Landing in a clearing surrounded by gnarled trees and living vines, Klaus surveyed the scene.
The air smelled faintly of damp soil and necromantic energy, yet the area was free of monsters—for now.
Inspired by his newly-acquired Magical Creation skill, he decided to build a wooden cabin as a temporary base.
Channeling Divine Mana Control, he felt the flow of Divine Power gather in his hands, ready to shape the world around him.
He gathered fallen trunks and thick branches from nearby trees, his Level 35 strength tearing them free with ease.
Spending 20 Divine Power, he activated Magical Creation, envisioning a simple structure: woven wooden walls, a slanted roof, a reinforced door.
Divine energy streamed from his fingers; the logs aligned, their ends fusing as if guided by invisible hands.
Within minutes, a rustic 3×3-meter cabin rose before him.
Adding a window and an interior bench cost another 40 Divine Power—60 in total—and the result shimmered faintly with a celestial glow that would repel minor threats.
Klaus stepped inside, the small space radiating safety.
He used Organic Fortification to ease his fatigue while Divine Circuit stabilized his energy.
"A temporary home," he murmured, content.
But the peace didn't last—vibrations rippled through the air as the system blazed across his vision.
Scene 2 — The Rise of Difficulty
[Global Apocalypse System]
[Warning: Insufficient Progress Detected]
[Description: Dungeon output below threshold — difficulty escalating.]
New Requirement: Each dungeon now demands at least 150 monster kills for completion.
New Creatures: Shadow Wolves, Spectral Eagles, and other predators unlocked.
Material Drops: Enemies now drop resources (pelts, claws, etc.).
Klaus frowned. His exploration would have to intensify. The cabin would help, but dungeons were no longer simple runs.
A few meters away, a mist-shrouded portal shimmered.
[Dungeon Detected: Den of Predators (Level Range 35–45)]
Inside awaited a damp, rocky terrain echoing with howls and beating wings.
First came Level 35 Shadow Wolves, agile beasts with black hides and crimson eyes.
Using Player Appraisal, he spotted weak points—necks and paws—and cast Threads of Death, draining 350 VE per second.
A single Woven Strike decapitated two wolves at once: 1,500 XP + 800 VE each, plus pelts as drops.
In 20 minutes, 20 wolves fell — 30,000 XP, 16,000 VE, and 20 pelts.
The dungeon shifted upward: Level 40 Spectral Eagles swooped in flocks.
Klaus took flight on Celestial Wings, hurling Voracious Web to snare and Golden Flame to burn.
Each yielded 2,000 XP + 1,000 VE, dropping razor claws.
Forty minutes later, 30 eagles lay ash, adding 60,000 XP + 30,000 VE and raising him to Level 36 (Attributes ≈ 217 each).
He evolved Dual Casting → Rank S (+30 % efficiency, –30 % cost) with 20 EP.
Next came three-headed hydras (Level 45).
Combining Woven Wings and Skill Synthesis, he conjured a flaming net draining 500 VE per turn, searing each beast.
Each kill: 3,000 XP + 1,500 VE.
An hour later 50 hydras were gone — 150,000 XP + 75,000 VE, reaching Level 40 (≈ 245 each).
He converted 50,000 VE → 500 EP, spending 100 to raise Magical Creation → Rank B (+30 % efficiency, more complex crafts) and saving the rest.
The boss emerged: a Level 50 Shadow Alpha Wolf leading twenty Level 45 wolves.
Klaus soared, Divine Circuit accelerating his casts.
Voracious Web immobilized the pack, Golden Flame incinerated it, and Threads of Death drained the alpha.
Ten minutes of furious battle—then silence.
Reward: 10,000 XP + 5,000 VE + Alpha Wolf Pelt.
Dungeon Clear Bonus: 10,000 XP.
Total: ≈ 250,000 XP → Level 45 (Attributes ≈ 273 each).
Reflection and Planning
Emerging from the dungeon at 10:30 PM, Klaus carried 50 pelts, 30 claws, and the alpha's pristine hide.
Back at his cabin, he planned to reinforce its walls with the pelts and forge weapons from the claws via Magical Creation.
With the system's difficulty now escalating, he would need either allies or entirely new strategies.
Holding 400 EP and 5,630 VE, he resolved to upgrade key skills and turn his humble cabin into a fortress—a sanctuary between raids, a place to prepare for the next 150-kill ritual of ascension.
Night deepened.
Above the ashen sky of São Paulo, portals still flickered open.
The city had become a crucible, and Klaus — its celestial weaver — was only getting stronger.