Lucas woke to the gentle flicker of the morning sun filtering through the entrance of the cave. The previous day's adventures in the dungeon had left him drained, but the rewards were beyond his wildest expectations. As he stretched and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his thoughts immediately turned to the Mana Crystal. He had decided that today would be dedicated to amplifying this precious artifact.
He retrieved the Mana Crystal from his pack, its vibrant blue hue catching the morning light. "Time to see what you're really capable of," he murmured, a mixture of excitement and apprehension in his voice.
Lucas took the crystal to a quiet corner of the cave and sat cross-legged on the ground. He placed the Mana Crystal in front of him and activated his Amplify ability. The familiar sensation of his System Energy flowing through him began to build as he focused on the artifact.
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**[System Notification]**
**Amplify (SSR) Activated**
**Item: Mana Crystal**
**Current Amplification: 70x**
**Commencing Amplification Sequence…**
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A radiant, pulsating light enveloped the Mana Crystal, growing brighter with each passing second. Lucas watched in awe as the crystal began to transform. The deep blue light shifted to a brilliant, almost blinding white. The energy emanating from it seemed to fill the entire cave, and Lucas felt a profound connection to the raw power of the world.
As the light subsided, Lucas noticed the Mana Crystal had changed significantly. It now radiated a steady, soft glow, and a new system panel appeared before him.
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**[Item: Primal Energy Core]**
**Status: Amplified**
**Description:** A rare and powerful source of Primal Energy. It has been enhanced to provide a constant stream of Primal Energy, capable of fully restoring the System's Energy.
- **Effects:** Provide energy in it's purest form : Origin
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Lucas's eyes widened in amazement. The Mana Crystal had been transformed into a Primal Energy Core, an artifact of immense power. He could already feel the System Energy within him being restored, the familiar sensation of vitality returning to his core.
**[System Notification]**
**System Energy fully restored.**
**System Functions Available:**
- Experience Bar
- Detailed Skill Descriptions
- [Various System Functions Activated]
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Lucas stood up, feeling a renewed vigor. The cave was now filled with a sense of potential. He turned his attention to the System interface, eager to explore the new features made available by the Primal Energy Core.
"Let's see what we have here," he said, focusing on the Experience Bar first.
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**[System Notification]**
**Experience Bar**
**Level: 8**
**Experience Points: 300/1000**
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Lucas saw that he had gained a significant amount of experience from the dungeon, leveling up from Level 1 to 8. He was thrilled to see the numbers quantifying his progress.
**[System Notification]**
**Experience from Dungeon Monsters:**
- **Forest Wolves:** 50 EXP each
- **Giant Spiders:** 75 EXP each
- **Venomous Snakes:** 100 EXP each
- **Goblins:** 150 EXP each
- **Ironfur Bear:** 300 EXP
**Total EXP Gained:** 2,300
**Level Up Rewards:**
- **+7 Levels (from Level 1 to Level 8)**
- **+28 Free Stat Points**
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Lucas took a deep breath, absorbing the enormity of the information. His recent battles had significantly boosted his level, and he now had 28 free stat points to allocate. He also noticed that his attributes had been increased by 1 for each level up, a welcome boost to his already impressive stats.
He brought up the "Status" screen to examine his current stats and new abilities.
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**[Status]**
**Name:** Lucas Drake
**Age:** 20
**Race:** Human
**Class:** Inferno Sage
**HP:** 100/100
**Mana:** 1850/1850
**STR:** 15
**INT:** 17
**WILL:** 35
**LUCK:** 23 |Unchanged|
**Skills:**
- **Amplify (SSR):** Amplifies the target by a factor ranging from 10 to 100 (Does not work on Living Beings)
- **Fire Affinity (C):** Grants knowledge of Fire-based skills upon unlocking a Magical Class. +10% Damage Bonus to Fire-Based Attacks.
- **Inferno Burst:** Unleash a powerful wave of fire, dealing massive damage to enemies.
- **Flame Shield:** Create a protective barrier of flames, reducing incoming damage.
- **Mana Regeneration:** Significantly increase mana recovery rate.
- **Elemental Mastery:** Gain enhanced control over fire-based magic.
- **Eye of Origin:** Analyze and view detailed descriptions of skills, items, and effects.
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His eyes landed on the new addition to his skills, it was pretty straightforward, so he activated **Eye of Origin** to see what exactly it meant by more details.
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**[Skill Analysis]**
- **Inferno Burst**:
- **Mana Cost:** 100 Mana
- **Description:** Creates a massive wave of fire dealing damage to all enemies in the area.
- **Flame Shield**:
- **Mana Cost:** 50 Mana
- **Description:** Creates a barrier of fire around the user, reducing incoming damage by 30% for 5 minutes.
- **Mana Regeneration**:
- **Mana Cost:** Passive
- **Description:** Increases mana regeneration rate by 50%.
- **Elemental Mastery**:
- **Mana Cost:** Passive
- **Description:** Provides enhanced control over fire-based magic, increasing fire damage and effectiveness of fire spells.
---
Lucas was pleased to see that his skills had reasonable Mana costs. With 1500 Mana available, he could use his abilities strategically without constantly worrying about depletion.
He also began to investigate the limitations of his Amplify skill. His observations confirmed that the Amplify ability was only as effective as the energy source provided.
**"It's clear now,"** he thought. **"The System Energy alone isn't enough to achieve the maximum potential of Amplify. To amplify something a hundredfold, a stronger energy source is needed."**
Lucas realized that his Amplify skill's full potential required a more sustainable energy source, something he would need to explore in future endeavors. But for now, he was satisfied with the Primal Energy Core's success.
He spent the remainder of the day analyzing the various aspects of his new skills and attributes. He continued to experiment with **Inferno Burst** and **Flame Shield**, getting used to their mechanics and Mana costs. He practiced creating and sustaining the Flame Shield, focusing on maximizing its defensive capabilities.
As evening approached, Lucas decided to rest before embarking on the next stage of his journey. He sat by the cave entrance, gazing out at the darkening forest. His thoughts turned to the challenges that lay ahead.
**"I have a lot of potential now,"** he mused. **"But there's still so much to learn and explore. The dungeons, the monsters, the secrets of this world—all of it is waiting for me."**
He glanced at the Ancient Tree's Heart, tucked safely in his pack. **"This will be a crucial tool for our future battles. I need to be strategic about when and how to use it."**
As he prepared for bed, Lucas felt a renewed sense of purpose. His recent successes had bolstered his confidence, and he was eager to push forward into the unknown challenges that awaited him.
**"Tomorrow,"** he thought, **"I will continue to explore, train, and prepare for the apocalypse. I'm ready to face whatever comes next."**
With that, Lucas closed his eyes, ready to embrace the trials of the new day.
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