The sun had already risen outside. It was casting a golden glow across the world.

But inside the gate...

Leon lay unconscious on the ground. No movement. No twitch. Just the steady breathing.

Time passed. Then slowly...

He slowly opened his eyes. Vision was blurry at first. Hazy shapes were shifting until everything gradually came into focus.

The first thing he noticed was the deep sword slash etched into the wall. But the orc... or rather its corpse... was gone.

Most likely, it had been transferred into the system’s storage.

Leon’s gaze then shifted downward. A crystal-like object lay just where the orc was, filled with swirling miasma.

A monster core.

"Damn! That berserk mode was insane." Leon said weakly. "My whole body is hurting like hell. If I was late even by a second, things would have turned totally opposite." His body ached. Every joint felt jammed. Every part felt heavy.

But after seeing the monster core...

He couldn’t lie still. He gritted his teeth and pressed his body up. He somehow managed to lift his upper body. "Standing feels like a pipe dream now." He smiled weakly.

He then started crawling. It was painful. But he kept advancing slowly.

"I hope... it’s enough to..." His voice faded, swallowed by exhaustion. ’Level up.’

At last, he reached the core. His body was trembling from the exhaustion. He slowly picked up the monster core.

Without hesitation...

He placed it inside his mouth.

Gulp!

The core went to his stomach and dissolved instantly. Leon felt something exploding inside. A violent surge of energy.

[Congratulations, Host.]

[Qi: 640,000 / 640,000. You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough.]

[You have reached the Ninth Level of the Body Refinement Realm.]

Leon felt it instantly. The exhaustion vanished like it never existed.

"Finally..." he exhaled. Relief washed over him.

But...

The notifications didn’t stop.

[Congratulations, Host.]

[Qi: 1,280,000 / 1,280,000. You have absorbed enough Qi for a major breakthrough.]

[You have reached the First Level of the Martial Apprentice Realm.]

His body released a wave of pressure. It kicked up dust across the ground. His veins bulged and his muscles tightened. Power was brimming inside him.

"Martial Apprentice...?" Leon whispered.

He felt it. His power was now far greater than before.

"This breakthrough.This isn’t same. It’s overwhelming."

He clenched his fist. The sheer strength coursing through his body made him feel as if he could shatter a boulder with a single punch.

Leon stared at his hands in disbelief. "This power..." A slow smile spread across his lips. "I almost died... but this was worth it."

He turned his attention back to the system panel.

[Host: Leon Bale]

[Cultivation Rank: Martial Apprentice — Level 1

Physique: Heaven-Devouring Physique — Level 1

Bloodline: Abyssal Adaptation

Bloodline Class: Normal

Bloodline Effect: Gradual exposure to elemental pressure enables Adaptation Mode, allowing the host to develop resistance and eventual immunity to that element.

Soul Status: Nil

Special Ability Awakened: Berserk Mode]

"So the second key unlocked my bloodline..." Leon murmured. "But this Abyssal Adaptation... growing immunity?"

A faint frown formed on his face. "This sounds interesting, but how is this supposed to work?"

[The host can expose himself to extreme elemental conditions like heat, cold, and lightning to develop fire, cold and lightning resistance and eventual immunity to those elements.]

"Damn... that’s actually insane." Leon grinned, excitement lighting up his face.

"With cheats like this, who can stop me from rising to the top?"

A laugh burst out of him — low at first, then wild. "Hahaha!"

But just then...

The dungeon started to tremble. The ground shook violently, dust falling from above.

"What the...? An earthquake?"

[Mission complete. Pack leader Green Orc is defeated]

[The gate is about to collapse. Leave immediately to avoid life-threatening injuries or death.]

Leon clicked his tongue. "Damn you, system. Just when I start liking you, you pull something like this."

Without wasting another second, he sprinted toward the glowing circle beneath the opening in the ceiling.

The moment he stepped into it, his body began to rise automatically, lifted by an unseen force.

That was how hunters exited a gate.

But...

He was ascending too slowly. And the dungeon was collapsing fast. Chunks of stone cracked loose, the entire structure groaning as if it would cave in at any moment.

Leon’s eyes sharpened. The moment he reached the next layer, he didn’t hesitate. He rushed toward the exit circle there. But instead of stepping into it, he stopped. He bent his knees. Leaning forward slightly, his muscles tensed.

"Let’s see... what I’m capable of now."

And then...

He jumped.

Whoosh!

The ground beneath him cracked as he shot upward like a bullet. Air howled past his ears.

In a single leap... He soared nearly fifty meters and landed on the next layer. His heart pounded wildly, excitement surging through him.

But he forced himself to stay focused. ’No time to celebrate. Again.’

He jumped. Then again. Each leap carried him higher, faster, his body moving with explosive power he had never possessed before.

Finally, he burst onto the topmost floor.

Without slowing down, Leon sprinted straight toward the exit and dashed out of the gate.

The moment he stepped outside, he turned back. The gate trembled violently. Then began to collapse. Cracks spread across its surface as it slowly disintegrated... And vanished into thin air.

"Phew... I need to be more careful," Leon muttered, letting out a slow breath. "Or one day, I might actually end up dead instead of walking away with some insane cheat like this."

He glanced around. It was already morning.

"I should get home quickly... or Jenny will turn the whole house upside down worrying about me." He let out a soft chuckle and started heading back.

But this time, he didn’t walk. He ran. He already knew the route, and with energy surging through every vein, running felt effortless... Almost exhilarating.

The wind rushed past him as the scenery blurred.

But suddenly.... When he hadn’t even crossed half the distance to his home....

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted in the distance.

Leon’s steps halted instantly. And then...

"Nooooooo! Noahhh! Run!"

A scream tore through the air.