The next E-rank dungeon opened in waves of heat. Not the dry, suffocating blast of desert sands, but a damp, simmering warmth that clung to my skin and coiled in my lungs with every breath.
[Ashen Burrow]
Threat Level: E
Environment: Subterranean Volcanic Network
Beneath my boots, cracked obsidian lay interlaced with ash. Thin rivulets of molten rock pulsed beneath translucent stone, casting a muted orange glow along jagged walls.
I inhaled, tasting sulfur, and exhaled slowly.
"Alright," I muttered. "One step at a time."
I pressed onward.
*
The first ambush came without warning. Ash-scaled lizards skittered out of crevices, sparks trailing each scaly limb. They surged toward me—fast, relentless.
I resisted the impulse to waste a Magic Missile. Instead, I lifted a hand. The earth trembled as Rock Formation spiraled upward in serrated ridges, narrowing the corridor. The lizards funneled forward, claws skittering against stone.
I released my spell. Three Magic Missiles ripped through chitin and bone in swift, precise bursts. Not a shot wasted. A faint dip in mana confirmed efficiency. Good.
I advanced deeper.
*
Magma beetles erupted next, their shells incandescent with internal fire. My first Magic Missile thundered off reinforced carapace, fizzing uselessly. I clicked my tongue.
"Too much output."
I recalibrated. Tendrils of stone shot out from the floor, wrapping around one beetle's legs and freezing it in place. I circled, waiting for its shell to cool just enough—then struck. The missile pierced clean through molten armor.
The second beetle charged. I called Greater Boost. Power roared through me: limbs light, reflexes sharpened. I vaulted aside, conjured a slab of stone overhead, and slammed it down like a hammer. The shell cracked like glass.
Mana dipped further. I halted to check.
Mana: 1.4 / 2.6
"Won't last," I muttered.
Forest's Embrace remained dormant; healing would be a luxury I couldn't afford. From that moment, every cast counted. No extra flourishes—only necessity.
I coaxed enemies over unstable ground, let magma flows finish the job, and saved my mana for the fights that truly required it.
By the time I breached the core chamber, my reserves hung just above critical.
Mana: 0.6 / 2.6
I flexed my fingers. "One shot at this."
*
A roar like cracking bedrock heralded the boss's arrival. The Cinder Colossus emerged, a hulking titan of molten stone with iron-bone ribs framing a blinding white core.
Cinder Colossus (E-Rank Boss)
Traits: Heat Aura, Reinforced Core
No reckless assaults. I raised Rock Formation not to kill, but to defend—thick walls forcing its hammer-like fists to shatter against stone again and again. Each collision loosened joints and carved fractures into its molten flesh.
When the Colossus hesitated, I unleashed Forest's Embrace. Vines curled around me, sizzling as regeneration fought the searing heat. Mana plunged—but my body held. Then Greater Boost. Then I fired.
Magic Missiles drilled into the microfractures, each bolt punching past hardened plates to strike the glowing heart within. One. Two. Three. The beast staggered.
I poured the last of my mana into a final volley. The core exploded, a blinding flare that hurled me backwards into the cavern wall. Silence followed.
I lay there, chest heaving, adrenaline still roaring. I'd barely scraped by—yet the spoils were rich.
Body Stat Core ×2
Mana Stat Core ×1
Fireball Spell Book (F-Rank)
I lifted the spell book, its pages crackling with arcane promise. Fireball: reliable, lucrative… and redundant.
"…Don't need you."
At the Bureau exchange, I unloaded everything but my existing gear.
5,000 credits from the Fireball book
6,000 credits from stat cores
My balance ticked upward: 42,000 Credits. A number I'd never seen before. I considered another purchase, then shook my head.
"No. Mastery first."
*
The second E-rank dungeon was almost peaceful by comparison.
[Silent Mire]
Threat Level: E
Environment: Swamp Ruins
Every step, every spell was deliberate. I pressed Magic Missile with relentless precision, sharpened Rock Formation's responsiveness, stabilized Forest's Embrace, and extended Greater Boost's duration. I baited foes into quagmires, forced them through collapsing walkways—each encounter a lesson in efficiency.
Notifications flooded in:
[Magic Missile mastery increased]
[Rock Formation mastery increased]
[Forest's Embrace mastery increased]
[Greater Boost mastery increased]
By the time the ruins began to crumple, I was soaked in sweat and grinning. I lingered in the failing mana field, drilling spells again and again until—
[Magic Missile: Mastery 5/5]
[Rock Formation: Mastery 5/5]
[Forest's Embrace: Mastery 5/5]
[Greater Boost: Mastery 5/5]
I stopped. The difference was immediate. Spells cost less, hit harder, obeyed my will outright.
I opened my status:
<> -- -- -- <> -- -- -- <>
[Player: Alexander Cain (23)]
Trait: Absolute Sage
Spells:
• (E): Magic Missile <5/5>, Greater Boost <5/5>
• (D): Rock Formation <5/5>, Forest's Embrace <5/5>
Body: 2.2
Soul: 1.6
Mana: 3.1 / 3.1
<> -- -- -- <> -- -- -- <>
I exhaled, the swamp's humid chill—or maybe relief—filling my lungs. This wasn't explosive power anymore. This was something far more valuable: mastery.
I stepped out as the dungeon dissolved behind me, the sky overhead torn by distant mana storms.