Returning to the familiar weapon-smithing workshop, Han Xiao set to work. He took out the bones and teeth he had collected, intending to upgrade his dagger. The air was thick with the scent of smelted materials and the rhythmic sound of hammering.
For the entire day, Han Xiao labored diligently. He carefully smelted the bones and teeth, merging them with his weapon. His focus was unwavering as he worked on sharpening the blade and enhancing its magical inscriptions.
The process was intricate, each step requiring precision and skill. Han Xiao’s hands moved with practiced ease, his mind fully immersed in the task. The workshop echoed with the sounds of his efforts, the crackle of the forge, and the clink of metal creating a symphony of craftsmanship.
By the time the sun began to set, the dagger gleamed with a new sharpness, the upgraded magical inscriptions glowing faintly with power. Han Xiao wiped the sweat from his brow, a sense of satisfaction washing over him as he admired his handiwork. The dagger now felt more formidable, its potential greatly enhanced.
He sheathed the upgraded weapon, feeling a surge of confidence.
Now sitting cross-legged, Han Xiao pondered his next steps. There are still over twenty days left until the martial meet, he thought. Reflecting on the recent assassination attempt, he realized it had gone beyond his expectations. But now that the name of the secret organization has come to light, I have little to worry about. The academy will ensure my safety.
Taking a deep breath, he focused on calming himself both physically and mentally. The deep breathing helped center him, bringing a sense of peace. He then began to visualize his upcoming battles, mentally reviewing his techniques and strategies. He shook his head at the various mistakes he had made, or rather, at the alternative approaches he could have taken. This exercise allowed him to see where he could improve and refine his skills.
With each visualization, he became more aware of his potential and the areas that needed enhancement. His mind sharpened, and his confidence grew, knowing that he was preparing himself thoroughly for the challenges ahead.
If I hadn’t been so focused on practicing my sword skills with them, I could have killed both assassins easily. They outwitted me, Han Xiao reflected. Anyway, let’s see how far I’ve come with my system.
Ding!
[Total Curse Points: 13,567]
"Now, open Roulette and buy one hundred keys with my curse points."
+1000 Curse Points Used!
[Total Curse Points: 12,567]
[You Have One Hundred Keys To Use For Rolling The Roulette!]
The familiar red interface appeared, and the roulette wheel materialized. Han Xiao raised his hand and inserted ten keys into the empty slots. The wheel spun to the accompaniment of lively music, but all ten pointers landed on ‘Better Luck Next Time!’
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Han Xiao didn't worry; he still had plenty of keys left to test his luck. Without hesitation, he inserted another ten keys into the slots. The Roulette board began to rotate with an eerie tune playing in the background.
A remnant of a culture linked to the System's origins, he imagined.
This time, his luck paid off. One pointer landed on ‘You Gain 100 Free Shopping Keys.’
"Yes, that's what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed excitedly. To him, Shopping Keys were more valuable than Roulette Keys.
He continued playing the roulette, but most of the results landed on ‘Better luck next time.’ On his final roll, one of the ten pointers finally stopped on ‘Free Level Up— one-time use.’
A lot of information flashed across the red interface accompanied by a familiar chime.
Ding!
[Free Level Up— you can use this to level up any skill or technique you have acquired. The choice is yours.]
"System, show me my official stats, regarding my skills." Han Xiao requested after a moment of contemplation.
image [https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/109638655/de289ecd8f77444b87a9f77afa978cd2/eyJ3Ijo4MjB9/1.png?token-time=1724284800&token-hash=l2Y8tdFJrmA7qd6D5kq3dq37zzPsr3YAF-tHoh0t8RY%3D]
Han Xiao examined his array of skills, mentally sorting out which ones required upgrading.
He glanced at the Bloodline-Based Skills and muttered, “The snake bloodline is useful for sneaking attacks or evading powerful foes. It's handy, but not what I need right now. Pass!”
His gaze shifted to the Berserker Bloodline and Silver Electric Arc. “Both of these will boost my offensive power. They’re tempting.”
Turning to the Non-Bloodline Skills, he considered, “Curse Eyes is intriguing—better than the previous two, as it reveals my opponents’ weaknesses and strengths. Poison Resistance is useful but not urgent. And Curse Speed Burst is a bonus ability that I’d like to upgrade too.”
Weighing his options between Curse Eyes and Speed Burst, he made his choice.
“Alright, I’ll upgrade the Curse Speed Burst,” he decided. “Level it up!”
A confirmation sound echoed through the hall.
Ding!
[Curse Speed Burst has been leveled up to Level 2!]
[Speed Burst Level 2: +20 Agility!] [+1 Agility means you gain fifty percent of your normal speed!]
Han Xiao did the math in his head and his excitement grew. “At Level 1, Speed Burst gave me 10 agility, which meant five times my normal speed. I was very satisfied with that. Now, at Level 2, it’s ten times faster than my normal speed. Oh my god, I have to try this out.”
He dashed forward, but the next moment, his face slammed into the wall. With a loud bang, cracks spider-webbed across the surface as the impact left him dazed and in agonizing pain. He staggered back, moving in slow motion to avoid another collision.
Though his nose bled slightly, he suffered minimal damage thanks to the strengthening of his muscles, skin, and bones. Han Xiao felt the surge of enhanced agility and speed, and despite the pain, he was satisfied with the upgrade. It would give him a crucial edge in future battles, allowing for quicker movements and more precise strikes.
“Anyway, I have a bigger problem here,” he said, addressing the system. “My body’s not used to this speed yet. Can I control the activation and deactivation of this skill? It would be better if I could switch between Level 1 and Level 2 and then turn it off and on, right?”
[Sure! The Skill is Yours. You’re the Master. Use it as you see fit.]
With a thought, he deactivated the passive skill and began walking slowly around the hall, testing his control. He jogged and ran, experimenting with the speed of Level 1, gradually acclimating to the new pace.
Over the next two days, he maintained a routine of walking and running, toggling the skill on and off. Once he felt comfortable with the changes, he activated Level 2 again. As he moved, it felt as though he was teleporting within the hall. His practice and experimentation with the skill continued.
The only downside was that using this skill drained his Essence Curse Qi and burned more energy when switching from Level 1 to Level 2. There was no limit to how long he could use the skill, but the system warned that overuse could cause muscle spasms upon deactivation, and prolonged use could lead to severe bodily damage.