System Upgrade
Ding!
Congratulations! The system has been successfully upgraded!
Edric blinked, confused.
"What's going on? What happened?"
The last thing he remembered was watching a match of Survival Game, and then—nothing. Just blank.
"System upgrade?"
"Show me my stat window!" he commanded.
...
Name: Edric
Age: 36 years, 2 months, 9 days
Rank: Average Mage (0/10,000), Average Knight (0/10,000)
Skills: 7/15
Divination Resistance (Black) Bloodline Shield (Black) Mental Fortitude (Purple) Blessed by the Abyss - Suppressed (Purple) Abyss Emissary (Purple) Demonic Ancestor (Purple) Disguise (Purple)
— Skill Shop Available
Talent:
Mage: Golden (0/2,500,000) Knight: Legendary (0/10,000,000)
Tasks: None
Points: 100,000,000
Cheat: Moderate - 10,000/day
"What? Where are all my skills?"
Edric stared at the panel, his confusion deepening.
"Last I remember, I was a Legendary Knight and Mage! How the hell am I just Average now?"
His heart pounded as his gaze swept over his stats again.
"And why am I thirty-six? Just how long did this upgrade take?"
He wanted to demand an explanation, but there was no one to answer him.
"System! What happened? What's going on?" he called out.
Silence.
No response.
"Who the hell designed this damn cheat? How does it just erase all my progress for no reason? At least tell me why!"
His frustration boiled, but then—his eyes landed on the 100 million points.
His scowl turned into a grin.
"Wait… does this mean I can instantly break into Mythic? Or even Ultra? Is it really that easy?"
His frustration faded, replaced by excitement.
"Maybe this upgrade isn't so bad after all!"
He stood up, taking in his surroundings.
Darkness. Trees towered over him, their dense branches blocking the sky. There was no way to tell where he was—only leaves, shadows, and the rustling of the wind.
Then, reality hit him.
"Wait… I'm just an Average Knight now?"
His stomach dropped.
"An average knight… stranded in the middle of a forest… at night?"
He clenched his fists.
"Yeah, no. I'm not about to get killed like some weakling."
"System, add 10,000 to my Knight rank!"
No way was he going to explore this place as an average rank.
Ding!
Knight Rank: Average (10,000/10,000)!
Congratulations! Your rank has been upgraded to Great!
A surge of power rushed through Edric's body, lasting only a few seconds. His strength had clearly increased—his muscles felt firmer, his movements lighter.
"Add 50,000 XP to my Great Knight training!" he commanded. He wasn't stopping at Great.
Ding!
Knight Rank: Great (50,000/50,000)!
Congratulations! Your rank has been upgraded to Silver!
This time, the energy that filled him was completely different. A deep, bone-chilling cold spread through his veins, freezing him from the inside out.
"Silver Rank's energy is as cold as I remember..."
He shivered but wasn't too bothered. He had experienced this sensation before.
"Add 500,000 XP to my Silver Knight training!" Edric ordered without hesitation. He wasn't going to stop until he reached Legendary, at the very least.
He was standing in the middle of a dark forest, alone. Beasts could be lurking in the shadows, and at only Silver Rank, he wasn't confident in his survival. Upgrading his strength was the top priority—he could explore the System's shop and other features after securing his safety.
Ding!
Knight Rank: Silver (500,000/500,000)!
Congratulations! Your rank has been upgraded to Golden!
A scorching heat flooded his body, the complete opposite of his last breakthrough. It burned through his muscles, his bones, every fiber of his being. But despite the discomfort, he remained standing, fully conscious.
"Strange… Last time I reached Golden Rank, the pain was unbearable. But now, I can handle it."
Was it because of his increased mental fortitude? Or was there some other reason? He wasn't sure, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"Add 2,500,000 XP to my Golden Knight training!"
Ding!
Knight Rank: Golden (2,500,000/2,500,000)!
Congratulations! Your rank has been upgraded to Legendary!
A wave of power slammed into him—far stronger than before. The energy was both freezing cold and blazing hot at the same time, clashing inside him like two raging storms. His body trembled under the immense pressure, but he didn't collapse.
He gritted his teeth and endured it.
Somehow, for some reason, he was able to withstand the pain far better than in the past.
"Should I push further?"
For a brief moment, he hesitated. But then, his resolve hardened.
"No reason to stop now."
"Add 9,000,000 XP to my Legendary Knight training!"
Ding!
Knight Rank: Legendary (9,000,000/9,000,000)!
Congratulations! Your rank has been upgraded to Mythic!
A bone-chilling energy—thousands of times colder than when he broke through to Silver—erupted within his body, spreading like an unstoppable tide.
His entire body froze.
He couldn't move. He couldn't blink. He couldn't even think.
For a moment, it was as if he had turned into a statue of pure ice.
Minutes passed. Slowly, he started shuddering. His fingers twitched, then his arms, and eventually, he regained control.
"It's… cold!"
Looking inward, he saw a powerful cyan energy surging through his meridians, flowing like a raging river.
Then, he glanced at the system interface—and his heart skipped a beat.
"I still have enough XP left to break through to Ultra… in one go!"
40,000,000 XP. That was all it took. He could become an Ultra Knight instantly.
But he hesitated.
"Let's check the System's skill shop before deciding."
Ten minutes passed. The unbearable cold slowly faded, becoming something he could tolerate.
"Do all Mythic Knights feel like this?" He had worried he'd have to live in a permanent state of freezing, but fortunately, the sensation was already dulling.
A grin spread across his face.
"Finally, Mythic! I never imagined it would be this easy!"
He still had no idea what exactly happened during the system upgrade, but whatever it was, he didn't hate it.
Losing 18 years and all of his skills in exchange for 100 million XP? Absolutely worth it.
The only downside? The loss of all his tasks. If they had carried over, he would have been swimming in even more rewards.
"Well, no use dwelling on it. Let's check out the Skill Shop."
He mentally tapped on 'Skill Shop' in his stat window.
Ding!
Welcome! The Skill Shop is where you can buy and sell skills!
Selling prices are always at least 10% lower than buying prices.
Please select the rank of the skill you wish to purchase.
(Note 1: You can only use XP points in the System Shop.)
(Note 2: The host can only sell skills that are the same rank or lower than himself. Be careful when purchasing higher-ranked skills, as you will be unable to sell them until you rank up to match their level.)
For your convenience, we have provided the average price for each skill rank:
Average: 1,000 XP Great: 5,000 XP Silver: 25,000 XP Golden: 120,000 XP Legendary: 800,000 XP Mythic: 3,500,000 XP Ultra: 12,000,000 XP Super: 45,000,000 XP Extreme: 200,000,000 XP Absolute: 1,000,000,000 XP Supreme: No skills available for purchase at this rank.
"Oh my world… Look at these prices!"
Edric's eyes widened in disbelief as he scanned the Skill Shop.
He already had two Absolute Rank skills—if he could sell just one, he could instantly upgrade to Extreme Rank!
But there was a problem.
"Damn it! I can't sell them since I'm only at Mythic Rank!"
If not for that restriction, he would have sold one immediately and used the XP to power up. Instead, all he could do was sigh in frustration.
Shaking off his disappointment, he turned back to the shop.
"Show me Mythic Rank skills," he commanded.
A long list appeared, and he began scanning through them.
Spawn
Effect: Every day, lay 5,000 eggs that hatch into offspring inheriting your bloodline, Mythic-tier Mage and Knight talent, and Average Knight strength at birth. They are entirely loyal and reliable. Price: 10,000,000 XP - Special Discount (90% off due to compatibility): 1,000,000 XP
Edric's brows furrowed.
"This is a powerful skill, but it has a fatal weakness—it exposes my location."
A sudden explosion of 5,000 insanely talented individuals appearing in one place? That would instantly draw attention.
Now that he had reached Mythic Rank, he would no longer hide in the wilderness. His next destination? The Flicker Empire.
"If I take this skill, I won't be able to settle down easily. I can't just leave descendants everywhere..."
As he pondered, he gazed at the towering trees swaying in the wind.
There was no guarantee he was still in the same region as before.
"Can I even find Flicker Empire from here?"
Deciding to figure out his location first, he took off running, dashing through the dark forest with inhuman speed.
With his Mythic strength, he had no issue scanning the Skill Shop while simultaneously navigating the terrain.
Fire Element Resistance
Effect: Immune to all fire-based attacks below Ultra Rank. Price: 2,800,000 XP
Physical Evade
Effect: +10% evasion against Mythic Rank physical attacks. 99% evasion against Legendary Rank and lower. No effect against Ultra Rank or higher. Price: 3,500,000 XP
Clone
Effect: Create one clone of yourself with equal combat ability (without inheriting skills). Max Rank: Mythic No cost, unlimited duration. Clone's loyalty depends on the host's mentality. If the host trusts himself, the clone will trust him. If not, the clone may be unreliable. Price: 4,500,000 XP
Customizable Loyal Clone
Effect: Create one clone of yourself with equal combat ability (without inheriting skills). Max Rank: Mythic No cost, unlimited duration. Clone's loyalty is guaranteed. The host can customize the clone's mentality, memories, and appearance. Price: 15,000,000 XP
Edric wasn't satisfied.
"These skills are decent, but they're not worth stopping for. I'd rather just break through to Ultra Rank!"
His mind was set.
"Let's check higher-ranked skills!"
...
He continued sprinting through the endless forest, his sharp eyes scanning for any sign of civilization—while also browsing the Ultra and Super Rank skills.
After hours of running, Edric still hadn't reached the end of the dark forest.
It stretched endlessly in all directions—an ocean of trees with no signs of life.
No animals, no beasts—nothing but the eerie rustling of leaves.
It was unsettling.
"Thousands of miles of nothing but trees..." he thought, suppressing a shiver.
Where was he?
Had he somehow ended up in a dead zone, devoid of all life?
Despite the mystery surrounding the forest, his search through the Skill Shop hadn't been fruitless.
He had found one skill that truly caught his eye.
Super Knight Boost
Effect: Temporarily boosts the host's Knight Rank to Super Rank for 10 minutes. Cooldown: One month. If the host is already Super Rank, the skill superimposes, making them even stronger. Price: 40,000,000 XP
Edric stopped in his tracks, deep in thought.
This was a crucial decision—one that couldn't be rushed.
"Do I spend my XP to break through to Ultra Rank right now…"
"Or do I buy this skill instead?"
One option gave him permanent growth, the other offered a trump card that could turn the tide in battle.
This choice would define his path forward.
What should he do?