Asher made a terrible decision.
Again.
He activated Burst Step again.
This time without thinking.
The world lurched.
His stomach stayed behind.
"—OH NO—"
Asher blurred forward in a straight line and slammed face-first into a stone wall hard enough to introduce himself to it personally. He bounced off and collapsed onto the floor in a heap.
"…Okay," he groaned into the stone. "So the stumble was the good outcome."
A system message helpfully appeared.
[Burst Step (Minor)]
Cooldown: 3 seconds
Note: Directional awareness recommended.
"You don't say," Asher muttered, pushing himself up.
He took a breath.
Centered himself.
"Alright," he said. "This time, I'm going to be smart."
Three seconds passed.
He activated Burst Step again.
This time, he aimed.
And overshot.
Asher shot past the spot he intended to reach, skidded sideways, and nearly launched himself into a cluster of jagged spikes. He windmilled his arms wildly before catching himself.
"…Progress," he said weakly. "I think."
Something growled.
Plural.
Asher froze.
He slowly looked up.
The cavern had changed again.
Wider. More uneven. Cracked pillars scattered everywhere like the dungeon had redesigned itself specifically to humiliate him.
And standing between those pillars were four enemies.
Two Dungeon Wolves.
One Skitter Hound.
And something new.
Tall. Thin. Its arms hung past its knees, fingers tapping rhythmically against the stone like it was counting down to something unpleasant.
The system popped up.
[Enemy Identified]
Twitch Stalker
Rank: F
Trait: Delayed Strikes
Asher squinted.
"…I already hate the name."
The Skitter Hound chittered excitedly.
The Wolves spread out.
The Twitch Stalker didn't move.
Which felt worse.
"Okay," Asher said, cracking his neck. "New rule. No panic."
The Skitter Hound lunged.
Asher activated Burst Step on instinct—
—and blurred sideways straight into a wolf.
They collided midair and tumbled across the floor in a mess of limbs and very offended noises.
"…That counts," Asher grunted.
Pain flared.
[Damage Conversion – Active]
Strength surged.
Asher shoved the wolf off and punched it into a pillar hard enough to crack stone.
One down.
The second wolf leapt.
Asher dodged normally this time, feeling oddly proud of himself.
Then the Twitch Stalker twitched.
Nothing happened.
Asher frowned.
"…What?"
A second later—
Pain exploded across his back as invisible force slammed into him.
Asher screamed and stumbled forward.
[Damage Conversion – Active]
"Oh COME ON," he shouted. "That's delayed damage?!"
The Twitch Stalker's fingers tapped again.
Asher felt his skin crawl.
"Okay," he muttered, wiping blood from his mouth. "We're prioritizing the creepy one."
The Skitter Hound lunged again.
Asher Burst Stepped—
—and accidentally landed on top of it.
They both froze.
"…Hi," Asher said.
He punched straight down.
The creature went limp.
Two left.
The Twitch Stalker raised its arms.
Nothing happened.
Asher waited.
Sweat dripped down his face.
"…I don't like suspense."
The delayed strike hit.
Asher flew backward into a pillar, coughing as the impact rattled his bones.
[Adaptive Combat Sense – Learning]
Pattern Recognition: 68%
"…You always hit after," Asher muttered. "You're queuing attacks."
He grinned despite the pain.
"That's dumb."
The remaining wolf charged.
Asher Burst Stepped past it, spun, and punched it in the ribs.
The wolf collapsed.
Now it was just him and the Twitch Stalker.
It twitched again.
Asher didn't move.
The invisible strike hit where he had been.
He Burst Stepped at the same moment.
The blow missed entirely.
Asher appeared directly in front of the Stalker.
"Surprise."
He punched.
Once.
Twice.
The third punch crushed its chest.
The Twitch Stalker collapsed, limbs twitching uselessly.
Silence returned.
Asher dropped to one knee, breathing hard, arms trembling.
"…Okay," he said. "I officially like Burst Step."
A system screen appeared.
[Personal Dungeon – Cleared]
Performance: Good (Rapid Adaptation Observed)
Rewards:
• Angelic Coin x22
• Skill Fragment Detected
Asher smiled weakly.
"That's better than 'acceptable.'"
The fragment expanded.
[Skill Fragment – Detected]
Name: Reaction Buffer (Minor)
Type: Passive
Effect: Slightly delays incoming damage perception.
Asher blinked.
"…That sounds illegal."
[Assimilation Available]
Cost: None
Risk: Low
He didn't hesitate.
[Skill Assimilation – Complete]
Reaction Buffer (Minor) – Acquired
Asher stood slowly, rolling his shoulders.
The world felt… off.
Like everything was half a beat slower than him.
"…I'm absolutely going to abuse this," he muttered.
The dungeon shimmered faintly, reset notice hovering in the air.
Asher stared at it.
Then at his trembling hands.
"…Okay," he said quietly. "One more run and then I'm done."
The dungeon did not respond.
Which meant it had heard that lie before.