Markus sat at the small dining table in his luxury hotel room, a plate of eggs, toast, and coffee in front of him. A simple, balanced meal.
As he casually ate, his eyes flicked to the floating Status Window, a now familiar presence that followed his every action.
And something about it irritated him.
"These numbers are disgusting," he muttered, setting down his fork. "Uneven, unbalanced, ugly."
Ever since he leveled up in the dungeon, his stats had been off. Some were odd numbers, others didn't match. He wasn't obsessive, but looking at this every time he checked his status was starting to grind at his nerves.
"Alright, let's fix this mess," he decided.
[Unallocated Stat Points: 22]
+1 to Strength (39 → 40)
+2 to Agility (48 → 50)
+1 to Endurance (59 → 60)
+2 to Intelligence (78 → 80)
+3 to Wisdom (62 → 65)
Luck remained untouched. It was already an even number, and that was good enough.
After finalizing the changes, Markus closed his status and opened it again, just to admire the symmetry.
And just like that, his morning was already better.
"Hah. Much better," he smirked, taking a sip of coffee. "A favor to myself, and to anyone with functioning eyes."
With his stats properly adjusted, it was time to find a dungeon.
Instead of wandering around like an idiot looking for an unregistered Gate, Markus used Dungeon Locator, his newly unlocked feature from Monarch's Codex.
Registered Dungeon – C-Rank
Location: An industrial storage facility in the city outskirts, repurposed as a sealed Gate area.
Monster Type: Trolls
Assigned Hunters: None. The slot was open for a solo run.
Perfect.
Markus needed durable punching bags to train his offensive spells. And what better test subjects than trolls?
Regeneration? Yes.
Dumb as rocks? Yes.
Hard to kill? Absolutely.
Markus finished his coffee, grabbed his things, and vanished under Silent Phantom.
It was time to work.
The Hunter Association agents were stationed at the entrance of the dungeon facility, managing other Hunters signing up for runs.
Markus didn't bother with that process.
He didn't need permission.
Silent Phantom active.
Rift Step used to bypass security checks.
Mana Sense remained on, ensuring no detection spells nearby.
No one saw him enter. No one ever would.
Inside the Dungeon – Welcome to the Troll Pit
The moment Markus stepped through the portal, the scenery changed.
The air thickened with humidity, the scent of damp earth and rotting meat filling his nose.
He stood in a dense, moss-covered forest, large twisted trees towering overhead. The distant sound of heavy footfalls and deep grunts echoed through the jungle-like terrain.
Trolls.
Seven feet tall, grotesque humanoids covered in rough, greenish hide.
Regenerating wounds within seconds unless dealt lethal damage.
Brutish weapons, mostly clubs, tree branches, or scavenged metal scraps.
Markus smirked.
"This is going to be fun."
Skill Grinding – Troll Edition
His first priority? Skill mastery.
Markus activated Mana Sense, detecting a group of three trolls a short distance ahead, moving sluggishly through the jungle terrain.
Test #1 – Frost Lance
Markus summoned a frozen spear, hurling it toward the closest troll.
The ice pierced straight through its shoulder, pinning it to a tree.
The troll roared in pain, but within seconds, the wound began sealing.
Markus clicked his tongue. "Right, forgot about that."
Second Frost Lance, this time aimed at the head.
The troll's skull cracked, freezing over completely.
No regeneration. Dead.
[+200 EXP Gained]
Test #2 – Blazing Orb
The second troll charged, roaring, swinging a crude club made from a telephone pole.
Markus didn't move.
Blazing Orb activated.
A large fireball condensed in his palm, radiating scorching heat.
With a thought, he launched it straight into the troll's open mouth.
🔥 BOOM.
The troll's head exploded.
[+200 EXP Gained]
Markus whistled, shaking his hand. "Okay, that was brutal."
Test #3 – Rift Step & Phantom Acceleration
The final troll lunged, but Markus vanished, reappearing ten meters behind it.
Rift Step cooldown reduced.
Distance traveled increased.
Perfect.
He then activated Phantom Acceleration, his speed doubling, allowing him to circle behind the monster faster than it could react.
A Frost Lance to the knee, immobilizing it.
A Blazing Orb to the head, finishing the job.
[+200 EXP Gained]
Markus cracked his neck. "Not bad. But we're just getting started."
Skill Copy – Regeneration x2
With the first three trolls dead, Markus activated Card Copy, scanning their available abilities.
(Passive) Regeneration – Level 4 (Rapidly restores lost flesh over time.)
(Passive) Troll Strength – Level 3 (Slightly increases physical power.)
(Active) Roar of Intimidation – Level 2 (Releases a fear-inducing bellow.)
Markus scoffed. Who needed a roar?
He copied Regeneration – Level 4.
[ Skill Copied: Regeneration – Level 4]
Perfect.
Now, he just had to repeat the process with one more troll.
Another troll ambushed – Frost Lance to the chest.
Blazing Orb to the face – confirmed kill.
Copied Regeneration – Level 5.
Markus grinned, feeling the skill settle into his body.
With two stacked copies, his natural healing rate skyrocketed.
Minor wounds? Healed in seconds.
Deep injuries? Recovered within minutes.
Lost limbs? Still too early. But soon.
One copy slot remained.
The boss was next.
Markus smirked, cracking his knuckles.
"Alright, Big Guy. Let's see if you're worth my time."
Markus stood before the towering Troll Chieftain, its green, battle-scarred hide twitching with instinctual hostility. The massive brute clutched a crude stone club, its jagged edges drenched in the dried blood of past victims.
"Big, ugly, and stupid. Just my type of training dummy."
The cards floated around the boss, semi-transparent, each one containing a distilled essence of its power.
[Troll Chieftain - Available Skill Cards]
(Passive) Greater Regeneration – Level 7 (Recovers from wounds at a rapid pace. Lost limbs take minutes to regrow.)
(Passive) Troll's Endurance – Level 5 (Reduces damage taken from blunt weapons and magic by 20%.)
(Active) War Cry – Level 4 (Temporarily increases attack power and defense by 30% for 20 seconds.)
(Active) Titan Smash – Level 5 (A heavy, ground-shaking strike capable of breaking stone.)
[The Smart Choice – Copying Greater Regeneration]
Markus didn't even hesitate.
He had already copied Regeneration from the normal trolls, but the Chieftain's version was vastly superior.
[ Skill Copied: Greater Regeneration – Level 7]
The moment it integrated, a surge of raw vitality flooded his body. He could feel his cells accelerating, knitting together, reinforcing themselves at an unnatural speed.
"Now that's what I'm talking about."
Most Hunters would panic at the sight of a regenerating beast. Markus saw an opportunity.
The Chieftain's near-invulnerability made it the perfect punching bag.
His copied regeneration meant he could push himself harder than ever.
"Let's abuse this to the max."
He attacked.
[Skill Grind – Pushing Everything to Level 10]
1️⃣ Blazing Orb → Relentless Firebombing 🔥
Markus launched a barrage of Blazing Orbs, hammering the troll's body with explosions of scorching heat.
Each impact seared flesh, charred muscle, and ruptured its thick hide.
But the boss regrew everything in seconds.
"Good. Burn again."
Blazing Orb → Blazing Orb → Blazing Orb
[ Blazing Orb Level 5 → Level 10 (Evolution Available)]
2️⃣ Frost Lance → Pushing Ice to the Limits ❄️
With a flick of thought, a jagged spear of ice materialized in midair and pierced straight through the troll's gut.
The wound froze solid, turning flesh brittle, but moments later… it healed.
"You're making this way too easy."
Frost Lance → Frost Lance → Frost Lance
[ Frost Lance Level 6 → Level 10 (Evolution Available)]
3️⃣ Rift Step → Chain Teleportation Training 🌀
The Chieftain finally got annoyed.
It let out a guttural roar and swung its massive club, shattering the stone beneath Markus' feet.
But Markus was already gone.
Rift Step activated, he vanished, reappearing behind the beast in an instant.
The troll swung again.
Teleport.
Another strike.
Teleport.
"Dodge, blink, dodge, blink. Keep it coming, you oversized sack of meat."
Rift Step → Rift Step → Rift Step
[ Rift Step Level 5 → Level 10 (Evolution Available)]
[Final Kill – Ending the Training Session]
The Troll Chieftain was barely fazed.
Its healing factor had been abused for hours, forcing it into an endless cycle of destruction and recovery.
But Markus had reached his goal.
Every skill he focused on had reached Level 10.
Now?
He was done playing around.
[Finishing Move – Blazing Execution]
Markus raised his palm, mana surging as a massive sphere of pure fire condensed above his hand.
"This one's for you, big guy."
Blazing Orb – Fully Evolved
Frost Lance – Fully Evolved
Rift Step – Fully Evolved
The air shimmered from the heat, the sheer force of the spell causing cracks to form in the dungeon walls.
With a final smirk, he launched it forward.
🔥 BOOM! 🔥
The entire cavern was swallowed in an inferno.
[Boss Defeated – Loot Collected]
[ Dungeon Cleared – Troll Chieftain Defeated]
[ EXP Gained: 2,000 EXP]
[ Level Up: 5 → 6]
Loot Acquired:
D-Rank Mana Core x1 (From the Chieftain.)
E-Rank Mana Core x10 (From the lesser trolls.)
Mana Crystals x16 (Medium-Sized) (Harvested from dungeon walls.)
Markus cracked his neck, exhaling in satisfaction.
"That was a good workout."
Without another word, he activated Silent Phantom and left the dungeon unseen.
Markus strolled into his hotel room, tossing his jacket onto the bed. His mind was still buzzing with the aftereffects of battle, burning trolls to a crisp, impaling them with ice, and blinking around like a goddamn phantom.
But right now?
It was time to check his spoils.
Checking the System Shop – How Much Gold Did He Earn?
Markus activated Monarch's Codex, bringing up the Shop Interface.
A blue panel materialized before his eyes, listing his available funds.
[System Shop – Currency Balance]
Gold Earned: 7,800
He raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad for two dungeon clears. But let's see if we can push that higher."
The System clearly rewarded monster kills, dungeon clears, and boss takedowns with gold, but it didn't give a breakdown. A flat number.
Did stronger dungeons yield exponentially more gold? Would chaining dungeon runs increase it?
That was an experiment for another time.
Right now, he had junk to sell.
Selling Loot – The First Transaction
The trolls had dropped a lot of worthless garbage, especially their weapons.
Half-rotted wooden clubs. Rusted iron swords. Broken stone axes.
Individually, these things weren't worth much, but Markus wasn't about to carry them around like some RPG hoarder.
He opened the System Inventory and selected everything he deemed trash to sell.
[Sell Items – System Shop]
Troll Clubs x7 → Sold for 350 Gold
Rusted Swords x5 → Sold for 500 Gold
Broken Axes x3 → Sold for 300 Gold
Miscellaneous Junk (Beast Hides, Unusable Gear) → Sold for 600 Gold
Total Gold After Sales: 9,550
Markus smirked.
"System's got a real-world equivalent of a pawnshop. And I'm gonna exploit the hell out of it."
If he could turn dungeon trash into gold, then every run would profit, even if he didn't find rare loot.
Evolution Results – Examining His New Powers
With the selling done, Markus pulled up his status window.
His three primary combat skills had evolved.
Time to see what they had become.
[Blazing Execution] (Evolved from Blazing Orb)
🔥 Level 1
Range: 40 meters (Increased from 32m)
Cooldown: 3 seconds (Reduced from 3.2s)
Mana Cost: 25 MP (Reduced from 27 MP)
Effects: Explosion radius increased by 50%Intense heat lingers for 5 seconds, causing continuous burn damage. Stronger knockback
Markus rubbed his chin.
"So it's just bigger, hotter, and meaner. Perfect."
The continuous burn effect was a major bonus. It meant that even if something survived the explosion, it would keep burning.
"This is the kind of magic I like. Efficient, brutal, and leaves a mark."
[Piercing Frost] (Evolved from Frost Lance)
❄️ Level 1
Range: 55 meters (Increased from 42.5m)
Cooldown: 2.8 seconds (Reduced from 3s)
Mana Cost: 8 MP (Reduced from 10 MP)
Effects: Can pierce up to 3 enemies (Previously 2)Critical freeze chance increased, hitting a vital point causes instant full-body freezing
Markus' smirk widened.
"This is actually terrifying."
It wasn't just a better version of Frost Lance. It was a killshot.
If he aimed for a head, heart, or neck, the target would be completely frozen instead of just slowed.
"It's turning into a sniper spell. I like it."
[Void Blink] (Evolved from Rift Step)
🌌 Level 1
Range: 70 meters (Increased from 50m)
Cooldown: 1.8 seconds (Reduced from 2.5s)
Mana Cost: 50 MP (Reduced from 60 MP)
Effects: Teleportation speed increased. Now allows mid-air teleportation. Can phase through weak magical barriers
Markus grinned.
"Aerial teleportation? Now we're talking."
That alone changed how he could fight.
With Void Blink, he could now teleport above enemies, striking from unexpected angles.
Even better? Phasing through barriers.
"Now I can bypass certain magical walls… This is gonna be so damn useful."
Contemplating Next Moves – The Hunt for More Skills
Markus leaned back, thinking.
His fire and ice skills were damn good, but he needed more options.
More Attack Skills – He needed more variety in offensive magic. Something beyond just fire and ice.
Defensive Passives – His Regeneration was amazing, but he needed something to reduce incoming damage.
Where could he find these?
[New Attack Skills – Where to Get Them?]
If he wanted more destructive spells, there were a few potential sources.
1️⃣ Elemental Beasts (Fire, Lightning, Earth, etc.)
Golems and Wyverns all had high-level elemental abilities.Possible Skills: Lightning Bolts, Earth Spikes, Wind Blades.
2️⃣ High-Rank Monsters (C-Rank and Above)
More powerful creatures wielded unique combat abilities.Possible Skills: Shadow-based attacks, Force Manipulation, Blood Magic.
3️⃣ Human Mages (Elite Hunters & Guild Members)
C-Rank and B-Rank Hunters had structured magic disciplines.Possible Skills: More refined spells, precise casting techniques.[Defensive Passives – Where to Get Them?]
His best bet for damage reduction would be monsters known for high durability.
1️⃣ Rock & Metal-Type Creatures (Golems, Stone Beasts, Minotaurs)
These creatures had natural resistance to damage.Possible Passives: Increased Endurance, Natural Armor.
2️⃣ Magical Entities (Spirits, Phantom Beasts)
Some creatures used defensive enchantments.Possible Passives: Mana Shielding, Spell Reflection.
3️⃣ High-Rank Tank Hunters (B-Rank and Above)
Certain elite Hunters specialized in barrier magic, body reinforcement, and anti-magic defenses.Possible Passives: Arcane Warding, Physical Resistance.[Conclusion – The Plan]
Markus grinned.
First, he'd hunt creatures with unique elemental attacks and copy their best skills.
Then, he'd target monsters with tough defensive passives to stack durability.
Finally, he'd seek out stronger dungeons to maximize growth.
The world was filled with potential prey.
Markus was going to devour it all.