Silvan sat cross-legged before the dungeon core, his breath steady, but his mind wasn't still. Three hours. That was the penalty. He had survived. Yet that fact felt more like a warning than a victory.
He clenched his hands and looked at them. The battle today had exposed many limitations he hadn't considered.
"I'm weak in close combat," Silvan muttered.
Truth be told, he had felt like wielding a sword was easy. But that wasn't really the case. He hadn't calculated where to strike and where not to. His eyesight and sensory intake had improved, but they hadn't enhanced his accuracy in handling a sword.
He hadn't wielded swords or any close-combat weapons in his past life. Silvan had originally thought that improving Visson would automatically make him a good fighter. But that wasn't how it worked. He had to grow stronger in a different way.
Time was running out. Silvan didn't know the exact number of people who would enter or how big of a deal it would be. He could only prepare for the worst-case scenario. And now, the most important part was focusing on the dungeon.
Silvan sighed and sat down, opening the system.
Dungeon Points: 4580↑
A decent amount had been collected, considering both the 5th-stage serpents had given him 800 points each and the 7th-stage one had given 1500. He had initially carried some points over from killing the Wildwood and YunYun, bringing the total to this.
Genetic codes were undeniably powerful. But they alone wouldn't make someone exponentially stronger. It all depended on how one used them.
As Silvan thought, his gaze fell on the rocks and branches he had collected earlier. He closed his eyes, nodding to himself, making his decision.
He opened the Shard Shop and scrolled through the Structural Shop. Silvan hesitated one last time. Buying this would cost him most of his Dungeon Points.
But then, thinking about the possibilities it would unlock, he decided it was worth it. And he bought it,for a whopping 4000 Dungeon Points.
The moment Silvan confirmed the purchase, the dungeon core flared, sending forth nodes of green energy in front of it.
Before him, the ground shook.
Roots burrowed out from the earth, widening the surroundings and creating a small hole in the center, circular in shape. Silvan stepped aside. It was far bigger than he had expected. It widened even more, nearly reaching the inner walls of his dungeon.
Before long, green liquid started seeping out, slowly filling the hole completely. The roots regained their life as the water touched them. Green flowers bloomed, and a dim green mist began spreading from them.
[Verdant Heart Pool has been established.]
[All nature-based dungeon structures will now receive passive energy support.]
[Verdant Heart Pool (Rank 1)
Supports all nature-based dungeon structures with passive energy support. Growth has been applied to organic dungeon elements]
[Ding! Blooming Sap Cannon (Rank 1) is being influenced by the Verdant Heart Pool. The cooldown of fruit regeneration has been reduced: 20 minutes → 15 minutes]
Silvan slowly exhaled, watching as the swirling Qi settled into the water, infusing the pool's surface with a soft green glow.
His eyes glittered as endless possibilities swirled in his mind like a rising tide. He could see it, the water within the pool wasn't far from being a herbal bath.
"But before that," Silvan thought, opening his Dungeon Lord title.
[Dungeon Lord: Silvan Owsris]
Rank: 1 (5x5)
Active Perks: Forest Shard [Rank 1]
(500 Dungeon Points required for ranking up)
Features:
Dungeon Map ⟨⟩
Buy/Sell ⟨⟩
Summon ⟨⟩
Subjects: <1>
Soul Slots: 0 ⟨⟩
"Rank up the dungeon."
Immediately, the core began to glow. The ground started to shake, and the walls trembled. Almost like an illusion, the walls retreated, expanding the space.
At the dungeon entrance, veins and roots sprouted from the soil, piercing through the ceiling and momentarily blocking the light. Then, the enclosure split open from the middle, forming doors made of vines.
A new notification appeared.
[Dungeon Rank Increased!]
[Core Influence Expanded: 5x5 → 10x10]
[Dungeon Door has been established]
Silvan read the notifications before glancing around. The space had nearly doubled in height and width. And most importantly,he finally had a door.
Now, it actually looked like a dungeon.
His gaze fell on the dungeon core. It had also changed. The black metallic veins holding it had spread and widened slightly.
Satisfied, Silvan noted that the Verdant Pool wasn't taking up too much space. Still, he moved it to the left side using the Dungeon Map feature.
The ground trembled again as the pool shifted, and the soil automatically filled the gap it left behind, making it seem as if it had always been there. He didn't move the Blooming Sap Cannon,it was already in the perfect spot.
YunYun had watched everything, but he didn't question it. After all, he was something unexplainable too. He was a dragon now!
Silvan reached toward the pool, placing his hand into the water and activating Qi Siphon. His tendrils extended, plunging in.
A pulse of Qi flowed into him, slowly restoring his energy.
[+16 Qi has been recovered]
Just as he thought he would be able to use it freely, a warning appeared.
[Warning: Qi is being pulled out. Verdant Heart Pool is losing efficiency by 0.2%. Upon losing 100% efficiency, Dungeon Points will be consumed for repair costs.
Repair Cost: 3000 Dungeon Points]
Silvan stopped immediately, nodding. So unlimited Qi wasn't a thing. Still, he didn't regret trying. At least now, he had an emergency Qi recovery option.
He took a deep breath, letting the world around him settle. Then, he turned to the pile of rocks, branches, and herbs he had collected,including those from the Wind Palace disciple's pouch.
His fingers brushed against the materials. His eyes focused.
"Let's see how much I remember."
His voice was calm. Now, he would create the one thing he was best at.
[To be continued…]