His heart pounded as he thought of the possibilities.

A blade aimed at his heart? Phase his chest, let it pass through harmlessly.

A crushing blow to his head? Phase his skull, take no damage.

Trapped behind a wall? Phase his arm through it, unlock the door from the other side.

It would be... incredible.

And terrifying.

Because if he messed it up, if he phased at the wrong time, or didn't deactivate it before moving through something solid, he could end up with his hand materialized inside a wall. Or worse.

Tatehan exhaled slowly, his hands trembling slightly.

This was a big ability. A game-changer actually.

But as the initial shock began to fade, his mind started working through the tactical applications. The real uses. The ways this could save his life, or turn the tide of a battle.

He thought about the fight with Cherak.

When the commander had grabbed him by the throat and dragged him into the sky, choking him and crushing his windpipe. If he'd had Phase Shift then, he could have phased his neck. Let Cherak's hands pass right through and escaped the grip instantly.

Or when the Behemoth's tail had slammed into him during the city battle. He'd let it hit him on purpose to charge his kinetic absorption, but what if he hadn't needed that energy? What if he'd wanted to avoid the hit entirely? Phase his torso. Let the tail swing through empty air, no damage and no impact.

Hell, he could even use it offensively.

Imagine phasing his hand, reaching through an enemy's armor, then solidifying his fist inside their chest. Instant kill. Brutal, yes, but effective.

Or phasing his weapon in the middle of a swing. A chakram that could pass through shields and armor, only becoming solid again when it was already inside the target.

The possibilities were staggering.

But there were limitations. The system had been very clear about that.

Only one body part at a time. So if he phased his chest to avoid a stab, his head and limbs were still vulnerable. He'd have to choose and prioritize. Make split-second decisions about which part of his body was in the most danger.

And the cooldown. Three minutes. That was a long time in the middle of a fight. He couldn't spam this ability. He couldn't even rely on it as a crutch. It was a trump card. A last-resort defensive measure.

One mistake, and he'd be dead.

But used correctly? At the right moment? It could be unbeatable.

Tatehan thought about the enemies he'd faced so far: the monsters, the soldiers…Cherak.

Most of them had relied on physical attacks. Claws…teeth…fists…weapons: aggressiveness!

And Phase Shift made him immune to all of that, at least for one and a half seconds at a time.

But energy attacks? Plasma bolts? Electricity? Fire?

Those would still hit him.

The system had been clear about that too. Phase Shift only worked against physical attacks. Anything that relied on energy or heat would pass right through the intangibility and connect.

So he'd have to be smart and strategic. Use it only when it made sense.

Against a swordsman? Perfect.

Against someone with a plasma rifle? Useless.

Tatehan flexed his fingers again, staring at his hands.

It wouldn't hurt if he tested it. All he had to do was activate it to do so.

But how?

He focused inward, reaching for the sensation the system had left behind. It was faint, like a whisper at the edge of his consciousness, but it was there.

He concentrated on his right hand.

Phase.

Nothing happened.

He frowned, trying again.

Phase Shift. Activate.

Still nothing.

Tatehan exhaled in frustration, then paused.

Maybe it wasn't about thinking the command. Maybe it was about willing it. Instinct, not conscious thought? But that was… weird. To use his abilities he just… 'USED' them and that was it. But with this…?

He stared at his right hand, imagining it fading, becoming translucent and shifting out of sync with reality.

And then—

His hand flickered.

For just a split second, it became transparent. Like a ghost. He could see through it, see the floor beneath it. He could see the outline of his bones visible as faint shadows.

And then it solidified again.

Tatehan's eyes widened.

'Holy shit!'

He'd done it.

He tried again, this time focusing harder. Holding the image in his mind. His hand fading. Becoming intangible.

The flicker lasted longer this time, maybe half a second, before his hand returned to normal.

A notification appeared.

[Phase Shift active for 0.6 seconds]

[Cooldown: 180 seconds]

Tatehan stared at the message, then let out a breathless laugh.

It worked. It actually worked.

He looked around the room, searching for something to test it on. Since he had only used the ability for 0.6 seconds he still had 0.9 seconds.

His eyes landed on the wall.

Tatehan walked over slowly, standing just inches away from the solid metal surface. He raised his right hand, pressing his palm flat against it.

It was cold, hard and unyielding. If things went wrong his hands would be stuck in the walls forever… no, three minutes actually.

He took a deep breath, then he activated the Phase Shift ability

His hand flickered, and then it passed through the wall.

Not breaking it. Not pushing it either. Just... through. Like the wall wasn't even there.

Tatehan's heart raced as he watched his hand disappear into the solid metal, his wrist stopping at the surface but his fingers extending somewhere beyond.

He couldn't feel anything.

There was no resistance, no texture. Instead he felt... nothing.

It was the strangest sensation he'd ever experienced.

After about 0.9 seconds, he pulled back, and his hand slid out smoothly, completely unharmed.

Tatehan stared at his hand, then at the wall, then back at his hand.

"Holy shit," he muttered aloud.

Tatehan stepped back, his mind racing excitedly.

This was insane.

He could walk through walls, dodge attacks that should be impossible to avoid and survive hits that would kill anyone else.

And this was only Level 1.

At higher levels, he'd be able to phase for longer. Phase multiple body parts at once. Maybe even phase his entire body for a full second.

He'd be untouchable!

Tatehan clenched his fists, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Hell yeah!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the small room.

He punched the air, laughing, the adrenaline and excitement surging through him.

This ability was going to change everything.

He couldn't wait to use it in a real fight.

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