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Chapter 18 - The First Dive

Ancient One's visit left a permanent mark, not on my workshop, but on my psyche. The casual threat of annihilation had a way of clarifying one's priorities. The plan was no longer a fun, game-like progression; it was a race. A race to become too useful to erase.

My "orientation" at Kamar-Taj was still pending, leaving me in a state of anxious limbo. I couldn't risk any more reality-spamming to level up [Dungeon Creation], not with the Sorcerer Supreme's eye now firmly fixed on me.

"So, we're stuck," I said, pacing the forge floor. "I can't level the skill without making noise, and I can't get stronger without leveling the skill. It's a catch-22."

Raphael interjected.

"You mean actually go in there? With the spooky trees and whatever monsters it generates?"

I looked at the empty space in the center of the room. The thought of stepping into that unknown was daunting, but the thought of stagnating was worse. "Alright. Let's do it. Gear me up."

My preparations were minimal. I changed into a set of durable cargo pants and a dark hoodie. My only "weapon" was a pair of reinforced work gloves, the knuckles lined with a thin layer of carbon fiber I'd printed myself. My real weapon was the 10,000 EP I'd just absorbed from the power grid, thrumming under my skin.

"CREATE INSTANT DUNGEON!"

The familiar, now much smoother, shimmering portal opened. I took a deep breath, clenched my fists, and stepped through.

The air was cold and damp, smelling of decay. Skeletal, leafless trees clawed at a bruised-purple sky. The ground was a spongy carpet of black moss. It was even creepier up close.

A low growl echoed from the shadows. A creature emerged, a twisted mockery of a wolf. Its body was made of knotted roots and shadowy mist, its eyes glowing with a malevolent red light.

"[Observe]!"

Name: Shadow Wolf

Level: 3

Type: Magical Beast

"Level 3," I muttered. "Okay. I can do this."

The Shadow Wolf lunged, its shadowy claws extended. I didn't try to dodge. I stood my ground, my arm raised. I activated [Energy Absorption] as its claws raked against my forearm.

The attack should have ripped my arm open. Instead, I felt that familiar, invigorating rush as the kinetic energy of the blow flowed into me. A faint red scratch appeared on my hoodie, but my skin was unbroken.

[EP: 10,000 -> 10,050]

The wolf recoiled, confused by the lack of a scream. I didn't give it time to think. I focused the newly absorbed energy into my fist and threw a straight right.

"Redirect!"

The concussive blast was a cannon shot in the silent forest. My fist connected with the wolf's head, and the shadowy construct simply exploded, dissolving into a cloud of dissipating black mist.

A triumphant chime echoed in my mind.

[Shadow Wolf Defeated! +50 EXP!]

Another growl, this time from my left. Two more wolves emerged from the trees.

I grinned. "Alright, boys. Let's dance."

The next hour was a brutal, exhilarating ballet of violence. I wasn't a graceful fighter, but I was a brutally efficient one. I absorbed their lunges, their bites, their claw swipes, converting their aggression into fuel for my own attacks. Each concussive blast echoed through the forest, each defeated enemy dissolving into experience points.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last wolf fell. The forest grew silent. I stood, panting, my clothes torn, my body bruised, but I felt more alive than ever.

And then, the notifications began to cascade.

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 6!]

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 7!]

[All stats +5!]

[Through repeated combat, [Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)] Lvl. 5 -> Lvl. 7!]

[Through repeated application, [Energy Absorption & Redirection] Lvl. 10 -> Lvl. 12!]

But the best was yet to come.

[You have reached a new milestone! One primary stat has surpassed 50!]

[INT has reached 53!]

[Calculating Stat Bonus... As your INT is your highest stat, you are awarded the [Mind Palace] Perk!]

Perk: [Mind Palace] (Passive)

Description: Your mind has become a perfectly organized archive. Grants perfect memory recall, accelerates all learning processes by 25%, and allows for complex mental simulations. You can now multitask mentally, running up to three simultaneous thought processes without loss of focus.

I felt a fundamental shift in my own consciousness. It was like a cluttered, messy room in my head had suddenly been perfectly organized by a master librarian. My thoughts were clearer, faster. I could simultaneously analyze my combat performance, plan my next business move for Aura Innovations, and still have a "thread" left over to appreciate the eerie beauty of the dungeon.

I let out a low, satisfied laugh. "Now this... this is progress."

"Exit Dungeon."

I reappeared in the familiar, concrete comfort of my workshop, the purple sky of the Shadow Forest replaced by the cool glow of my LED lights. I was tired, sore, and covered in spectral wolf-dust, but I was stronger. Smarter. The race was on, and I had just found my stride.

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