Chapter 23 – Breaking Through the Edge
The crystal-armored creature stood still, crouched like a predator as Auther stepped onto the final platform.
Its frame was humanoid in shape, but jagged crystals jutted from its shoulders, spine, and forearms like blades. A continuous mana pulse emanated from its body—each wave stronger than the last. Its very presence felt oppressive, like it was pressing down on his lungs.
Auther narrowed his eyes.
It was different from the others.
This thing had a soul.
Not a sentient one. But a presence. The feeling of something guarding this fractured dungeon's heart with primal instinct.
Its gaze locked onto him—those glowing blue eyes burning with territorial fury.
"Let's see what you're made of," Auther muttered.
He activated Neural Reinforcement and Mana Flow Optimization. Energy flooded through his veins. His breathing slowed into the rhythm of Starwave Breathing, and Atmospheric Absorption hummed in the background, feeding his reserves ever so slowly.
Then the beast moved.
Fast.
It launched forward like a cannonball, crystal limbs slashing downward in a diagonal arc that cracked the platform beneath.
Auther reacted instinctively.
Burst Step.
He blinked to the side, but even that wasn't enough.
The aftershock of the strike hit his shoulder and sent him tumbling across the stone.
Pain shot down his side.
Not broken. But close.
He rolled to his feet just in time to deflect the creature's second strike with Mana Edge.
The impact rattled his bones. The sound of metal on crystal echoed like thunder.
Auther flipped backward and created space.
"Alright," he grunted, wiping blood from his mouth. "Raw strength and high-speed movement. It's like fighting a hammerhead panther in a minefield."
He activated Phantom Echo, sending a mirror image sprinting to the left while he circled to the right.
The creature didn't fall for it.
It ignored the echo entirely and charged directly at Auther.
"Crap—!"
Auther activated Disrupting Pulse mid-sprint, flaring a blast of energy into the creature's face.
It flinched—just slightly—but enough.
He darted behind and went for the knees.
Mana Edge sang through the air and connected.
Sparks flew.
But the armor didn't give.
His blade left only a thin scratch.
"Too dense," he hissed. "Can't brute-force it. Need to bypass it."
He jumped back as the creature swung wildly in a circular arc, forcing Auther to the edge of the platform. Below, the swirling void waited like a hungry mouth.
One wrong move, and he'd be flung into oblivion.
Time to change tactics.
He opened Skill Creation mid-combat—eyes flickering with thought.
> Name: Mana Thread Injection
Description: "A precision technique that channels mana into a narrow, vibrating thread designed to slip into microfractures or weak points in armor or barriers."
Rank: F4
Cost: 18 SP
He hesitated—then confirmed.
[Skill Created: Mana Thread Injection (F4)]
[Remaining SP: 2]
He activated it instantly.
A thin, glowing thread extended from his fingertips, like an ethereal wire.
He dashed forward, dodging a heavy blow, and ducked under the creature's guard.
He thrust the thread forward—not at the torso—but at the back of the knee joint, where plates of crystal intersected.
The thread slid in.
The creature convulsed.
A blast of mana exploded from the contact point—and one of its legs buckled.
"YES!" Auther grinned.
It staggered.
He seized the moment.
Fighting Mastery flared as he leapt, blade overhead.
He brought Mana Edge down on the exposed back joint.
This time, it cracked.
The creature howled—its first true sound—more pain than rage.
It spun, wild and uncontrolled.
Auther took a glancing hit to the ribs and was thrown back again, tumbling near the edge.
He coughed, tasting blood.
But he smiled through it.
He'd drawn blood.
Or… mana, in this case.
"Not invincible after all."
The creature's core now glowed faintly through the fractured armor at its back.
Auther focused.
"Expose the weak spot. Redirect the pressure."
He activated Phantom Echo again—this time split into two duplicates, both running different angles.
The beast hesitated, scanning.
Auther leapt from behind the one on the right—real body hidden until the last moment.
He didn't use his blade.
Instead, he reactivated Mana Thread Injection and jammed it straight into the crack.
A shockwave erupted.
The armor burst apart in a small explosion, and the creature shrieked in agony.
Now exposed—its glowing mana core right there.
Auther's blade spun in his grip.
Neural Reinforcement enhanced every motion.
Fighting Mastery guided his aim.
Mana Edge pulsed with raw force.
And his breath followed the rhythm of Heavenvein Refinement, energy flowing in harmony.
He struck.
The blade pierced the core.
Silence.
Then—cracks spread like a spiderweb across the creature's chest.
Its limbs twitched once.
Then crumbled into glowing dust.
Auther stumbled forward, breathing hard.
His blade clattered to the floor.
Silence reigned.
Then the mana around the platform surged upward like steam.
The dungeon was collapsing.
But in the center of the platform, where the boss had fallen, something shimmered.
A reward.
He limped over.
A glowing crystal chest floated above the stone, locked by a three-ringed mana seal.
No time to finesse it.
He activated Pulse Thread and destabilized the weakest point in the lock's rhythm.
The chest opened.
Inside was a mana core, swirling deep blue.
Mid E-rank. Maybe E4.
More than enough to push him a full level—maybe more if refined properly.
And beside it—
A small scroll sealed in gold thread.
He unrolled it carefully.
---
> Skill Book: Kinetic Redirection
Rank: E1
Description: "A passive martial skill. Reduces impact damage from physical strikes and redirects a portion of momentum to the attacker or nearby surface. Requires advanced body awareness and energy flow control."
---
He let out a slow breath.
This was no beginner skill.
This was the kind of thing that turned veterans into nightmares.
He pocketed both treasures.
Then activated Burst Step and sprinted back toward the dungeon's entrance as the platform began to dissolve.
Behind him, reality cracked.
Stone shattered into glittering shards. The pocket realm collapsed into itself.
He leapt through the exit spiral just as the gate blinked out of existence.
The subway reappeared around him.
Dust settled.
He stood in the dark tunnel, breathing heavily.
Alive.
Victorious.
His first dungeon—cleared.
And with it, something else had changed.
Not just his strength.
But his presence.
He could feel it in the air around him.
How it parted slightly as he walked.
How the very mana in the air responded quicker to his breath.
He opened his system screen.
---
[Dungeon Cleared – Proto-Gate]
[Final Kill: Crystal Reaver – E4]
[Skill Points Gained: 20]
[Current Rank: E2]
[Skill Points: 22]
---
He was stronger now.
Still in the E-grade, yes.
But his foundation was firmer.
His mind sharper.
And more than that—his confidence had hardened into something closer to certainty.
He was made for this world.
Not by birth.
But by choice.
By will.
He stared at the faint traces of energy still fading in the subway.
And smiled.
"This is only the beginning."