Asher learned an important lesson approximately ten seconds after leaving the dungeon.
Adrenaline wears off.
Hard.
He staggered out of the personal dungeon space and immediately collapsed onto his apartment floor like a man who had just fought six wolves and won purely out of spite.
"…Okay," he groaned into the carpet. "That was fun. Never doing that again."
His phone buzzed.
Then his alarm went off.
Reality returned with a vengeance.
"…I have work in four hours."
Asher rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
Then smiled.
"…Worth it."
A translucent blue screen popped up.
[Angelic Coins: 25]
Asher sat up instantly.
"Oh right," he said. "Loot."
He rubbed his hands together.
"Let's go shopping."
The white space of God's Vault unfolded around him, panels floating politely as if nothing traumatic had happened earlier.
Asher scrolled eagerly.
Modifiers.
Enhancements.
Skill tweaks.
So many options.
So many prices.
"Wow," Asher muttered. "Power really is expensive."
He paused on one.
[Pain Dampening – Minor]
Cost: 15 Angelic Coins
Effect: Reduces perceived pain by a small margin.
Asher's eyes lit up.
"Yes."
The system did not comment.
Asher did not think.
[Purchase Confirmed]
Another panel caught his attention.
[Enhanced Grip – Temporary]
Cost: 8 Angelic Coins
Effect: Improves hand stability and strike control.
Duration: 24 hours
"…I punch things now," Asher reasoned. "This makes sense."
[Purchase Confirmed]
His coin count flickered.
[Angelic Coins: 2]
Asher froze.
"…I should've planned."
[Notice]
Buyer's remorse is not refundable.
"I hate you."
The Vault faded.
Asher didn't even hesitate.
That was his second mistake.
The dungeon swallowed him again, stone rushing up as the cavern reformed around his feet. This one was different—narrower, darker. The walls pulsed faintly, like something inside them was breathing.
"…Oh," Asher said softly. "This feels illegal."
Something moved ahead.
Not fast.
Heavy.
A shape stepped into the light.
Tall. Broad. Covered in layered, stone-like hide. Its arms dragged slightly as it walked, claws carving grooves into the floor.
Asher stared.
"…That is not a wolf."
A system window appeared.
[Enemy Identified]
Dungeon Brute
Threat Level: High (for current rank)
The Brute roared.
Asher flinched.
Then smiled weakly.
"Okay," he said. "I've got stamina, adaptation, wolf hands, and reduced pain."
The Brute charged.
Asher punched it.
Hard.
His fist hit stone.
The Brute didn't move.
Asher's arm did.
"…Okay," he hissed. "Pain dampening is working. That's good."
The Brute backhanded him across the cavern.
Asher slammed into the wall, coughing as the impact rattled his bones.
[Damage Conversion – Active]
Strength surged through him.
Asher staggered upright.
"Still standing," he muttered. "That's new."
The Brute charged again.
Asher dodged—barely—then ducked under a swing and punched the Brute's side.
The hide cracked.
Not broke.
Progress.
[Adaptive Combat Sense – Learning]
Pattern Recognition: 58%
"Oh," Asher said, eyes lighting up. "You swing slow."
The Brute roared and swung again.
Asher grinned.
"That's unfortunate for you."
The fight was ugly.
Asher was thrown. Slammed. Stomped.
But he stayed upright.
Endless stamina kept him moving. Damage fed strength. Each hit sharpened his timing. Each mistake made him tougher.
Finally, Asher leapt, drove his fist into a crack he'd made earlier, and kept punching until the Brute collapsed like a demolished wall.
Silence returned.
Asher stood there, chest heaving, every muscle screaming.
"…I'm going to feel that tomorrow."
A screen appeared.
[Personal Dungeon – Cleared]
Performance: Adequate (With Poor Resource Management)
Rewards:
• Angelic Coin x20
• Skill Fragment Detected
Asher laughed weakly.
"Adequate," he repeated. "That's fair."
The fragment expanded.
[Skill Fragment – Detected]
Name: Stonebreaker (Minor)
Type: Active
Effect: Increases damage against armored or hardened targets.
Asher stared at it.
"…Oh. That's actually really good."
[Assimilation Available]
Cost: None
Risk: Moderate
He nodded.
"Worth it."
[Skill Assimilation – Complete]
Stonebreaker (Minor) – Acquired
Asher leaned against the dungeon wall, grinning despite the pain.
"Okay," he said. "New rule."
The dungeon shimmered faintly, waiting.
"I'm never shopping first again."
The system did not respond.
Which meant it was already planning something worse.