Free Web NovelChapter 10: The Reward Merging
[Ding! You have successfully confronted your haters and protected your dignity in front of all...]
[Ding! You have successfully managed to control your emotions in front of the crowd!]
[Ding! You have successfully managed to leave a deep impression on the audience!]
[Ding! Hidden Mission ’Leave a Mark’ has been successfully completed!]
[Ding! The System has been upgraded to Level 2!]
[Ding! New features have been unlocked!]
[Ding! Do you want to merge all the rewards of the hidden conditions into one?]
[Y/N]
Alden stared at the flood of sudden notifications that started to appear in front of him simultaneously.
He checked the messages, realizing he had fulfilled various hidden conditions. This helped him earn several extra rewards, likely thanks to his high luck, which he clearly didn’t lack!
His system had also upgraded to Level 2.
Alden looked at the floating screens. He pushed his back against the chair, placed his legs up on the desk, and folded his hands behind his head.
"Huh? It seems the System can also level up. What new things did it bring?"
Before he could look into the upgrade, his eyes turned toward a different screen. He saw something entirely new, something he was seeing for the very first time. His face lit up with excitement at the discovery.
"Hey, can I really merge the rewards? And what will be the advantage of doing that? Will it give me a stronger skill or ability?"
[Ding! Merging the artifacts or skills from the rewards will grant you a special, more powerful, and unique skill, technique, or ability.]
Alden stared at the system interface for a minute as he heard the mechanical answer.
"So you can actually answer my questions. I thought you were just a dumb system with no use except making me work hard..."
"..."
[Ding! Due to the host talking bad about the System, Host’s Overall Stats will be decreased by -1.]
"Wait—What the f*ck?! Why are you acting like a petty bastard? Don’t take my stats, I earned those with hard work, you asshole!"
[Ding! Due to the host’s continuous insults, Host’s Overall Stats will be decreased by -3.]
Alden stared at the screen with a pale face as he physically felt his strength fading. His stats were really going down. He looked at the system panel in panic.
"Hey, sorry, sorry! I beg you, please return my stats. I request you, please. You are a sweet system. A sweet system who gave me easy quests to earn something. I am just a bad guy. I am sorry, please give those back..."
Alden joined his hands together in a pleading gesture and tightly closed his eyes.
[Ding! Apology Accepted—Host’s Overall Stats have been increased by +4.]
Alden looked at the screen, opening just one eye. He finally sighed in relief and slumped back down on the chair.
’Tch! What a weirdo system. I used to read novels and watch anime where the systems practically begged to give the protagonists overpowered abilities, and here is mine. It has the ego of a god...’
Alden shut down his complaints and sighed in frustration.
"Okay, okay, tell me what skill or ability I am going to get after merging those rewards."
[Ding! After merging those rewards, the host might receive a new unique skill of a higher rank than the original items. However, it is not guaranteed that the resulting skill or ability will be useful.]
[Ding! The Host will also lose the original rewards after the merge. It is preferred for the host to think carefully and make a measured decision.]
[Ding! Do you still want to merge all the rewards of the hidden conditions into one?]
[Y/N]
As the merging notification popped up in front of Alden again, he thought about the pros and cons of the process.
If he didn’t merge the rewards, there was a high chance that at least one or a few of them would be useful for his current condition. Since he lacked any real power, a basic skill or ability might give him the foundation he needed to start training and working on himself.
But on the other hand, if he merged all the skills together, he might get a uniquely powerful ability. Or, he might gamble it all away and end up with a worthless power of no use.
As he considered these options in a daze, he finally made his choice.
"Okay, let’s gamble on this. It’s not like I am going to become super powerful just by relying on a few weak skills anyway. Hmph!"
Alden quickly pressed ’Y’ before he could change his own mind.
"..."
Silence filled the room for several seconds. Alden held his breath, waiting anxiously.
But he had forgotten one crucial detail: he possessed the SSS+ Luck stat.
[Ding! Merging all the rewards is processing...]
[Ding! Merging Successful!]
[Ding! Congratulations Host, you have obtained the Innate Ability ’Growth-Acceleration’!]
[Growth-Acceleration]
[Description: A unique innate ability that greatly enhances the host’s ability to cultivate Mana and their overall physical growth. This passive ability allows the host to grow ten times faster than any ordinary people.]
As Alden looked at the screen, his jaw dropped. He had just received the most useful ability he could possibly need right now.
Suddenly, his body started to glow. A warm golden light wrapped around him, as if he had received a direct blessing from heaven. The golden glow illuminated the entire dorm room. Eventually, the light dimmed.
Alden felt lighter, and his mental comprehension of the world shifted slightly.
Just a few moments ago, he was merely a newbie transmigrator in this fantasy world, possessing barely any comprehension of magic due to the past owner’s lack of talent. Now, he felt like he had always belonged here.
Before, he had no ability to boost his sluggish growth rate, which was barely even at the level of a commoner.
Now, he had secured the ultimate foundation for growth. The only thing left to do was train, and train hard.
"Thank goodness, that was the most useful ability I could have gotten. No, wait! Calling it useful is an understatement! It is the most legendary ability I could ever ask for!"
He clenched his fists.
"But that doesn’t mean I should just live a chill life. I definitely have to work hard in order to make this ability worth it!"
"Okay, now let’s move on to the System Upgrade. What good features came with Level 2?"
[Ding! The System has gained the ability to merge your rewards!]
[Ding! A new section has been unlocked: ’Inventory’.]
"Hmph. That’s unique. It seems the more the system upgrades, the more options will be unlocked for me to use."
Alden stood up after dismissing the flood of notifications. He walked over toward his bed.
But instead of going to sleep, he sat down cross-legged in a lotus position. He prepared to resume his rank breakthrough, which he had forcefully suppressed up until now. His internal mana was practically in chaos. The suppression wasn’t going to hold out much longer.
He closed his eyes and entered a state of meditation. The atmospheric mana in the surroundings started to absorb into his body. To his surprise, the mana reacted much more actively toward him now, rather than him having to forcefully drag it inside his core.
He absorbed the atmospheric mana for several minutes. It didn’t take long for his limits to shatter. The breakthrough triggered naturally.
[Ding! Breaking through the E+ rank...]
[Ding! You have successfully broken through to D- Rank!]
[Ding! You have gained a new Element: Darkness!]
[Ding! Your overall stats have been increased slightly!]
[Ding! Your mana capacity has been increased slightly!]
Alden opened his eyes. He felt stronger than he ever had before.
For an ordinary person, breaking through to the D- rank was nothing special. But since the past Alden was stuck at E+ for almost an entire year, this was a massive deal.
Alden lay back on his bed as a newly found power coursed smoothly through his veins. He smiled genuinely for the first time, without any hint of worry or tension weighing him down.
He looked blankly up at the ceiling for a moment.
"Let’s check the status now..."
