The arena still buzzed with disbelief.
Students whispered frantically, some staring at Kai as if he were a ghost, others as though he were a monster. Elders who had once dismissed him leaned forward with narrowed eyes, their expressions unreadable.
Kai stood in the middle of the chaos, gripping the glowing spear. His chest heaved, but not from exhaustion. It was exhilaration. For the first time, he felt the world tilt in his favor.
The voice in his mind echoed once more, calm yet filled with infinite promise:
> [New Ability Unlocked – Upgrade Self.]
Kai's heart pounded. Upgrade… myself?
He barely had time to think before several academy instructors rushed into the arena. They knelt beside Liu Fen, who lay unconscious, his shoulder bleeding profusely.
"Quick, get the healing elixirs!" one barked.
Another shot Kai a dark glare. "Kai Ren! What trick did you use?!"
Trick. Always that word. Always disbelief, always dismissal.
Kai met the instructor's glare with cold eyes. "No trick."
His voice was calm, but the spear in his hand glimmered faintly as if daring anyone to challenge him. For a moment, the instructor faltered.
"Kai Ren!" Elder Huang, the overseer of the tournament, stepped forward. His long white beard swayed as he scrutinized the boy. "What happened here… was no ordinary display. You… broke a Spirit-grade's weapon with a stick."
A ripple of murmurs spread.
Kai lowered the spear, its runes dimming slightly. "I used what I had."
It wasn't a lie. He had used what he had. Only now, what he had was something the world couldn't even begin to understand.
Elder Huang's eyes narrowed. "You will remain in the academy for observation. If you are found to possess… some forbidden artifact, punishment will follow."
Forbidden artifact? Kai almost laughed. If only they knew. This wasn't some trinket. This was his. His alone.
He gave no answer, only a respectful bow. "Yes, Elder."
The elder's sharp eyes lingered on him for a long moment before he turned away, signaling the end of the match.
The crowd dispersed slowly, but the whispers never stopped.
> "How did he do that?"
"It must be a trick. There's no way trash like him could be stronger than Liu Fen."
"No… I saw it. That weapon… it evolved."
Kai ignored them. He had endured worse. He walked out of the arena, spear in hand, and returned to the small dormitory that barely counted as his home.
---
His room was as pathetic as his reputation. Four stone walls, a rickety bed, and a broken table. On the table lay a cracked mirror. Kai set the spear down and sat cross-legged, staring at the wall.
The system's words echoed again.
> [Upgrade Self Available.]
[Would you like to initiate Self-Upgrade?]
Kai's pulse quickened. He clenched his fists.
"Do it."
> [Scanning host…]
[Host Body: Fragile Mortal Frame]
[Cultivation Talent: Zero]
[Physical Strength: Below Average]
[Stamina: Weak]
[Spirit Core: Dormant / Cracked]
[Recommendation: Begin Self-Upgrade immediately.]
The voice was merciless, but it wasn't wrong. He was weak. Pathetic. Trash.
But not for long.
> [Consume 1 Upgrade Point?]
"Upgrade," Kai whispered.
Warmth spread through his veins. His bones creaked, his muscles tightened, his lungs filled with more air than ever before. Pain followed—sharp, searing pain that made him grit his teeth until blood filled his mouth.
And then, relief.
> [Upgrade Complete.]
[Fragile Mortal Frame → Tempered Mortal Frame.]
[Strength: Average.]
[Stamina: Average.]
[Spirit Core: Stable (Dormant).]
Kai gasped, sweat pouring down his face. He flexed his fingers. The difference was… indescribable. His body no longer felt like a cage of weakness. It felt alive. Stronger.
He stood and looked into the cracked mirror. His reflection was the same boy with messy black hair, but his eyes—his eyes had a sharpness that hadn't been there before.
A small grin tugged at his lips. "So this… is what it feels like to change."
---
The following days were chaos.
Word of Kai's victory spread across the academy like wildfire. Students avoided him in the corridors—not out of respect, but fear. They whispered behind his back, casting suspicious glances, wondering if he carried some forbidden relic.
Kai didn't care. For the first time, their words didn't pierce him.
He had begun upgrading himself every night, quietly, carefully.
Each upgrade left him gasping, sweating, but stronger.
His fragile bones became tempered like steel.
His weak muscles transformed into cords of power.
His dormant Spirit Core began flickering faintly, like a candle in the dark.
And yet, it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.
The academy elders watched him closely, testing him daily, but they found nothing unusual. His spear had disappeared—downgraded back into its original broken stick once he dismissed it. The system, it seemed, protected him from discovery.
Kai trained relentlessly, eager to push his new power.
---
It wasn't long before another challenge came.
On the training grounds, a group of students blocked his path. Among them was Chen Mu, a bulky youth known for tormenting weaker disciples.
"Well, if it isn't the upgraded trash," Chen sneered. "Think one lucky duel makes you a genius?"
His lackeys laughed.
Kai regarded them coldly. He didn't answer.
Chen Mu grew red. "Still pretending, huh? Fine. Let's see what you've got." He swung a heavy club toward Kai's ribs.
The old Kai would have cowered. The new Kai didn't flinch.
He raised his hand.
> [Do you wish to upgrade: Broken Wooden Stick?]
"Yes."
> [Broken Wooden Stick → Steel-Edged Rod.]
The club came crashing down. Kai's rod met it mid-swing. CRACK! The club shattered, fragments scattering across the ground.
Chen Mu's eyes bulged.
Kai stepped forward, his rod pressing against Chen's throat. His voice was calm, deadly quiet. "Mock me again, and you'll regret it."
Silence.
For the first time, Kai saw it—the look he had dreamed of for years. Not laughter. Not mockery. But fear.
---
That night, Kai sat cross-legged again, the system whispering in his mind.
> [Upgrade Points Remaining: 2.]
[Would you like to upgrade Spirit Core?]
His heart pounded. His Spirit Core had been broken, dormant, a dead weight inside him since his talent test. If the system could fix it…
"Upgrade."
> [Upgrading…]
[Spirit Core: Dormant → Awakened.]
[Cultivation Path Unlocked.]
A surge of energy exploded inside him. His veins burned, his chest felt like it would burst, his entire body trembled violently.
And then—silence.
Kai opened his eyes. For the first time, he felt it. The faint hum of the world's energy flowing into him. Spiritual energy. Qi.
Tears pricked at his eyes. Something he had been denied his entire life was now his.
He clenched his fists. "I'm not trash. Not anymore."
The voice in his mind spoke one last time before sleep took him.
> [Congratulations. Path of Cultivation Awakened.]
[From now on, everything you touch can be upgraded.]
Kai smiled as darkness claimed him.
The academy had no idea what was coming.