The sight made his chest tighten.

  Then he looked back at Selene, forcing a weak grin through the ache in his shoulder and the lingering tremor of adrenaline.

  "And by we, you mean me, right?"

  Selene's exhausted expression immediately brightened into something wicked.

  "You are the one with the deliciously strong body," she teased, voice silky despite the fact she looked like she'd just fought a war. She winked. "I suppose I can give her some healing to help her recover."

  "Oh wow," Austin said smugly, because sarcasm was easier than admitting how shaken he still felt. "So you and Lira are getting along now, I see."

  Selene rolled her eyes so hard he almost heard it.

  "I wouldn't go that far, honey," she said, but there was a different tone underneath her usual bite—something grudgingly respectful. She glanced at Lira again. "But I can't deny she pushed the limits of her magic to keep us safe. Without her, we would most likely be the ones on the ground instead of those demons."

  She paused, and her voice dropped into a mutter so quiet it almost got lost under the hiss of steam.

  "Even if she is intolerable…"

  Austin barked out a laugh—more relief than humor.

  Because it was ridiculous.

  Earlier, Lira had called Selene intolerable too, practically spat the word like it was poison. And now Selene was saying the exact same thing, only with a reluctant edge of admiration.

  For two girls who claimed to hate each other, they sure sounded alike sometimes.

  Austin crouched, sliding his arm carefully beneath Lira's shoulders and knees. He lifted her gently with his unwounded side, conscious of how limp she was, how her weight shifted in a way that reminded him she wasn't helping at all. Her hair spilled over his forearm like silk.

  Selene stepped closer, hands already glowing faintly.

  A soft, warm light flowed from Selene's palms and sank into Lira's chest and temples. Lira's breathing eased almost instantly—deeper, steadier—like the healing magic was smoothing the strain out of her body even if it couldn't pull her fully awake.

  Austin watched her face, tense, until he saw that subtle improvement.

  Good. Good. Just… keep breathing.

  Selene finished with a final pulse and staggered back half a step, her shoulders sagging as if the last spell had drained something deep out of her.

  Austin shifted Lira instinctively, readying himself to move—

  —and pain speared through his injured shoulder hard enough to steal his breath.

  He hissed and bit down on it, refusing to make it look worse than it was, but his knees wobbled.

  Selene noticed anyway.

  "Let me help you with that," she said, her tone suddenly smooth and gentle in a way that didn't match her usual teasing.

  She placed her hand on his shoulder.

  Warmth flooded into him again—clean, soothing, like a tide washing pain away. The stabbing ache dulled. The tightness loosened. His health ticked upward.

  Not fully.

  Selene was clearly running on fumes after healing him mid-fight and then pouring energy into Lira.

  But it was enough that Austin could stand without feeling like his bones were trying to split apart.

  "Thanks," Austin breathed.

  Selene's eyes flicked up to his face. For once, she didn't smirk. She just looked tired—tired and quietly relieved, like she was still processing how close they'd come to dying.

  Austin shifted his grip.

  Cradle-carrying Lira was careful, but it left him awkward if anything else attacked. He adjusted her weight, then slung her over his good shoulder in a secure hold, one arm locking her legs in place. It freed his sword arm.

  Lira was surprisingly light.

  Or maybe his Strength stat had reached the point where even a noble heir felt like a feather.

  Man… I am glad we got out of that alive, Austin thought, chest still fluttering from the memory of Telroth's blade grinding into his shoulder.

  He took a slow breath, forcing air into his lungs, trying to settle his heartbeat.

  That was when Selene's voice cut in again.

  "Hey, Austin."

  He glanced at her.

  She tilted her head toward the demon corpses sprawled across the corridor, their blood dark against the glowing stone.

  "Do not forget to pick up the drops from the demons."

  Austin blinked, then looked at her, then at the bodies.

  Right… the whole fighting for my life thing made looting slip my mind.

  "Good call," he said, voice rough.

  It was almost funny. Selene usually rushed him whenever he stopped to loot anything—impatient, always pushing forward. But now she was the one reminding him.

  Maybe the near-death experience changed her priorities.

  Or maybe demon loot was just too valuable to abandon.

  Austin approached the corpses carefully, still half-expecting one of them to twitch back to life. He nudged Telroth's body with his boot.

  Nothing.

  He crouched, grimacing as his shoulder protested, and searched quickly.

  A faint shimmer rose from the corpse, coalescing into two wicked-looking items that appeared almost… too clean compared to the gore around them.

  Feral Demon Claws.

  They were curved like talons, blackened at the base and gleaming at the tips, sharp enough to make his skin itch just looking at them. The strangest part was how human the demons' hands had been—fingers and knuckles and all—yet the drop was distinctly monstrous.

  Austin slid them into his faction storage with a thought.

  They vanished instantly.

  "Wicked," he muttered under his breath.

  Maybe they can morph their bodies to form claws, he thought, trying to make sense of it—then gave up. Fantasy-world logic didn't always want to be understood.

  Austin also grabbed the massive black sword that the demon had dropped because of the finder's keeper's iron clad law.

  Selene stepped up beside him, swaying slightly as she stood.

  "You ready to go, handsome?" she asked, a tired grin tugging at her lips. "Or are you waiting for more demons to show up?"

  Austin let out a shaky laugh. "Ha! I think I've had enough demon bonding for today."

  Selene's grin faded into something thoughtful. She stared down the corridor they'd come from, eyes narrowed.

  "Maybe training against demons wouldn't be a bad idea," she mused. "You can clearly take them one on one."

  Austin stared at her like she'd suggested they take a nap inside a volcano.

  "That's going to be a no for me at the moment," he said, half-amused, half-horrified.

  Because the truth was, the fifth floor had not turned out even remotely how he'd expected.

  He'd come down here excited for humanoid lizard enemies—enemies with swords and spears, maybe a few words exchanged, maybe some kind of tactical duel.

  Instead he'd gotten demons.

  Chaos.

  A dead adventurer dragged like trash.

  A sword shoved into his shoulder so deep he'd felt his body begging to shut down.

  And the closest brush with death he'd ever had in this world.

  But they were alive.

  All of them.

  Even Lira, unconscious and breathing over his shoulder.

  That mattered.

  Still, as Austin stood there in the oppressive heat—steam hissing, cracks glowing red, demon blood cooling on stone—his mind snagged on the words Telroth had spoken.

  Demonvex has returned.

  There is not enough room for your kind while we inhabit this planet.

  What the heck was that demon going on about…?

  Austin exhaled slowly, the sound shaky.

  He adjusted Lira's weight on his shoulder and glanced at Selene. She gave him an exhausted smile, but there was something tense behind it too—as if she'd felt the same unease.

  Austin didn't say it out loud, but the thought settled heavy in his gut.

  He had a feeling this wouldn't be the last he heard of demons.

  And something deep inside him warned that the dungeon—his life, his "adventure"—was about to get a lot more rowdy.

  ***

  We hope you enjoyed the book. See you in the next chapter.

  Need something else to read while waiting for the next chapter? Try Interdimensional Trader Broke To Legend Book 1

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my team of great volunteers for being awesome and professional and who inspire me to keep writing.

  -

  Thanks to the readers for reading my books.

  About the author

  Hey, I’m Pierce Mellow aka M24Entertainment. By day, I’m a professional dancer. At night, I trade my dance shoes for a keyboard and dive headfirst into storytelling—LitRPGs, action-adventure, sci-fi, you name it. If it’s got stats, explosions, or emotional damage, I’m in. Writing started as a side hustle between rehearsals and recovery snacks, but now I’m all in. My goal? Turn this passion into a full-time gig, so I can spend my life doing what I love: dancing by day, writing by night, and hopefully sleeping at some point in between.

  -

  Thank you for choosing to read my books.

  Also by

  Thanks for reading. We really hope you enjoyed it. For more, check out:

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  Interdimensional Trader Broke To Legend Book 1

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  Rhythm Override Lost Frequency Awakening Book 1

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  Galactic Awakening Level Zero to Legend Book 1

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  Breaking The Game Unbound To Legend Book 1

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  Author Comments

  Thanks for reading Limit Break Zero To Hero Book 1. This book holds a special place for me—it’s the very first story I ever wrote. It was born out of pure enthusiasm and inspiration from the LitRPG books that originally pulled me into this genre and made me think, “Hey… maybe I could do this too.” The result is a fun, low-stress read with harem vibes, light mechanics, and situations that are meant to entertain rather than mentally exhaust you. Think comfort food, not a five-course tactical breakdown. This one’s here to help you unwind.

  Going back to edit it later was… an experience.

  I found no shortage of spots where I stopped, stared at the page, and muttered, "What the hell was I thinking?" At the time, I was still learning pacing, structure, and how to properly weave story elements together without everything tripping over itself. I leaned pretty heavily on the pattern arcs of one of my favorite books because, honestly, I was still figuring out how to ride the bike without crashing into a mailbox.

  There were definitely a few cringe moments during rereads—I won’t lie. But I’ve done my best to sand those down, clean things up, and leave behind only the version of the story I was aiming for in the first place. Hopefully what you’re reading now is all the fun, momentum, and awesomeness… with the growing pains safely patched out.

  I also want to give a huge shout-out to a few of my favorite authors who inspired me to take the leap into writing. I genuinely wouldn’t be here without their stories lighting the way. And just as importantly—I wouldn’t be here without you. The readers who took a chance, stuck around, and kept coming back for more.

  As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’ll be experimenting with some new ideas and formats on this platform, so definitely stay tuned. I like pushing buttons, trying new builds, and occasionally seeing what happens when I respec mid-run.

  And truly—thank you again for all the support. I mean that. If no one was reading these books, I’d probably be curled up in the fetal position somewhere, deeply questioning my life choices.

  …Okay, not really. But you get what I’m trying to say.

  You complete me.

  My words + your money = a beautiful, mutually beneficial party comp.

  And that combo lets me keep doing what I love—bringing you more words.

  Thanks for being here.

  With gratitude, and harem vibes,

  Pierce Mellow AKA M24Entertainment

 

 

  Pierce Mellow, Limit Break Zero To Hero Book 1: A LitRPG Adventure Series

 

 

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