Chapter 61: Bonus Skills

With that, Mark opened his eyes back to the real world. He summoned Penthesilea through a swirling whirlpool that formed beside him a moment later, revealing the barbarian Amazon instantly.

Just then, his eyes widened the moment he registered exactly where he was standing again.

Back in the same dark alleyway.

He scratched the back of his head, disappointment settling in as he looked around. The dungeon had collapsed the instant he cleared the chambers belonging to the second Amazon, and since he’d also walked off with the dungeon core itself, the true anchor holding the entire place together, everything else had simply vanished along with it, every last scrap of resource he’d spotted earlier included.

He felt the urge to claw at his own face in sheer frustration, though he resisted, knowing full well it wouldn’t change a single thing. The whole outcome landed somewhere between victory and genuine loss, since he’d managed to boost Cassandra’s strength by a real margin and had even unlocked an entire second summon in the process, expanding his potential considerably, even if the empty stretch of alley around him now offered no proof any of it had actually happened.

Still, somewhere along the way, he’d lost one of the most valuable things a dungeon could possibly contain, and not every dungeon carried resources quite like that one had. What he’d initially written off as some unlucky trap had actually turned out to be one of the rarest hauls he’d ever stumbled across.

For some reason, though, it felt less like random coincidence and more like deliberate dungeon trickery.

Rubbing at his temple, Mark turned toward Cassandra, who looked noticeably smaller now, standing beside the considerably taller Penthesilea. The combined presence of both Amazons together made the narrow alleyway feel almost comically cramped and undersized, their shoulders nearly brushing the walls on either side.

Cassandra lingered a moment before turning toward the barbarian Amazon, offering a gentle curtsy.

"Welcome, fellow champion. It’s been a long while. Genuinely good to finally see you again."

Penthesilea studied her for a moment before nodding in clear approval.

"I always did like your personality. Glad to see it hasn’t changed or dulled one bit over the years. Credit where it’s due. How have you been holding up?"

"Oh, just keeping busy, training alongside my summoner lately. He’s actually pretty fun to test in dungeons, especially when it comes to seeing just how much of the battle I can claim out from under him," Cassandra said with a light giggle, gesturing toward Mark, whose attention had drifted elsewhere entirely.

"Fun, is it?" Penthesilea’s mouth curved into something between a smirk and genuine curiosity. "I’ll admit, mine put up more of a fight than I expected for someone so freshly awakened. Not enough to spare him a bruise or two, but enough to genuinely notice."

"That’s high praise, coming from you," Cassandra said, glancing briefly toward Mark herself. "He grows faster than most. I’ve stopped being surprised by it."

A stray cat wandered into the alley just then, only to freeze instantly beneath the sheer, combined pressure radiating off both Amazons. Their overlapping auras seemed to press down physically against its small frame before it bolted, letting out a terrified hiss as it scrambled away like a startled rat fleeing for its life, disappearing over a chain link fence in a single desperate leap.

Mark glanced back toward the two imposing women standing behind him, their combined presence practically broadcasting itself through the surrounding air like a beacon. He figured it was wise to stay cautious, worried some passing authority agent might mistake the spike for an active dungeon reading and come investigate the source.

Besides, he technically wasn’t even supposed to be out here in the first place.

He’d originally planned on heading toward the gas station next, but after everything from the raid, plus his brief, brutal spar against Penthesilea, he decided it made more sense to rest up instead of pushing himself into exhaustion right before tomorrow’s competition, which was already closing in on its final matches.

His next opponent would be Victor, one of Mia’s own subordinates. The pressure surrounding that particular match promised to run high, especially given whatever plans might already be quietly forming against him following his string of victories over every one of Kai’s cronies so far.

Fortunately, he’d already accomplished one major goal for the night, growing stronger by successfully unlocking another member of the Amazon Order and folding her fully into his arsenal. He could feel himself steadily climbing in power, and this felt like only the beginning of what awaited once he finally rose above his remaining rivals and opponents.

It would also bring him that much closer to finally being able to properly support his mother and lift some of the ongoing weight off his sister’s shoulders.

He quickly recalled both Amazons back into their respective chambers within his soul space before turning and walking out of the alleyway as though nothing unusual had happened at all.

This time, he set his path firmly back toward the school grounds, still with enough time left to slip through the gate before anyone noticed.

Along the way, he took a moment to reflect on the new skill he’d picked up simply by unlocking the barbarian Amazon’s chamber door. This particular skill tied directly into some of her core attributes, letting him stir genuine fervor within those fighting alongside him, backed by a commanding presence powerful enough to press down on their will to a meaningful degree.

This was Conqueror Dominion, a skill acquired directly through his bond with an Amazon carrying that same commanding nature.

ability allowed him to stimulate the emotions and urges of his subjects, causing their existing feelings to surge even higher.

It was called Summoner’s Caress, since his supposed subjects were his Amazon summons, who had claimed to be disciplined in every way when it came to their convictions, duties, and service.

Mark wanted to test it on them to confirm his thoughts about whether the Amazons were truly as disciplined as they claimed when it came to their emotions and urges.

He couldn’t wait to test the skill on both summons and discover the true extent of their desires.

However, that wasn’t what occupied his mind at the moment. He simply continued toward the school with his hood concealing his face as he walked along the way.

Once he finally reached his room, he peeled off his hoodie, pants, and sneakers before dropping straight down into a set of diamond push ups, pumping steadily up and down with both hands pressed together in that familiar diamond shape, the floor cool against his palms after the heat of the dungeon.

He never skipped his nightly routine, especially not with tomorrow’s matches waiting, and the later, tougher rounds looming just beyond them.

His upcoming opponent was Victor, rumored to be one of the more genuinely vicious names among the school’s known bullies and troublemakers.

That thought sat steadily in the back of his mind. Still, one thing clearly set the two of them apart, the genuinely life threatening experiences he’d already survived out in real, active dungeons.

More than anything, that first human kill had reshaped a real part of who he was, forcing him to view the world through a considerably harder, more unforgiving lens than before.

If he wanted any real chance of surviving in a world this unpredictable, he understood he’d need to keep adapting, growing more ruthless, more prepared, for whatever dangers still waited ahead of him.

Later, his strength surged steadily for a while before fatigue finally started creeping in, somewhere around his hundred and sixth repetition.

That number had always marked his usual limit for push ups. Still, he wanted to push himself well past it this time tonight, determined to grow stronger, treating every rep beyond that old threshold as clear, tangible proof of real physical progress.

He gritted his teeth through another five, then another three after that, arms trembling visibly by the end of each slow descent. Somewhere past one hundred and twelve, his mind wandered back to Victor’s smug expression from the classroom weeks ago, and that alone was enough to squeeze out a few more reps than he’d originally planned on.

When he finally collapsed onto his back, chest heaving hard, he allowed himself a small, satisfied smile aimed at the ceiling. Tomorrow would demand considerably more than this, but for tonight, it was more than enough.