"Ah shit, almost forgot the most important thing." After some thought, it dawned on Axel that he had been so engrossed in his role as a Labyrinth Master that he almost neglected the number one priority for any transmigrator: getting stronger.
"System, how exactly do I get stronger? Or simply, how do I raise my stats and rank?" In this world filled with magic and monsters, it should be his top priority to become stronger. Even though he had a safe haven in his labyrinth, as time went on, he might encounter enemies so powerful that even his labyrinth couldn't protect him. There would be no time for regret when that day came. From what the system had mentioned, adventurers were constantly fighting the never-ending threat of monster swarms. While he was currently safe from those monsters, who could say he wouldn't have to face them in the future?
[There are multiple ways for you to raise your attributes. The simplest method is to train your body for combat-related attributes and study and practice magic for magic-related attributes. However, this method will become increasingly difficult as you grow stronger.]
[The second method is through energy infusion. This is exclusive to Labyrinth Masters as only they have access to energy cores. Using surplus energy from the core, you can temporarily or permanently increase your attributes.]
[The third method involves external resources. By absorbing monster parts and certain magical resources, you can siphon the aether within and merge it with your own, thus empowering yourself. Note that this will not work on any labyrinth-generated monsters or resources.]
[Keep in mind that once you reach the peak of each rank, there will be a challenge awaiting you. Clearing it will allow you to break through to the next rank; otherwise, you will need to restart the challenge at a much higher difficulty.]
"Hmm, so I can raise my stats through working out, huh? And the energy method..." Axel checked how much energy was needed for both temporary and permanent stat increases.
"So it's a hundred energy points for a temporary increase in any one stat for 24 hours, and five hundred energy points for a permanent increase... Fuck, it's expensive." Axel cursed at the cost of raising his stats. He recalled that energy regenerated at a rate of one point every five minutes. So, excluding the energy replenishment after driving out invaders, five hundred energy points equated to 2,500 minutes, or about forty-two hours. This meant he would have to wait for almost two days each time to permanently raise one stat by a single point. Since he was just starting out, there were still many things to be done and many uses for his energy to quickly fortify his labyrinth. A minor increase in his stats wasn't more important than developing the labyrinth. Even though Axel was determined to get stronger, it shouldn't come at the cost of neglecting his labyrinth's progress.
"Well, energy usage is a no-go for now. I should focus on the simple stuff first." Using the remaining energy, he created gym equipment such as dumbbells, a bench press, a treadmill, barbells, and more. He set them up in an unused part of his chamber for his training. He also created some dummy targets for when he started learning magic.
"Whew, I guess it's time to work out then. Sylva! Cue the 'Eye of the Tiger!'"
'Sil???'
"~Dun, dun dun dun. Risin' up, back on the street~~"