Volume 1 — Chapter 5 The Solo Leveling Journey and the Climb to the 100th Floor

Morning came quietly to the Third Floor.

The city of adventurers was already awake.

Merchants opened their shops.

Players gathered near the Adventurer Guild.

Blacksmiths began working.

The streets slowly filled with people preparing for another day inside the tower.

But one person remained asleep.

Airi Amamiya.

She had spent the previous days training almost without rest.

After reaching the Third Floor, she had continued practicing her magic, studying the tower, completing guild quests, and learning how to control her abilities.

Her body was exhausted.

Even though M.A.O. was a virtual world, the exhaustion felt real.

Her muscles felt heavy.

Her eyes were tired.

Her mind was barely able to stay awake.

The previous night, she had returned to the inn after another long training session.

She had intended to rest for only a few hours.

Instead, she had fallen asleep almost immediately.

She didn't hear the footsteps outside her room.

She didn't hear the voices of the players gathering in the hallway.

She didn't hear the sound of the inn door opening.

And she certainly didn't hear the conversation that would change her life.

"She's still asleep?"

One player whispered.

Another nodded.

"Apparently."

"How long has she been training?"

"Almost all day yesterday."

The players looked toward Airi's closed door.

BlackZero stood among them.

His arms were crossed over his chest.

He was wearing his usual black cloak.

His two swords rested at his waist.

For a moment, he said nothing.

One of the players spoke quietly.

"She's strong for someone her age."

"Yes."

"But she's only Level 13."

The atmosphere immediately became serious.

Another player nodded.

"That's the problem."

"Level 13?"

"After everything she did?"

"Her magic is incredible, but her level is still too low."

BlackZero looked toward the closed door.

"How strong are the monsters on the Fourth Floor?"

A player answered.

"Much stronger than the ones we've fought here."

"And at night?"

The player hesitated.

"Nobody knows exactly what the administrator will do."

That answer was enough.

Everyone remembered the Bloody Feast.

They remembered Cerberus.

A Level 40 monster that wasn't even the floor boss.

They remembered the Level 47 Blood Demon.

They remembered how easily a player could die.

One mistake was enough.

One attack.

One second of hesitation.

And everything was over.

BlackZero lowered his eyes.

"She can't come with us."

One player looked surprised.

"You agree?"

"Yes."

"Even though she saved you?"

BlackZero became silent.

He remembered the broken wall.

His HP had reached zero.

He had already been at the edge of death.

Then Airi had appeared.

She had used an unknown skill.

ERASURE.

His body had been restored.

His HP had become 1.

She had saved his life.

But the tower had changed.

The Fourth Floor was another step into danger.

BlackZero knew that better than most.

"I owe her my life," he said.

"Then why leave her?"

"Because owing someone your life doesn't mean you should take them into 

a battle they aren't ready for."

The players exchanged glances.One of them sighed.

"She'll be angry."

"Probably."

"She'll think we abandoned her."

BlackZero looked at the door again.

"I know."

There was a long silence.

Then one of the players placed a folded piece of paper on the floor outside Airi's room.

"Should we wake her?"

BlackZero shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"She needs rest."

The players began walking away.

BlackZero remained for a few seconds.

He looked at the closed door.

His expression was complicated.

He wanted to say something.

He wanted to explain.

But eventually, he turned away.

"Let's go."

The players followed him.

The hallway became silent.

Airi remained asleep.

And she had no idea that everyone had already left.

Several hours later...

Airi slowly opened her eyes.

"Ugh..."

She stared at the ceiling.

For several seconds, she didn't remember where she was.

Then everything came back.

The tower.

The Third Floor.

The city.

M.A.O.

Mika.

BlackZero.Airi slowly sat up.

Her body still felt heavy.

"I slept for so long..."

She rubbed her eyes.

The room was completely silent.

Airi stood up.

She stretched her arms.

Then she noticed something on the floor.

A piece of paper.

She frowned.

"What is this?"

She picked it up.

There was writing on it.

Airi began reading.

Airi.

We've gone to the Fourth Floor.

Don't follow us.

You're still too weak for the next floor.

Your magic is powerful, but your level is only 13.

The monsters on the Fourth Floor are much stronger, and we don't believe you can survive there yet.

We'll continue ahead.

Get stronger before you follow us.

Airi stopped reading.

Her eyes remained fixed on the paper.

For a few seconds, she couldn't understand what she had just read.

Then her fingers began to tremble.

"They..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"They left?"

She read the note again.

And again.

The words did not change.

You're still too weak.

Your level is only 13.

Don't follow us.

Airi's chest tightened.

She looked toward the door.

Maybe they were waiting outside.

Maybe this was a joke.

Maybe BlackZero would suddenly walk back into the room and explain everything.

Airi quickly opened the door.

The hallway was empty.

Nobody was there.

She stepped outside.

"BlackZero?"

No answer.

She walked downstairs.

The inn was quiet.

She looked around.

"Has anyone seen the players who were staying here?"

The innkeeper shook her head.

"They left this morning."

Airi froze.

"They really left?"

"Yes."

"All of them?"

The NPC nodded.

Airi lowered her head.

Her hands clenched.

She had thought they were allies.

She had thought BlackZero understood her.

After all, she had saved him.

They had fought together.

They had conquered the second-floor boss together.

They had trained together.

They had spent days in this city.

And now...

They had simply left.

Without her.

Because they thought she was weak.

Airi felt something break inside her.

"I see..."

She forced a smile.

"It's fine."

The innkeeper looked at her.

But Airi had already turned around.

She walked outside.

The bright streets of the Third Floor suddenly felt cold.

The same city that had seemed peaceful yesterday now felt empty.

Players passed by her.

Some laughed.

Some talked about quests.

Some prepared for the Fourth Floor.

Airi heard fragments of their conversations.

"The Fourth Floor party has already left."

"BlackZero is leading them."

"They should be able to handle it."

Airi stopped.

Her heart sank.

So it was true.

BlackZero had gone with them.

She looked toward the distant tower.

Her eyes slowly filled with tears.

She wiped them away.

"No."

She whispered.

"I won't cry."

But another tear fell.

She wiped it away again.

"I won't..."

Her voice shook.

"They think I'm weak."

She looked at her hands.

These hands had defeated the King of the Undead.

These hands had fought Cerberus.

These hands had helped defeat a Level 47 Blood Demon.

She had survived when many stronger players had died.

And yet they had still left her behind.

Airi clenched her fists.

"Why?"

Her voice became louder.

"Why did you leave me?"

Nobody answered.

The city continued moving around her.

Airi lowered her head.

For the first time since entering M.A.O., she felt completely alone.

Mika was gone.

Her friends were gone.

And now even the people who had fought beside her had abandoned her.

She had nobody.

Airi closed her eyes.

Then something inside her changed.

A strange pressure began building in her chest.

Her emotions became stronger.

Anger.

Sadness.

Pain.

Loneliness.

Betrayal.

All of it mixed together.

Her mana began to fluctuate.

The system suddenly reacted.

Airi opened her eyes.

A blue window appeared in front of her.

[Warning.]

[Extreme emotional fluctuation detected.]

Airi stared at the message.

"What?"

The window disappeared.

Another appeared.

[Hidden condition has been fulfilled.]

[The true potential of the Hidden Class 

"Magical Girl" is awakening.]

Airi's eyes widened.

"What is happening?"

The air around her began to tremble.

Mana gathered around her body.

The people walking nearby stopped.

"What is that?"

"Is someone using magic?"

"Who?"

Airi could hear them, but she couldn't focus on their voices.

Another system window appeared.

[Special Title Acquired.]

[Title: Solo Leveler]

Airi stared at it.

[Description: A player who walks the path of solitude.]

[Effect: Experience gain increased by 100 times.]

Airi's eyes widened.

"One hundred... times?"

The system continued.

[Experience gained from monsters, quests, exploration, and combat is multiplied by 100.]

[This effect applies permanently.]

Airi couldn't speak.

One hundred times.

Compared to ordinary players, her experience gain had become absurd.

But the system wasn't finished.

Another window appeared.

[New Spell Unlocked.]

[Curse.]

Airi stared at the word.

Then another message appeared.

[Special Title Acquired.]

[Title: Hell Girl.]

Airi's breathing stopped.

A detailed description appeared.

[Hell Girl]

[A title born from intense resentment and the awakening of the Magical Girl's hidden power.]

[Effect: You may curse players or monsters who harbor genuine ill will toward you.]

[The curse will punish the target according to the malice directed toward you.]

[Those whose wickedness reaches the required threshold may be condemned to Hell.]

Airi stared at the message.

The word Hell remained in front of her.

She slowly clenched her hand.

"So that's my power..."

The system disappeared.

Airi looked toward the training grounds.

There was no sadness in her expression anymore.

Only determination.

"If they think I'm weak..."

She began walking.

"...I'll show them how wrong they are."

The Training Grounds

Airi entered the training grounds alone.

Several players were already practicing.The moment she entered, some of them recognized her.

"Isn't that the girl who fought the Blood Demon?"

"That's Airi Amamiya."

"The one who uses weird space magic?"

"Yeah."

Airi ignored them.

She walked to the center of the training field.

Then she opened her skill menu.

Her eyes moved across the list.

Manipulation of Space and Time.

Monster Tracking Spell.

Elemental Magic.

Light Magic.

Darkness Magic.

And now...

Curse.

Airi selected her magic.

Her mana began gathering.

A player nearby noticed.

"What's she doing?"

Airi raised one hand.

"Fire."

A sphere of flame appeared.

"Water."

A second spell formed.

"Wind."

A third.

"Earth."

A fourth.

"Lightning."

A fifth.

"Light."

A sixth.

"Darkness."

A seventh.

"Space."

An eighth spell appeared.

"Time."

A ninth.

Then Airi activated her curse.

A dark symbol appeared behind her.

The players around her became silent.

"Ten spells..."

"She's controlling ten spells at once!"

"That's impossible."

Airi looked at the targets in front of her.

Her eyes were cold.

She remembered the note.

You're too weak.

Her anger returned.

"Then I'll become stronger."

She released the spells.

BOOM!The training field exploded with light.

Fire tore through the targets.

Water crashed into them.

Wind sliced through the air.

Lightning struck.

Light and darkness collided.

Space twisted.

Time distorted.

The curse spread through the training field like a dark shadow.

The players stepped backward.

"What is this power?"

"She's Level 13, right?"

"How can a Level 13 player do that?"

Airi didn't answer.

She continued.

Again.

And again.

She didn't stop.

Day One

Airi trained from morning until night.

She completed guild quests whenever she needed money or additional experience.

She hunted monsters outside the city.

Every monster she defeated gave her enormous amounts of experience.

The effect of Solo Leveler was terrifying.

A monster that normally gave a small amount of experience suddenly gave her hundreds of times more.

Her level began rising rapidly.

The system notifications appeared again and again.

[Monster defeated.]

[Experience acquired.]

[Experience ×100.]

[Level increased.]

Airi looked at the messages.

She didn't smile.

She simply continued.

Day Two

Airi returned to the training grounds.

Her control had improved.

She could now maintain several spells without losing concentration.

She practiced combining different elements.

Fire and wind.

Water and lightning.

Light and darkness.

Space and time.

Then she added the curse.

The combination became terrifying.

Some players stopped training simply to watch her.

"She's been doing this since yesterday."

"Does she ever rest?"

"Apparently not."

"Is she trying to kill herself?"

"No."

A player looked at Airi.

"She's trying to become stronger."

Day Three

Airi began accepting higher-level guild quests.

She completed monster extermination quests.

She collected rare materials.

She explored dangerous areas.

She helped players who were struggling with monsters.

Every completed quest rewarded her with experience.

And every reward was multiplied.

Her level continued climbing.

The name Airi Amamiya began appearing on the Adventurer Guild's records.

At first, people remembered her as the young player who had fought beside BlackZero.

Then they started talking about her own achievements.

"She completed a monster extermination quest alone."

"She defeated that group of monsters without a party."

"She used ten spells at once."

"Her magic is terrifying."

"She doesn't need a party."

The rumors spread.

Day Four

Airi discovered that the Third Floor contained monsters that were useful for training.

She hunted them alone.

She used her Monster Tracking Spell to locate them.

Then she attacked.

She no longer fought recklessly.

She analyzed every movement.

Every attack.

Every weakness.

Her Mana Eye helped her understand the flow of magic.

Manipulation of Space and Time became easier to control.

She could slow an enemy.

Move around attacks.

Distort distance.

Change the position of objects.

She began fighting with greater precision.

She was no longer simply powerful.

She was becoming skilled.

Day Five

Airi returned to the guild.

The receptionist looked surprised.

"You're alone again?"

"Yes."

"Are you looking for a party?"

"No."

The receptionist hesitated.

"You don't want one?"

Airi shook her head.

"I'm fine alone."

The receptionist looked at the quest records.

"Your recent achievements are incredible."

Airi didn't answer.

She accepted another quest.

"Where is this located?"

The receptionist pointed toward the eastern region of the Third Floor.

"It's outside the city. Several monsters have been attacking travelers."

"I'll take it."

"Alone?"

Airi looked at her.

"Yes."

The receptionist sighed.

"Please be careful."

Airi nodded.

"I will."

Day Six

Airi completed the quest.

Then another.

Then another.

Her reputation continued growing.

Players began calling her by a new name.

At first, it was whispered.

Then it became common.

"Hell Girl."

"Have you heard about Hell Girl?"

"Who?"

"That girl who trains alone."

"The Magical Girl?"

"Yes."

"They say she can use ten spells at once."

"They say she can curse monsters."

"They say she doesn't need a party."

"They say she sends people to Hell."

Some of the rumors were exaggerated.

But the nickname remained.

Hell Girl.

Airi heard it for the first time while walking through the city.

She stopped.

"Hell Girl..."

She didn't know whether she liked it.

But she didn't hate it either.

It reminded her of what had happened.

It reminded her of the pain.

And it reminded her that she had chosen to become stronger.

Day Seven

Airi trained again.

This time, several players gathered around the training field.

They didn't interrupt.

They simply watched.

Airi stood in the center.

Ten spells appeared around her.

Fire.

Water.

Wind.

Earth.

Lightning.

Light.

Darkness.

Space.

Time.

Curse.

She raised her hand.

The spells moved simultaneously.

One after another.

Then all at once.

The training targets disappeared.

The field shook.

The spectators remained silent.

Airi lowered her hand.

She was breathing heavily.

But she was smiling.

Not because of the destruction.

Because she had finally realized something.

She didn't need to depend on anyone.

If everyone left her behind...

She could continue forward alone.

Day Eight

Airi began researching the tower.

She visited the information center.

She studied maps.

She learned everything she could about the higher floors.

She wanted to understand what awaited her.

The Fourth Floor.

The Fifth Floor.

The tenth.

The twentieth.

The thirtieth.

The fortieth.

Renji had reached the fortieth floor during the beta.

But Airi didn't want to stop there.

She wanted to go farther.

Much farther.

She opened the tower map.

There were one hundred floors.

Airi stared at the number.

100."What is waiting there?"

Nobody knew.

The beta testers had never reached it.

The players had no reliable information about the uppermost floors.

Even the guild had almost no records.

Airi closed the map.

"I'll find out myself."

Day Nine

Airi's training became even more intense.

She fought without resting for long 

periods.

She completed quests.

She hunted monsters.

She practiced magic.

She learned to control her new power.

The title Solo Leveler continued giving her enormous amounts of experience.

Her level rose again.

And again.

Her stats increased.

Her magical power grew.

Her mana capacity expanded.

Her speed improved.

Her defense increased.

Her perception became sharper.

The girl who had been called too weak was becoming someone completely different.

Players who had once ignored her now moved aside when she walked through the streets.

Some whispered.

Others stared.

A few even greeted her.

"Hell Girl."

Airi sometimes nodded.

Sometimes she ignored them.

But the name had already become part of her identity.

Day Ten

The tenth day began quietly.

Airi stood alone at the training grounds.

She looked at her hands.

Ten days.

Only ten days had passed since everyone had left her.

But it felt like much longer.

She remembered how devastated she had been.

She remembered the tears.

She remembered the note.

She remembered thinking that she wasn't good enough.

Now she understood.

Being abandoned had hurt.

But it had also awakened something inside her.

Airi looked toward the tower.

"I'll climb it."

The system suddenly appeared.

[Special Quest has been generated.]

Airi froze.

"What?"

The window expanded.

[Unique Quest: The Road to the Summit]

Objective: Climb to the 100th Floor.

Description: Continue climbing the tower.

Requirement: Reach the 100th Floor.

Reward: Answers to the questions you seek.

Additional Message: Climb to the 100th floor, and you shall find the answers you seek.

Airi stared at the final sentence.

"The answers..."

Her heart began beating faster.

Answers about the tower.

Answers about Vygeo.

Answers about Mika.

Answers about why they were trapped here.

Maybe even answers about what was waiting at the top.

Airi accepted the quest.

[Unique Quest accepted.]

She closed the window.

Then she looked at the tower again.

One hundred floors.

She had only reached the Third Floor.

But she wasn't afraid anymore.

She had become stronger.

Much stronger.

And she was still growing.

Airi smiled.

"Wait for me."

Her voice was quiet.

"I'll reach the top."

She turned around.

The players in the city watched her.

Some recognized her immediately.

Others whispered her nickname.

Hell Girl.

The girl who had once been left behind.

The girl who had been called too weak.

The girl who had chosen to walk alone.

Airi Amamiya.

The Magical Girl.

The Solo Leveler.

She had no party.

No guild.

No legendary companions.

But she had something else.

A goal.

And an enormous tower waiting above her.

The journey to the 100th floor had begun.

Far above the Third Floor, the players who had left Airi continued their journey.

Among them was the Black Swordsman.

Kurogane Renji.

Player Name: BlackZero.

He walked through the Fourth Floor without knowing what had happened below.

He did not know that Airi had awakened a new power.

He did not know that her level was increasing at an impossible speed.

He did not know that players on the Third Floor had already begun calling her Hell Girl.

And he did not know that the girl he had left behind would soon become one of the most feared players in M.A.O.

For now, Renji continued forward.

And Airi continued forward as well.

But they were no longer walking together.

Their paths had separated.

One had chosen to climb with others.

The other had chosen the path of solitude.

And that path would change everything.

Airi looked once more at the tower.

The enormous structure disappeared into the sky.

One hundred floors.

One hundred challenges.

One hundred steps toward the truth.

She clenched her fist.

"I'll find Mika."

She took her first step toward the tower.

"I'll find the truth."

Another step.

"And I'll reach the 100th floor."

Her eyes burned with determination.

"No matter how strong the monsters become..."

She smiled.

"...I'll defeat them."

The city remained behind her.

The training grounds remained behind her.

The loneliness remained behind her.

From this moment forward, Airi would climb alone.

Not because she had no choice.

But because she had discovered that she didn't need anyone to move forward.

The solo journey had begun.

And the climb to the 100th floor had only just started.

End of Chapter 5