Chapter 7: Back To School Again
The glow of the interface still lingered in front of me, casting faint blue light across my dimly lit room.
> [STATUS]
Name: Luo Shen
Rank: D-Rank (Entry)
Health: 100%
Points: 50
Attributes:
— Strength: 22
— Agility: 24
— Vitality: 21
— Perception: 19
— Intelligence: 16
— Luck: 13
But something felt… off.
I narrowed my eyes. That strange hum—the sensation I felt mid-fight, as if something deeper had awakened—there was no trace of it here. No mention. No sign.
"Synchronization…" I murmured.
Just saying the word brought a flicker to the interface.
A new line pulsed into view beneath my attributes, as if it had been hidden until acknowledged.
> [Synchronization Rate: 18%]
(↑ +10% Gain — Recent Combat Event Registered)
My breath caught.
"It really did increase."
I leaned back, fingers drumming against the armrest of my chair. Before the raid, I was barely at 8%. I remembered it from a glimpse during the first seal unlock. Back then, it had been just a passive number, something the system didn't explain. But now?
Ten percent in a single battle. One real fight.
And the effects… I'd felt them.
Sharper reflexes. Greater adaptability. The way my movements had matched the monster's rhythm, how I'd dodged, reacted—even predicted its attacks. It wasn't normal training. It was like I was being reshaped in real-time.
A soft chime rang in my ears as another line materialized beneath the Synchronization panel.
> [System Notice: Host's body is currently unable to handle the full output of the 1st Seal.]
Power Output Limited.
Synchronization Rate will gradually increase through combat exposure, physical training, and environmental stressors.
As Synchronization increases, the host's physical and neural capacity will adapt to higher-tier power thresholds.
— Result: Stat growth, skill evolution, and combat performance will scale exponentially.
I stared at the message, letting the implications settle in.
So the 1st Seal… wasn't even fully active yet?
And the System was holding it back—for my sake.
My current power wasn't even the real thing.
Just a fragment. A trickle.
And yet it had been enough to take down a D-Rank mid-tier boss solo.
> "What happens when my body can handle it?" I whispered.
The system didn't answer that.
Instead, another brief message slid into view:
> [Tip: Recommended—Daily Combat Training and Exposure to High-Stress Battle Environments.]
"Adaptation is survival. Evolution is earned."
I couldn't help but smirk at the wording.
"Right. So you're saying... keep risking my life."
My hands flexed involuntarily. I could feel it—something humming deep beneath the skin. Not just muscle memory. Something older. Sharper. Woven into the core of my cells, like my very bones were listening.
> "The more I push… the more I become something else."
I stood up, still watching the glowing interface fade slowly from view. 18%. Still a long way to go. But now I had a direction. A method.
Fighting wasn't just a means to survive anymore.
It was the path forward.
I sat back down, fingers still tingling from that faint residual energy. The rush of the dungeon fight had finally faded, but my mind stayed sharp.
> "Let's see what I can do with these points."
I pulled open the System Mall with a thought.
> [SYSTEM MALL – ACCESS GRANTED]
Available Points: 50
Category: Weapons | Armor | Enhancements | Consumables | Artifacts
A sleek grid of holographic icons hovered in the air. Each one shimmered with enticing details—potions glowing with radiant energy, weapons forged from rare beast cores, enchantments promising boosts in agility or perception.
And yet—
> [Body Enhancement Capsule – 200 Points]
[Perception Booster – 150 Points]
[Reflex Enhancer v1.3 – 180 Points]
[Basic Combat Skill Module – 250 Points]
[C-Rank Beasthide Armor – 300 Points]
I scrolled. And scrolled.
Everything useful was out of reach.
"Figures," I muttered. "Fifty points won't even buy a basic potion."
The only cheap options were worthless scraps—F-Rank gear or low-grade consumables that wouldn't help me now.
> [System Suggestion: Use Points to Upgrade Equipped Weapon]
Eligible: C-Rank Dagger [Unrefined Prototype]
Upgrade Cost: 50 Points
— Result: Weapon Rank-Up to C+ | Adaptive Resonance Enhancement Added
Confirm Upgrade?
I blinked.
The system... wanted me to enhance the dagger?
I looked at it—still faintly gleaming from the dungeon fight. It had cut through the boss's skin, dug into bone, resonated with my movements like it was part of me.
"…Alright. Do it."
> [Command Confirmed — Upgrading Weapon...]
The dagger lifted from my inventory slot, suspended mid-air by invisible energy. A soft whir filled the room as lines of silver etched themselves deeper along the blade's surface, glowing with a subtle, rhythmic pulse—almost like a heartbeat.
> [C-Rank Dagger → C+ Adaptive Resonance Dagger]
— Passive: Auto-Sharpening
— Passive: Vibration Pulse Layer (Triggered after continued use)
— Compatibility: Perfect (Host Sync: 18%)
— [All Points Consumed]
The blade dropped gently into my hand, lighter and sharper than before. I gave it a small test swing—and felt it.
Not just weight.
Connection.
It responded faster. Flowed smoother.
It was like the weapon remembered the fight too.
> "Better than buying a cheap potion," I muttered, watching the faint glint run along its edge.
Fifty points gone! All the points I got by fighting so hard is gone like that?
The dagger slid silently into the hidden compartment of my pack. With the system quiet and my points spent, the room suddenly felt too still.
My stomach growled.
"…Right. Food."
I grabbed my wallet and jacket, then headed out. The streets were dim and mostly empty—just a few neon signs flickering and the occasional hum of passing bikes. I walked two blocks to a nearby convenience store, the automatic door chiming as I entered.
The warm air and sterile lights greeted me like an old memory.
I picked up a few instant meal packs, some noodles, canned soup, a couple of protein bars, and one lonely bottle of peach tea. Enough for a few days if I rationed right. The cashier barely looked up as I paid and left.
Back home, I microwaved one of the meals, poured hot water into the noodles, and cracked open the tea.
It wasn't a feast, but after the dungeon chaos, even this tasted better than anything I'd had in weeks.
> I ate slowly. Thoughtfully.
For once… I wasn't eating just to survive.
I'd earned this.
---
Later That Night
I lay on the thin mattress beneath the single flickering light bulb, the sounds of the city humming beyond my window. I opened the interface once more—just to look.
> Synchronization: 18%
Points: 0
Health: 100%
Weapon: C+ Adaptive Resonance Dagger
Status: Stable
I closed it, rolled to my side, and shut my eyes.
Sleep came easily.
---
The Next Morning
A thin beam of light crept through the cracked curtains. I stretched, blinking away the sleep as I sat up.
> "Time for school…"
I hadn't been there in days.
Between the System awakening, the seal unlocking, and the dungeon raid… school had become a distant memory. But I was still registered. Still expected to show up.
I pulled on the school uniform—standard dark slacks, white button-up, blazer. Same as always.
But when I looked in the mirror… I hesitated.
My face was still mine, but somehow sharper—cleaner. My posture straighter. My skin, clearer. Even my eyes looked more alert.
The System Enhancement Potion I got earlier… it really had worked. Even if subtly.
No wonder I'd caught a few curious glances yesterday on the street.
I tied my hair back, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed out.
---
School Grounds – Main Entrance
The bell hadn't rung yet, but students already crowded the courtyard—chatting, laughing, dragging their feet toward first period.
I walked through the gate, keeping my gaze down—but I could feel it instantly.
Eyes.
Whispers.
> "Hey… isn't that Luo Shen?"
"I thought he dropped out."
"No, look—he's back. But…"
"Did he always look like that?"
"Something's different. Did he get taller? His hair? Nah, that's not it. It's his face—he looks kinda… sharp. Handsome?"
I kept walking, not saying a word.
Their voices trailed behind me.
It wasn't just the way I looked.
Something in my aura had changed—my stride, the calm in my steps, the way I carried myself.
They didn't know what it was.
But I did.
> "This is just the beginning."
End of the Chapter.