"Ahhh!"
Sitting upright in her room, Ais flinched instinctively at the sound of a knock. She immediately straightened her posture and answered softly.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Seeing who stepped inside, Ais wasn't surprised at all. She greeted him calmly.
"Good evening, Teacher."
"Mhm."
Bell entered the room, studying Ais's current mental state with particular care. Her condition looked excellent. The humanity in her eyes seemed noticeably stronger as well.
"A week of rest… it seems you've recovered well."
"Yes. Riveria has been taking care of me these past days."
Bell could tell. Ais's physical condition was much healthier than it had been a week ago.
And that faint human warmth meant she had been interacting with people regularly. Otherwise, someone who had nearly become a doll-like shell would have very little rationality left.
"It's good you got the chance to recover."
"So then—you should be ready for what comes next?"
"Yes."
Ais showed no hesitation at all. Even though she had felt Riveria's meticulous care throughout the week, she knew she couldn't stop here.
Noticing Ais's unwavering resolve, Bell nodded in satisfaction.
He had always appreciated this steadfast quality of hers. To keep her in that state, he needed to show her the preparations he had made.
Snap!
Bell snapped his fingers, and a sheet of paper shot out of thin air toward Ais.
Ais caught it automatically, her eyes drifting over the contents out of habit.
"!?"
Her pupils shrank sharply in an instant.
"Teacher, this… this is…"
The paper displayed two bodies stored in glass containers—one male, one female—both appearing as fully grown adults. Their faces were so familiar that Ais felt her breath stop.
"These bodies were cultivated using the blood sample taken from you last time."
"They don't possess any strength—just normal human physiques—but they are perfectly suited to house souls."
"This is the 'incentive' I prepared for you as your teacher."
Bell didn't give her comforting words. He gave her harsh reality.
"If you can complete your training before your parents' souls are completely eroded by the Dungeon, and challenge them afterward… as long as even a fragment of their souls still exists, I can pull them back from hell."
For the first time in a long while, faint ripples stirred inside Ais's nearly motionless heart.
She had always known her teacher had the ability to save her father and mother—but she had never known how. Now she finally understood.
Looking at the bodies on the page—faces almost identical to her parents—Ais understood why her teacher had set a one-year deadline for her to challenge them.
The greatest obstacle was the decay of their souls.
Seeing the change in Ais's expression and the strengthened will in her eyes, Bell felt satisfied. This was exactly the effect he wanted.
"Nine months. That's the absolute limit your parents can resist the erosion."
"Engrave that time into your mind. Based on your past growth speed, I expect you to reach the peak of Lv.7 within five months."
"The remaining four months are your buffer."
"Now I'll ask again: Are you ready?"
After working to calm her emotions, Ais returned to her usual cool composure.
"I'm ready."
Her conviction strengthened once more.
In truth, this wasn't very different from before—just compressing a nine-month timeline into five months.
But having already pushed her Status proficiency to its maximum over the last three months, Ais had more than enough confidence.
Compared to when she was Lv.6, she was still a few hundred proficiency points short. But now she had two extra months, didn't she? With effort, she might reach the standard.
Either way, she now had enough motivation to keep growing.
And perhaps… this would be her final source of motivation.
After fulfilling her wish and saving her parents, Ais might lose the will to keep advancing. But that didn't matter to Bell. Even if this was her last push, as long as she reached the pinnacle of Lv.7, it was enough.
After Lv.8, no one could guide her path anymore. Rather than forcing herself along the adventurer's road, giving up the pursuit of power might even be better...
The emptiness after revenge could never compare to the happiness of salvation.
But enjoying that happiness would also dull her competitive drive.
There were benefits and drawbacks.
Still, at this stage, the fact that Ais could ignite her motivation again was unquestionably a good thing for Bell.
"Then get ready. We're leaving tonight."
"Yes, Teacher."
Ais didn't ask why the rush. She felt the urgency too.
Returning to the Dungeon earlier meant reaching her limits earlier.
If her ability were enough, she would already be rushing to challenge her father and mother.
But she wasn't ready yet. Even if they wouldn't truly kill her, Ais refused to face them with her current half-formed strength.
She had to show them, in her own way, that she was now qualified to survive in the chaotic city of Orario.
Ais immediately began preparing the clothes in her wardrobe.
Based on past experience, she needed plenty of replacements. Otherwise, she'd never keep up with the daily wear and tear.
The Dungeon's harsh environment, the powerful monsters—everything ate away at clothing.
And beyond that, weapons also took heavy damage.
But weapons weren't a big concern for now. When her Desperate Blade began feeling dull, she simply needed to return to the Goibniu Familia or the Hephaestus Familia for repairs.
Of course, while the main weapon was being restored, she could only rely on the temporary weapons Bell crafted from the Spirit Tree.
They were only as durable as Tier 2 weapons and lacked the "Indestructible" property, but they would have to do while the main blade was out of commission.
When weapons fail, you rely on other methods. That was an unavoidable part of combat.
Soon, Ais had packed everything she needed into her waist pouch.
"Teacher, I'm ready."
"Good. Let's go."
A spatial rift opened once more—its destination the sanctuary on the 76th floor.