Asher learned something important very quickly.
The Ruin Sentinel did not care about fists.
The moment he stepped forward, the Sentinel slammed its fused stone arm into the ground again. The cracked earth rippled outward, jagged slabs bursting up in a crooked line.
Asher Burst Stepped—clean, controlled—and landed on a tilted pillar just as stone spears erupted where he'd been standing.
"…Okay," he muttered. "You're a terrain guy."
The Sentinel turned slowly, its heavy steps grinding against the rubble. Its stone arm dragged slightly, carving grooves into the ground as if marking territory.
Zone control.
Asher flexed his fingers.
"So you're not fast," he said. "You're annoying."
The Sentinel raised its arm.
Asher jumped before it struck.
The ground exploded anyway, shards tearing through the space beneath him. He landed hard, rolled, and came up coughing dust.
[Damage Conversion – Active]
Strength surged—but this time, Asher didn't rush in.
He watched.
The Sentinel's movements were deliberate. Every slam reshaped the battlefield, funneling him into worse positions.
"…You're herding me," Asher realized. "That's rude."
The Sentinel advanced.
Asher Burst Stepped sideways, then again—short hops, not a full dash—testing angles, spacing.
The ground reacted slower now.
Not because the Sentinel was weaker.
Because Asher was reading it.
[Adaptive Combat Sense – Learning]
Pattern Recognition: 81%
"Oh," Asher said quietly. "You telegraph everything."
The Sentinel struck again.
Asher didn't dodge.
He stepped in.
The stone arm slammed down behind him, missing by inches. Asher drove his fist into the creature's exposed side, right where stone met flesh.
The impact cracked rock.
The Sentinel staggered.
Asher grinned.
"That's the weak point."
The Sentinel roared—not loud, but deep—and swung its free arm.
Asher Burst Stepped past it, appeared behind the creature, and punched again.
Stone fractured further.
The battlefield trembled as the Sentinel reacted violently, slamming both arms down and sending a chaotic wave of debris in every direction.
Asher barely avoided being buried alive.
"…Okay," he panted. "Panic phase. Good to know."
The rubble settled.
Asher stood on uneven ground, breathing steady, eyes sharp.
He wasn't reacting anymore.
He was choosing.
The Sentinel charged.
Asher waited.
At the last moment, he Burst Stepped straight up, landing on the creature's shoulder as it barreled past.
"…You're tall," he muttered. "That helps."
He drove his fist down into the cracked stone seam he'd opened earlier.
Once.
Twice.
The third punch shattered it.
The Ruin Sentinel froze.
Cracks spiderwebbed across its body.
Asher leapt back as the creature collapsed inward, stone crumbling into lifeless rubble.
Silence returned.
Dust drifted through the red-tinged air.
Asher stood there, chest rising and falling, then let out a slow breath.
"…Okay," he said. "That one earned it."
A system screen appeared.
[Personal Dungeon – Cleared]
Performance: High Tactical Efficiency
Rewards:
• Angelic Coin x32
• Dungeon Adaptation Progress Increased
Asher blinked.
"…Dungeon adaptation?"
Another notice followed.
[Notice]
Personal Dungeon responsiveness increasing.
Future encounters may exhibit specialized behaviors.
Asher stared at the ruined field around him.
"…You're not just scaling stats," he said. "You're learning me."
The dungeon, for once, did not deny it.
Asher laughed quietly.
"Good," he said. "That means I can learn you too."
The world twisted.
Stone vanished.
Asher reappeared in his apartment, landing lightly on his feet.
He looked down at his hands.
Not shaking.
Not aching.
Just… ready.
"…I should stop for tonight," he said.
He glanced at the dungeon access prompt.
Then ignored it.
That might have been the biggest improvement yet.
Asher lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling with a tired smile.
"Tomorrow," he murmured. "We plan."
And somewhere deep within Heaven's Heart—
Something agreed.