The growl rolled through the abandoned station like distant thunder, low and resonant, setting the iron tracks beneath my boots to a faint, trembling hum. This one felt different—deliberate, heavy.
I didn't charge. Instead, I dropped into a loose crouch, knees bent, and let my senses fan outward. The dungeon's stale air throbbed with shifting mana currents, a subtle heartbeat that quickened as something massive moved in the gloom ahead.
Between two shattered pillars, a hulking silhouette emerged. Nearly my height, it stooped on knotted limbs. Its skin was the color of wet slate, segmented by natural plating that looked half mineral, half bone.
Where eyes belonged were twin slits of burning amber. A mana beast—Stonehide Brute (F+)—its classification hovering on the edge of E rank. Threat: Moderate. Traits: High defense, low speed.
A grin tugged at my lips. "Excellent," I whispered.
The brute's roar shattered the stillness, and it lunged. Each step hammered the platform, stone cracking beneath its weight. It was slow, but relentless. I raised my hand and unleashed my basic Magic Bullet.
Thunk.
The projectile thudded against the brute's shoulder plating and shattered into motes of glowing dust, leaving only a shallow crater. I clicked my tongue. "You're rather tough."
It swung an armored arm. I rolled aside just in time; the blow smashed a pillar to fragments, sending a choking cloud of dust spiraling up around me. I came up on one knee, heart hammering.
A fresh surge of mana coursed through me. This time, I reshaped the spell—ramped compression, tightened form, adjusted release angle on pure instinct. The Magic Bullet obeyed as if alive, molding itself to my will.
Thunk.
The second shot bit deeper, cracking through the outer plating before detonating inward. The brute staggered, its roar a pained bellow. [Magic Bullet mastery progress increased.]
Level 4 mastery wasn't just damage—it was fluid adaptability. I sidestepped as the brute thrashed, and fired twice in rapid succession. No lag, no wasted energy. Each bullet found its mark, spidering cracks across its chest.
Then the brute slammed both fists into the ground. A radial shockwave hurled me backward; boots skidded, and pain flared in my calves.
Good—stress. Exactly what I needed. I steadied my breathing, centered the mana, and compressed my next shot tighter than ever. For a heartbeat, the spell quivered on the edge of collapse—then snapped solid.
The bullet shrank, denser and sharper. It punched clean through the brute's breastplate. The amber glow in its eyes sputtered…and died. Flesh and stone collapsed in a thunderous heap.
Silence. The dungeon air felt sweeter, charged. [Enemy defeated: Stonehide Brute] [Mana significantly increased] [Body increased.]
Warmth flooded my limbs. I checked my status bubble:
Body: 1.3
Soul: 1.2
Mana: 1.8 / 1.8
I exhaled. "That's…fast. Great." Faster than any projection—any streamer. Then new text flickered:
[Magic Bullet mastery increased]
[Mastery: 5/5]
Maximum mastery. My chest tightened in awe rather than disbelief. Level 5 meant evolution—spells that danced ahead of thought. I lifted my hand. Mana pooled instantly along ingrained pathways; the Magic Bullet formed at the tip of my finger, flawless and hungry.
No waste. No delay. Not an F-rank trick. Possibly E-rank in disguise. "…Unbelievable," I breathed.
Ahead, heavy footfalls. Multiple. A slow grin spread across my face. "Looks like I'm not done yet."
I advanced onto a wider platform where collapsed ceilings formed jagged choke points, rusted train cars half-ingested by mana-eaten rock. The air felt viscous, each breath a small effort.
Then they appeared: one brute lumbering from the left, another from the right, a third clambering over a fallen car. Three Stonehide Brutes (F+), slightly smaller but nearly identical—amber eyes glowing hatefully. Threat: High (Group). Behavior: Coordinated pressure.
They didn't rush in unison. The leftmost stepped forward first, forcing me toward the platform's center. Intelligence, not instinct.
I raised my hand, but I didn't rush. At mastery Level 5, I felt the precise moment of peak compression before conscious thought. I fired—the bullet tore through the first brute's knee plating. Metal-bone shards sprayed outward; the creature stumbled.
Before it could right itself, I hit the same joint again. The armor exploded inward, shredded tissue and stone alike. The brute collapsed, howling.
The other two charged. I darted behind a broken column as one sundered it to rubble. The third looped around for a flank. I twisted, firing mid-spin. The bullet arced—barely—and struck its exposed neck seam. The head snapped back; the body followed.
I advanced on the remaining brute, mana coalescing in my core. One shot through its skull, and silence fell. [Enemy defeated: Stonehide Brute x3] [Mana significantly increased] [Body increased.]
Heat roared in my veins. Status check:
Body: 1.5
Soul: 1.2
Mana: 2.1 / 2.1
I laughed, short and sharp. "This dungeon is generous." Or—maybe I was abnormal.
The ground trembled. Mana density spiked, pressing against my chest. Ahead, a circular dais rose, runes igniting as condensed mana pooled above it. A boss arena.
From the center—a massive form. Broader than the others, plating etched with pulsating lines. Its eyes burned white-hot. A stone club fused to its arm. Stonehide Overlord (E-Rank). Threat: High. Traits: Reinforced core, enhanced mana circulation.
My grin split my face. "So you're the boss."
It charged. I met it head-on, unleashing a barrage of Magic Bullets aimed at its joints. The club swung; I ducked under the arc, wind ripping past my hair, and fired upward. The first shot lodged in its chest without exit—real resistance. I compressed again, forcing the spell to endure. The second shot detonated inside. The Overlord staggered, roar shaking the chamber.
It slammed its club down, shockwave throwing me against a pillar. I tasted blood, but I stood. Heart pounding, mana roaring. "This is it."
One final focus—every nuance of compression, release, trajectory. The spell coalesced into a single, perfect Magic Bullet. It tore through the Overlord's chest, detonating its core with a blinding flash. Carapace cracked like spun glass. The titan froze—then shattered.
[Dungeon Boss defeated: Stonehide Overlord]
[Large mana surge absorbed]
[Body significantly increased]
[Dungeon clear conditions nearing completion]
As fragments dissolved into motes, something solid remained. A thick tome bound in dark hide, runes pulsing softly. My pulse hammered. I knelt and lifted it.
[Spell Book acquired]
[Rank: E]
[Type: Offensive Spell]
A slow, triumphant smile curved my lips.