After a couple of days… or to be precise, 8 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes, and 1, 2, 3 seconds… How do I know, you ask? Well, it's all thanks to Miss Chronos! During this time, I had been tirelessly gathering ores—more than I thought possible. The cave was practically overflowing with them, and I spent each day hauling them into my inventory like a greedy treasure hunter. But even I had to admit, it was getting a little exhausting.
At one point, after gathering yet another heap of ores, I sat down, feeling drained. "There's got to be something else I can do here," I muttered to myself.
That's when I remembered—my skills! I called out, "Hey, Miss Chronos!"
Her familiar, monotonic voice responded instantly, "Yes."
"Can I craft a skill to create weapons? Like, something useful from all these ores I've been gathering?"
Miss Chronos replied with her usual efficiency, "Yes, you can weave the skill *Weapon Creation* with your ascended skill: *Skill Weaving.* However, it will require 30% of your current magic essence. This skill will allow you to craft weapons, but only if you possess the necessary resources. No weapon can be crafted from air."
I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Well, I've got plenty of resources… So, please go ahead and weave the skill!"
"Understood. Using ascended skill: *Skill Weaving* to acquire rare skill: *Weapon Creation.* Success."
Immediately, I felt the familiar wave of weakness wash over me as 30% of my magic essence drained away. I nearly collapsed to the ground. Having your magic essence sucked dry is pretty unpleasant, but it was worth it. I had acquired the skill!
I forced myself to stand and called out again, "Miss Chronos! Can I create a weapon now? Like… can these magic ores be used as resources?"
"Yes. The magic ores are excellent resources for *Weapon Creation.*"
A prompt appeared in my mind:
*Use rare skill: Weapon Creation? [Yes/No]*
"Yes," I replied eagerly, taking a handful of ores from my infinite bag and holding them in my claw. As soon as I activated the skill, the ores began to shift, liquefying into a watery, floating substance. It was an odd sight—something solid turning into liquid. Miss Chronos' voice came through again.
"Which weapon would you like to create?"
I thought for a moment, imagining the types of weapons I had studied and wielded in my previous life. "A spear," I finally said. "No, wait... a trident!"
"Understood," she replied.
The watery substance in my hand shifted, stretching and changing shape. I watched in awe as the mass elongated, forming into the precise shape of a trident. The magic within it seemed to pulse as it hardened and solidified in my grip. I marveled at the weapon that had been created so effortlessly.
"Done. The magic ores have been transformed into a *Magic Trident.* You can imbue magic into the weapon to enhance its strength, and the element of the trident can also be altered as needed," Miss Chronos informed me.
I twirled the trident in my hand, admiring its craftsmanship. The weapon was sleek and deadly, with a translucent, glass-like exterior that shimmered in the low light of the cave. Inside, I could see a faint purple glow, evidence of the magic it contained.
"Whoa… this is awesome," I muttered under my breath, testing the weight of the trident in my hand. It felt perfect—light, but balanced.
I decided to test its power. Spotting a nearby rock formation, I thrust the trident forward with all my might. The trident's sharp tips sliced through the stone like a knife through butter. I grinned. "Not bad, but I'm a bit rusty."
It had been so long since I'd wielded a weapon, let alone trained in martial arts. I was once deeply interested in the art of combat, alongside my studies in history and magic. Now, it felt like muscle memory was slowly returning. I struck again, harder this time, and watched as the stone crumbled beneath the force of my blow.
Over the next few hours, I practiced more, getting comfortable with the trident's weight and abilities. Each strike made me more confident, more attuned to the weapon. This cave, once a prison of solitude, now felt like the perfect training ground.
For now, I was content. I had everything I needed to grow stronger—skills, magic ores, and the guidance of Miss Chronos. But deep down, I knew this was only the beginning. The world outside was still a mystery, and whatever awaited me beyond this cave was something I couldn't predict.
But I'd be ready for it.
---
Even though I talked about doing all these amazing things, what I actually did was mostly train with weapons. I took full advantage of my skill, *Weapon Creation,* and crafted all sorts of weapons. Of course, not all were perfect—some broke apart in my hands, others turned out dull—but after a lot of trial and error, I finally got the hang of it.
I even managed to create a few magic shields, though I don't think I really need one. My scales are tough enough to block most things. I crafted a bunch of magic swords too, but those were a complete failure at first. I tried to imbue them with magic, but they either exploded or became too unstable to use. After crafting hundreds of swords, I eventually made a few that could handle extreme levels of magic without disintegrating in my claws.
Then came the bows. I experimented with magic arrows made from ores. These arrows were special—they could shoot fire, water, or any element I wanted just by channeling my magic through them. I practiced like crazy, day in and day out, and discovered that this new body of mine doesn't get tired from regular training. The only time I feel any exhaustion is when I use up too much magic creating skills. So, after weeks of training, I became… well, a buff dragon.
---
And now, after many days of strengthening my fists and arms, it was time to take my training to the next level: martial arts. In my previous life, martial arts had been more than just a discipline; it was an obsession. Alongside magic and history, it was the third pillar of my life. As a human, I had relentlessly pursued the mastery of every style I could get my hands on. I practiced day and night, honing my body and mind into a weapon. From boxing and karate to judo and mixed martial arts, I had mastered at least fourteen different styles by the time I was fully entrenched in my studies.
That discipline had never left me, even after reincarnating as a dragon. If anything, my new body—stronger, faster, and more resilient than my human form—made my hunger for mastery even greater. With Miss Chronos' help, I didn't just train the arts I knew; I dove into even more, learning ancient styles and techniques that I had only dreamed of as a human.
"What's one more style when you've already mastered fourteen?" I told myself, as Miss Chronos guided me through moves that seemed impossible at first. But with each passing day, I felt myself becoming more and more attuned to my new body. I could feel my muscles react instinctively, my movements becoming more fluid and precise.
At first, it felt like only a few days had passed since I began. But, when I asked Miss Chronos, she informed me that an entire month had slipped by. I had been so immersed in my training that I hadn't even noticed the passage of time. No sleep, no fatigue—only pure, uninterrupted progress.
By the end of that month, I had become something more than I ever thought possible. I had fused my knowledge of human martial arts with the newfound power of this dragon body. My hands, once flesh and bone, now moved with the precision and lethality of the weapons I had forged during my earlier training. Every punch, every strike, carried a weight of destruction far beyond what I had been capable of as a human.
I even developed new techniques—techniques that took full advantage of my unique physiology. One of the first was *Thin Slice*. It was deceptively simple: a single swing of my hand, fast enough to cut through the air, could slice through almost anything in my path. Boulders, trees, even the thick scales of my own body would give way under the force of this strike. I tested it over and over, each time marveling at how much power my dragon body contained.
And then came *Flash Step*, my new favorite technique. In my human life, I had always been fascinated by speed. I had studied the movements of sprinters and fighters, learning to move faster than the eye could follow. But here, in this body, I was no longer bound by the limitations of human speed. *Flash Step* was a movement so fast, so instantaneous, that it left afterimages in its wake. One moment I would be standing still, and in the blink of an eye, I would be right behind my opponent, ready to strike.
But the real beauty of my training came when I started combining techniques. *Thin Slice* and *Flash Step* together created an attack that was almost impossible to avoid. I could move in an instant, deliver a killing blow, and be gone before my opponent even realized what had happened. The speed and power were exhilarating, and I knew I had barely scratched the surface of what I could do.
As the days turned into weeks and weeks into months, I began to feel the difference in my body. My muscles had grown denser, more defined, each one finely tuned for combat. My scales, already a natural armor, had toughened derasticly from the endless training, becoming almost impervious to damage. I had even developed new instincts—reactions that were almost animalistic, but controlled. I could sense danger before it arrived, anticipate moves before they were made, and react with a precision that made me feel invincible.
During this time, Miss Chronos revealed that I had also acquired a new skill: *Physical Enhancement*. I hadn't crafted it like I did with my other skills; instead, it had come to me naturally through my sheer physical prowess. When I asked Miss Chronos how that was possible, she explained that not all skills could be created by weaving them through magic. Some had to be earned through one's own strength. I had apparently reached a level where my body demanded this new skill, and it had simply manifested.
*Physical Enhancement* allowed me to push my muscles and body beyond their normal limits. Whenever I activated it, my strength, speed, and endurance would increase exponentially. I tested it during my training, and the results were astounding. My punches could shatter rocks, my kicks sent trees flying, and my stamina seemed almost infinite. In my human life, such power had been the stuff of legends. Now, it was my reality.
By the end of all that training, I had truly become a buff dragon—far stronger than I could have ever imagined. My body had grown larger, more muscular, and I could feel the raw power coursing through every fiber of my being. But this wasn't just about brute strength. I had refined my movements, sharpened my mind, and created techniques that made me a true martial artist, not just a mindless brute.
One of my proudest accomplishments was creating my own techniques. Aside from *Thin Slice* and *Flash Step*, I developed a technique that combined the two into something deadly: *Phantom Cut*. With *Phantom Cut*, I could use *Flash Step* to move so fast that I became invisible to the naked eye. Then, with *Thin Slice*, I would strike before my opponent even realized what had happened. I tested it against boulders, slicing through them as though they were made of paper. The combination of speed and precision was unbeatable.
After mastering these techniques, I knew I was ready for more. The days of training in isolation were over. I had strengthened my body, honed my skills, and learned everything I could from Miss Chronos. Now, it was time to test myself against real opponents. Surely, this magic-rich cave had to be home to some monsters, right?
I had heard the occasional rumble in the distance and the faint echo of something moving deep within the caverns. There was no doubt in my mind—something dangerous lurked within these caves, and I was more than ready to face it. It was time to see just how far I had come, to test my new body and skills in real combat.
With a deep breath, I set off into the darker parts of the cave, spear in hand, ready for whatever awaited me. The thrill of the hunt coursed through me. This was the moment I had been waiting for—the real test of all my training.