The Weight of Ascension
The glowing gold notification pulsed in my vision like a heartbeat.
[Event Quest Completed: The Hunt for Cipher]
Rewards Pending
I let out a slow breath, still cradling the broken Dust Mask against my face. The sterile air of the hospital room felt thicker now, charged with the weight of whatever came next. My heart thudded beneath the layers of gauze across my ribs.
I hesitated for a moment, then extended a mental command to open the notification.
The interface shifted, expanding into a translucent window that hovered just above my field of vision.
[You have completed the Event Quest: The Hunt for Cipher]
Distributing Event Rewards
The text dissolved, replaced by my reward.
Reward: Detective (B-Rank) —-> Detective (S-Rank)
The words struck like a hammer to my chest. S-Rank.
I blinked twice, my breath hitching. My heart sped up, sending sharp pulses of pain through my ribs, but I hardly noticed. I'd gone from B-Rank straight to S-Rank. Skipped A-Rank entirely.
The screen pulsed again, and beneath the reward, a small notification expanded:
Congratulations, Reynard Vale. Your mastery of investigative, tactical, and fieldwork skills has earned you a promotion to the highest operational tier for detectives within the System's ranking structure. S-Rank professionals are considered unparalleled in their fields.
My eyes locked onto those words: unparalleled in their fields.
I remembered when I'd climbed from C-Rank firefighter to A-Rank firefighter during the Inferno District event. Back then, it had felt monumental. My senses sharpened, my reflexes accelerated, my understanding of fire behavior deepened to near-instinctive levels. Yet, compared to what I was feeling now? That shift had been like stepping onto a slightly faster treadmill.
This...this was like opening my eyes for the first time.
The room around me came into piercing clarity. The faint flicker of the overhead light. The almost imperceptible hum of the medical monitors. The quiet murmur of footsteps two rooms away, likely another nurse on their rounds. Even the antiseptic scent no longer seemed like a generic hospital odor but a distinct mixture of isopropyl alcohol, iodine, and something faintly floral — Alexis's hand lotion.
The System recalibrated my mind, pulling me into a higher level of perception. My detective skills didn't just feel sharper. They felt…limitless.
I flexed my right hand, feeling the tight skin of the rope burns. This is what S-Rank feels like.
The screen shifted again.
For being the sole contributor in completing the Event: The Hunt for Cipher , an additional reward shall be provided.
Bonus Reward: All detective skills shall raise by 3 levels + Skill Level-Ups (x2)
I sat up straighter, ignoring the stab of pain from my ribs. My mind raced through my skills — Observation, Deduction, Interrogation, Instinct and surprisingly even Psychological Insight— they all surged upward.
I instinctively opened my skills interface. A list of abilities appeared in cascading order, each one now glowing with a faint golden tint. My eyes scanned the changes:
Observation (Lv. 5 → 8)
Deduction (Lv. 4 → 7)
Interrogation (Lv. 3 → 6)
Instinct (Lv. 4 → 7)
Psychological Insight (Lv. 2 → 5)
Each skill leaped forward as though they'd been restrained for years and finally set free. My thoughts clicked together faster. It was as if I could hold more pieces of a puzzle simultaneously in my head and see how they might interlock.
My second reward was the supposed Skill Level-Ups (x2) A small a question mark icon blinked next to the it. Curious, I tapped it. A new tooltip appeared.
*The user can choose to either:
Upgrade any one skill by 2 levels, or
Upgrade two different skills by 1 level each.*
Two extra levels, not bound to what job the skills is apart of. It was phenomenal to say the least, but I decided to keep hold of it for now. I didn't want to use it while I was recovering in a hospital. The very notion felt silly.
Still, my thoughts shifted again. I wasn't fully in control of my Detective skills and S-Rank abilities. I could still feel pathways open in my mind. Not just tactical theory, but the flow of movement, intention, and unseen dynamics. I could predict where people would stand, how they'd react, what they might overlook. I could almost see invisible threads connecting them all.
I inhaled shakily.
Focus, Rey.
The system wasn't done.
You have reached S-Rank with your current job: Detective. Portfolio is being created.
It was the usual. A portfolio that allowed me to store my skills under that job. Still I was contempt, you could never go wrong with it, and it was nice to be able to organize my skills better.
More notifications were still on my system, so I continued going through them.
You are to receive a reward for achieving S-Rank on a job for the first time.
Reward: Job Select (x1) & Database (Unlocked)
I squinted. Job Select? And what the hell was a Knowledge Database?
A secondary icon appeared beside the reward: a small, metallic archive box. I tapped it.
The interface shifted to a black void. Then, text scrolled across my vision.
Database Unlocked:
The Database is a comprehensive repository containing:
1. All information personally recorded by the user.
2. Verified public records across multiple sectors (history, politics, technology, notable individuals).
3. Cross-referenced event timelines and active identifiable patterns.
Limitations Apply: Classified, restricted, and anomalous information is excluded.
The screen filled with search options. I hesitated, then mentally typed: Level 10 Skill Users in the last 20 years.
The screen flashed:
Access Denied. No verified public records.
I tried Recent Known Level 9 Users. A short list appeared — retired military commanders, medical prodigies from over a decade ago. Some other ones were recent such as Nathan who had level 9 Endurance Boost, though it informed me that I had taken it. I was even visible on this list.
My Strategist skill stirred in the back of my mind. The possibilities with this are endless. You could find even the most hidden information as long as it was somewhat public.
I shelved the thoughts that my skill was giving me. Choosing to focus on what appeared to be the final notification.
You have achieved Rank-A or a superior Rank for your current Job: Detective. A new job is to be assigned to you.
Would you like to use your Job Select?
[Yes] | [No]
I stared at the glowing prompt. My heart thudded in my chest. I could choose my next job. Select any profession in the world and mold my future direction. But did I really want to waste it right now? What if I needed it for an emergency in the near future?
I tapped No.
The interface shimmered, and a swirling icon replaced the text:
Randomizing…
The screen turned black.
Then the world shattered.
The hospital vanished in an instant. Gravity itself flipped; I was suddenly weightless, spinning in darkness. Tubes and wires still tethered me to nothingness, thrashing around me like serpents. My stomach lurched as if I were plummeting down an endless chasm while my mind screamed for an anchor.
Pressure crushed my chest, cold and suffocating. It was clear what was happening, my detective skills were amplifying the feeling of receiving a new job.
Focus.
I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my breathing to steady. One breath at a time, Rey. I tightened my core, imagining the sensation of solid ground beneath me. Slowly, my pulse steadied. The disorientation faded.
The interface blinked back into view.
New Job Acquired:
Astronaut (C-Rank)
I opened my eyes, still floating. My vision cleared enough to see the hospital walls again — but the ground beneath me seemed...less certain. My breath came fast, my pulse racing with disbelief.
Astronaut?
That was possibly the last thing I was expecting to receive as a job.
I tightened my grip on the broken mask and exhaled through clenched teeth.
Reynard Vale just became an astronaut. Great.
The monitor beside me beeped in rapid succession, mirroring my confusion as I stared at the glowing letters.
Astronaut (C-Rank)