The high of the first dungeon dive was a potent drug. I was stronger, faster, and my mind was a razor-sharp archive of perfect memories. But as I reviewed the combat data with Raphael, a glaring weakness became apparent.
She was right. I hadn't been fighting; I'd been tanking. I was learning how to use my power, but I wasn't learning how to fight. My base stats, the core of my physical being, were still pitifully low.
"So I need to learn how to take a punch for real," I concluded, a grimace on my face.
The next time I entered the Forest of Shadows, I made a change. Before the first Shadow Wolf appeared, I focused. "Raphael, deactivate [Energy Absorption & Redirection]."
"Positive," I said, rolling my shoulders. "Let's see what this body can actually do."
The first wolf lunged. This time, when its claws raked my arm, there was no warm rush of energy. There was only a searing, white-hot line of pain.
[HP: 92/100]
[-8 HP!]
"Gah!" I yelled, stumbling back, clutching my arm. The gash in my hoodie was now a gash in my skin, welling with blood. It hurt. It really, really hurt. But as the initial shock faded, a small, beautiful notification appeared.
[Through experiencing significant physical damage, the Skill [Pain Tolerance (Passive)] has been created!]
[Pain Tolerance (Passive) Lvl. 1]: Reduces the mental and physical debilitating effects of pain.]
A grim, bloody smile spread across my face. "Okay. Now we're talking."
The next five days were a brutal education in the art of getting hit. I didn't try to win the fights. I tried to survive them. I learned to dodge, to parry, to move my feet. I learned the difference between a glancing blow and a direct hit. The forest became my personal, bloody gymnasium. My HP bar was in a constant state of flux, and I exited the dungeon each night bruised, battered, and bleeding, but with a collection of new, hard-won skill-ups.
[Through strenuous combat, CON +1!]
[Through repeated evasion, DEX +1!]
[Pain Tolerance (Passive) Lvl. 1 -> Lvl. 4!]
On the fifth day, as I nursed a particularly nasty spectral bite on my leg, another milestone was reached.
[Through repeated, high-volume energy cycling , [Energy Absorption & Redirection] has reached Lvl. 15!]
[Skill has evolved! New functionality unlocked: [Energy Reinforcement (Partial)]!]
Description: You may now apply a focused coating of stored EP to specific body parts, greatly increasing their durability and strength without a full-body buff.]
"Reinforcement," I breathed, a plan forming in my mind. "Raphael, this is the perfect middle ground. I can protect the important bits while still training my endurance."
My next dive was different. I absorbed a full charge from the power grid before entering. As the first wolf appeared, I focused, willing the stored EP to flow. A faint, almost invisible shimmer of energy, like heat haze, enveloped my head, my chest, and my groin. It was a targeted, minimalist suit of armor.
The wolf lunged, its claws aimed for my chest. I stood my ground. The claws hit the energy coating and slid off with a sharp scccrape of magical energy against solidified power. There was no damage, no pain.
But when a second wolf bit my un-reinforced leg, the fangs still sank in, the pain was still real, and the skill points for [Pain Tolerance] still flowed.
It was perfect. I could now fine-tune my own training. I was taking damage, leveling my endurance, and increasing my fighting experience, all while protecting my most vital areas.
And then I noticed something else. As I sat patching up a scratch on my arm after a fight, I saw the skin knitting itself back together, the red line slowly fading over the course of a minute.
[Through the constant channeling of low-level energy, a new passive effect has been unlocked from your CON stat!]
[Minor Healing Factor (Passive) Lvl. 1]: Slowly regenerates minor wounds and recovers stamina when not in active combat.]
I looked at the notification, then at my healing arm. "Huh. A healing factor. That's... useful, I guess."
"Meh," I shrugged. "It's too slow. Why grind for a better healing factor when I can just find Wolverine and copy his?"
My main goal was clear. It wasn't about fancy new powers. It was about the foundation. I needed to increase my base stats, the raw numbers that defined me. I needed to increase my fighting experience, the instincts that would keep me alive. Everything else was just a tool to achieve that. The real power wasn't in the flash; it was in the grind.