The Ding Orchestra... and the Cursed Upgrade Prophecy

The Ding Orchestra… and the Cursed Upgrade Prophecy

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

Ding~

The sounds exploded in Arion's head like cheap but cheerful fireworks all at once. His throat went dry, and he smiled like a man who'd tasted water in the heart of a desert.

"Oh… soul music… this is how I wish to be buried!"

He opened his status window with a hand trembling from sheer delight:

> [ You killed an Elite Goblin Guard. +45 EXP ]

[ You killed an Elite Goblin Guard. +51 EXP ]

[ You killed an Elite Goblin Guard. +48 EXP ]

... (and other notifications) ...

Then came the biggest announcement — in a golden glowing font:

> [ Congratulations! You leveled up! ]

[ Current Level: 6 ]

[ EXP: 88 / 650 ]

[ You gained 25 free stat points! ]

[ HP: 500 -> 650 ]

[ MP: 600 -> 750 ]

Arion gasped like he'd just drunk a cup of saint's blood.

"Level six! Finally!"

But before he could close the window, another notification popped up — different this time. A new message, sealed with a deep blue mark he'd never seen before:

> [ Congratulations! You reached Level 6. ]

[ Special Info: When you reach Level 10, your system's upgrade path will unlock! ]

[ Possible Upgrade: Your entire system will be rebuilt, you'll gain the ability to customize stats, create more complex skills without limits, and maybe unlock a new skill tree. ]

Arion burst out laughing with a hoarse voice. "An upgrade for the system itself?! Hahaha! Perfect! So when I level up… it levels up with me! Gods, will we be buried together too?"

Then came the flood of achievements like torn pages from his shredded luck book:

> [ Achievement: Goblin Slayer — You killed over 10 goblins by yourself. ]

[ Achievement: Elite Hunter — You wiped out a full elite unit alone. ]

[ Achievement: Trap Sorcerer — You smartly combined two skills and lured enemies to a fiery death. ]

[ Achievement Reward: +50 EXP, +3 Mental Energy Points. ]

[ Achievement: Surviving the Curses — You survived 100 goblin curses without a mental breakdown! ]

[ Achievement Reward: +2 Intelligence. ]

[ Secret Achievement: First Abyss — You created a trap that the system itself called "The Abyss." ]

[ Achievement Reward: Crumb of a Mysterious Blessing — Nothing clear, but you feel strangely better! ]

Numbers flooded his head. He felt his muscles recharge, his chest expand slightly despite the wounds.

He looked at the fat rat still sitting beside him, licking bone scraps. He patted its head like a king patting his loyal subject.

"See? Told you! One pit can change a man's life forever."

Then he moved. No time to sit on bones. Ahead was the dwarven workshop, the gold mine, and the mithril waiting for him to forge his next dream.

Arion stood in the dead silence, the smell of burnt flesh still clinging to the air. He closed the system window — but not the feeling surging through his body.

25 stat points.

He didn't hesitate for a second. Once, he would've invested in agility to escape, or intelligence for more tricks. But now, after seeing enough blood and death, his goal was different.

"I need strength to crush them, and defense to stand my ground."

He opened the stat distribution window and with steady mental fingers pressed the buttons:

> [ Distribute Stat Points ]

Strength: 26 -> 31 (+5)

Defense: 20 -> 30 (+10)

Agility: 12 -> 22 (+10)

Intelligence: 32

Remaining Points: 0

He raised his brow with defiance: "Hah? Alive? What an ironic condition…"

He stared at the goblin smoke still rising from the pit's belly. He clenched his filthy dagger tighter.

"Four levels… just four more… and then…"

He grinned like a child seeing a locked treasure chest.

"Then… I'll break this world from the inside."

Then he moved. No time to sit on bones. Ahead was the dwarven workshop, the gold mine, and the mithril waiting for him to forge his next dream.

Behind him, the pit kept steaming… a witness that deep underground, there's always room for chaos — and an eternal song of Ding~.