Student To King: The Transportation To A New World

Chapter 48: His Development

For the past few floors, Ace's group had made smooth progress through the dungeon. Every challenge they encountered was easily overcome, often requiring only Ace or Yuni to handle the entire floor. It appeared that the dungeon was designed for training heroes, as Yuni had suggested earlier. The combined strength of Ace and Yuni seemed to overpower each challenge effortlessly.

Currently, Ace and his party were on Floor 45, where they found a second resting point within the dungeon. This area was similar to the previous one, featuring lush greenery, springs, and an abundance of fruit trees and bushes.

Having not checked his status for some time, Ace decided to take a moment to review his current stats and assess his strength. As he inspected his status, he imagined himself fighting the Fallen Luna in his current state, replaying memories of the battle and becoming deeply immersed in his thoughts.

Ace Lancaster
Human Male (Dragon Blood)
Age: 17
Job(s): Rogue, Dragon Knight, Magic Craftsmen,
Title(s): (None)
Status Level: 68
Strength: 7200[+500]
Vitality: 6500 [+500]
Magic: 6200 [+500]
Magic Resistance: 6500 [+500]
Agility: 7450 [+500]

Additional Stats From [Bonding Ring] [+500] to all stats.

Even now I think I'll still lose and Luna was only holding herself back. Until now, she's still the strongest person I've faced in this world and yet Regis can kill her. If it's just Darklin and me right now we'd still lose...

He pulled out the photo from Luna's photobook, a snapshot of himself and Luna together. As he gazed at the image, memories of their time together replayed vividly in his mind. His eyes grew distant and lifeless, fixated on the photo.

"What's the point?" he thought. "Even if I survive, what is there left for me to look forward to?"

"Ace...?"

A feminine voice called out to him. It was a voice that he didn't recognise yet for some reason it was comforting to his ears. 

"Who's voice is that again...?" Ace quietly muttered.

"Ace?" 

"...Huh?" He slowly turned his head to his right side with emptiness in his eyes.

"Come on you're staring into space." Two voices spoke out in unison. The same unknown voice from before and the other from a familiar person.

As he glanced to his side, the first thing he noticed was a strand of silver hair encroaching on his personal space. Looking up, he saw Yuni leaning in, with Darklin resting on her shoulder. Ace shifted his focus back to the photo in his hand.

"...Ace has always done this back in the first dungeon." Darklin pointed out.

"Really now?" Yuni turned her attention towards Darklin.

"I will leave him to you." 

"Wait a minute Darklin!-" Yuni held out her hand only to receive a gust of wind from the flap of Darklin's tiny wings "...He left." 

Alone together, Yuni sat down beside Ace, who remained silent. She noticed the photograph in his hand, the first time she had seen such a realistic image. Turning to Ace, she realized it was also the first time she had seen him in such a state. As she observed the second person in the photo, everything clicked into place for her.

"Is that... the person dear to you?" Yuni asked softly.

Ace snapped back to the present moment, his gaze shifting from Yuni to the photo in his hand.

"...Yeah, her name is Luna." 

"Wow she's quite pretty." She commented.

"She actually thought otherwise. But not me." Ace replied to the comment with a bitter chuckle.