Regardless of how little mana remained in my body, I tested the skill as soon as I received the notification. The excitement of finally having all my abilities at Rank III overwhelms me. It’s not the ultimate goal before ranking up, but it is already a clear step forward.

  When using the ability, I can immediately notice the subtle change from the very first interaction—the pulse of gravity is now more aggressive and refined.

  Gravity obeys me the instant my mind calls upon it. I gather the mana at a specific point, it spreads through the planned area and pushes my arm to swing my sword. The mana cost has increased slightly, but not enough to make me reconsider using it in a prolonged battle.

  Another difference is the reaction speed when activating the skill. Before, it felt as if I had to forcibly push the mana to follow my command, as if that step wasn’t automated and always had to be done mechanically. Now, it doesn’t. Now it feels just like moving my arm or any other part of my body.

  My gravity affinity stays close to my body at all times—it’s a surprisingly comfortable and relaxing sensation.

  Both attack power and speed have also increased for that same reason. Because it feels more natural, speed has received a boost, and power has risen as a result.

  Would this be dangerous for my body? I’ve already blown apart limbs and vital parts of my body while training gravity before—if I generate too much force and my body can’t withstand it, I end up shattered.

  That fear fades after several uses. I can feel my body adapting better to the new output, and apparently there won’t be any problems as long as I keep it within the limits I used before. Just to test it, I inject more gravity than usual—my arm moves at an unbelievable speed, I can’t track its motion with my eyes, and in the end it explodes from the pressure of mana and applied force.

  “Yeah… I really need to be careful.” I keep testing the skill little by little until I feel comfortable with it. I’m already fairly confident using it in combat. The skill evolved in two ways—now my long-range attacks also feel heavier and more impactful, as if every construct carries greater weight.

  Overall, it’s nothing but improvements and benefits. The only drawback is the increased cost, but I can live with that. With time, as it gains levels, the cost will decrease again.

  I drop down onto the ground to wait for the next round. I need enough rest for the final wave of monsters. This place is incredibly rich in mana—I can feel my mana pool refilling much faster than normal, perhaps three times faster.

  “The tenth wave of monsters is beginning!” The final notification arrives. I push myself upright with my hands, stretch every part of my body, and crack my knuckles and neck.

  Only five? A laugh escapes my mouth—but not from happiness. These five monsters are very strong. Each one alone could give me trouble, and together they’ll be the biggest headache so far. Their formation consists of two archers, two melee fighters, and one speed specialist.

  The speedster tries to catch me off guard. My body reacts naturally to block his—daggers? I’m momentarily shocked when I realize this monster isn’t using claws. Immediately after, I have to move again and launch two spheres I had already prepared to intercept the arrows. I don’t even get a second to rest—I have to create two more spheres while using the other two to stop more arrows.

  My brain is split between avoiding being pierced by that terrifying dagger and using my constructs to avoid being perforated by arrows. When the other two join the battlefield, my mind locks completely onto the five monsters in front of me—it’s kill or die trying.

  I stop holding back entirely. My body gains speed and power thanks to my new skill. My mind becomes an impenetrable vault in battle, and my body tightens as much as possible to keep up with these five monsters.

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  One thing is certain—without Gravity Surge, all of this would be twice as difficult. My body flows with the skill like water. Somehow, I can react to each strike from the speedster while positioning myself to block or evade the larger werewolves’ attacks, and with the boosted momentum of my constructs, I can deflect or stall the arrows just long enough.

  I bite my tongue in concentration and try to trap the speedster with my prison, but it has less effect than before. I’m using it mainly to buy time and reposition when things get overwhelming, not to severely injure or kill him.

  I evade a pair of homing arrows—one aimed at my abdomen and the other at my head. A dagger targets my neck; my sword intercepts it. A pair of claws tries to shred my arm, and I barely manage to block it with my other sword.

  Then another claw comes close to my head and an arrow at my leg—I activate Dimensional Step to escape. I wish I could use my movement skill more often, but concentrating on spatial mana and executing it perfectly is difficult. I’m using it more as an escape tool than anything else.

  Catching them off guard, I aim both swords at one of the larger werewolves—one toward his neck and the other toward his back. I have to redirect the first to block a dagger, but the second sinks successfully into the monster’s back.

  At last, I manage to deal some real damage. All superficial cuts heal almost instantly. I can’t complain, since I do the same—whenever their dagger or claws hit me, I regenerate almost immediately.

  The monster falls to one knee. I try to finish him with two Joyeuse at full power, but I fail—two arrows slam into my constructs, weakening my attack just enough for it to be shattered by his companion’s claws.

  A dagger appears just centimeters from my forehead. I have no choice but to activate my movement skill again. I escape the next strike unharmed thanks to my caution and early charge.

  I notice the monsters’ stunned expressions. They’re desperately searching for where I’ll appear next or who my next target will be. A faint chuckle escapes my lips—I can see them perfectly from here.

  I teleported into the air and am floating thanks to my bracers. I decide to act before being discovered. These monsters are highly sensitive to mana—they’ll notice soon, and I need to exploit my advantage.

  I dive straight down with both swords ready to cleave the wounded werewolf. Mid-fall, his companion moves closer as well—I won’t waste that opportunity.

  By the time they notice me, it’s already too late. They attempt to move the moment they see me, but they don’t have time to react. My right sword descends from his neck to his ribs, splitting his body in half, and I rip an arm off the other with my left sword.

  Only then do I realize—catching the faint reflection of my face on my blade—that my grin stretches from ear to ear. Somewhere in the middle of this fight, I started enjoying myself enough to smile that maliciously.

  The speedster tries to seize the opening and strike. I had already read his movements. I let my body drop slightly, receiving the attack on my left arm, and with my right arm I spin to sever the one-armed werewolf’s remaining leg.

  I move as fast as I can to regenerate my arm. I manage to evade their attacks for a few seconds until I’m once again in peak condition. One of them is dead, and another is now useless.

  Limit-charged spheres appear around me. Without the pressure of two large werewolves, I can afford to breathe and allocate part of my focus to more constructs.

  The archers manage to hold out for a brief moment by breaking each construct, but they eventually fail to keep up. Visible wounds appear across their bodies. They can move and reposition, but their defenses are poor—each nearby explosion freezes parts of them or scorches them with lightning.

  The speedster is being intermittently restrained by my prison. Now I can infuse more of my willpower into the construct, and my Imra is stronger.

  One of the archers falls dead, and his companion follows a few constructs later—both end up with multiple frozen limbs and two swords embedded in their heads.

  The speedster now has so many wounds that at some point his regeneration either stopped or slowed to a crawl. He refuses to give up and keeps trying to stab me with his daggers, but my willpower now carries such overwhelming weight that he can’t escape the prison. He’s trapped.

  I construct four ice swords to end this. The first two pierce the werewolf who had already lost two limbs, ending his life. The other two position themselves behind the final monster.

  “Thanks to all of you, I was able to improve.” Those words bring the dungeon to its end. The swords pierce his head and chest at the same time. The icy blade stops just centimeters from my face.

  “Congratulations on clearing the Tenth Wave, challenger!” The omnipresent voice speaks as soon as the last monster dies. “You have achieved a great feat! You have finished with the second-best time/performance! Your rewards will be calculated and delivered shortly!” Second place again? I’m not discouraged—this only fuels my motivation to train even harder. Next time, I’ll take first place.