. Beyond it, the world stretched vast and wide. Somewhere out there, somewhere in the Dungeon, lay answers—challenges that could reignite her growth.

  Her fingers brushed the cool stone of the window ledge as she stared out into the horizon.

  Finn's voice broke through her thoughts, steady and certain. "It's a test, Ais. This wall you're facing—it's not here to stop you. It's here to make you stronger. You've done incredible things already. Don't forget that. Yours is the fastest growth I have ever seen."

  Ais didn't reply, but her gaze didn't waver from the distance. For now, she would let her companions think their words had reached her. But in her heart, the decision was already made.

  "As one approaches the upper limits of the status, their rate of growth slows. This has happened to all of us. There is no need to worry." Riveria reassured Ais.

  Ais's thoughts churned as she stared at the crumpled status paper in her hand. The numbers didn't lie. They sat there, mocking her. 999. The number loomed in her mind, an unbreakable ceiling. She had fought, bled, and trained relentlessly, yet here she was, at a standstill nowhere near the limit.

  No one had ever broken past it. Not a single adventurer, mortal, or legend was ever publicly announced as having broken past the limit. Even when the gods were questioned, they had all confirmed it with maddening indifference. This was the limit of status. It had always been this way. Always.

  The cold air of early winter seeped into the room as a reminder of how long it had been since she joined the Loki Familia. Nearly twelve months, twelve months of progress—until now. Now, she faced a wall she didn't know how to climb.

  The words escaped her lips before she fully realized she had spoken them. "Level up."

  The air in the room grew tense. The expressions of her companions—Finn, Riveria, Gareth, and Loki—shifted subtly, but Ais caught their flicker of hesitation.

  Riveria, was the first to answer. "Leveling up is not something an adventurer simply does. There are steps to this process, steps that must be followed."

  Gareth leaned back in his chair, his tone gruff but calm. "She's right, lass. You just need to keep doing what you've been doing—delving into the Dungeon, honing your skills. I know it's frustrating, but that's the fastest way."

  Loki grinned, though her voice carried uncharacteristic seriousness. "You can't rush this, Ais. Take it slow, deliberate. That's how you've gotten this far."

  Riveria's gaze grew sharper, though her words were tempered by concern. "We've seen countless adventurers lose themselves to impatience. They rush, thinking they can force a breakthrough, only to self-destruct. Please, Ais. Be careful."

  But their reassurances felt hollow, like water slipping through her fingers. Ais's hands tightened around the paper, her knuckles whitening. Her chest burned with something deeper than frustration. Anger, hot and insistent, coiled in her stomach. Their words—calm, measured, deliberate—felt like chains holding her back.

  What were they trying to protect her from? Or worse, what were they hiding?

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "I want to get stronger," she thought, the words echoing in her mind with mounting intensity. "I need to get stronger." Her heart raced as the image of it filled her mind. The monster, the thing she had sworn to destroy, loomed large in her memory. The monster that stolen her happiness.

  Her teeth clenched as she thought "I don't have time to stand still."

  The weight of her stagnation pressed down on her like a physical force. This was the first wall she had ever faced that she couldn't tear down with her sword or her will alone. It wasn't just blocking her—it was mocking her, denying her the fulfillment of her deepest wish. The people around her, her familia, couldn't understand. Their words, though meant to comfort, only fanned the flames of her impatience.

  She didn't want patience. She wanted results.

  Without a word, Ais stormed out of the office, dropping the status sheet as her boots echoing sharply against the stone floor. The cold air outside bit at her skin, but it wasn't enough to cool the fire burning inside her. Her chest rose and fell with ragged breaths as her thoughts spiraled. They were keeping something from her. She could feel it.

  She wouldn't let this stop her. If her familia wouldn't help her find the answer, she would find them herself. The wall she faced wasn't unbreakable. It couldn't be. She refused to believe it. She would find a way to break through not matter what. No matter what it took, no matter what she had to do, she would find it.

  Guild:

  Ais strode into the Guild Hall, her boots clicking sharply against the polished stone floor. The chatter of adventurers around her, the rhythmic scratching of pens on parchment, and the faint clink of coins exchanging hands barely registered in her mind. She had a singluar focus as she approached the counter where the red-haired werewolf, Rose, stood.

  Rose glanced up from her papers, her amber eyes flicking briefly over Ais before settling into a casual stare. "What can I do for you, Miss Wallenstein?"

  "How do I rank up?" Ais demanded.

  Rose's ears twitched, and she raised an eyebrow. She tilted her head, her demeanor cool as she replied, "I don't know. Isn't it just something that happens when you go down into the Dungeon? Fight, train, survive. That's the gist of it."

  The nonchalant tone grated on Ais, her frustration bubbling to the surface. She leaned in, her golden eyes narrowing as she glared at Rose. "I WANT AN ANSWER."

  The werewolf's casual expression faded, replaced by a serious, almost pitying look. She straightened, her hands resting firmly on the counter as she met Ais's glare with a steady gaze. "I don't know," she repeated, her tone measured, "but even if I did… I wouldn't tell you. Not like this."

  The words hit like a slap, and Ais's mask of stoicism faltered, desperation flickering across her face.

  Rose's voice lowered, her amber eyes hardening. "You're not ready. I won't have your blood on my hands."

  The room felt heavier. Rose didn't flinch under Ais's gaze. For a moment, the two were locked in a silent standoff, the air between them tense and thick with unspoken meaning.

  Ais's breath hitched, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. Her chest burned with frustration, anger, and something else—something colder, more biting. The weight of Rose's words pressed down on her.

  Rose's demeanor shifted, her serious tone giving way to something more brisk, almost dismissive. "Now, if you're done here, I've got other adventurers to help. Also Evilus has been acting suspicious lately. You shouldn't be loitering around on your own. Head back to your Familia."

  Ais stared at her, the words sinking in like stones. Without another word, she turned and walked away from the counter, her jaw tight as she bit back the bitter taste of failure. The hall around her blurred as she exited, her mind racing. Rose's refusal didn't just sting—it deepened the sense that the answers she sought were always just out of reach.

  Ais moved briskly through the Guild's wide front garden, the crunch of gravel beneath her boots the only sound she allowed herself to focus on. The carefully maintained paths and rows of hedges were a blur; her mind raced too fast to notice the beauty around her. Frustration and determination churned in her chest, each step feeding the fire inside her.

  A voice called out, smooth and lilting, cutting through the quiet. "Are you the Doll Princess?"

  Ais stopped and turned. Standing before her was a strikingly beautiful goddess with long, raven-black hair that shimmered in the sunlight. Her emerald-green eyes seemed to gleam with a knowing light. Beside her stood a man—a human with fiery red hair and piercing red eyes. Something about him set Ais instantly on edge, and her hand moved instinctively toward her sword.

  The goddess raised a delicate hand, her smile as composed as her tone. "Ah, no need to worry about my dear Vito here. He's merely my escort."

  Ais didn't relax, her golden eyes narrowing. She had seen enough deities meddling in mortal affairs to know when one was about to waste her time. Assuming this was another such moment, she turned to leave.

  "You were asking about leveling up earlier, weren't you?"

  The words froze Ais mid-step. She stood rigid, her back to the goddess, her mind racing. Slowly, she turned around, watching as the goddess's smile grew slightly wider, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes before she quickly masked it.

  "By chance," the goddess continued, her voice velvet-smooth, "are you worried about your growth after your status hit its limit?"

  Ais felt her breath hitch, her hands balling into fists at her sides. She stared at the goddess in stunned silence as the woman's words pierced directly into her thoughts.

  "And let me guess," the goddess went on, stepping closer with unhurried grace, "no one will tell you how to level up, no matter how much you ask or how hard you try. Does that sound about right?"

  Ais's legs felt rooted to the spot as she nodded, trembling slightly. How did this goddess know so much about her struggles? Her composure cracked further as the goddess stepped even closer, leaning in until their eyes were level. The goddess's emerald gaze seemed to look straight through her.

  "Shall I tell you how to level up?" the goddess asked

  Ais's eyes widened, her heart racing, but her eyes remained narrowed in suspicion. "?!"

  "Now, now," the goddess added lightly, "there's no need to be suspicious. Guiding children is a god's duty, after all. That's just common sense, isn't it?"

  Ais hesitated for only a moment before speaking. "...Will you really… tell me?"

  The goddess placed a hand on her chest, her expression softening. "I swear upon all that I preside over: I won't lie to you."

  Something in Ais broke. She didn't care why the goddess had appeared or what her true motives were. She leaned in, her desperation raw and unguarded. "Please tell me!"

  "Sounds good to me," the goddess said with a sly smile. "As for my name, well, best to keep that a secret for now. Don't want to ruin the big reveal later, do we? I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about me."

  Ais nodded without hesitation, her focus entirely on the answer she sought.

  The goddess leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper as the two stood in the quiet corner of the garden. "The condition for sublimating our Blessing… is to accomplish a great feat. To level up, you must defeat something greater than yourself. Something that forces you to surpass your limits."

  Ais's eyes widened as the words struck her like lightning. Her heart raced with renewed purpose. Without waiting for anything more, she turned and ran, her boots pounding against the gravel as she sprinted toward the Dungeon.

  The goddess remained where she was, watching with a smile that lingered far too long. Her emerald eyes glimmered as she spoke softly to herself. "Good luck, Doll Princess."

  Back in the Guild's Front Garden.

  Vito's laughter was soft and mocking, his red eyes glinting; "Heehee. That was a wonderful game you just played."

  The goddess beside him, Eris, turned her head slightly, her raven hair shifting over her shoulder. Her emerald eyes sparkled with mischief as her lips curled into a sly smile.

  "Who, me?" she said, her tone dripping with feigned innocence. "I don't know what you mean, Vito. I merely fulfilled my duty, guiding a lost child to exactly what she desired."

  Her smirk deepened, and for a fleeting moment, the malice behind her calm veneer broke through.

  Vito chuckled, his voice low and conspiratorial. "Of course, Goddess. Only ever doing your duty."

  They walked on, the sound of their footsteps blending into the hum of Orario's bustling streets. The marketplace around them was alive with activity, vendors calling out their wares and adventurers moving purposefully in small groups. The scents of fresh bread, spiced meats, and hot oil wafted through the cool air, mingling with the faint metallic tang of nearby smithies. Eris and Vito moved through the crowd with deliberate ease, their presence drawing no attention as they wove between stalls.

  As they rounded a corner, they came upon a group standing near a modest vendor's stand. Eris's emerald eyes flicked toward them, sharp and calculating. Bell Cranel stood at the center, his bright white hair making him instantly recognizable. Beside him were two of the Astraea Familia girls, their armor gleaming faintly in the light, and Riveria of the Loki familia.

  Eris slowed her pace, tilting her head slightly toward Vito as she gestured toward a nearby stall. They stopped, pretending to examine a display of trinkets while keeping their ears attuned to the conversation. Vito's lips twitched into a smirk as he casually picked up a small, polished gemstone, rolling it between his fingers. The duo began to listen in on the conversation.