The deeper they delved into the dungeon, the more the air grew heavy with the scent of damp stone. The ruins stretched onward, worn pillars and broken archways. Strange markings lined the walls, some glowing faintly, pulsing with latent magic. Each step echoed softly, the silence between fights nearly as unnerving as the battles themselves.

Then they found it.

The chamber ahead widened into an open expanse, the floor marred with deep gouges and scorched blackened stone. At the center stood a towering beast—massive, covered in thick, matted fur, its limbs bulging with raw muscle. At first, it seemed like just a monstrous bear, but the moment it turned toward them, the reality set in.

Twin biomechanical contraptions jutted from its back, resembling crude flame cannons, their interiors glowing a molten red. The creature’s eyes locked onto them, burning with rage. It reared back and let out an earth-shaking roar, the cannons whirring to life.

“Move!” Rhea shouted, already yanking Sael back as a torrent of fire spewed from the cannons, scorching the ground where they had stood just seconds before.

Sael barely managed to dodge, the searing heat licking at his skin as he stumbled backward. His grip tightened on his shield, heart pounding. “That thing’s insane!”

Rhea scowled. “We can’t fight this thing head-on, not like this. We need a plan.”

Another burst of fire erupted behind them, forcing them to retreat down one of the ruined corridors. They ran until they were certain they weren’t being pursued, finally stopping in a partially collapsed chamber. Dust rained from above as they caught their breath.

Sael leaned against the wall, shaking his head. “Yeah… no way we’re taking that thing on right now.”

“Agreed,” Rhea said, crossing her arms. “But if we leave now, someone else will probably come through and claim the dungeon’s chest. We should camp out, rest up, and figure out a way to bring that thing down.”

Sael exhaled. He wasn’t sure how they were supposed to handle something like that, but returning to town empty-handed didn’t feel right either. “Fine. Let’s set up camp.”

They found a defensible alcove near one of the ruined walls and set up their supplies. Rhea gathered some dry wood, and with a bit of effort, Sael managed to light a fire using a few embers from his fingertips. He stared at the small flickering flames, frustration creeping in. If he had more control over his magic, maybe he wouldn’t feel so outmatched.

Rhea must have noticed the look on his face. She nudged him with her elbow. “Thinking about magic?”

He sighed. “Yeah. I can barely do anything with it right now. If I could actually wield proper spells, maybe we’d stand a chance.”

She smirked. “Then now’s a good time to experiment. You need to figure out what works for you.”

Sael nodded. He took a deep breath and let his mind sink into that sensation of mana within him. He had sparks of fire, sure, but maybe he could do more. He focused on different elements, different styles of magic, letting the energy shift and take form in various ways.

He started with flame enchantments, trying to channel his fire into his club like he’d seen warriors do in games back in his old world. The weapon flickered with heat for a moment before the flames sputtered out.

Next, he tried something different—earth augmentation, focusing on reinforcing his shield. He envisioned a solid weight, unmovable stone. The mana flickered along the surface of the shield but refused to take hold.

“Try something else,” Rhea suggested. “Some casters use light or dark magic. Maybe you have an affinity for those.”

Sael furrowed his brow. He imagined light—pure, radiant energy—forming in his hand. A dim glow pulsed in his palm before fading.

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Darkness? He focused again, thinking of shadows, the space between flames, the absence of light. The mana stirred but didn’t solidify.

He clenched his fists. Nothing was clicking.

Rhea watched him closely. “Most people spend years learning to shape mana. You’re already ahead of the curve. Keep at it.”

Sael exhaled and tried one last thing. He reached for the sensation of fire again, but this time, instead of trying to force an effect, he let it flow. He let the warmth build, feeling for something natural.

A slow ember lit at his fingertips, more stable this time.

Rhea’s tail flicked. “That looks better.”

Sael grinned despite himself. Maybe he wasn’t going to master magic overnight, but he was learning. Bit by bit, he was getting closer.

As the fire crackled in the camp, the two of them sat in quiet contemplation. Tomorrow, they’d face the boss again. This time, they wouldn’t just run—they’d fight.

New Skills Unlocked:

[Shield Mastery Lv.1] Increases proficiency with shields. Slightly reduced the force of impact.

[Basic Mana Manipulation - Lv.2]

[Novice Crafting - Lv.2]

Sael sat by the crackling campfire, his frustration from earlier weighing on him. No matter how much he experimented with magic, he couldn’t get anything to click. His fire spells fizzled out before they could take proper form, and his augmentation attempts barely did anything noticeable. Rhea had done her best to guide him, but even she had to admit that forcing magic wasn’t going to be the best use of their time right now.

With a sigh, Sael stood up and dusted off his hands. "Magic’s going to take longer than I thought. For now, I’ll stick to what I know. Crafting."

Rhea grinned. "Now you’re speaking my language."

Pulling the monster hides and materials from his inventory, Sael started to lay them out, mentally forming a plan for their use. He ran his hands over the blink cat hides. Their texture was smooth, unnaturally cool, and carried a faint shimmer that distorted light when moved. An idea formed in his mind.

"Rhea, I’m making something for you first."

She tilted her head. "I'm finally getting something made by you? Exciting!"

"You do most of the fighting. If I can help you survive, we’ll last longer in a fight."

He worked with steady hands, layering the hides and weaving them together with reinforced stitching. He combined the shimmering fur with additional strands of silver spider thread to add durability and flexibility. When he was done, the vest shimmered in the firelight, its surface subtly shifting with an illusionary effect.

"Try it on," Sael said, tossing it to her.

Rhea slipped it over her usual outfit and moved experimentally. With each step, her form blurred slightly before stabilizing, making her movement unpredictable. "This… this is incredible," she breathed. "It feels natural, like it reacts to my movement. This will make dodging so much easier."

Mirage Vest crafted. Increased chance to dodge attacks.

Rhea grinned, twirling once to see the full effect before giving him an approving nod. "You’ve outdone yourself."

Encouraged by the success, Sael turned to his own gear. He needed something sturdier—something that could take a hit. Using the rest of the steel-jaw hides and some of the mithril, he carefully crafted a set of armor. The design was a hybrid between leather and plate, ensuring it remained flexible while offering significant protection. The mithril plates were woven into key areas, reinforcing his chest, shoulders, and shins while leaving room for maneuverability.

Milthril Half-Plate crafted.

For the finishing touch, he used some of the opal to craft a pair of gloves. He set the stones into the knuckles and shaped them into small, curved claws before fixing them securely into reinforced leather. When he handed them to Rhea, she inspected them with clear admiration.

Opal claws crafted.

"Opal claws? Fancy. What do they do?"

Sael shrugged. "Figured they’d give your strikes a little extra edge."

Rhea slid them on, flexing her fingers and testing the grip. "Stylish and deadly. I like them."

"One more thing might help us out." Sael said. He used the steel jaws from the beasts, and made some small chain links out of mithril. Piece by piece he assembled his contraption into a bear trap.

With their new equipment ready, the two of them stood and faced each other. The campfire flickered behind them, casting long shadows.

"Time to go bear hunting," Rhea said with a sharp grin, adjusting her new vest.

Sael nodded. "Let’s end this."

They made their way back into the ruins, their footsteps light as they retraced their path toward the chamber where they had first encountered the bear. When they stepped into the room, the creature was waiting.

A massive humanoid bear, its body covered in thick, singed fur, stood at the far end of the ruined chamber. Two metallic cylinders protruded from its back, their interiors glowing with a deep, molten light. The beast’s eyes locked onto them, and with a guttural growl, it stomped forward, fire beginning to churn in its back-mounted cannons.

"You ready for this?" Sael asked, gripping his shield tightly, and readying the bear trap.

Rhea cracked her knuckles, her opal claws glinting in the dim light. "Let’s put your new gear to the test."

With a roar, the beast lunged, and the battle began.