[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-anomaly-beyond-the-system":3,"chapter-the-anomaly-beyond-the-system-the-anomaly-beyond-the-system-chapter-46":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Anomaly Beyond The System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},337399,599,"Chapter 46: Stepping out of the Dungeon","the-anomaly-beyond-the-system-chapter-46",46,"\u003Cp>Chapter 46: Stepping out of the Dungeon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence filled the entire cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian’s heavy breathing echoed through the cavern walls—slow and uneven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six goblin corpses lay scattered around him, along with the larger, bulkier body of the Hobgoblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its head was battered beyond recognition, with its chest still pierced by the crowbar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian stared at it for a long moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his fingers loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy bone club slipped from his grasp and clattered against the stone floor with a thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood there for a few seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, finally, his knees gave in, and he lowered himself onto the cold stone floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am tired,” He muttered, his hoarse voice echoing faintly through the dungeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been here for hours, on guard at all times, killing, hiding, and it was taking a lot of toll on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was exhausted, utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ding!~]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue screen panel flickered before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have completed the Quest: Trial of the First Dungeon.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have completed the objective.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have acquired 20 Attribute Points.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian blinked, then smiled in satisfaction at his accomplishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned his back against the cold stone wall and let out a long breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I did it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting for a few minutes, he pushed himself up and walked towards the hobgoblin’s corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His legs felt slightly heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of his steps echoed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he approached, he placed a hand on its massive chest, preparing to devour it completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something struck him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something he had forgotten all this while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand froze mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian’s eyes suddenly widened at the sudden realisation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze flickered around the chamber, to the goblin corpses, then to the Hobgoblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slapped his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t taken their cores out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, he had forgotten to fetch the monster cores of the goblins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had forgotten something so important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did I forget that? I have killed more than fifty goblins, and I only remembered this now… ugh.” He groaned in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monster cores were valuable. They contained condensed mana and were commonly used to strengthen oneself or advance in rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happens if I remove their cores first?” Lucian asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do I still get the Attribute Points after devouring them? Or do stat points come from the cores?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You will receive Attribute Points even after removing the cores…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could hear it in her tone; there was something more to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You cannot increase your rank with the cores.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I cannot? Is there something needed to increase your rank?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers curled slightly. He was afraid that he might not be able to increase his rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You must reach the maximum stat cap of your current rank in all attributes.] Akasha answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Only then can you advance and increase your rank.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head slightly, thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does this apply to everyone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence lingered briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of thought, he shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No… I guess it doesn’t. Not everyone can even see or raise their stats as I can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people didn’t even have access to attribute windows—let alone the ability to manipulate them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Correct.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze hardened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This rule only applies to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a brief pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like she was considering whether to answer him or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Because $$@&$@$—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice distorted violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian squeezed his eyes as a sharp pain shot through his temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed his head instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stabbing sensation pierced through his skull, like a needle had been pushed through his brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-what happened? Akasha?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision blurred for a moment. The cave seemed to tilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain lingered for several seconds before gradually fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was silence for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as panic began to creep in, her voice returned, directly inside his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Looks like I can’t tell you.] she said softly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian exhaled in relief, happy that nothing had happened to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had grown attached to her after these years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he couldn’t exactly see her, just her voice was enough to soothe him, though she was annoying sometimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was the only one who knew about his regression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the only one to whom he could talk without needing to hide anything, without trying to act calm or cool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this cave, it was difficult to stay lonely for hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would’ve gone mad by now if not for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So… he had been worried for a moment that something might’ve happened to her, something bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened just now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard her say something, but her voice was suddenly swallowed by distortion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Information restriction.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian slowly lowered his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood, at least partially. Most likely, he didn’t have enough authority to know about that information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So I don’t even have permission to know everything about myself.’ He thought bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He curled his fingers, but didn’t ask any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… now I need to reach all of my stats to 20 before I can advance from F-rank. Is that what you are saying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Precisely.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eye twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a hassle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching maximum stat cap in every attribute meant he had to raise his Charm, his Mana, and even his Will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t do it one at a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a slow breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just show me my stats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Attributes]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength – 30\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agility – 30\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constitution – 20\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intelligence – 20\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will – 18\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perception – 21\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charm – 18\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stamina – 28\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana – 15\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attribute Points (AP) – 20\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian stared at the screen before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mana, Will, and Charm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were the ones lagging behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His strength and agility were the highest, surpassing F rank limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking those thoughts aside, he turned his attention back to the hobgoblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is its core located?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Inside the chest. Near the heart. That is the most common location you can find the core.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crouched down, pulled the crowbar free from the creature’s chest, then took out one of his bone knives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a swift motion, he pressed it against the hobgoblin’s chest and sliced downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flesh parted with some resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm, dark green blood oozed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian’s nose wrinkled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed the urge to puke and plunged his hand inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh… This is disgusting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation made his skin crawl, his stomach churned, but he didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forced his hand deeper, searching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds, he removed his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resting in his hand was a grey stone, its size slightly smaller than a golf ball, irregular in shape, and slick with dark green blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What will happen if I absorb it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked, though he already knew he wouldn’t do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were for Lia and his mom, after they awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would need resources, and it was better to store these for them, rather than using the monster cores for himself, since he couldn’t increase his rank with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You will absorb its mana. Your mana pool may increase slightly, but the benefit will be minimal.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is useless to me then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Somewhat, though you can use them to restore your depleted mana.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hummed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they spoke, he moved around the cave, extracting the cores from the goblins as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their cores were smaller and darker in colour, almost pebble-sized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gathered them carefully and placed them inside his bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He devoured the corpses one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have devoured a goblin.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have obtained 1 Attribute Point.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have devoured a goblin.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have obtained 1 Attribute Point.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have devoured a goblin.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have obtained 1 Attribute Point.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After devouring all six goblins, Lucian stood again before the hobgoblin’s massive corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hopefully, you give me something worthwhile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed his hand on its chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His palm—and the tips of his fingers—turned ink-black. His eyes followed, shifting into a void-like darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive body collapsed inward, dissolving as it was absorbed through his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have devoured a Hobgoblin.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have obtained 2 Attribute Points.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have obtained the skill: Suppression Intent.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the screen panel before him, Lucian smiled in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A new skill, finally. This must be the skill it used.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his gaze shifted\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“2 Attribute Points… maybe because of its rank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed E-rank monsters gave 2 Attribute Points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting that aside, he activated the newfound skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An invisible pressure exploded outward from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t understand what happened, since he didn’t feel anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, he thought the skill had failed—until hhe felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mana—it had begun draining rapidly, like water leaking from a cracked container.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision wavered faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately deactivated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure vanished, and his mana stabilised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You will feel dizzy if your mana decreases too much.] Akasha warned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for the warning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around the cave one last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing else inside the cave other than broken bones, not even corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stuffed around ten intact bone daggers into his bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons were weapons, even if they were temporary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dashed outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thirty minutes of running at full speed, he reached the cave entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The portal hovered before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at it for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go home… I am starving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world shifted, and he emerged inside the sewer tunnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rotten smell hit him instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned around and looked at the portal. It shimmered faintly behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What happens to the dungeon now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would happen after he killed the dungeon boss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Once the dungeon boss is slain, the portal will disappear within 24 hours.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hummed in response, then climbed the metal ladder slowly and stepped onto the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun hadn’t fully risen yet. Dawn’s light barely touched the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>5:38 AM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucian walked toward his car\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, there wasn’t anyone present in the vicinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I want to take a bath as soon as I can.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He got in and drove off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also the issue of explaining everything to his family about it—his condition, his current appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with monsters bound to appear sooner or later…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to get home fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because whatever was coming—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t let that harm them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the extra chapter for 100 collections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please add the novel into your Library if you like it, and want to see the new uploaded chapters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I will upload the next chapter the moment I get 50 Powerstones by this week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for reading.\u003C\u002Fp>",1788,"2026-05-30T03:42:50.397Z","2026-06-01T04:30:13.202Z",1,"novelbin.me","a8096de0cba68dc79b946c49d385e8292cfacc56b7aa8b09a8f630fc075fe7f7","the-anomaly-beyond-the-system-chapter-47","the-anomaly-beyond-the-system-chapter-45",137,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-anomaly-beyond-the-system-cover.jpg"]