The gentle hum of ambient mana filled the plains.

  Ciel sat cross-legged under the growing World Tree, eyes closed, body still—but his mind was anything but. Around him, the two mana wells shimmered faintly, channeling their energy into the land and into him.

  skill window floated in front of him:

  [Skills – Ciel Nova]

  Basic Skill

  Domain (Beginner Lv. 1)

  - Creates a 10m domain with the caster at the center. Hostile or marked entities within suffer -1% to all stats.

  - Cost: 1 MP per second.

  Basic Skill

  Shift (Beginner Lv. 1)

  - Allows instant teleportation up to 10 meters.

  - 3 Charges, 10-second cooldown per charge.

  - Mana Cost: 5 MP per meter.

  Normal Skill

  Mana Craft (Beginner Lv. 1)

  - Manipulates ambient mana into basic constructs. Continuous mana drain increases with complexity.

  Extra Skill

  Realm Seize (Beginner Lv. 1)

  - Allows transport of targets into Ciel’s Realm.

  - Consent allows instant transfer without cost.

  - Forced transfer requires target’s Wisdom ≤ 1.1x Ciel’s Wisdom.

  - Mana Cost: 100 per target.

  Unique Skill

  Time Flow (Beginner Lv. 1)

  - Controls time flow inside the Realm.

  - Current Ratio: 1 hour outside = 2 hours inside.

  - Cost: 1 WP per hour beyond 1:1.

  Time Flow was active, silently doubling everything. And Realm Seize… he wasn’t ready to touch that yet because there were no targets to practice the skill with repeatedly.

  “These three will do for now,” he muttered.

  He extended his palm, casting Domain. A translucent field expanded from him in a perfect sphere with radius of five meter in every direction, brushing against the tall grass. Immediately, the surroundings pulsed with his mana—he could feel the world breathe within his influence.

  Next, Realm Shift.

  Ciel concentrated and attempted to phase through the space within the Domain.

  It simultaneous shifts were tough, he fell trying it three times in a row. He had the skill and can use it but his control was rudimentary at best which will require practice and time, luckily he had more time than any new awakener all he needed was to repeat repeat and repeat his skill till he could master it.

  Each cast drained his mana, but he kept going, again and again. Only when his mana dropped below the 20% mark did he stop, drawing out one of the many light green mana stones.

  Crack.

  It crumbled between his fingers as mana surged into him.

  “Still smooth,” he said, flicking the empty stone aside.

  Then he shifted focus to Mana Craft. Within the Domain, he tried shaping mana into constructs: he started with making a sword he than observed the constructs compared to a real sword his was a downgraded version he now understood why his sword broke in his spar with his father then he started to fix the flaws he can see each cast refined the process. The skill responded with resistance, then fluidity. Then suddenly he got a popup.

  [Skill Mana Craft advanced to Lv. 2.]

  He smiled the system has acknowledged his efforts and increased mastery over his skill and reflected as a level up. He casted his skill again this time mana arranged itself more readily, this sword was better than anything he created till now this is the affect of skill level up. Each level increases efficiency, control and various factors.

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  Hours passed this way—Domain always active, while he alternated between Mana Craft and Realm Shift, devouring mana stones between cycles. It became a rhythm.

  Cast.

  Strain.

  Stone.

  Repeat.

  By evening, the familiar grasslands of the Realm felt charged with his progress. Even the mana wells pulsed in sync with his routine, as if proud.

  ________________________________________

  The days flowed by in doubled time.

  Inside the Realm, Ciel trained relentlessly, his world reduced to skill rotations, meals, short sleep, and mana recovery. What would be six days outside had stretched into nearly two weeks inside his realm.

  He had lost count of the mana stones consumed—at least a few hundred, but his mana wells were generating more than he could use. But their value seemed trivial compared to the progress. His control over Domain had sharpened, its range expanded slightly. Mana Craft had become more stable in structure, better than any sword he could use at his level. And Realm Shift, while still taxing, he could use it in rapid succession without falling or shifting to wrong place due to misdirection during subsequent shifts.

  ________________________________________

  On the morning of the seventh day in the outside world, the Realm's sky dimmed to a calm twilight as he prepared to leave.

  He snapped his fingers. The Domain faded. The World Tree pulsed gently, approvingly.

  “Time to face the test dungeon,” he said, rising with a small grin.

  A soft blink—and Ciel was back.

  No swirling lights, no magical shimmer. One moment he was beneath the endless grasslands of his realm, and the next he stood in the familiar stillness of his bedroom, just as he had left it six days ago. The only proof of his time away was the faint scent of dew still clinging to his clothes and the slightly tangled mess of his once-orderly hair.

  He took a breath, adjusted his shirt, and stepped out into the corridor.

  Downstairs, the smell of toasted bread and eggs filled the air.

  “Look who decided to return to civilization!” Eren called out, half-mocking, half-relieved, as he stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth. “I was starting to think you eloped with a dryad or something.”

  Ciel rolled his eyes as he sat down, his stomach rumbling the moment he saw the spread of food.

  “You’re back just in time,” Eve said gently, passing him a plate. “Today’s your first dungeon run.”

  “Already?” Ciel blinked, slicing into a boiled egg.

  “It’s been six days,” Arthur added with a raised brow. “You were gone long enough for Eren to claim dibs on your room.”

  Eren snorted. “As his cute younger brother, I still demand royalties. You hogged all the time without inviting me.”

  Ciel smirked but stayed silent, mind still lingering in the realm's time-warped expanse.

  Eve cleared her throat, drawing their attention. “Since you’ll be entering your first dungeon today, it’s important to understand how they work.”

  Both brothers turned their attention to her, though Eren was mid-sip on his juice.

  “There are two main types of dungeons,” she began. “First are One-Time Dungeons—they collapse once cleared. They offer high rewards, but there's a risk of Outbreak if they aren't cleared in time. Monsters from such dungeons can spill into the real world.”

  “Sounds dangerous,” Eren muttered.

  “It is,” Arthur agreed. “But the dungeon you're entering is the other kind.”

  “Repeatable Dungeons,” Eve continued, “are safer. They don’t collapse and can be entered multiple times. The rewards are lower, but they have one advantage—Cooldowns.”

  Ciel narrowed his eyes. “Cooldowns?”

  Eve nodded. “Each person has a personal cooldown for a repeatable dungeon. Once you clear it, you can’t enter that same dungeon again for a set amount of time.”

  “So no farming the same dungeon endlessly,” Ciel said, understanding.

  Eve nodded. “Dungeons also come with difficulty modes, not fixed levels. Parties can choose how challenging they want the dungeon to be: Easy, Normal, Hard, Nightmare, and so on. Higher difficulties yield better rewards, but also increase the danger.”

  “And the Test Dungeon?” Ciel asked.

  “It ranges from Easy to Hard,” Arthur said. “Monsters inside are between Level 1 and 10. Nothing too serious, but enough to challenge and evaluate all new candidates.”

  “But don’t let your guard down,” Arthur said, setting down his cup. “Dungeons—even test ones—are still real. Real danger, real consequences.”

  Ciel gave a short nod. He felt prepared—more than prepared. Twelve days of brutal training inside the realm had sharpened his control and refined his skills. The only thing left now… was to test them in real combat.

  He rose from his seat, gaze steady.

  “Time to show what real training looks like.”