[Fire Resistance: 9 %]

Leon stared at it. Then his face darkened.

"What the fuck? Just nine percent?" He pointed at himself in disbelief. "Don’t tell me I have to stay in this place until my hair turns white and I grow a beard down to my knees."

The system immediately replied.

[Host may relax. Upon reaching the Martial Warrior Realm, Host’s lifespan will increase by five years.]

Leon blinked. "Lifespan can increase like that? But why just five? Couldn’t it be like fifty or a hundred?" Leon said shamelessly.

"..."

No notification popped up this time.

Leon’s eye twitched. "Right. Ignore me." Letting out a long sigh, he rose to his feet.

"Whatever. Let’s keep going."

He looked toward the edge of the first level.

Roughly fifteen meters away, the ground descended once again. Only now did Leon realize that the seven levels of Hell’s Pool resembled a gigantic staircase leading deeper and deeper into the abyss. His gaze settled on the second level below.

Then, without hesitation...

He jumped.

The instant he crossed into the lower level, his expression changed. The temperature skyrocketed. Compared to this place, the first level suddenly felt almost cool.

A terrifying wave of heat engulfed him from all directions.

Hiss!

The flesh on Leon’s body immediately began to melt. The stench of burning flesh filled the air. His newly regenerated skin blackened and peeled away almost instantly. Pain erupted throughout his entire body.

Leon’s eyes widened.

"What the hell?! Why does it feel like I just started?"

The heat was so intense that Leon felt as though his very existence could vanish at any moment. Yet he still gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus.

Slowly, he lowered himself into a lotus position once more. The moment his back touched the ground, a sharp hiss echoed through the air. His clothes had already vaporized. His flesh continued to char, melt, and peel away beneath the relentless heat.

Yet his newly awakened Self-Heal ability continued to repair the damage. The regeneration was slower than before. Much slower. But it was still working.

What Leon failed to notice was the subtle change occurring throughout his body. Each time his flesh regenerated, it returned slightly stronger than before. The newly formed skin became tougher. The individual cells seemed to be adapting, desperately evolving to survive in the terrifying environment.

The process was gradual. Almost impossible to notice. But it was happening.

A new notification quietly appeared before him.

[Host’s body is being tempered.]

[HP: 18 > 19]

But Leon never noticed. His eyes were already shut tightly. The pain continued to decrease, but the improvement was so slow that it was almost impossible to notice.

So he remained seated in the lotus position, his eyes closed and his mind fully focused on enduring the suffering.

Time began to crawl forward once again.

Days passed. Then weeks.

Finally, after twenty days, Leon slowly opened his eyes again.

The moment he did, a notification appeared before him.

[Fire Resistance: 23%.]

Leon stared at it for a moment. "Still only twenty-three percent?" His face darkened. "What a drag. At this rate, when is this going to—"

Before he could finish speaking, another notification suddenly appeared.

[HP: 25 → 26]

Leon blinked. Then blinked again. "Wait... what?" His eyes widened. "My HP increased, too?" A look of confusion appeared on his face. "How? I mean, I’m not complaining or anything, but lately I’ve been getting power-ups left and right."

Leon narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"System, you aren’t plotting something behind my back, are you?"

The system responded immediately.

[Host’s rapid recovery is affecting the composition of the body.

The continuous cycle of destruction and regeneration is providing sufficient stimulation and energy for the body’s cells to evolve.

Each regeneration produces stronger cells than before.

As a result, Host’s endurance, vitality, and defensive capabilities are gradually increasing.]

Leon stared at the explanation. Then the corners of his lips slowly rose. The smile grew wider. And wider. Soon, an excited grin spread across his face.

"That’s more like it."

Leon’s eyes drifted toward the edge of the Second Level. ’I already know what’s going to happen the moment I go down there.’ He stared into the fiery abyss below. ’But I have to do it.’

At first, his only motivation had been his mother. The hope of waking her from her endless slumber.

But now...

A strange feeling had begun to take root within him. The feeling of becoming stronger.

Of growing beyond his limits. It felt addictive.

Without another word, he walked toward the edge and jumped. The moment he entered the third level, the heat exploded once again just as he had expected. Compared to this place, the previous levels felt insignificant.

His flesh immediately began to burn. The pain was still there. Every bit as brutal as before.

Yet this time, Leon didn’t scream. He didn’t curse. He didn’t complain. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his face.

’I can’t wait to see how much stronger I’ll become when I finally conquer this place.’

The excitement within him was even greater than the pain. The seeds of Battle Hunger had already begun to sprout. The opponent just wasn’t a person.

Leon remained on the third level for nearly an entire month before finally deciding to descend again. The system panel floated silently beside him.

[Fire Resistance: 38%.]

[HP: 31 → 32]

Leon glanced at the notifications before looking toward the Fourth Level below.

Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward once more and jumped.

The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Levels each took Leon an entire month to conquer.

By the time he finished adapting to the sixth level, nearly five months had passed since he first entered Hell’s Pool.

Leon stood quietly at the edge of the Sixth Level.

The endless sea of flames stretched beneath him, blazing with enough power to reduce ordinary beings to ash in an instant.

The translucent panel shimmered.

[Fire Resistance: 81%.]

[HP: 56 > 57]

"The seventh level, huh? Let’s see how tough you really are."