Seventeen days passed in a blur.
Kaen worked the shop every day under Renjiro's guidance—pouring tea for nobles, listening to their idle gossip about wars and politics, perfecting each brew until even the most arrogant Nobel raised his cup with reluctant admiration.
And each dawn before the shop opened, Kaen bled himself through the System's brutal regimen as they were increasing. Push-ups until his arms gave, sit-ups until his ribs ached, squats until his legs quivered, the endless run through back alleys, horse stance, meditation. Every day, he broke himself. Every day, he completed it.
His body was no longer weak. It was now strong and shredded with muscle. The System had reshaped him, making him athletic and powerful.
He now lived in a modest apartment not far from Renjiro's tea shop. It wasn't luxury, but it was his. Four walls, a bed, a roof. Better than the cold stone streets.
And his Status reflected it all.
Name: Kaen
Level: 22
EXP: 82/1300
Age: 13
Race: Human
Class: ??? (Unassigned)
Title: None
Health: 780/780
Stamina: 540/540
Chi: 420/420
Stats:
Strength: 30
Agility: 36
Endurance: 31
Vitality: 34
Intelligence: 32
Wisdom: 25
Charm: 25
Luck: 24
Durability: 30
Stat Points Available: 0
Skills:
Primordial Witness (Gold-Tier) – Copy skills/abilities by witnessing them.
Heat Resistance (Skye Blue-Tier) – Reduces damage and exhaustion from heat/fire.
Tea Mastery (Gray-Tier) – Complete mastery of tea preparation.
Theft (Gray-Tier) – Increases stealth, sleight of hand, and petty theft chance.
Knife Handling (Gray-Tier) – Proficiency with daggers and short blades.
Endure Pain (Skye Blue-Tier) – Increases pain tolerance, reduces flinching.
Quick Step (Blue-Tier) – Slight burst of speed for dodges.
Balance Control (Skye Blue-Tier) – Better footing, harder to knock down.
Silent Movement (Blue-Tier) – Suppresses sound when moving.
Minor Fire Resistance (Skye Blue-Tier) – Further reduces minor burn effects.
Streetwise (Gray-Tier) – Instincts sharpened for surviving in cities.
Focus Breathing (Skye Blue-Tier) – Regains stamina faster with controlled breaths.
Iron Grip (Gray-Tier) – Increases grip strength and prevents weapon loss.
Observation (Pink-Tier) – Heightened perception in combat and showing someone's stats.
Poise (Gray-Tier) – Maintains calm under social pressure.
Weapon Proficiency:(Pink-Tier) – Professional-level skill with any weapon.
Poison Immunity (Red-Tier) – Immune to all poisons/negative effects.
Items:
Rusted Iron Dagger (Durability: Poor)
Dungeon Key – D-Rank (Undead Dungeon) (Single-use)
Basic Healing Salve ×2 (restores minor wounds)
Minor Stamina Potion ×1 (restores half stamina instantly)
Bronze Ring of Warmth (negates cold weather penalties)
Traveler's Cloak (basic weather protection)
Old Journal (Unreadable) – Pages filled with unknown script.
Strange Black Feather – Emits faint energy.
Fire Nation Copper Coin Pouch (127 coins)
Common Key ×3 – Opens various chests (System rewards).
Herbal Kit (Beginner's) – Small set of herbs, pestle, grinder.
Blue-Grade Teacup – Enhances taste of tea brewed in it slightly.
Protective Amulet – Absorbs one attack before breaking.
Spare Noble Clothes ×2 – From Renjiro's household.
Apartment Key – His new home.
The last noble customer left just as the sun dipped behind the walls of the Fire Nation capital. Kaen bowed politely, collected the trays, and returned to the kitchen with the same efficient precision Renjiro had come to expect of him.
By now, the shop's staff whispered about him constantly. How a boy so young moved like he'd been brewing tea for decades. How nobles were requesting him by name.
Kaen didn't linger to bask in it. Once his shift ended, he slipped out, walking through the capital streets until he reached the narrow alley that led to his apartment.
The door creaked shut behind him. Silence filled the room.
Kaen let out a long breath and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off his work attire. His emerald eyes flicked to the faintly glowing inventory screen hovering before him.
I can copy techniques… but I can't learn true firebending just by watching a basic application of it, like igniting a flame beneath a teapot.
He thought of Renjiro. The man's calm hands when he lit fire beneath kettles. But Kaen knew asking him for lessons would raise questions he couldn't answer.
He's already done too much for me. I'll repay him someday… but firebending? I'll have to earn that another way.
His gaze shifted to the slot holding the Dungeon Key – Low-Level (Undead Dungeon).
Kaen smirked. "Alright then… let's see what's on the other side."
He willed it active.
The room dissolved into black mist.
Cold slammed into him as the world remade itself. His apartment vanished, and suddenly he was standing knee-deep in fog beneath a swollen, blood-red moon.
Kaen stumbled onto cracked cobblestones, the air instantly cold and damp. His Bronze Ring of Warmth flickered to life, keeping the chill at bay. All around him stretched a sprawling graveyard—crooked tombstones, shattered mausoleums, and a fog so thick it seemed alive.
A notification pulsed.
[Objective: Clear the Dungeon by eliminating the Boss.]
[Side Objective: Survive until sunrise.]
Kaen exhaled slowly, engaging Focus Breathing. His stamina steadied. His heartbeat slowed.
Then, the ground stirred.
Skeletons clawed their way free from the soil—rusted blades, broken shields, some still wearing fragments of armor. Their sockets glowed faint blue.
Kaen drew his dagger, posture low and balanced.
"Let's warm up."
The first skeleton lunged. Kaen's Observation skill activated, his senses sharpening—the hitch in its movement, the brittle bones at the joints. He sidestepped with Quick Step, blade flashing.
[Knife Handling + Weapon Proficiency synergy applied.]
[Damage Dealt: -87 HP]
The skull shattered cleanly.
Kaen flowed through the fight like water. His Silent Movement let him circle behind groups unnoticed, his dagger striking with precision. He didn't waste stamina recklessly—each kill was efficient, deliberate.
By the time the fog cleared slightly, a dozen corpses lay in piles of brittle bones.
[EXP Gained: 1,340]
[Level Up! → Level 23]
Kaen's lips curved into a grin. "Not bad."
Midway Through the Graveyard
The dungeon grew harsher. The skeletons were larger now, reinforced with steel plating, some wielding axes and bows. One unleashed a gout of spectral flame—Kaen instinctively locked eyes on it, Primordial Witness sparking.
[Skill Witnessed: Undead Firebolt → Acquired!]
He hurled his own back at it. His version was stronger, it burned their bones.
[Heat Resistance + Minor Fire Resistance mitigated damage.]
[HP: 766/780]
Kaen grinned through the smoke. "Getting the hang of this…"
The Mausoleum Gates
Hours passed. Kaen's stamina ebbed, but Focus Breathing and controlled pacing kept him from burning out. His Balance Control kept him upright when the ground shook, his Endure Pain dulled the bruises from near-misses.
Finally, he reached an iron gate, carved with runes. It swung open with a scream of rust. Beyond lay a vast mausoleum chamber, ceiling lost in shadows. Candles flickered across hundreds of coffins.
The air trembled.
The earth split open.
And from the pit rose the Titan Skeleton.
Towering, clad in shards of ancient armor, a greatsword in one hand and a runed staff in the other, it radiated sheer menace. Its sockets burned with azure flame.
[Boss Encounter: Titan of Forgotten Flame]
[HP: ???]
Kaen rolled his shoulders, dagger steady in his grip. His emerald eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Time for the main event."
The Final Battle
The Titan swung its blade in a massive arc. Kaen dodged with Quick Step, dirt erupting where the strike landed. He countered, scaling up a broken coffin to launch himself higher, stabbing into the Titan's shoulder.
[Damage Dealt: -142 HP]
The Titan staggered, roaring. Its staff blazed, forming a sphere of annihilation fire. Kaen's eyes locked on it—Primordial Witness activated.
[Skill Witnessed: Undead Fireball → Acquired!]
A similar version sputtered to life in his hand. He threw it, colliding mid-air. The explosion rocked the mausoleum.
[HP: 746/780]
Kaen grit his teeth. His stamina dipped as the Titan unleashed shockwaves by slamming its blade into the ground.
[Stamina: 483/540]
"Not enough to drop me," Kaen snarled.
He sprinted forward, channeling Chi into his legs, weaving through fissures. His dagger sparked as Weapon Proficiency pushed his technique beyond human. He leapt up the Titan's leg, dagger biting deep into bone.
The Titan screamed, its flames flaring brighter, preparing a spell that would collapse the chamber.
Kaen roared, enduring the heat with Heat Resistance and Endure Pain, his HP plummeting but holding firm.
[HP: 598/780]
He vaulted upward, dagger raised high. "Fall already!"
The blade pierced the Titan's skull. Its fire shattered, bursting outward in a blinding explosion. The beast convulsed once, then collapsed in a rain of bones and ash.
Silence.
Kaen dropped to one knee, panting. His body ached, his clothes scorched, but his grin was feral.
[Main Objective Completed: Dungeon Cleared]
[Side Objective Completed: Survive Until Sunrise]
[Rewards Calculated…]
Golden light washed over him.
Kaen exhaled, leaning on his dagger.
[EXP Gained: 22,000]
[Level Up! → 23 → 30]
[Stat Points Gained: 24]
[Skill Growth Achieved: Observation (Blue-Tier) → Observation (Pink-Tier)]
[Skill Growth Achieved: Knife Handling (Gray-Tier) → Knife Handling (Blue-Tier)]
[Skill Acquired: Bone Reinforcement (Blue-Tier) – Passive: Strengthens skeletal structure, reducing blunt trauma damage.]
[Item Acquired: Dungeon Core Fragment (D-Tier)]
[Item Acquired: Bone Ring of Endurance (+4 Endurance)]
[Item Acquired: Bag of Holding (Minor) – Expands storage capacity.]
Kaen's vision blurred for a moment as the surge of power flowed through him. His muscles tightened, reflexes sharpened, breath steadier.
He pulled up his stats screen, the words shining proudly before his eyes:
Name: Kaen
Level: 30
EXP: 1342/4300
Age: 13
Race: Human
Class: ??? (Unassigned)
Title: None
Health: 1080/1350
Stamina: 540/750
Chi: 320/580
Stats:
Strength: 40 (+2 from Bone Reinforcement passive)
Agility: 44
Endurance: 43 (+4 from Bone Ring of Endurance)
Vitality: 42
Intelligence: 40
Wisdom: 33
Charm: 33
Luck: 32
Durability: 40 (+2 from Bone Reinforcement passive)
Stat Points Available: 24
Kaen stared at the glowing screen, lips curving into a grin. Level 30.
"Twenty-four points…" he muttered, flexing his hand. "Let's spread them evenly."
He willed the points to distribute across his stats, watching the numbers climb in smooth increments.
[Stat Points Distributed]
+3 to each main stat except agility.
Updated Status Screen
Name: Kaen
Level: 30
EXP: 1342/4300
Age: 13
Race: Human
Class: ??? (Unassigned)
Title: None
Health: 1170/1440
Stamina: 570/780
Chi: 335/595
Stats:
Strength: 43 (+2 from Bone Reinforcement passive)
Agility: 44
Endurance: 46 (+4 from Bone Ring of Endurance)
Vitality: 45
Intelligence: 43
Wisdom: 36
Charm: 36
Luck: 35
Durability: 43 (+2 from Bone Reinforcement passive)
Stat Points Available: 0
Kaen exhaled slowly, feeling the invisible weight settle into his body. His pulse was stronger, his mind sharper, and even the faint aches from the dungeon were already fading.
He clenched his fists, bones hard as stone. "This… this is power."
His gaze shifted toward the Dungeon Core Fragment, pulsing faintly inside the Bag of Holding.
Kaen held the Dungeon Core Fragment in both hands. The shard pulsed with cold light, almost like it was breathing, and then—
CRACK.
It shattered into motes of ash-white light that swirled around him, seeping into his skin, his bones, his very marrow.
[Title Acquired: Bone Sovereign]
[Effect: +35% Strength and +35% Durability against armored or hardened foes. The bones of the fallen acknowledge you as their master.]
Kaen's fists clenched, his knuckles popping like snapping branches. A strange resonance hummed deep inside his skeleton, a sense of unshakable reinforcement—like his body itself was a fortress.
He smirked, brushing dust from his shoulder. "Bone Sovereign… I'll take it."
As the sun rose outside the mausoleum, the dungeon dissolved around him, pulling him back to the city. He stumbled into his small apartment, bruised, burned, but alive—and more powerful than ever.
He threw himself onto the bed, still gripping the dagger. His emerald eyes flicked toward the faintly glowing black feather on the shelf, then the Journal with unreadable pages.
"So much to do… and I've only just started."
Sleep claimed him instantly, though in the back of his mind, one thought burned brighter than the rest:
I need to see firebending up close.