Two weeks had passed since my Awakening, and I was beginning to understand the frustrating reality of being Level 1 in a world built for the powerful. Despite intensive training with Father and magical theory sessions with Aria, my progress felt glacial.
Level: 1 (EXP: 47/100)
The experience points came from combat practice, spell casting, and what the System categorized as "learning experiences." At this rate, it would take another month to reach Level 5 and unlock my Infinite Creation ability. For someone accustomed to the instant feedback of programming, the grinding nature of leveling was maddening.
"You're brooding again," Aria observed as we sat in the family library, surrounded by towers of magical theory books. She'd been helping me research the fundamental principles behind skill creation, though she still didn't know the full extent of what I was planning.
"Just thinking about efficiency," I replied, absently flipping through Advanced Mana Manipulation Techniques. "There has to be a faster way to gain experience."
"Well," Aria said, closing her own book with a decisive snap, "there is one option. But Mother and Father would probably kill me for suggesting it."
I looked up, intrigued. "What kind of option?"
She bit her lip, clearly debating whether to continue. "The Academy runs supervised dungeon expeditions for students. Low-level dungeons, nothing dangerous, but real monsters mean real experience points. The problem is, you're not enrolled yet, and they don't usually allow newly awakened individuals without formal training."
"But?" I prompted, sensing there was more.
"But," she continued with a mischievous grin, "they do allow family members of current students to observe expeditions. And if something were to happen during the observation—say, a monster getting past the containment barriers—well, everyone has the right to defend themselves."
I stared at my sister, impressed despite myself. "You're suggesting we engineer a situation where I'd be forced to fight monsters?"
"I'm suggesting we create a learning opportunity," she corrected primly. "Besides, I'd be there to make sure nothing actually dangerous happened. And the Academy's safety protocols are extremely thorough."
It was risky, but the alternative was weeks or even months of grinding basic exercises. And if I was going to use my Infinite Creation ability effectively, I needed real combat experience to understand what kinds of skills would actually be useful.
"When's the next expedition?" I asked.
Aria's grin widened. "Tomorrow afternoon. Iron Rank dungeon, perfect for Level 2-5 students. I've already cleared it with Professor Martinez—told her my brother was interested in Academy enrollment and wanted to observe our training methods."
The next day found me standing at the entrance to Shadowmere Caverns, a naturally formed dungeon that had appeared during the Great Convergence. The rift entrance shimmered like a vertical pool of dark water, and I could feel the subtle wrongness that all dungeons emanated—reality wasn't quite stable here.
Aria stood beside me in her Academy combat gear, looking every inch the confident Spell Sword. Around us, a dozen other Academy students checked their equipment and reviewed formation strategies. Most were Level 3-5, with one Level 7 student serving as the expedition leader.
"Remember," Professor Martinez addressed the group, "this is a training exercise. Stay in formation, follow Senior Blake's instructions, and don't take unnecessary risks. Observer," she looked directly at me, "please remain behind the containment barriers at all times."
I nodded seriously, while Aria fought to keep a straight face.
The interior of Shadowmere Caverns was exactly what you'd expect from a low-level dungeon—winding tunnels filled with weak monsters like Shadow Rats and Stone Beetles. The students moved through in a practiced formation, efficiently dispatching monsters while maintaining defensive positions.
I watched from behind the glowing barrier that separated observers from the combat zone, carefully studying how magic and martial skills worked in practice. Aria moved like a dancer, her blade crackling with lightning enchantments as she cut through a cluster of Shadow Rats.
It was during the expedition's third encounter that things went sideways.
"Stone Golem!" Senior Blake shouted as the tunnel ahead erupted with grinding sounds. A massive humanoid figure made of living rock emerged from the wall—definitely not a monster that should have appeared in an Iron Rank dungeon.
The students immediately shifted to defensive positions, but it was clear they were outmatched. Stone Golems were typically Silver Rank threats, requiring Level 10+ Hunters to handle safely.
"Containment breach!" Professor Martinez's voice crackled through the communication crystals. "All students retreat to exit formation! Emergency protocols in effect!"
But the Golem was blocking the main tunnel, and its massive fists were already slamming into the students' defensive barriers. One particularly powerful strike sent a Level 4 Warrior flying, his shield spell shattering on impact.
I saw Aria position herself between the injured student and the Golem, her mana flaring as she prepared a high-level Lightning Strike spell. But even she couldn't take down a Silver Rank monster alone.
The containment barrier was still holding, keeping me safely separated from the combat. All I had to do was wait for the Academy's emergency response team to arrive.
Instead, I analyzed the situation with a programmer's eye for system vulnerabilities.
The Golem moved slowly but hit incredibly hard. Its stone composition made it highly resistant to physical damage but potentially vulnerable to specific magical effects. The students were panicking, fighting individually instead of coordinating their abilities.
And most importantly, the containment barrier had a manual override switch just three feet to my left.
"Aria!" I shouted, making my decision. "Lightning spells! Target the joints, not the body!"
She glanced back at me in confusion, then her eyes widened as she saw me reaching for the override switch.
"Aldric, no!"
I disabled the barrier and stepped into the combat zone.
[You have entered combat! EXP gain rate increased!]
The Golem immediately turned toward me, recognizing a new threat. Its massive fist came down like a meteor, and I threw myself sideways, feeling the impact crater the stone floor where I'd been standing.
My mind raced through combat algorithms, treating the fight like a boss encounter in a video game. The Golem was powerful but predictable. Its attacks followed set patterns, and it had obvious weak points where the stone joints met.
"Formation Sigma!" I called out, using terminology from Aria's Academy textbooks. "Casters focus lightning and ice magic on joint connections! Warriors provide cover and positioning!"
To my surprise, the students responded immediately. Perhaps it was the confidence in my voice, or maybe they were just desperate for any plan that made sense.
Aria hit the Golem's right knee joint with a concentrated Lightning Bolt, causing cracks to spread through the stone. A student Mage followed up with an Ice Shard that widened the fractures. A Warrior used a Shield Bash to destabilize the Golem's footing while a Rogue struck at its ankles with armor-piercing daggers.
Within minutes, the coordinated assault brought down the Silver Rank monster. The Golem collapsed with a thunderous crash, its animating magic disrupted.
[Combat Complete! EXP Gained: 53]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2!]
[You have gained skill: Basic Combat Tactics!]
I stared at the System notifications in amazement. One fight had gained me more experience than two weeks of training, plus I'd somehow earned a skill just from coordinating the battle.
"Aldric!" Aria rushed over, her face torn between pride and terror. "Are you insane? You could have been killed!"
"But I wasn't," I pointed out reasonably. "And now I understand something important about how combat experience works."
Professor Martinez materialized beside us via teleportation spell, her expression thunderous. "Mr. Veridian, you directly violated safety protocols by disabling containment barriers and entering an active combat zone!"
"I apologize, Professor," I said, trying to look appropriately contrite. "But my fellow students were in danger, and I couldn't just stand by and watch."
Her stern expression wavered slightly. "Your tactical coordination was... impressive. But that doesn't excuse—"
"Actually," Senior Blake interrupted, approaching with the rest of the expedition team, "his plan was brilliant. I've never seen students coordinate that effectively against a higher-rank monster. Where did you learn Formation Sigma?"
I glanced at Aria, who looked like she was trying not to laugh. "I, uh, study a lot of tactical manuals. Theory stuff."
The debriefing that followed was lengthy and involved several communication crystals to various Academy administrators. In the end, my actions were classified as "unauthorized but ultimately beneficial," which seemed to be academic speak for "we can't officially approve, but nice job."
More importantly, I'd learned something crucial about how experience and skill acquisition worked in this world. Combat provided exponentially more growth than safe training, and leadership actions could generate skills even without formal abilities.
As we emerged from the dungeon, I checked my updated status:
Name: Aldric Veridian
Age: 17
Level: 2 (EXP: 0/150)
Class: NULL
Title: Architect of Reality
HP: 110/110
MP: 60/60
STR: 9
AGI: 10
INT: 13
WIS: 11
VIT: 11
LUCK: 15
Skills: Basic Combat Tactics
Special Ability: Infinite Creation (Available at Level 5)
Three more levels. Three more levels until I could begin building abilities that would change everything.
"So," Aria said as we walked toward the Academy's transport platform, "still think dungeon diving was a bad idea?"
I smiled, feeling more confident than I had since my Awakening. "Let's just say I'm beginning to understand the rules of this game."
And I was already planning my next move