As Leon and Roselia left the inn, the bustling streets of the town greeted them. Merchants called out their wares, adventurers exchanged tales of daring exploits, and the general hum of activity filled the air.

    Roselia glanced at Leon, who seemed lost in thought. "You''re thinking about her, aren''t you?"

    Leon shook his head quickly, though his slight hesitation didn''t go unnoticed. "No, just planning our next steps. We need to stock up and prepare before heading to the next quest."

    Pausing for a moment, he added, "After all, it''s an SSS-rank quest now."@@@@

    Roselia rolled her eyes. "Right. And the fact that she basically claimed you as her eternal husband has nothing to do with it?"

    Leon sighed. "Roselia, I already told you, I didn''t ask for this. And besides," he added with a small smirk, "you seem more than ready to handle any ''competition,'' so why worry?"

    Roselia''s eyes narrowed, but she didn''t press the matter. "Fine. Let''s focus on more important things. Where are we heading first?"

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    At the Market

    The duo walked through the market, picking up supplies—potions, rations, and a few enchanted items. Leon bartered with one particularly stubborn merchant, eventually securing a powerful mana regeneration amulet at a fair price.

    "That should help when things get rough," he said, holding up the amulet for Roselia to see.

    She nodded. "Good find. Anything else?"

    Leon paused, considering. "We might want to check out the blacksmith. My sword took some damage during the last quest."

    "Lead the way," Roselia said, falling into step beside him.

    At the Blacksmith

    The blacksmith shop was a modest establishment, but the quality of the weapons and armor displayed was undeniable. The burly smith greeted them with a nod as they entered.

    "What can I do for you?" he asked, his voice rough but friendly.

    Leon unsheathed his sword, revealing a faint crack along the blade. "I need this repaired. Can you handle it?"

    The smith examined the sword, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "Hmm. High-quality material. This won''t be easy, but I can do it. It''ll take a day, though."

    Leon handed over the weapon. "That''s fine. Just make sure it''s ready by tomorrow."

    As they left the shop, Roselia glanced at him. "What''s the plan now?"

    Leon stretched, his gaze drifting toward the towering silhouette of the next floor''s portal in the distance. "We rest for the day. Tomorrow, we head to the quest and take on whatever challenge awaits us."

    Later That Evening

    Back at the inn, Leon and Roselia settled into their rooms. As Leon lay in bed, his thoughts drifted to Angelica and her cryptic parting words.

    Leon approached the receptionist, a young woman with short silver hair and glowing purple eyes. She glanced up, her gaze sharp and professional.

    "Welcome to the Ascendant''s Guild," she said. "How can I assist you?"

    "We''re here for the quest board," Leon replied.

    She nodded and gestured to the boards lining the walls. "Feel free to browse. The higher-ranked quests are on the far side, near the Guildmaster''s chamber. If you need additional guidance, let me know."

    "But you do know you can only take Quest based on your Ascender rank right?" she asked as leon nodded.

    They have gathered enough points to even climb t 5th floor but not enough to reach the next rank of Ascenders, the bronze rank.

    They have now little over 900 points after completing many S rank and A rak quests, but they need 1000 points to advance to bronze rank.

    Leon then went to Quest board with Roselia,

    As they approached the far end of the hall, the noise of the bustling adventurers grew distant. Here, the quests displayed were not only rare but dangerous. The parchment of each quest seemed to radiate power, glowing softly to signify its rank.

    Leon''s eyes scanned the board, his gaze narrowing as he found their target. A single parchment marked with a shimmering golden seal stood out among the rest.

    Roselia leaned closer, reading aloud. "The Fallen Archmage''s Legacy: An SSS-Rank Trial. Defeat the spectral remnants of the Archmage Valtheris, recover his lost artifacts, and purge his corrupted lair. Recommended for teams of high-tier adventurers or Ascendants only."

    "Sounds like a challenge," Roselia said, her tone light but her expression serious.

    "It''s not just a challenge," Leon replied. "It''s a death sentence for anyone unprepared."

    Roselia crossed her arms and nodded. "Let''s take this quest, and then head to the library to learn more about him," she said decisively.

    Leon nodded in agreement. They returned to the receptionist desk and registered the quest. The receptionist, however, issued a stern warning.

    "Be aware, if you fail to complete this quest within a month, there will be a fine of 10,000 gold coins," she cautioned.

    "We''ve got another SSS-rank quest lined up," Leon remarked as they stepped away from the desk.

    Roselia nodded. "The other one is similar: The Death Tyrant King quest. He was a powerful Sword King-level expert in life, and now he''s been transformed into a Death Knight," she said, recalling their other pending challenge.

    leon nodded as he looked at her " how about this we both do one SSS rank quest, I take his Archmage and you take that Sword King" He said as Roselia looke dta him.

    "...What happened to you? You always play it safe, so why the change now?" Roselia asked, her sharp eyes fixed on Leon.

    Leon sighed heavily before responding. "Remember how Angelica mentioned the Angelic King was Tier 10? I never even knew such a rank existed. All I thought was that Tier 5 was the pinnacle. But Tier 10? That''s five whole tiers above what I believed possible," he explained, his voice tinged with frustration and determination.

    He glanced at her, his gaze steady. "If I keep playing it safe, I''ll never grow stronger. I''ll stay stuck, and there''s a whole world of power out there I didn''t even know existed."

    Roselia nodded, understanding dawning in her expression. "Alright," she said, her voice firm. "If you''re serious about pushing your limits, then I''ll support you. But don''t forget, taking risks means we''ll need to plan smarter than ever."

    Leon managed a small, appreciative smile. "That''s why I need you with me."