Upon entering the Pocket Dimension House, Suho struggled with the overwhelming status effects.

    *Dragon Fear.*

    It was leagues beyond ordinary Fear, and its effects were severe. Clenching his jaw, Suho pulled out a Purification Potion he’d bought at Dongdaemun and drank it.

    **[You have consumed the Purification Potion.]**

    **[Purification effect activated.]**

    **[Fear status removed.]**

    **[Auditory hallucinations removed.]**

    Once he consumed the Purification Potion, the debilitating effects lifted, and Suho finally lay down, breathing a sigh of relief.

    *“I thought I was a goner...”*

    Dragon Fear was one reason Jang Pyung-ho had never defeated the Tower Dragon. He had only seen it once and had been forced to flee. But thanks to Jang Pyung-ho’s experiences, Suho knew about the Dragon’s capabilities and came prepared with the potion.

    His Cure skill wasn’t enough to remove the high-grade debuff of Dragon Fear. Only A-level or higher Cure skills could be effective against it.

    *“This cost a fortune, but the scholarship was worth it.”*

    Without it, he would never have been able to afford something as expensive as a Purification Potion.

    *“And it’s not like one exposure to Dragon Fear makes you immune. Guess I’ll just have to keep dodging it...”*

    While most Fear effects could be overcome once experienced, Dragon Fear was different. As one of the most powerful Fears, resistance could only be built with special defensive items or skills. For now, this meant that every time the dragon used Fear, Suho would need to retreat to the Pocket Dimension House and down another Purification Potion.

    *“No wonder Jang Pyung-ho couldn’t take it down with these tactics.”*

    Jang Pyung-ho had tried to poison the dragon, hoping it would weaken over time while he waited safely in the Pocket Dimension House. But the Tower Dragon was unaffected, and combined with its Dragon Fear and Earth Claw, it was nearly impossible to approach.

    *“But this time, I’m going to defeat the Tower Dragon and clear the Tower of Trials on my own.”*

    Suho, now recovered, checked his status screen once again.

    **[Ahn Suho]**

    - Lv: 39

    - Class: Healer

    - Strength: 95

    - Health: 95

    - Mana: 96

    - Senses: 39

    - Bonus Stats: 0

    With his Mana at 96, he was close to his goal but still a bit short. Suho pulled out a skill book and several items he’d bought from Dongdaemun, starting with the skill book.

    **[You have learned the Basic Combination Formula.]**

    Skill books were one of the most common ways for players to learn new skills. While skill books usually took the form of a book, rare skills could appear in various objects. This Basic Combination Formula was a low-level skill but would serve Suho’s needs.

    **[Your Mana stat has leveled up to Red.]**

    The moment Mana hit 100, its value reset to 1, a red stripe appearing beside the stat, along with an “R” to denote the Red level.

    Suho chuckled. *“My first Red stat at level 39... This growth is insane.”*

    In this world, each stat gained a new color every time it reached a multiple of 100. Players referred to this phenomenon as the Color System, and the highest recorded level was Purple at around 700. Suho, in his previous life, had reached Purple in Strength but had never imagined he’d achieve such rapid progress so early.

    With the remaining points, Suho invested 5 into Strength, bringing it to Red level as well, then added the final point to Health.

    He checked his updated status:

    **[Ahn Suho]**

    - Lv: 39

    - Class: Healer

    - Strength (R): 1

    - Health: 96

    - Mana (R): 1

    - Senses: 39

    - Bonus Stats: 0

    Preparation complete, Suho reached into his inventory for the key item that would help him take down the Tower Dragon—a worn spear he’d bought from a hardware shop.

    *“To awaken this, I needed at least 100 Mana.”*

    Now that he met the requirement, he began infusing the spear with Mana.

    **[Mana is being infused into ???.]**

    **[The spirit within ??? is beginning to awaken.]**

    The spear vibrated, drawing Mana from him at an astonishing rate. But this time, Suho was able to withstand it thanks to his Red-level Mana stat.

    Pouring his energy into the spear, Suho continued until the Mana absorption slowed and nearly stopped.

    Flash!

    A dark light pulsed from the once-worn spear, revealing a sleek, polished weapon.

    **[Mana infusion complete.]**

    **[The consciousness of Guiyoung Spear has awakened.]**

    **[Congratulations! You have partially awakened the spirit within Guiyoung Spear.]**

    **[Item information has been updated.]**

    **[You have acquired Guiyoung Spear (A+).]**

    Suho grinned as he examined the new spear.

    *Guiyoung Spear*, also known as the *Spear of Returning Shadows*, was a legendary weapon once wielded by a player called the Shadow Lord, or “Yeongwang.” Suho had finally gained possession of one of his former treasures.