Ever since Letz''s lesson, Eis had felt an unstoppable surge of power, his growth accelerating with each passing day. Though still trailing behind his peers, he knew the gap was narrowing, experience his greatest ally. After a day of rest, the hunger for progress returned, pulling him back toward the dungeon. This time, he would descend deeper.


    As Eis approached the dungeon''s entrance, shadows flickered at the edges of his vision, and unseen eyes seemed to follow him. Several figures loomed quietly in his wake.


    It''s been two days since Geist Protzen ended, but the weight of it still lingers. Professor Verra insisted I rest longer, but how can I? Complacency isn''t an option. No one else seemed to notice the fragmented soul embedded in the crown, and that''s what haunts me the most. Who could''ve placed it there? And why? It''s not solid proof, but something about Hochmut feels... off.


    I can''t afford to let my guard down. My last dive took me to the 16th floor. Twenty should be within reach now, if I push harder.


    As Eis made his way through the shadowy caves of the 10th floor, his instincts flared. Without thinking, he ducked. The sudden movement saved his life—just above him, two cloaked figures swung their weapons, their blades slicing through the space where his head had been moments before. Had he been even a second slower, his head would have been severed clean from his body.


    Continuing the attack, the cloaked figure unleashed a massive icicle, hurtling it straight toward Eis. The narrow walls of the cave left him no room to dodge. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself, raising his arms to block the icy missile. The impact was brutal, the freezing shard slamming into him with crushing force and sending him crashing into the wall behind him.


    Noticing a couple more of cloaked figures lurking behind the elementalist, Eis made a quick decision. He bolted, his heart pounding as he sprinted through the narrow pathways, leaving them scrambling to catch up. Eventually cornering Eis, after a long chase.


    "Give it up, you have nowhere left to run." Uttered by one of the assailants.


    "You''re after the fragmented soul, aren''t you?" Eis panted, his chest heaving as he fumbled in his pocket. His fingers closed around the object, and he pulled it out. "Here," extending his hand toward the group, his eyes narrowing as he watched their reaction.


    As one of the figures reaches out to his hands, Eis asked, "by the way, how many times have you been to the dungeon?"


    "Enough with the chatter and just hand it over."


    "Starting from the 10th floor, there''s a shortcut—a hole on every level that drops deeper into the dungeon. Veterans use them to skip floors and get where they need faster. But here''s the catch: the holes are all connected. If you''re not careful, you could fall way deeper than you intended."


    "What are you getting at?"


    "This corner used to have one of those holes. I''m not sure how deep it went, but it was sealed off. They covered it because it led to a dangerous floor."


    With a swift flick of his wrist, Eis tossed the fragmented soul into the air, drawing their eyes upward. In that split second, he channeled his geist into his fist, slamming it into the ground. The blast shattered the floor beneath him, sending him plummeting into the unknown depths of the dungeon.


    "What are you all doing? Can''t you see he''s taking the fragmented soul with him?" Hochmut shouted at his men, frustration boiling in his voice.


    "But who knows where that hole leads?" one of them murmured uneasily, glancing at the dark opening.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Damn ingrates!" With his men hesitating to follow, Hochmut took a deep breath and leaped into the hole after Eis.


    The two fell into another cave, darkness engulfing them. Without knowing what''s right and left, the two bumped into each other.


    "You followed me all the way here?!" Eis uttered with shock, thinking they wouldn''t follow him.


    "You bastard! Give me the fragment!" Hochmut launched himself toward Eis.


    As the two bickered, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through them, silencing their argument. They turned to see a faint glow in the distance, shimmering like a beacon in the dark. Without a second thought, they rushed toward the light, only to be met by an unexpected blizzard. The floor stretched out before them like a frozen desert, blanketed in thick layers of snow. The biting wind howled around them, whipping the snow into a frenzy and obscuring their vision.


    As Eis struggled to process his chaotic situation, he barely had time to react when Hochmut launched his fist at him. Instinct kicked in, and with a quick sidestep, Eis narrowly dodged the strike, feeling the rush of air as Hochmut''s fist whooshed past him.


    "Are you serious? We''re in the unknown, and you''re still fixated on the fragment? We could die any moment!"


    "If I go back without it, I might as well be dead already,"


    As the two prepared to clash, a towering rock golem—standing nearly six meters tall—suddenly interrupted them. Its massive form was reminiscent of a creature that should have been wreathed in blazing fire, but instead, the flames that once danced along its surface had been snuffed out, leaving it cold.


    Hochmut braced himself, ready to dodge the golem''s impending attack. But before he could react, Eis delivered a swift kick to his back. Startled, Hochmut stumbled forward, unable to evade the golem''s massive strike. The impact sent him crashing to the ground, rendering him unconscious.


    Uncertain of his surroundings and wary of the monsters prowling the floor, Eis sprinted, doing his best to avoid any conflicts. Shadows flickered at the edges of his vision, and the distant sounds of growls echoed ominously, urging him to move faster.


    After moving for half an hour nonstop, Eis arrived to what seems to be a circle floor made out of stone and a sleeping giant rock golem covered in blue flame.


    Despite being out in the open, surrounded by the relentless blizzard, Eis found himself standing on a peculiar stone floor untouched by the snow. The swirling white flakes seemed to part around it, as if this sacred ground was shielded by an unseen force. A chill ran down his spine, not just from the icy wind, but from the daunting figure before him.


    "This must be the 59th floor," he muttered, recalling the faded pages of the book he had read—one penned by a former adventurer who had traversed the entire dungeon. According to the tome, the towering golem before him was more than a mere obstacle; it was a boss, infamous for its relentless regenerative abilities. As long as the blue flames crackled around it, the golem could restore itself in an instant, making it an almost unbeatable foe.


    Many had tried to defeat it, only to be repelled by its annoying properties. Instead, they had learned the hard way that it was better to pass through, to slip by the giant and ascend to the 60th floor.


    Thankfully, the 60th floor is the floor where no monsters reside, it is a checkpoint of some sort where people who tackle the entire dungeon can rest. It is said in the book that the boss guards one of the two entrances, one leads to the 60th floor and the other is unknown.


    As he stood before the looming golem, Eis couldn''t shake the feeling that the entrance to the 60th floor lay just beyond it.


    But how am I supposed to get past this thing?


    The sheer size and strength of the boss were overwhelming; he couldn''t imagine making it budge, let alone defeating it in his current state.


    As the blizzard raged on, something about it felt wrong.


    This snow—it''s more than just weather. There''s a force behind it, something unnatural.


    Eis''s mind raced back to the book he had read long time ago.


    There are fruits here, edible ones that could help me. They grew in clusters, hidden among the rocks and crevices


    But what intrigued him most wasn''t the floor but the resonance he felt with the surrounding geists.


    I can feel them. The surrounding geists are so compatible with mine, they might as well be mine.


    When you reach the 7th grade, the very first and most emphasized lesson is this: geist resides everywhere. Prolonged contact with geist allows you to familiarize yourself with it, and with enough practice, you can learn to manipulate your own geist.


    However, geists are complex. Every organic or non-organic thing that exists possesses a geist distinct from its surroundings. A table or a spoon has a geist unique only to itself. Absorbing a geist that isn’t yours is possible and can temporarily boost your geistkraft, but absorbing too much can be fatal—like overdosing on a pill.


    Even the weather has its own geist, which is strange. I can feel the coldness and each snowflake resonating with me. I could probably absorb it, cultivate it, and permanently amplify my geistkraft without any problems.


    To confirm his theory, Eis sat with his back straight, legs crossed, and his right hand resting on his left palm, both thumbs gently pressing against each other as he inhale and exhale. Thanks to the resonance, Eis could easily filter what geist he needs to keep and what he doesn''t. Surprisingly, his theory was correct. With each breath, he absorbed the surrounding geists into himself, feeling their essence blend with his own.


    After careful observation, Eis decided to map out his plan. At his current state Eis can''t hope of beating the golem. So he decided to play the long game.


    Eis began to gather the vibrant fruits hidden among the rocks, their sweet scent filling the air and promising sustenance. With each passing day, Eis''s routine consists of gathering fruits, after eating he would then cultivate the surrounding geists, until he''s powerful enough to lure the boss out of its position and get to the entrance of the 60th floor.