The realization that he possessed both a perfect analytical engine and an infinitely deep energy source did not result in a rush of hubris. Instead, it brought a razor-sharp calm. Kael understood that true power lay in calculation, not brute force.
He focused Omniscience on the heavy oak door. The iron bars and crude lock were superficial defenses. The true barrier was a Tier 3 Mana Dampener Array woven into the doorframe and the surrounding stone. If the door were opened violently, or if the array sustained a major shock, a silent alarm would trigger, alerting every guard and high-level Warden in the facility.
Target: The primary power conduit of the Dampener Array, located 1.2 meters to the left of the door, embedded 10 centimeters deep in the stone.
Kael knelt and pressed his fingers against the cold wall. Drawing upon the Void Heart Core, he funneled the unique Chaos Void mana. Unlike typical elemental mana, this energy was corrosive and undetectable to passive Aura scans. It bypassed the array's filtering protocols entirely. With the precision of a master clockmaker, he extended a thread of this nullifying energy.
It wasn't a blast; it was a surgical severance.
Click.
The array failed silently. The thick mana suppression lifted from the hallway, but the alarm mechanism remained dormant. The heavy lock on the door was now just iron against iron.
Kael used a splintered piece of straw from his mat as an improvised tension wrench and, guided by the perfect internal map provided by Omniscience, picked the crude lock in less than three seconds. The door swung open with a muffled thud.
The hallway was dimly lit by flickering torches and empty, timed perfectly between the 58.7-second patrol rhythm. Kael slipped out, moving not with speed, but with absolute certainty, hugging the shadows provided by the architectural flaws mapped in his mind.
The Tutorial Gacha
Kael reached a storage closet two levels up, confirming its invisibility to all surveillance magic. He sat down, breathing steadily, and accessed the System.
"Four draws remaining. I need utility: stealth, defense, and mobility. Speed is essential for survival right now."
He mentally commanded: "Gacha Draw 2."
The golden orb reappeared, spinning faster this time, resolving into a thin, curved dagger.
[Gacha Tier S Reward Acquired]
[Skill: Shadow Step (Active - Rank A)]
Type: Mobility/Stealth.
Description: Allows the user to momentarily dissolve into nearby shadows, teleporting up to 50 meters instantly. Cooldown: 1 second. Mana Cost: Low (10 units per use).
A genuine jolt of satisfaction went through him. Excellent. Perfect mobility for escaping a complex, multi-tiered structure.
"Gacha Draw 3."
This time, the orb produced a glowing, crystalline armor shard that instantly vanished upon being claimed, merging with his aura foundation.
[Gacha Tier S Reward Acquired]
[Item: Aegis of the Architect (Rune - Rank S)]
Type: Defensive Augmentation.
Description: A foundational rune that reinforces the user's mental and physical defenses. Grants Passive Mind Block against low-level compulsion or mind-reading attempts. When active, it converts 75% of incoming damage into a Mana Shield.
Mind Block. Crucial. He knew from his Omniscience scans of this world's political figures that psychological warfare and mind magic were frequently used by high-level enemies.
"Gacha Draw 4."
The orb condensed into a small, pulsing ball of pure silver energy.
[Gacha Tier S Reward Acquired]
[Skill: Gravimetric Manipulation (Active - Rank S)]
Type: Offensive/Utility Magic.
Description: Grants the ability to locally manipulate gravitational forces. Can increase or decrease mass and density within a 20-meter radius. Mana Cost: Variable.
Kael smiled darkly. This was the game changer. Gravity Manipulation wasn't just raw power; it was the ultimate tool for strategic control. He could pin enemies, crush internal organs, or make himself weightless for a better jump—all powered by his infinite well of Chaos Void Mana.
"Gacha Draw 5. The final tutorial draw."
The last draw was a thin, glowing data slate that also dissolved into his System interface.
[Gacha Tier S Reward Acquired]
[Item: Dimensional Nexus Interface (Rank EX)]
Type: System Upgrade.
Description: Integrates all external data streams into the SCS interface. Allows the user to visualize and interact with the System's menus in the real world (e.g., pulling Gacha draws mid-combat) and view the precise status, statistics, and weaknesses of any target recognized by Omniscience.
With the fifth draw complete, the System chimed: [Tutorial Phase Concluded.]
Kael had five game-breaking assets, perfect knowledge, and infinite energy, all before leaving the prison grounds. He was no longer running from this world; he was preparing to dismantle it.
The Forgotten Sewers
Using a small window to observe the city of Veridia, Kael used his newly upgraded interface, fueled by Omniscience, to scan for resource density. He needed a safe, isolated, and continuously renewing source of experience and materials to rapidly convert his potential into usable power.
Target Identified: The Forgotten Sewers of Veridia – Sub-sector Gamma.
This was a low-rank Dungeon, rated C-, typically used by novice adventurers. It was overlooked by the powerful Guilds because its common monster drops (mutated slimes, sewer rats) were worthless. However, Omniscience detected a hidden anomaly. Due to a fault in the local ley-line convergence, the Dungeon's final boss, a giant Ooze, had a 0.01% chance of dropping a Mana Crystal of Stable Growth, a Tier S material that Guilds weren't willing to farm for due to the astronomical odds.
For Kael, a 0.01% chance was just a calculation of how many times he had to try. With infinite mana, the cost was zero.
He used Shadow Step to bypass the inner prison wall and, after acquiring some simple, dark clothes from an abandoned laundry room, slipped into the labyrinthine sewers.
The Efficient Grind
The air in the sewer was thick with rot and sulfur, but Kael was focused. He approached the first wave of enemies: three [Mutated Sewer Slimes - Rank D].
Omniscience Calculation: Slimes are immune to physical damage. They are weak to concentrated heat or extreme kinetic pressure.
Kael didn't use a fireball or an explosion. He focused Gravimetric Manipulation on the central Slime. He calculated the exact density required to tear the slime's internal matrix apart without creating an audible external splash.
Increase Gravimetric Pressure: 400x.
The central Slime didn't burst; it simply imploded into a perfectly contained sphere of high-density residue, the sound absorbed by the crushing force.
The other two Slimes reacted, rolling toward him. Kael simply flickered into the shadows using Shadow Step, appearing 10 meters behind them. He repeated the process, focusing the crushing gravity on their semi-solid nuclei.
Implosion. Implosion.
The System chimed three times: [Experience Gained.] [Level Up! (Lv. 1 -> 3)]
Kael continued, moving through the sewers like a phantom of physics. He didn't waste energy, never fired a shot that wasn't perfectly optimized, and never missed a critical weakness. Each enemy was a brief calculation, followed by a silent, gravitational death.
Within thirty minutes, he arrived at the final chamber, a vast, murky cavern dominated by the [Elder Sludge Ooze - Rank C+]. This boss regenerated quickly and typically took a squad of four novices to defeat.
Kael stood at the entrance. Analysis: Regeneration based on fluid exchange via the subterranean water table. Weakness: Instantaneous and complete molecular destabilization.
He pulled on the infinite well of the Void Heart Core, channeling a colossal, but measured, amount of Chaos Void Mana into his hands. He didn't focus on crushing the Ooze; he focused on inverting its gravity field to a localized point at its core, calculated to rip the creature's entire mass upward and tear it away from its regenerative source.
The vast, murky Ooze didn't even have time to shriek. Kael unleashed the energy in one perfect wave.
A silent, violent vacuum of gravitational force tore the creature from the ground, pulling its millions of pounds of semi-solid mass violently against the cavern ceiling, where it was instantly pulverized into a fine, dry powder under its own crushing, inverted weight.
[Boss Defeated!]
[Level Up! (Lv. 3 -> 8)]
[Skill Experience Gained: Gravimetric Manipulation (Level 1 -> 5)]
[System Points (SP) Gained: 10]
[Loot Acquired: Gold x 500, Ooze Residue x 100]
[Rare Loot Acquired: Mana Crystal of Stable Growth (Tier S)]
Kael picked up the shimmering, baseball-sized crystal. The 0.01% dropped on the first run. Pure, broken luck mixed with perfect information.
This is going to be easy, he thought, securing the crystal in his new, expanding inventory. Now, to find a base and begin preparation for the real game.