Asher didn't touch the new fragment right away.
He sat on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, staring at the faint system icon hovering at the corner of his vision.
It pulsed softly. Patient. Waiting.
It wasn't new—just the first piece of whatever the Guardian had left behind, finally clear enough for the system to identify.
[Skill Fragment Detected]
Type: Reinforcement
Target: Kinetic Step
Status: Unstable —> Stabilizing
Compatibility: Improved
"…Improved is doing a lot of work there," Asher muttered.
His body still ached from the Frozen Ruins run, but it was a clean ache. The kind that faded when he moved instead of flaring when he breathed.
The skeletal reinforcement had done its job.
Which meant the fragment was now the bigger risk.
Asher exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he said. "Let's see what you are—carefully."
He opened the fragment.
Skill Fragment: Kinetic Step (Fragment)
Type: Movement
Status: Incomplete
Update:
• Activation stability increased
• Strain reduced under controlled conditions
Asher raised an eyebrow.
"…So it's still dangerous. Just less suicidal."
[Clarification]
Correct.
"Good," he said. "I appreciate honesty."
He stood and cleared a bit of space in his apartment, nudging the coffee table back with his foot. The room immediately felt too small.
"As a reminder," Asher said aloud, "we are not in a dungeon. So if you break something, it's probably me."
The fragment pulsed faintly.
Asher focused.
Not on speed.
Not on power.
Just… direction.
He took a step forward and willed the movement to continue.
The world lurched.
Asher slid forward in a half-step that wasn't quite walking and wasn't quite teleporting, his foot scraping the floor as momentum carried him farther than it should have.
He stumbled—
—and caught himself on the couch.
"…That," he said breathlessly, "was almost intentional."
A system message appeared.
[Kinetic Step – Partial Activation]
Control: Low
Efficiency: Moderate
Asher stared at it.
"Moderate? You call that moderate?"
[Relative to previous performance.]
"…Fair."
He tried again.
This time, he leaned into the motion—knees bent, weight centered, no panic.
The step carried him forward smoothly, just a little farther than a normal stride.
He didn't fall.
Asher froze.
"…Okay," he whispered. "That one felt good."
Another notification blinked.
[Adaptive Combat Sense – Integration]
Movement patterns registering.
Asher smiled slowly.
"So you're talking to each other now."
The system did not deny it.
He didn't push his luck after that.
Two more controlled steps.
No strain spikes.
No sharp pain.
Just awkward, useful movement.
Asher leaned against the wall and laughed quietly.
"…You're not a replacement," he said. "You're a correction."
The fragment dimmed.
[Kinetic Step – Fragment]
Status: Registered
Activation: Manual
Usage Limitation: Recommended in short bursts only
[Notice]
Fragment has merged with existing skill framework.
Duplicate skill creation prevented.
Asher nodded.
"Short bursts," he repeated. "I can do that."
The dungeon pull brushed against his senses.
Not demanding.
Curious.
Asher glanced toward it.
"…Not tonight," he said. "We practiced."
The pull receded.
Approval? Maybe.
Or recalculation.
Asher flopped backward onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.
For the first time since awakening, his growth didn't feel like a series of accidents.
It felt… intentional.
Not fast.
Not safe.
But controlled.
"…Tomorrow night," he murmured. "We test everything properly."
Somewhere deep inside Heaven's Heart, something adjusted its expectations.
And the dungeon waited.