Restoring the Titan Fang & Mastering Shadow Step

Cris stood in front of the damaged combat dummy, arms crossed. The last battle had left it nearly unusable—its joints were rusted, wires exposed, and one of its arms was completely detached.

Trixie floated beside him, scanning the dummy.

"Master, before training, we need to repair this unit. Otherwise, it won't function properly."

Cris sighed, rolling up his sleeves. "Yeah, yeah… Alright, what do we need?"

Trixie's eyes flashed as she displayed a holographic blueprint of the dummy. "The core servos are damaged, and the metal plating needs reinforcement. You can use the Tred tool to fix its internal circuits and the Block Hammer to reshape its armor."

Cris grabbed the Tred tool, which looked like an advanced screwdriver with an automated chip adjuster. He knelt beside the dummy, removing a loose panel to expose the inner mechanics.

Zzt! Zzt!

Sparks flew as he carefully adjusted the circuits, reconnecting the wires. He tightened a few bolts, checking the responsiveness of the dummy's limbs.

After several minutes, he nodded. "That should do it."

Next, he grabbed the Block Hammer. The weapon-like tool vibrated slightly in his grip, responding to his energy. With a strong downward strike, he reshaped the dented armor plating, reforging it into place.

CLANG! CLANG!

After a few strikes, the dummy looked as good as new.

Trixie scanned it again. "All systems operational! Combat Mode restored."

Cris smirked, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Finally. Now, let's put it to the test."

With the dummy repaired, Cris stepped onto the training ground, holding the newly reforged Titan Fang.

The sword felt lighter and stronger, infused with Rams mineral, enhancing its durability and cutting power.

"Alright, let's see how you handle this now."

Trixie initiated the training sequence. The dummy's red eyes lit up, its arms shifting into bladed gauntlets as it moved into a combat stance.

WHIRR!

It lunged forward, slashing at Cris!

CLANG!

Cris blocked the attack, the impact sending vibrations through his arms. He quickly countered with a swift horizontal slash, but the dummy dodged, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Trixie observed. "Master, try using Shadow Step in combination with your attacks."

Cris grinned. "Let's do it."

With a deep breath, he activated Shadow Step.

SWOOSH!

For a brief moment, time slowed down—then, he vanished!

The dummy hesitated, scanning for his location.

Then—BOOM!—Cris reappeared behind it, already swinging Titan Fang!

SLASH!

The powerful strike dented the dummy's back armor, sending it stumbling forward.

"Damn… This skill is crazy." He smirked, adjusting his grip. "Again!"

The dummy counterattacked, launching a series of rapid slashes. Cris dodged left, right—then suddenly disappeared again!

SWOOSH!

He reappeared above the dummy, sword raised—

"Titan Fang Strike!"

BOOM!

His downward slash sent a shockwave through the ground, knocking the dummy back.

The system chimed:

[Combat Efficiency Increased: Shadow Step Usage – 85% Accuracy]

Cris exhaled, rolling his shoulders. His body was adapting fast.

Before he could celebrate, his stomach growled.

"Ugh… I'm starving again." He sighed, rubbing his belly. "I should eat first before I pass out."

He glanced toward the storage room blueprint, realizing he hadn't even checked how much food was inside since upgrading the workshop.

Trixie chuckled. "Master, you should eat and rest. You'll need more energy if you want to keep training."

Cris stretched, sheathing Titan Fang. "Yeah, yeah… Let's see what we've got."

With that, he made his way toward the storage room, unaware of the new surprises waiting for him inside.