Blood dripped from his mouth as he spoke, internal hemorrhaging that Dragon's Flesh was addressing but hadn't fully healed yet.
"But it worked. The Phase-Winder was too fast to fight normally. I had to slow time to track its movement, then let it swallow me to bypass the enhanced scales protecting its exterior."
He looked toward where the exit archway had become visible among the floating islands, the dungeon's progression mechanics revealing the path forward now that the field boss had been eliminated.
"And I learned something valuable. Abyssal Step isn't just a movement technique. It's a temporal manipulation that creates windows in which I can perceive and act on threats faster than normal reflexes can process. That's going to be useful for whatever's waiting on the remaining floors."
Father Caelen helped Jack to his feet, the healing having progressed enough that standing no longer threatened to collapse his still-regenerating internal organs.
