Alone

Su Ran repeatedly studied and digested the information he had bought, then put it into practice, tested it, and made adjustments through repeated casting.

Practicing [Energy Missile] was both the dullest and the most frenzied part.

At first, he built the spell in strict accordance with the optimized model in the information, but he was even slower than before, and the missiles were unstable.

Still, he patiently persisted, adjusting the rhythm of his mental power output bit by bit and feeling out the critical point of energy compression.

One failure, ten failures, a hundred failures... The energy intensity recorded by the target fluctuated, as did his hit rate.

He broke through to Lv.2 on the second day, but still had not reached the third level by the morning of the fifth day.

Su Ran was not discouraged. Every failure added to his experience. Gradually, his casting time shortened from 0.8 seconds to 0.7, then to 0.65...

The missiles gradually changed from pale purple to deep purple and seemed to shrink a little, but the energy that burst into light when they struck the target went from pale yellow to a distinct yellow, even a yellow-orange.

He began trying to guide the missiles with faint threads of mental power after they left his hand, making them trace slight arcs through the air to strike moving targets in their blind spots.

His success rate was low at first, but it gradually improved.

Practicing successive casts tested both his mind and his mana. He had to find the shortest path to drawing back his mental power and reconcentrating his mana between casts.

He went from barely managing two shots 1.5 seconds apart to firing two missiles in succession within a second with relative consistency, without any loss of power.

The data on the control panel updated every day:

The number of casts jumped from hundreds to thousands.

His average hit rate held steady above 92%, including high-difficulty moving targets.

His average casting time entered the 0.5-second range.

His highest energy intensity rating briefly reached medium orange.

On the evening of the fifth day, Su Ran felt that he could control every detail of [Energy Missile] as easily as his own arm, and that building the model had almost become instinct.

When the missiles' power, speed, and maneuverability all reached a new, stable height...

He sensed something.

On the panel, the words [Energy Missile Lv.2] blurred for an instant, then sharpened into an update:

[Energy Missile Lv.3]

Effect: Arcane energy missile. Power significantly increased, range increased, casting speed increased, and slight trajectory corrections enabled.

Mana consumption increased by approximately 30% compared to Lv.1, but energy utilization per unit improved.

Success!

Almost at the same time, after days of repeatedly simulating and guiding berserk energy and practicing control over [Skeleton Soldiers], his understanding of [Berserk] also deepened.

[Berserk Lv.1 → Lv.2]

Effect: Greater increases to strength and attack speed, a slightly greater increase to physical resistance, slightly reduced defense loss and impact on rationality as side effects, and approximately 10% shorter subsequent weakness.

Double happiness at the door!

Su Ran let out a long breath of stale air carrying the mixed scents of potions and sweat, a relieved smile appearing on his tired face.

Five days of near self-torturous cultivation had been worth it!

When he walked out of the training room, his steps were a little unsteady, but his eyes were astonishingly bright.

He could feel that the mana surging at his fingertips was more concentrated, and his understanding of berserk energy was clearer.

Back at his rented room, he slept for a full day and night before completely relieving his mental and physical fatigue.

When he woke up, Su Ran felt better than ever.

It was time to test the results of his secluded training and... complete a plan he had set aside.

He opened his Personal Terminal and checked the monster information and dungeon environment for [Crouching Tiger Slope (Easy)] once more.

Then he made his decision: he would challenge [Crouching Tiger Slope (Easy)] alone.

The solo run he had previously abandoned for lack of a reliable way to tie enemies down in melee was now possible.

The power of Lv.3 [Energy Missile] was enough to deal effective damage to a Lv.2 fierce tiger, while its increased range and casting speed gave him more room to maneuver.

Although [Berserk] was mainly used on summoned creatures, it might prove useful at a critical moment for a burst of movement or an emergency escape.

With a plentiful supply of mana potions and the crowd-control headband on top of that...

The risk remained, but it had fallen to a level he could accept.

More importantly, he needed to test his ability to handle a dungeon alone and further refine his newly improved skills through actual combat.

Besides, the resources yielded by [Crouching Tiger Slope] and the [Tiger Bone Wine] that theoretically existed there still held an attraction for him.

After all, those valuable resource dungeons were all controlled by the authorities or guilds, and there were very few dungeons a solo player could enter.

His goal was clear, and his preparations were complete.

Su Ran sorted out his equipment, checked his scrolls and potions, and got himself into peak condition.

Then he left his rented room and once again headed toward the dungeon Wilderness.

This time, he was alone.

When he returned to the entrance of the [Crouching Tiger Slope (Easy)] dungeon, Su Ran noticed some changes.

The uniformed staff who had collected fees at the entrance and the guards were gone.

The pale yellow gate of light was still there, but a new notice board had been erected beside it, with conspicuous lettering:

[Notice]

Due to changes in market supply and demand, the prices of tiger meat, tiger pelts, and tiger bones, the basic materials produced by [Crouching Tiger Slope (Easy)], have fallen significantly and are stabilizing.

Effective immediately, the resource-gathering permit fee for entering the dungeon is abolished.

The dungeon will remain open as usual. All professionals are advised to act within their abilities and stay safe.

Sure enough, the predictions on the forum had come true. In less than two weeks, the initial windfall period for the resource dungeon had ended.

Tiger meat and tiger bones were no longer scarce, and their prices had fallen to the level of ordinary materials, making the steep entrance fee of 2 silver coins unreasonable. No one was willing to pay it anymore.

Now, entering [Crouching Tiger Slope] really was just for experience and treasure chests; the returns from materials had become meager.

For Su Ran, at least, that saved an expense. He hesitated no longer and walked straight into the gate of light.

The familiar hillside appeared before him once more. Dry air, knee-high weeds, and faint tiger roars in the distance. But this time, he was entirely alone.

Su Ran did not venture farther in immediately. He first found a spot behind a small earthen slope that was relatively sheltered from the wind and offered a decent view, then took a [Skeleton Summoning Token] from his Personal Space.

He poured mental power into it!

The token flashed with a faint light, and two masses of gray mist gathered and took shape in the open ground ahead, becoming two Lv.2 Skeleton Warriors with faint green flames flickering in their eye sockets, each wielding a bone sword and a battered shield formed from energy.

Immediately afterward, Su Ran locked his gaze on the two skeletons without pausing for an instant. He used his will to rouse the familiar yet somewhat different berserk energy within him, following the method for channeling Lv.2 [Berserk]...

"Berserk!"

A wave of dark red energy, not particularly intense but distinct enough, surged from his hand and swiftly enveloped the two Skeleton Warriors!

The soul flames in the Skeleton Warriors' eye sockets flared, changing from ghostly green to dark red!

Their previously somewhat sluggish movements became considerably swifter in an instant. Their bones scraped together with a rapid clatter, and even the way they held their swords and shields exuded a restless aggression.

At the same time, however, Su Ran also felt that his control link to them had become slightly less refined and that his mental power consumption had risen a little. He could also faintly sense that their remaining duration was being depleted faster.

"Just as I thought, it works! Although the effect is reduced and it speeds up the summons' depletion, it does increase their immediate combat power!"