Two weeks had passed since my date with Scarlett, and in that time, I had poured myself into perfecting my skills. Every day was a relentless pursuit of progress. I spent hours refining my new sword art, pushing myself to master the fourth form. At the same time, I immersed myself in the intricate world of space magic—learning to manipulate space, compress it, distort it, and even open spatial rifts.
Space magic, unlike the basic elements, was far more elusive. The elements were tangible, easily molded with practice, but space? It wasn't something you created—it was something you bent. You had to manipulate the very fabric of reality itself, and that was no simple feat.
Countless hours of study and trial had been spent, and often, I sought guidance from Miss Elsa. Slowly but surely, I began to make progress. I had learned several fundamental spells: the spatial barrier, warp step, and a handful of others that still required fine-tuning. While I could have used my Skill Weaver to create space-related abilities, I refrained from doing so. Those precious skill slots were limited, and I didn't have an abundance of skill points. I needed to save them for abilities that couldn't be easily obtained, like "Mind Acceleration."
That skill was my first self-created ability, and I'd worked hard to make it practical. I'd searched high and low for something similar on the market and found "Thought Acceleration," but it was a rare and coveted skill. Even for a noble like me, it was nearly impossible to acquire. The skill was only available through auctions, and even then, only an A-rank awakened individual could wield it due to its restrictions. In comparison, my "Mind Acceleration" was far more versatile.
After mastering my sword techniques and space magic, I moved on to dungeon runs. I didn't approach this lightly; I knew my strength, but I kept my humility intact. Arrogance could lead to disaster. I started with F-rank dungeons, then moved to E-rank as I grew more capable. But soon enough, those dungeons no longer challenged me. It was time for the D-rank dungeons.
There, I faced significant challenges. Injuries, setbacks, and near-misses became the norm. But I never failed a single raid. I pushed past my limits, and after completing six successful D-rank dungeon raids, my strength grew exponentially. The sense of confidence that came with my progress was undeniable. I was ready for more. I was ready for C-rank dungeons.
Now, standing in front of the portal to the C-rank dungeon, the clock struck 9 AM. Excitement and anticipation flooded through me as I gazed at the swirling vortex ahead. This was it—the moment of truth. All my hard work, all my sacrifices, had led to this point.
"Let's go," I muttered to myself, steeling my resolve. Whatever lay ahead, I was ready to face it.