The swirling vortex of raw mana, the nascent Dungeon Core, pulsed with an ancient, terrifying beauty. It was a living, breathing anomaly, a tear in the fabric of reality, and Min-jun felt an almost unbearable pull towards it. His "Environmental Mana Resonance" thrummed, not just with the core's immense power, but with the intricate, multi-layered information radiating from the surrounding runes.
He closed his eyes, focusing. The distorted rune he'd glimpsed on Professor Kim's map, the symbol that had haunted his dreams, now etched clearly in the rock beneath the core, seemed to hum in recognition of his presence. It was a lock, a key, and a conduit all at once.
"This is it," Min-jun murmured, his voice barely audible above the low thrum of the core. "The source. This isn't just a dungeon, it's a dimensional anchor. It's where the rifts begin, where new monsters are manifested."
He explained to his team, voice low, the fragmented knowledge he'd pieced together from Professor Kim's theories and his own intuition. "The instability in the upper levels, the constant tremors... it's because this core is in flux. The runes around it are trying to stabilize it, but something is off. That distorted rune... it's pivotal. It's a control mechanism, but it's damaged or misaligned."
So-yeon and Ji-won exchanged uneasy glances. Chul-soo gripped his shield tighter, his gaze fixed on the pulsating core. The sheer power radiating from it was overwhelming, even for their enhanced senses.
"Can you... fix it?" So-yeon asked, her voice laced with trepidation.
"I don't know," Min-jun admitted. "But I can try to understand it. My 'Mana Signature Replication' skill... I think I can use it to interface with the rune, to 'speak' its language, even for a moment."
As he stepped forward, a powerful surge of mana erupted from the core. It wasn't an attack, but a warning. And with that surge, a colossal form materialized from the swirling mana of the core itself, coalescing into a living, breathing guardian.
It was a Mana Wyrm, a serpentine creature of pure energy, easily reaching twenty feet in length, its scales shimmering with ethereal light, its eyes glowing with raw mana. It was a being of pure magical force, a direct extension of the dungeon's core, and its mana signature pulsed with the raw power of a mid-A rank.
Mana Wyrm (Dungeon Core Guardian)
* Rank: A
* Level: 35
* Strength: 10 (Physical attacks minimal, mostly energy constructs)
* Agility: 40 (Ethereal movement, phasing)
* Stamina: 60 (Composed of raw mana, highly regenerative)
* Mana: 90 (Immense reserve)
* Special Abilities: Mana Phasing (can briefly become intangible), Mana Beam (ranged energy attack), Core Regeneration (heals rapidly while near the core), Mana Absorption (drains mana on contact).
"Chul-soo, form a defensive perimeter around Ji-won and So-yeon!" Min-jun yelled, drawing his short blades, his body already moving. "It's pure mana! Don't let it touch you! So-yeon, pre-cast mana barriers! Ji-won, large-scale illusions, distort its form, make it question reality!"
The Mana Wyrm lunged, a shimmering streak of blue-white energy. Its movements were fluid, ethereal, making it incredibly difficult to pin down. It phased through Min-jun's first defensive slash, then solidified behind him, its head snapping forward to bite.
Min-jun's "Tactical Flow Foresight" flared, showing him the instantaneous shift in mana density as it materialized. He twisted, ducking under its maw, his blades flashing. He didn't aim to cut; he aimed to disrupt. He struck at the Wyrm's ethereal scales, forcing minor mana ripples, momentarily disturbing its cohesion.
Chul-soo, meanwhile, had deployed his shield, using its "Mana-Dampening Field" to create a small area where the Wyrm's passive mana drain was less effective. He didn't try to block the Wyrm directly; he used the shield to deflect its sweeping Mana Beams, protecting Ji-won and So-yeon, whose mana was too precious to risk draining.
Park Chul-soo
* Rank: E
* Level: 22
* Strength: 34
* Agility: 12
* Stamina: 34
* Mana: 18
* Skill: Steel Shield (E-Rank) - Further enhanced Mana-Dampening Field duration and radius. Can now absorb and partially redirect mana attacks through his shield.
Ji-won poured her mana into complex illusions, making the Mana Wyrm see multiple versions of itself, or perceive the cavern walls as shifting and closing in. Her "Mana-Ghost" illusions flickered into existence, drawing the Wyrm's attention, making it waste precious mana blasting phantom targets.
Han Ji-won
* Rank: F
* Level: 18
* Strength: 12
* Agility: 24
* Stamina: 20
* Mana: 60
* Skill: Minor Illusion (F-Rank) - Near-perfect sensory illusions. Can now project limited "Mana Nullification Field" (F-Rank, very small radius, short duration) to momentarily disrupt mana constructs.
So-yeon, though exhausted, was a pillar of support. Her "Minor Regeneration" flowed constantly, repairing the micro-tears in Min-jun's muscles from his impossible movements and shoring up Chul-soo's stamina. She also used her "Mana Barrier" to create small, intercepting shields against the Mana Wyrm's stray attacks, saving them precious damage.
Lee So-yeon
* Rank: E
* Level: 21
* Strength: 12
* Agility: 14
* Stamina: 20
* Mana: 70
* Skill: Minor Regeneration (E-Rank) - Increased output and mana efficiency. Can now cast a temporary "Mana Overcharge" (E-Rank) on an ally, boosting their mana regeneration and skill output for a short duration.
Min-jun knew he couldn't defeat the Mana Wyrm through brute force. His short blades weren't meant for that. But his skill was. He utilized his "Environmental Mana Resonance" to feel the connection between the Wyrm and the Dungeon Core. He sensed it drawing strength, regenerating from the massive mana vortex.
"It's regenerating from the core!" Min-jun yelled, dodging a sweeping tail attack. "So-yeon, Ji-won, focus on the core's connection to the Wyrm! Ji-won, create a distracting illusion directly on the core! So-yeon, if you can, a burst of mana to destabilize it!"
It was a risky move. Interacting with the core directly could backfire catastrophically. But it was their only chance.
Ji-won, despite her fear, focused all her remaining mana. She conjured a grand, shimmering illusion of a chaotic explosion directly within the core's swirling mana, an image so bright and disorienting that even the Mana Wyrm flinched, its form flickering.
In that split second of distraction, Min-jun lunged. He didn't target the Wyrm. He darted towards the glowing, distorted rune beneath the core. His "Environmental Mana Resonance" flared, mapping the rune's complex mana flow. Then, with all his will, he activated his nascent "Mana Signature Replication" skill. He mimicked the chaotic, unstable mana signature of the distressed rune, not just feeling it, but becoming it for a fleeting moment.
The effect was instantaneous and violent. The Dungeon Core, already strained by Ji-won's illusion, suddenly bucked. The Mana Wyrm, intrinsically linked to the core, let out a piercing shriek as its connection was momentarily disrupted. Its shimmering form distorted, it lost its cohesion, becoming vulnerable.
This was his chance. Min-jun, without hesitation, spun, his short blades a blur. He didn't aim for the Wyrm's body. He aimed for the single, visible mana conduit that connected its head to the core. With a precise, resonant thrust, he drove his blade through the conduit.
The Mana Wyrm exploded in a dazzling burst of raw mana, showering the cavern in sparkling motes of light. Its essence dissipated, pulled back into the Dungeon Core, leaving nothing but a powerful mana residue in its wake.
Min-jun staggered, exhausted, but triumphant. They had defeated an A-rank equivalent guardian.
As the mana settled, Min-jun felt an even stronger pull from the Dungeon Core. The distorted rune pulsed, inviting him. He walked towards it, his team watching with a mix of awe and trepidation. He reached out, placing his hand directly on the glowing rune.
A blinding light erupted, engulfing Min-jun. He felt a torrent of information flood his mind – the history of the core, the nature of dimensional rifts, the purpose of the runes, the very essence of mana manipulation. His "Lucid Dream Training" skill flared, absorbing and categorizing this incomprehensible data at an impossible speed. He felt his understanding of mana, of reality itself, warp and expand.
Kim Min-jun (Massive Evolution!)
* Rank: F (System still labels him F, but functionally transcending)
* Level: 35 (Immediate jump!)
* Strength: 55
* Agility: 100+ (Capped by current physical body)
* Stamina: 65
* Mana: 60
* Unique Skill: Lucid Dream Training (F-Rank -> System Anomaly / [???] Rank) - Unlocked "Mana Core Resonance" (A-Rank) - Direct, limited interaction with dungeon cores, allowing for temporary stabilization, information extraction, and limited mana manipulation through the core. "Mana Signature Replication" is now a refined tool for direct mana manipulation, allowing for mimicking mana skills and even minor, short-term mana constructs. "Tactical Flow Foresight" now grants near-perfect predictive combat awareness.
The light faded, leaving Min-jun panting, but invigorated. His exhaustion was replaced by a strange clarity. He now understood. Not just the dungeon, but the larger conflict. The S-rank guilds, their reliance on brute force, their ignorance of the true nature of the rifts.
He looked at his team. "I know how to stabilize this core," he said, his voice imbued with a newfound authority. "And I know how to get us out. There's a dimensional gateway, directly linked to this core. But first... we secure this."
He had not just survived; he had comprehended. And in doing so, he had truly begun to transcend. The game was no longer about survival against powerful guilds. It was about controlling the very source of their world's awakening. The Dream Weaver was no longer just ascendant; he was becoming the weaver of reality itself. And the war with the S-rank guilds was about to become infinitely more complex.