Chapter 18:

Harvey sat in the quiet of the void chamber, feeling the energy pulse within him. His body had adjusted to the Dungeon Core, but the responsibility that came with it was overwhelming. He was no longer just a boy with an unstable void ability—he had become the owner of a growing domain, a space beyond reality itself.

But if he failed to control it… he would be consumed.

Julia sat across from him, arms crossed. "You're overthinking again."

Harvey exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Kind of hard not to. I have a piece of another world inside me now."

Julia smirked. "Yeah, and I have to keep you from blowing yourself up with it."

The caretaker approached, his expression unreadable. "You have made progress, but you are still far from understanding your full potential. It is time for your next lesson."

Harvey sat up straight. "Which is?"

The caretaker gestured to the shifting space around them. "Expansion. Your Void Domain will grow as you refine your control. But expansion comes with a cost—energy. If you are not careful, you will drain yourself dry."

Harvey frowned. "So… I have to expand it slowly?"

The caretaker shook his head. "Not necessarily. There is a way to accelerate the process."

Julia leaned forward. "Let me guess. It's dangerous?"

The caretaker smiled. "Of course."

Harvey sighed. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?"

The caretaker led them deeper into the void chamber, stopping before a section of the space that pulsed differently from the rest. The energy here was dense, almost suffocating.

"This place," the caretaker explained, "is where the void is still unclaimed. It is raw, unshaped. If you wish to expand your domain, you must claim it."

Harvey took a cautious step forward. "Claim it… how?"

The caretaker extended a hand, and the energy rippled outward. "By overpowering it. If your will is strong enough, the void will submit to you."

Julia frowned. "And if it's not?"

"Then it will consume him," the caretaker said simply.

Harvey felt a shiver run down his spine. No pressure, then.

He took a deep breath, focusing on the shifting mass of void energy before him. His domain pulsed in response, reaching out—testing.

The moment his energy touched the raw void, it fought back.

A violent surge of force sent him staggering, darkness clawing at his mind.

The caretaker's voice was calm. "Do not resist. Control it."

Harvey gritted his teeth, adjusting his approach. Instead of forcing his energy against the void, he guided it—shaping the chaotic mass rather than suppressing it.

The resistance weakened.

The void energy yielded.

And suddenly, Harvey felt something shift.

His domain expanded.

Harvey collapsed to one knee, panting. The rush of expansion left him dizzy, but he could feel the change. His domain had grown.

Julia was by his side in an instant. "Are you okay?"

Harvey gave her a shaky thumbs-up. "That… was intense."

The caretaker nodded approvingly. "You succeeded. Your domain is no longer just a fragment—it is beginning to take shape. In time, it will become something more."

Harvey looked around, sensing the added space within him. It wasn't much—just a few extra meters of void—but it was progress.

And more importantly, he hadn't been consumed.

Julia gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "Next time, try not to look like you're about to die."

Harvey smirked. "No promises."

The caretaker turned to leave. "Rest. Tomorrow, we begin your next phase of training."

Harvey sighed. "Of course we do."

Julia grinned. "Hey, at least you're not dead yet."

Harvey rolled his eyes. "Yeah, real comforting."

The next morning, Harvey stood before the caretaker once more.

"You've expanded your domain," the caretaker said. "Now, you must learn how to use it."

Harvey nodded. "I'm ready."

The caretaker raised an eyebrow. "We'll see."

He lifted a hand, and the void around them shifted.

Before Harvey could react, the space beneath him collapsed.

He fell.

Harvey tumbled through the void, disoriented. The space around him twisted, warping in impossible ways.

Then—a voice.

Not words, exactly, but a presence, like the memory of something ancient.

Harvey felt the pressure of the void all around him, closing in, testing him.

And suddenly, he understood.

This was another test.

If he didn't fight back—he would be swallowed.

Harvey clenched his fists, reaching for his domain. His energy pulsed outward, stabilizing the space around him. He willed the void to stop twisting—to obey him.

And then—he was standing.

The chaos had vanished.

The caretaker's voice echoed. "Good. You are beginning to understand."

Harvey exhaled. That was close.