Leon's finger pressed the [Yes] option without hesitation.

The moment he confirmed, both skills began to unravel. He could feel Lightning Bolt and Thunder Clap dissolving within him—not painfully, but with a strange sensation like watching ice melt in reverse, the separate components breaking down into pure energy. The mana pathways that had defined those skills for so long blurred and merged, intertwining in patterns far more complex than either original skill possessed.

Light erupted around his hands, brilliant white threaded with purple lightning. The energy swirled, compressed, and reformed itself according to some invisible blueprint written by the system itself.

Then, with a final pulse of power, the fusion completed.

A new notification appeared before him:

[Skill Combination Successful!]

New Skill Acquired: Thunderstrike Volley (Rare – Level 1)

Element: Lightning

Effect: Launches seven enhanced lightning bolts while generating a thunderous shockwave at the point of origin. Each bolt carries explosive kinetic force in addition to electrical damage. Shockwave can stun and disorient targets within range.

Current Power: Significantly exceeds the combined output of both original skills.

Leon stared at the description, then tested the skill immediately. His mana flowed through the new, unified pathway—smoother, more efficient than either original skill had been. When he cast it, seven lightning bolts erupted from his hand, each one noticeably thicker and more potent than the five he'd managed before. Simultaneously, a thunderous shockwave exploded outward from his position.

BOOM-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

The combined effect was devastating. The lightning bolts obliterated a massive rock formation in the distance, while the shockwave shattered smaller stones around him and sent debris flying in all directions.

Rare rank! Leon's mind sang with triumph. Not just uncommon—rare! And it's so much more powerful than the originals, even at level 1!

He was delighted, overjoyed, practically vibrating with excitement. All those months of frustration, all that effort hammering uselessly against an immovable barrier—it hadn't been for nothing. He'd found the answer, cracked the code, discovered the path forward that most awakeners never even conceived of attempting.

This is it. This is how I'll keep growing stronger.

For a second, his euphoria was interrupted by a troubling thought. Leon extended his senses, trying to detect what was happening in the outside world. His enhanced perception reached out, searching for any sign that the dungeon had opened, that his people had emerged.

Nothing.

Worry crept into his chest like cold water. About a day should have passed outside by now. There's still no sign of anyone emerging.

The dungeon remained sealed. The silence from the outside world felt oppressive, heavy with implications he didn't want to consider.

Are they still fighting? Struggling? Or... He pushed the dark possibilities away. No. The portal is still stable. That means something is happening inside, not that everyone's dead.

He forced himself to refocus on his training. Worrying wouldn't help his people. Being stronger when they emerged would.

Leon threw himself back into his practice with renewed vigor. The successful skill combination had opened up a world of possibilities, and he pursued them aggressively. He worked on his new Thunderstrike Volley, of course, but also on other elements and techniques. The illusion element particularly fascinated him—he'd seen that girl at the academy festival use it to devastating effect, creating phantoms so convincing that even experienced fighters had been fooled.

Time flowed differently in the dimensional space, and Leon took full advantage of it. Between intense training sessions, he and Seraphine met regularly. They talked, laughed, and strategized about the future. And they made love—sometimes tender and slow, sometimes urgent and passionate.

Six months passed in the timeless realm.

During that time, Leon successfully combined three more skill pairs. The results varied in both rank and power:

Frost Shard Barrage (Rare – Level 1) came from combining two ice-element common skills. The rare ranking thrilled him, proving that exceptional results were possible.

Flame Wave (Uncommon – Level 1) emerged from two fire-element skills. Still an improvement over the originals, but the uncommon ranking suggested that combination outcomes weren't guaranteed to be rare.

Lightning Chain (Uncommon – Level 1) is formed from another pair of lightning skills. Again, uncommon rather than rare.

Getting a rare skill from a combination isn't always the case, Leon mused, studying his expanded skill list. Sometimes you get an uncommon from combining two commons. I think it works on luck for now, or maybe there's some hidden compatibility factor I haven't figured out yet.

He'd also pushed all his new skills to master rank—at least, the ones whose elements he'd already learned to manipulate. The skills tied to elements he hadn't mastered yet remained at lower levels, limited by his incomplete understanding of their fundamental nature.

But what excited him most at this moment had nothing to do with combat skills.

Leon stood on the mountain peak, looking at the figure before him with barely contained fascination. A woman materialized in the air—Mai Talifa, the famous actress he'd seen a few times in his previous world. Not because he was addicted to adult content, but because her face had been everywhere in entertainment media, impossible to ignore.

She looked too real. The illusion element was quite something—every detail perfect, from the way light caught her hair to the subtle movements of breathing. She moved according to his will, gesturing and walking as he directed with his thoughts.

If someone didn't tell me this was an illusion, Leon thought with wonder, I would think she was completely real.

The level of control required was immense. Maintaining physical form, realistic movement, proper lighting and shadows, even simulated breathing—all of it required his complete focus and masterful manipulation of the illusion element. But he was doing it. Actually creating a phantom so convincing it could pass for reality.

This wasn't just a combat application. The implications for infiltration, deception, and psychological warfare—the possibilities stretched endlessly.

With a thought, Leon dismissed the illusion. Mai Talifa vanished like morning mist, leaving no trace she'd ever existed. This was just for testing my control over illusion anyway. Nothing else.

The moment the phantom disappeared, Leon's enhanced senses suddenly picked up something.

Not here in the dimensional realm, but in the outside world.

Finally!

Without waiting even a second, Leon withdrew his consciousness from the dimensional space and snapped back into his physical body. His eyes opened in the real world, blinking against natural light after so long operating in the eternal twilight of the training realm.

The sight in front of him made his jaw drop slightly.

The dungeon portal's blue surface was rippling violently, energy surging and receding in waves that suggested imminent opening. But that wasn't what shocked him.

Standing before the portal, emerging from it even as he watched, were figures—but not in the condition he'd expected. Their appearance told a story of survival that went far beyond normal dungeon challenges.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.