The vial glimmered in my hand, catching the faint bluish glow of the dungeon's crystalline walls. It wasn't the same as the Vial of Ascension—that one had been terrifying, alive, like holding a piece of godhood that wanted to claw its way out.
This one was calmer. Still old, still heavy with power, but not the sort of "your insides are about to rearrange themselves violently" kind of energy.
I uncorked the glass and sniffed. No rotten stench, no fumes of death. Just… crisp, like the air right before a thunderstorm.
"Well, here goes nothing," I muttered, and tilted it back.
The liquid slid down my throat smooth and cold, like melted ice seeping straight into my veins.
No pain. No burning. No screaming soul this time. Just… cool refreshment.
I actually blinked in surprise. "Wait, that's it? After the last one I thought I'd at least puke rainbows or something."
The moment the potion settled, a familiar notification flared before my eyes.
[System Notification]
[Vial of Mana consumed]
[Processing…]
[Harmonizing flow with host vessel…]
I chuckled at that last line. "Host vessel? You could just say 'body,' System. Stop making me sound like a jar of pickles."
The calm didn't last. A surge hit me suddenly, like a tide rushing in from nowhere. My body jolted, heat and vibration rippling through my chest, down my arms, into my very bones.
"Okay, okay—there it is!" I gritted my teeth, dropping to the ground in a cross-legged lotus position. My palms rested on my knees as I fought to ride the wave.
The mana wasn't gentle. It shook, pulsed, as if testing whether my body could hold it. It thrummed against the walls of my veins, clawed for release, like a storm trying to burst from a bottle.
Slowly, carefully, I began to circulate it. My breathing slowed, each inhale drawing in rhythm with the current, each exhale smoothing its wild surges.
Bit by bit, the chaos became harmony. The vibrations eased, my chest grew lighter, and instead of crushing me, the mana felt like a second heartbeat—louder, steadier, endless.
---
[System Notification]
[Mana absorption complete]
[Capacity successfully increased.]
I exhaled, shoulders relaxing. My body felt stronger, not in the "I could punch a wall" kind of way, but in the "I won't collapse after casting one spell" kind of way.
---
Naturally, I pulled up my status right away.
----------------------------------------------
Name: Arthur Dravenlock
Class: Swordsman
Talent: Limitless
Attributes: Lightning, ??? (Partial unlocking 80%)
...
Strength: 22 → 26
Speed: 21 → 25
Endurance: 20 → 26
Dexterity: 20 → 24
Perception: 21 → 24
Mana: 18 → 40
.....
Skills:
Passive: Perfect Poker
Active: Dash
.....
Arts:
Basic Sword Style (Common)
Basic Non-Armed Combat (Common)
----------------------------------------------
I whistled low.
"From mana 18 to 40… that's not just an increase, that's a jump from puddle to small lake."
I clenched my fist, feeling the faint hum of mana crackle beneath my skin. "Finally. I won't feel like a man trying to breathe through a straw every time I use magic."
But before I could savor it, the system threw another bomb at me.
---
[System Notification]
[Attribute Awakening: 100%]
[New Attribute unlocked: Space]
---
I froze. My grin twitched wider, then wider still, until I looked like a lunatic about to start cackling.
"…Space?" I whispered.
Of all the things I could have imagined, that wasn't one of them.
Lightning alone was already rare enough. But ,Space?Even in the game, only one or two freakish characters had ever gotten it—and it had never appeared this early.
Yet here it was. Sitting in my status, glowing faintly, mocking the impossibility of it all.
"I… I actually have the Space Attribute. Oh my god. Oh my actual god."
I almost laughed, almost cried, almost hugged the nearest wall.
"I'm officially broken."
---
But the system wasn't done.
[System Notification]
[New Skill unlocked: Dimensional Veil]
Description: A space-based defense skill that distorts the fabric of reality around the user, creating an untouchable barrier. Any physical or magical attack attempting to reach the user will find itself slowed, bent, or infinitely diverted before contact. Requires continuous mana upkeep.
---
I stared at the description, eyes widening.
"…This… This is literally Gojo's Infinity."
I slapped my forehead and laughed. "I swear, if I get a blindfold next, I'm suing for copyright infringement."
The system pinged again, almost as if it was smug.
[System Remark]
[Gojo Satoru = Fictional. You = Real. Congratulations, you are better]
I snorted. "Wow, system. Did you just—did you just flex on anime characters? Unbelievable."
Still, I couldn't stop smiling. Lightning, Space, and now a defensive technique straight out of a fanboy's dream. I had thought getting one rare attribute was incredible. Now? I was sitting at two. Two!
And Limitless as a talent.
If this world had power rankings, I wasn't just climbing—I was skipping entire floors.
I stood, brushing the dust from my pants, heart hammering with adrenaline.
"Alright," I muttered, looking around at the fading dungeon. "Let's get out of here now."
I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty vial on the stone altar. The faint glow it had left behind was already fading, and with it, the oppressive pressure of the dungeon. The runes along the walls, once burning with an ominous light, dimmed like dying embers.
"Guess you're finally out of tricks," I muttered, brushing dust from my sleeves.
The whole place felt… different. Before, it had been alive—every step I took had been stalked by traps, every breath weighed down by invisible pressure. Now it felt hollow, like some ancient beast had finally gone to sleep. I couldn't help but smirk.
When I approached the massive obsidian doors at the far end, they opened without resistance. No ominous grinding of stone, no challenge, no booming voice demanding sacrifice. Just silence. For once, silence felt like mercy.
The cavern stretched out before me, jagged walls leading back to the surface. My boots crunched against loose gravel as I walked, each step echoing back at me. My body was sore—aching in ways I hadn't even known muscles could ache—but my mind buzzed with everything that had just happened. Lightning attribute. Mana surge. Space attribute.
It wasn't long before I saw it—the faint shimmer of daylight peeking through cracks ahead. My heart quickened. After what felt like days underground, the outside almost felt like a fantasy.
When I stepped through, the world greeted me with cool evening air. I squinted as the setting sun painted the forest in molten orange and gold. For a moment, I just stood there, breathing deeply, letting the crisp wind wash the dungeon stench from my lungs.
"Alive," I whispered, almost laughing. "Still alive."
Adjusting the sword at my hip, I started walking. My legs protested, my core still trembled from the mana expansion, and my stomach growled so loud it almost echoed—but for once, I didn't care. Pain meant survival.
By the time the faint glow of lanterns appeared in the distance, night had fully claimed the sky. The city gates stood tall and familiar, their guards barely giving me a second glance as I strolled past. Just another hunter returning from a day in the woods, right? If only they knew.
"Dungeon cleared, stats through the roof, space magic unlocked…" I muttered with a crooked grin. "All in a day's work."
The exit portal shimmered into view. I stepped forward, a faint hum vibrating in my ears as it pulled me in.
Portals were never pleasant. The moment my foot crossed the threshold, my stomach lurched, and dizziness whirled through me.
I groaned. "Seriously? Space magic in my veins and I still get motion sick? Pathetic."
The system beeped, almost mockingly.
[System Suggestion]
Skill idea: Anti-Nausea. Rank: Common.*
"Shut up," I muttered, stumbling out the other end.
Evening light greeted me. The sun hung low, painting the sky orange and violet. I had left the Hollow behind.
I trudged through the streets, mana still buzzing faintly within me.
The portal station was crowded, as usual. Merchants shouting, hunters laughing about their kills, kids darting between legs. I ignored them all, flashing my ID and stepping into the Academy portal.
Another spin. Another wave of nausea. But I was getting better at it. I clenched my jaw and forced myself not to vomit.
"Note to self," I muttered, "learn portal stabilization or die embarrassed."
The Academy grounds unfurled before me, peaceful as always. Students lounged in the courtyards, dressed in casual clothes, chattering, laughing, flirting. The weekend atmosphere hung heavy—everyone carefree, basking in a well-earned break.
Everyone except me.
I sighed, dragging my feet across the stone path. "Must be nice, huh? No dungeons, no monster blood, no god voices whispering existential crises into your ears."
One student waved at me in passing. I didn't even bother to wave back. I was too tired, too drained, too full of secrets.
All I wanted was my bed.
Another sigh escaped me as I headed straight for my dormitory, ignoring the noise, the laughter, the warmth.
My door loomed ahead. I pushed it open, stepped inside, and let the quiet swallow me whole.
At last—rest.