The dungeon walls screamed with raw, ancient tension.
Cracks formed in the stone as the last ripple of the boss's death echoed through the chamber. Orion stood over the fading remains of the beast, breath slow and controlled, his body pulsing with exhaustion and triumph in equal measure. His blade—no longer just steel, but forged with fire, wind, and raw will—dripped with the dark ichor of the fallen monster.
His heart was still racing.
Not from fear.
But from understanding.
This was what it meant to fight not as a beginner… but as a being meant to master everything.
The boss—a towering, serpentine construct of bone and corrupted elemental energy—had tested him like nothing before. For all its menace, the real battle had been inside. Element by element, skill by skill, Orion had reached into the well of his new powers and drawn them forth, one after the other.
Not in chaos.
But in harmony.
—
It had started with fire.
The element he was most familiar with. He'd summoned it in his palm with instinctual ease, letting the heat curl up around his fingers until it became a lance of burning energy. His first opponents had been skeletal hounds—fast, agile, and weak to flame. Fire arced from his palm like a whip, scouring their bones clean before they could close in.
But that was only the beginning.
From fire, he moved to water.
At first, it resisted him. Not in defiance, but in temperament—slower, deeper, more patient than flame. It didn't leap to his call like fire did. It had to be drawn. He inhaled deeply, allowing his breath to mirror the stillness of a deep river. Only then did the element respond, gathering in a swirl that danced around his fingers before exploding outward in high-pressure jets.
When a group of dungeon shades lunged at him, claws raised, he let water answer—slicing their incorporeal forms with icy precision. Each time he killed, the system responded. Essence threads, thick and alive, were absorbed into his body.
And with them… came change.
⟢ Gained Ability: \[Water Step] — Temporarily walk on any liquid surface. Increases evasion speed by 25% when moving across water.
The system shimmered again a moment later:
⟢ Equivalent Abilities Gained: \[Fire Dash], \[Earth Anchor], \[Wind Drift], \[Lightning Reflex], \[Ice Slide], \[Dark Flicker], \[Light Pulse], \[Gravity Bend], \[Void Sink], \[Space Flicker], \[Time Slip], \[Celestial Reach].
Each ability adapted to the element it came from. All synchronized. All balanced.
It made him pause—not out of shock, but from the depth of it all.
His Bloodline of True Harmony didn't just let him *use* elements.
It let him translate them.
Understand them.
Master them.
—
When he discovered Earth, it came in the form of resistance.
A golem guardian crashed into him mid-way through the dungeon, its stony limbs heavy and relentless. Orion had to dig deep—he reached downward, into the elemental pulse of the dungeon floor, and felt the grit, the stillness, the stability of Earth.
His body tensed. Weight shifted into his legs. He met the golem's next strike head-on.
Flesh did not yield.
Stone did not falter.
He pushed back with a roar, his skin briefly hardening into mineral density. His fists cracked the golem's hide, and when it fell, he touched its shattered core and whispered: "I just rub."
⟢ \[I Just Rub] Activated.
⟢ New Passive: \[Stone Form] — Temporary armor boost under pressure. Physical resistance increased by 40% when standing still.
And just like before, the elemental symmetry responded:
⟢ Equivalent Passives Gained: \[Flame Armor], \[Water Sheathe], \[Wind Cloak], \[Electric Shell], \[Void Veil], \[Light Guard], \[Celestial Plate], etc.
A universe of responses unfolded.
He wasn't just gaining power. He was becoming a conduit.
—
Midway through the dungeon, the terrain shifted—floors collapsing into a gravity-warped chasm that twisted physics into spirals. The enemies here floated—humanoid figures cloaked in dark robes, each one channeling an unfamiliar pressure.
Gravity Elementals.
They fought by crushing space around him, warping movement and weight. Each step was like wading through quicksand, every leap a struggle.
So he answered in kind.
Orion inhaled, centered his core, and called to the gravity within him.
It responded.
Suddenly, the pressure normalized—not from resistance, but from adaptation. The skill awakened naturally:
⟢ Gained Ability: \[Gravitic Anchor] — Negates external weight manipulation. Can triple gravity beneath enemies in a 10-meter radius.
He slammed a foot into the ground.
The enemy spellcasters screamed as the air collapsed around them, pulling them violently to the dungeon floor with bone-snapping force.
⟢ Extraction Successful: \[Void Channeling Core]
⟢ Rub Skill Gained: \[Spell Lattice Tap] — Allows user to draw spell architecture from defeated enemies. 30% chance to recreate or improve it.
⟢ Super Growth Triggered: \[Gravitic Anchor] evolved to \[Mass Vector Authority] — Adds flight stabilization and gravitational distortion field. Increases skill range to 25 meters.
That was the moment he realized something else.
Super Growth wasn't *just* speeding things up.
It was causing mutations.
Synergies between bloodline and growth triggered *evolutions*—skills didn't just level up, they became something new.
—
In the next corridor, Orion was met with a wall of magical light. Blades made of radiance spun like saws, cutting anything that moved.
He could feel them trying to blind him.
So he called to Light.
Not blinding, but revealing.
A calm, sharp beam focused around his vision. The blades slowed—not literally, but perceptually. Time seemed to still.
⟢ Gained Passive: \[Photon Clarity] — Visual attacks reduced by 80%. Enhances tracking against fast-moving enemies.
Time and Light danced together—he realized the system wasn't just granting skills by category. It was linking *interrelated forces*.
He'd unlocked:
⟢ \[Time Read] — See 0.2 seconds into the future during combat.
⟢ \[Celestial Measure] — Identify alignment strength between enemy and elemental forces.
He could *see* how enemies were built.
He understood them before they moved.
—
The final stretch before the boss chamber tested him harder.
A hallway of spatial loops, where each corner turned back on itself. Time warped. Void echoes whispered at the edge of sanity.
Orion shut his eyes.
He let go of perception.
And simply listened.
The hum of the dungeon.
The rhythm of its energies.
He moved through space not by sight—but by attunement. Each step activated his harmony bloodline in new ways.
⟢ Gained Passive: \[Void Sight] — Detect paths through warped space.
⟢ Gained Active: \[Spatial Snap] — Instantly shift position within a 15-meter range. Cooldown: 3 sec.
⟢ Super Growth Triggered: \[Spatial Snap] evolved to \[Dimensional Repositioning] — Swap positions with marked allies or enemies. Ignores terrain obstacles. Cooldown: 1 sec.
He wasn't walking anymore.
He was flowing.
—
Then… the boss.
A towering nightmare stitched from every elemental threat he'd faced so far.
It rose on eight segmented limbs—half metal, half stone—with a torso that flickered between dimensions. Lightning cracked from its mouth. Void energy swirled in its chest.
Orion didn't hesitate.
He chose Fire first—searing waves of flame blasted outward to test the creature's defenses. The monster absorbed some of it—but staggered.
He swapped immediately.
Earth. Then Water. Then Gravity.
Each element came with its own rhythm.
The monster responded in kind, rotating weaknesses. It fought like a being of perfect balance. Just like him.
"Not bad," he muttered, breathing hard. "But I don't need perfection. Just an opening."
He triggered \[Time Slip].
Everything slowed.
He slid beneath a tail strike, activating \[Void Sink] and \[Gravitic Anchor] in tandem—momentum canceled, enemy weight tripled. The creature faltered mid-attack.
Now.
Orion surged forward, chaining \[Celestial Reach] with \[Space Flicker].
He reappeared inside the beast's defenses, hand glowing.
"I just rub."
⟢ \[I Just Rub] Activated.
The creature froze—essence unraveling beneath his touch.
⟢ Gained Ability: \[Aether Core Cascade] — Convert ambient elemental chaos into a focused burst. 60-second cooldown.
⟢ Gained Passive: \[Dimensional Reservoir] — Store up to 3 elemental effects for future casting.
Then, as the last of the creature's life-force unraveled, the dungeon shuddered.
Warning flares lit across his system.
*DUNGEON CORE DESTABILIZING*
A timer appeared in red.
**01:00**
He sprinted for the exit—but not before pausing as three final system prompts unfurled before him.
---
🜂 **Rub Skill Gains (Boss-Level)**:
* \[Aether Core Cascade]
* \[Multiphase Aura Conversion]
* \[Dimensional Stream Matrix]
* \[Reactive Evolution Trigger]
🜂 **Extraction Gains**:
* \[Boss Core Fragment: Elemental Singularity]
* \[Trait Absorbed: Energy Looping Heart]
* \[Skill Learned: Hybrid Resistance (60% resistance to mixed-element damage)]
🜂 **Super Growth Gains**:
* \[All combat skills leveled up by +3 ranks]
* \[New Trait: Adaptive Pulse Response] — Body automatically adjusts to new energies on contact.
* \[Mutation Triggered: Harmony Matrix Node Created] — Enhances future elemental evolutions. Reduces cooldowns by 30%.
---
He didn't even have time to fully digest it all.
The chamber was collapsing around him—reality itself flickering as space and time buckled under the dungeon's dying breath.
He raced through the crumbling corridor, \[Spatial Snap] chaining instinctively as debris fell around him. The swirling portal to safety flickered ahead, barely stable.
He dove through just as the dungeon detonated behind him—silent, explosive light washing over the horizon.
The screen went black.
Then—
His system pinged softly.
A new screen slid into view.
> Would you like to review all gained elements, harmonized evolutions, and affinity threads?
Orion stared at it, half in awe, half in disbelief.
He exhaled.
Then whispered with a grin:
"…Yeah. Let's see what I really am now."
—
The last remnants of the collapsing dungeon crumbled behind him as Orion stepped into the fractured sunlight of early dawn. Dust and magic still hung in the air like the remnants of a storm, shimmering and thin. A subtle hum resonated in his bones—the quiet aftershock of the dungeon's final release.
He stood silent for a moment, staring down at the new status message etched in glowing script across his vision.
**\[Master Stat increased by 10 due to Extraction (Super Growth Bonus x10 applied)]**
**\[Total Master Stat: 31]**
A calm, familiar voice followed—Raphael.
**"Orion. Extraction from the dungeon boss is complete. Rub has also activated passively during contact—talent and skill data acquired. Full report available upon request."**
Orion blinked the message away for now. His body was sore, every step on uneven ground sending mild jolts up through his heels. He rolled his shoulders and immediately winced—tightness wrapped around the base of his neck and along his back. Not critical, but the fight with the boss hadn't left him unscathed.
Still… he had won. Alone. With every inch earned through instinct and experimentation.
He took a breath and finally allowed himself to smile—until he felt the sharp twitch in the back of his mind. Presence.
He turned—too slow.
A force slammed into his ribs and sent him crashing into the side of a shattered tree stump. Bark and debris exploded around him. He coughed, the impact burning in his side.
Three figures stepped from the treeline. All young. Roughly his age. Their gear was worn but well-maintained—signs of familiarity with combat. No guild marks, no uniforms. Independents.
The lead one stepped forward, tall and broad, with a jagged scar across his cheek and a blade already drawn.
"Looks like he's fresh out," the leader muttered, eyeing Orion with a predator's gaze. "Check his inventory."
Orion straightened slowly, hand not yet reaching for a weapon. "You really want to do this?" he asked quietly.
"We really do," the girl to his left responded. Two short daggers flashed in her grip. "We were watching the dungeon's collapse timer. Thought you might have gotten killed inside. Shame you didn't."
They came fast.
Orion dodged the first swipe from the leader's sword but caught a punch from the third member in the gut—smaller frame, faster hands. He grunted, twisting away only to have the dagger-wielding girl come around from behind. One knife grazed the back of his shoulder.
His foot lashed out—caught her in the knee, dropping her to one side. He rolled over her falling form, narrowly dodging another thrust.
His body screamed in protest, not fully recovered from the boss fight. Every movement felt heavy.
But something had changed.
His awareness. The fluid calculation of motion, like his muscles and instincts had evolved between one breath and the next. The rub skill. He hadn't activated it—it activated itself.
**Passive Talent Acquired \[Shadowspine Movement – Upgraded]: Boosts reaction time and coordination under ambush or outnumbered combat conditions.**
He gritted his teeth and let it guide him.
Orion surged forward, knocking the thin fighter back with a shoulder charge. He pivoted, blocked a heavy swing from the leader, and twisted to trap the blade under his arm. With a brutal elbow, he struck the man's temple. Not enough to drop him, but enough to daze.
The girl recovered and went low—blades flashing for his ankles.
He launched up and over her, twisting mid-air, channeling energy into his palm.
**"Fire Element—Coil Ember"**
A ring of fire spun out like a whip, catching all three attackers in a quick-burning circle of pain. It didn't knock them out—but they backed off for precious seconds.
He landed on his feet, breathing heavy.
**"Raphael," he whispered. "Damage report."**
**"Minor internal bruising. Surface-level lacerations on left shoulder and mid-back. Stamina: 42%. Do not attempt prolonged combat without rest."**
Noted.
The enemies regrouped, more cautious now.
"We're still taking his gear," the leader spat, wiping blood from his jaw.
"You'll have to do it with broken arms," Orion replied.
He extended his hand, switching elements mid-flow—space bent subtly around his fingers.
**"Space Element—Distortion Lash"**
The air shimmered—space folded into itself, then cracked outward. A concussive pulse shot from his palm and slammed into the group like a collapsing wall.
The smaller one and the girl were tossed backward. The leader staggered, blade trembling in his grip.
Orion dashed forward before he could recover and planted a fist directly into his chest. The armor cracked. The man collapsed.
The others scrambled to regroup but paused as Orion held up his hand again—void rippling through his skin like shadow-lightning.
**"Leave."**
They obeyed.
He stood panting, knuckles bleeding, vision swimming slightly. His legs ached, and something in his ribs throbbed worse with each breath.
But he was still standing.
Raphael's voice returned gently.
**"New Skills Acquired via Rub:**
— \[Shadowspine Movement – Upgraded]
— \[Survivor's Cunning]: Temporary boost to perception and positioning when facing more than two opponents.
— \[Flicker Step – Common Grade]: Short-range enhanced dash with reduced elemental drag.\*\*
**"New Skill Extracted (from Boss): \[Pyre Maul – Rare Grade]: A close-range fire-infused slam technique capable of creating shockwaves. Stat cost: Moderate."**
**"Talent Extracted: \[Elemental Bond – Minor]: Allows higher efficiency in absorbing and channeling elemental energy."**
Orion leaned against a tree, sliding down slowly until he sat with his knees raised.
"Put them all in reserve for now," he muttered. "I'll review everything later."
**"Acknowledged."**
After another hour of rest and slow healing using controlled light and vitality energy, Orion finally stood. It was late morning now, and the world had returned to its usual rhythm.
The dirt trail toward the next waypoint—the Level 2 Dungeon—stretched out ahead of him, framed by hills and stone.
He walked slowly at first, letting his body realign, his mana threads balance out, and his thoughts settle.
Even now, he was learning. His growth wasn't a straight line—it spiraled. Every fight unlocked more of what was hidden deep inside.
By mid-afternoon, the Level 2 Dungeon gate came into view. It pulsed faintly, its color denoting its challenge rating. It wasn't imposing from the outside—just a large stone gateway hovering in the middle of a crater where trees had been pushed outward by the dungeon's arrival.
He approached, slowing as he reached the base.
Then paused.
Another message from Raphael floated into view.
**"Access denied. Requirement unmet: Minimum 2-member party. Rank match confirmed. Boss inside: Rank D- (one rank above standard Level 2 difficulty)."**
He exhaled slowly.
So, this wouldn't be a solo dive.
He sat near the edge of the crater, watching the late afternoon sun filter through the leaves. Other figures would arrive soon. Strong ones, maybe even reckless ones.
This time, he couldn't go alone.
He rested one hand on the hilt of his practice blade, now worn but still functional. His other hand reached up, brushing lightly across the cut on his cheek—still fresh from the ambush.
His gaze narrowed on the distance.
"I need a party member," he muttered.
A rustle in the brush.
He turned sharply—alert again, tense.
Footsteps.
And then…
A shadow stepped out from the tree line.
Orion's hand tightened on his blade.
The figure's voice was low, calm.
"…You headed into the dungeon too?"
Orion didn't answer immediately. The sun dipped lower, casting half the crater in shadow, the other half gold.
He looked the stranger over—and then the dungeon behind them.
This was how the next climb would begin.
And he had a feeling it wouldn't be any easier than the last.
The stale wind brushed across Orion's face as he stood at the threshold of the level 2 dungeon. Cracks spiderwebbed through the metallic archway, glowing faintly with unstable arcane power. His body still ached, sore from the ambush that followed the last dungeon's collapse. Bruises lined his sides. Faint cuts laced his forearms and back. The healing potions and minor rest had helped, but recovery came slow when strength advanced too fast. His joints pulsed with fatigue from the rapid acceleration of his growth.
Yet more than the wounds, it was the memory of betrayal that lingered.
Ten humans—same rank, same age—yet none showed the camaraderie he'd once imagined. They'd turned on him the second they sensed weakness, seeking to steal what he'd earned. Fiction had warned him. Still, experiencing it firsthand etched it deeper into his soul.
He clenched his fists.
Thirty-three. That was his stat count after the last dungeon. Ten points extracted from the boss, multiplied through Super Growth, plus two base from elite enemy extractions—twenty in total after upgrades. He hadn't allocated them yet. He'd learned not to commit until he understood the battlefield ahead.
The level 2 dungeon pulsed in front of him like a living wound in space.
"Another dungeon," he muttered. "Boss will be rank 3… that means one tier above me. Same rules. Same risks."
A faint tremor prickled his skin. Mana.
He turned.
A girl around his age approached the gate, her presence subtle but deliberate. Her dark hair shimmered faintly under the ambient mana, and her golden eyes scanned the surroundings with quiet alertness. She held a slender light-forged staff, faintly glowing at the edges with radiant energy.
She said nothing as she walked toward the gate. Neither did Orion.
But before either could speak, a loud, easy-going voice rang from behind.
"Hey! You two heading in alone?"
Orion turned, instincts half-sharpened from experience. A group of ten approached—well-armed, coordinated, confident. Their weapons gleamed with polish, and their armor matched in black and silver. They moved like they'd done this before—like this was routine. Their leader, a tall young man with silver-blond hair and an exaggerated grin, stepped forward with disarming ease.
"We're heading in. Rank 2 dungeon's rough to solo. You two seem competent." He looked at Orion first, then lingered longer on the girl. "More people, better odds. Want to team up?"
Orion studied them. Ten-man squad. Matching loadouts. Uniform spacing. Their eyes scanned like scavengers, not survivors.
Too polished. Too friendly.
His gaze slid to the girl. She gave a near-imperceptible shrug. Calculated. Observing.
"I'm not interested in being carried," Orion said calmly. "I'll contribute."
The leader's grin widened. "Good. We'll split loot after. Let's get going."
The group entered the dungeon, flowing into the gate like practiced predators. Orion took up the rear beside the quiet girl.
Once through the portal, the air changed. The gate shimmered behind them, sealing shut with a soft hiss.
They were inside.
The dungeon resembled a warped forest—a grove of twisted blackened trees under a storm-choked sky. Purple lightning crackled through roiling clouds. A damp fog clung to the floor, hissing where it touched light-based spells.
They advanced quickly.
The ten-man group tore through enemies—corrupted hounds, rotting treants, mana-mad wolves. Aurora and Orion stayed close to the rear. He used only Wind, manifesting razor blades of pressurized air to slice enemies apart with minimal movement. Rub enhanced his combat sense subtly, letting him parry incoming strikes with casual ease. He never used more than necessary. The group would underestimate him. That was good.
The girl—Aurora—used pure Light. Her spells lanced through enemies with surgical focus. No wasted motion. No flair.
Efficient. Like him.
By the time they reached the dungeon's inner sanctum, the ten's leader raised a hand.
"Boss room. This next step's tricky. We'll go in groups of two. You two go first—scope the space. We'll follow a few seconds after."
Orion didn't blink. Didn't react.
Too clean.
Too rehearsed.
He glanced at Aurora. Her fingers tightened around her staff. She knew too.
"Let's go," he said flatly.
They passed through the massive double door arch.
The moment the double doors slammed shut behind them, a black pressure descended over the chamber like a suffocating fog. The temperature plummeted. Their breath turned visible.
From the ceiling, dozens of bone chains dropped with a clatter like metal teeth on stone.
And then — it stepped out of the throne of fused corpses and shattered armor.
The Corpse Herald was taller than any human—over six meters of skeletal flesh fused with rusted plate and dead mana. Its eye sockets burned with purple fire. A crown of horns spiraled from its skull, each tip impaled with the shattered cores of past adventurers.
[Dungeon Boss: Corpse Herald – D- Rank]
Warning: Threat Level Over Class!
Engaging combat at two ranks below recommended threshold.
Suggested Response: Escape or Delay.
Neither of them hesitated.
Orion surged to the right, wind roaring beneath his feet, while Aurora darted left, her light cloak flaring with protective brilliance.
The Herald moved faster than expected — far too fast for its size. A single step cracked the earth beneath it. A bone halberd forged from fused femurs cleaved through the air, missing Orion's neck by centimeters.
Aurora spun, chanting in a breathless rhythm. A Radiant Seal burst in the air, creating a barrier that deflected the next sweep — but only barely. Cracks formed instantly, and her feet skidded.
Orion launched a compressed wind blade, targeting the joint between the Herald's collarbone and neck. It struck — but only shallowly. The boss rotated, deflecting the next strike with a chain swing that sent a shockwave through the room.
"Too thick!" Orion growled, already switching tactics.
Aurora called out. "We need a multi-phase breach—take the legs, then blind it!"
The Herald roared, unleashing a Necrotic Howl. Purple shockwaves expanded outward. Orion felt the pulse rattle his organs — a status effect trembled at the edge of activation. He pushed pure will through his mana circuits, burning some of his reserve to stave off the paralyzing fog that tried to infect him.
-12% Mana
"Move!" Aurora screamed.
He dove left just as bone shards erupted from the ground — narrowly avoiding being impaled. Aurora wasn't so lucky. One spike grazed her thigh, slicing open flesh. She hissed but kept moving, channeling Sunflare Burst into the boss's left leg.
The golden explosion staggered it.
"NOW!" she shouted.
Orion blurred forward with everything he had, stacking Wind+Fire, condensing the two into a blazing lance of explosive force. He slammed it directly into the Herald's exposed leg joint. The limb bent unnaturally — snapping at the knee.
But the Herald didn't fall.
It screamed, spinning with terrifying power, and its halberd grazed Orion's back, ripping open skin and blood. He flipped mid-air, trying to roll with the blow, but slammed into a bone pillar hard enough to crack a rib.
Pain flared white behind his eyes.
His limbs shook.
Status: -47 HP.
Mana: 23% remaining.
Aurora blinked beside him, her face pale. "Can't heal. Spent it all."
"We finish it here." Orion forced himself up, breathing ragged.
The Herald limped toward them, half its torso cracked, but its aura still chokingly strong. It stabbed its halberd into the ground — and black chains erupted upward, trying to bind them both.
Aurora screamed and released a full-powered solar lance, charging every bit of remaining mana into a single beam. It struck the boss's face dead-on.
Skull shattered.
Orion moved with finality.
All elements. Now. He let go of restraint.
A spiral of Void-Wind-Fire condensed in his palm — unstable, crackling with collapse. He dashed forward, pushing past agony, dodging one last desperate slash. Then he shoved the core of his spell directly into the Herald's chest cavity.
"Collapse."
The explosion detonated point-blank.
He and Aurora were both thrown across the room.
Silence followed.
Dust choked the chamber. Debris rained from the ceiling.
And then —
CRACK.
The Herald fell.
Not cleanly. Not like some graceful cinematic moment. It toppled like a collapsing cathedral — violently, reluctantly, and in pieces.
Orion lay on the ground, blinking at the ceiling, every breath stabbing his ribs.
"Alive?" Aurora's voice was raw, weak.
"Barely," he wheezed. "But yeah."
They dragged themselves upright.
[Boss Defeated. Extraction Available. Choose Two.]
"Don't waste time," Orion gasped.
"Raphael—extract."
[+2 Stat Points (upgraded to +20 via Super Growth)]
[New Skill: Boneforge Carapace (x10 upgraded)]
Power surged through him — like molten steel weaving into bone. His skin felt tougher. Pain dulled slightly.
Stats: 33 → 53.
He turned. Aurora was propped against a broken column, panting, her light magic flickering weakly around her like dying fireflies.
"Next time," she said, smiling with blood on her teeth, "you're tanking."
Orion gave a dry chuckle, then froze.
The gate behind them had opened again.
Ten shadows passed through.
The leader still wore that damned smile.
"Perfect timing," he said, spinning a dagger in each hand. "Thanks for the assist. You softened it for us."
Orion's heart rate didn't rise. He just stood up straight.
So did Aurora.
Her light dimmed — sharpened.
The two of them stood together, side by side. Not retreating.
Something feral ignited in Orion's gaze.
They weren't prey anymore.