The dungeon didn't greet him.
No dramatic lighting.
No ominous roar.
Just a quiet click behind his eyes as the warp completed.
Asher landed on uneven ground and immediately noticed the second thing.
The first was that the air felt colder.
The second was that the ground wasn't solid.
"…Ice," he muttered.
The field stretched out around him—frozen stone glazed with thin sheets of frost, broken pillars half-buried beneath a dusting of snow. The sky above was a dull, colorless gray.
No wind.
Which meant traction was about to be a lie.
A system window appeared.
[Personal Dungeon – Variant Active]
Environment Type: Frozen Ruins
Focus: Balance / Impact Mitigation
Asher snorted.
"Impact mitigation," he repeated. "You're really committing to the theme."
He took a careful step.
His foot slid.
"…Yep."
Something scraped across ice.
Asher turned just as a shape rose from behind a collapsed pillar—tall, broad, plated in layered frost and stone. Its movements were heavy, deliberate.
Not fast.
But it didn't need to be.
[Enemy Identified]
Frostbound Guardian
Rank: F
Role: Punisher
"Punisher," Asher said. "That's reassuring."
The Guardian moved.
It slammed a massive arm into the ground.
Ice cracked outward in a spiderweb pattern.
Asher Burst Stepped sideways—
—and slipped on landing.
He went down hard.
Pain flared through his ribs.
He sucked in a sharp breath.
Then paused.
"…Huh."
Nothing screamed.
Nothing cracked.
[Minor Reinforcement – Skeletal]
Impact stress reduced.
Asher rolled to his feet, grinning despite himself.
"Oh," he said. "That's nice."
The Guardian advanced, each step splintering ice beneath its weight. It swung again.
Asher dodged late.
The blow clipped his shoulder and sent him skidding across the frozen ground.
Pain flared.
Strength surged—
—but this time, his body held together.
He slid to a stop and pushed himself up immediately.
"…Okay," he panted. "Definitely worth thirty coins."
The Guardian charged.
Asher didn't try to outmaneuver it.
He adjusted.
Short Burst Steps.
Controlled footwork.
No sudden stops.
The ice punished mistakes—but rewarded commitment.
The Guardian slammed its fist down again.
Asher stepped into the shockwave, letting it lift him slightly, then punched downward as he came down.
His fist connected with a frost-lined seam in the Guardian's armor.
The crack echoed.
The creature staggered.
Asher landed awkwardly, slid, caught himself—and didn't fall.
"…Still standing," he muttered. "Huge win."
The Guardian roared and swung wildly.
Asher took the hit.
Pain spiked.
[Damage Conversion – Active]
Strength surged—but his bones held.
Asher used the momentum, pivoted on the ice, and drove his shoulder into the creature's side, shattering another plate.
The Guardian stumbled.
Asher didn't let up.
Punch.
Step.
Punch again.
Each impact rang through his arms—but nothing buckled.
No sharp pain.
No warning cracks.
Just strain.
Manageable strain.
The final punch caved the Guardian's chest inward.
The creature collapsed, frost flaking off as it went still.
Silence returned to the ruins.
Asher stood there, breathing hard, hands shaking.
Then laughed.
"…I didn't break," he said. "That's new."
A system window appeared.
[Personal Dungeon – Cleared]
Performance: Improved Durability Utilization
Rewards:
• Angelic Coin x22
• Skill Fragment Detected
[Notice]
Multiple compatible fragments detected.
Identification deferred.
Asher exhaled slowly.
"Okay," he said. "Defense first. Noted."
The warp took him a moment later.
Back in his apartment, Asher leaned against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor.
His ribs ached.
His shoulder throbbed.
But nothing felt wrong.
Nothing felt fragile.
"…That," he said quietly, "could've gone way worse."
Somewhere deep inside him, Heaven's Heart pulsed.
Not approval.
Confirmation.
The system had tested his choice.
And for once—
He'd made the right one.