The laptop chimed, and the Vice Chancellor quickly spun the screen toward himself to check the payment status.
The instant his eyes landed on the figure, he froze. His lips trembled, and only a single word escaped him.
"How…?!"
Ethan, on the other hand, looked rather pleased. "Sir, the payment was a success. That means I'm now the top trustee. No one can expel me anymore, right?" His words snapped the VC out of his daze.
"W-What? Oh… yes! No one can touch you now, Ethan." The VC stammered as he quickly reached for the telephone. "I'll inform the Wyke family head immediately that you are one of the trustees. The top one at that."
But Ethan's calm voice stopped him.
"No, sir. Please don't mention my name. That might invite unnecessary problems. Just say a new trustee has donated, he's at the top, and he wants me to stay. That should be enough."
Inside, his thoughts were firm. "I need to become stronger, at least a little, before I provoke the Wyke family."
The VC blinked, then nodded. "Alright. If that's what you want." He paused, then added earnestly, "Ethan, you are now this university's highest benefactor. Even if no one else knows, I do. Whatever help you need from this institution, at any time, just ask."
His eyes glowed with relief. He didn't know where Ethan had gotten the money, but judging by the boy's character, results, and reputation from the past, he was certain of one thing... Ethan would never engage in anything illegal that harmed others.
The burden of possibly expelling such a bright student had weighed heavily on his chest until now. But now... That weight was gone. He was truly happy, not just for Ethan's future, but for the university's and his as well. After all, he, too, would benefit from the massive donation Ethan had just made.
"Thank you, sir," Ethan replied politely. Then he rose from his chair. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Alright, Ethan. Study hard, and take care of yourself."
Ethan bowed respectfully and stepped out from the classroom.
The moment he was outside, his eyes shifted to the panel hovering in the air before him. He was literally over the moon.
[Host: Ethan Wolf]
[Balance: $9,999,979,899,995,160]
[Body: 15]
[Mind: 28]
[Skill: None]
[EP: 201]
He grinned. "Damn, Halo… even donations give me EP? If I knew this earlier, I would've just donated everywhere and powered up in no time!" he whispered under his breath, making sure no one heard him.
There was no one around, so he strolled leisurely, checking his stats one by one, excitement bubbling inside him.
Just then, Halo's voice echoed in his mind.
[Wrong. Though you donated, you bought power with it. Power to dominate others to establish your own decision. So it was counted as a purchase of power. That's why it rewarded you with EP. Normal donations like charity or funding will not work.]
"What?!" Ethan's mood soured immediately.
"Tch, whatever," he muttered, his eyes narrowing with renewed determination. "Let's see how far these 201 EP can take me."
Instead of heading to the cafe, Ethan quickly made his way to the university rooftop. He slipped through the stairwell door, shut it firmly behind him, and glanced around to make sure no one was there.
It was completely empty. Silent.
Ethan then sat down in a corner leaning against a wall.
"Halo."
The moment he spoke, the panel again materialized before him.
"I want to increase my strength first. So add all 201 EP to Body," Ethan commanded with excitement glimmering in his eyes. "Let's see how powerful I'll become."
[Operation failed]
A sudden buzz from the panel shattered his excitement like a bucket of cold water.
"What?! Failed? But why?" He snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. He had been expecting a surge of power, and the denial made his blood boil.
[The maximum limit for your current physique is 50. To proceed, the host must first reach 50 in both Body and Mind. Once both reach the maximum limit, your physique will upgrade. Only then can you add more stats. And another important point: simply raising Body and Mind does not make you stronger. It only upgrades your physique and mental capacity.]
Ethan's brows furrowed. "It won't make me stronger? Then what the hell is the point of all this? How do I actually become strong?" His impatience was leaking into every word.
[Everyone's physique is like a vessel. The better the vessel, the more skills it can contain. Consider it similar to genetic blessings for a gym freak. One person can build more muscles with less effort, while another, despite working harder, achieves less because of inferior genetics. Once your physique improves, you will be able to purchase and learn advanced skills which will help you become strong.]
Ethan's frustration softened slightly. "Oh… I think I get it now. So, with my current physique, what kind of skills can I learn that will actually make me stronger?" he asked eagerly.
[None. At your current level, you can only purchase common skills necessary for daily life.]
"What? None?!" Ethan's mood dropped like a stone. He clenched his fists. "Fine. At least show me the skills available now."
As soon as he gave the command, the panel shifted. A long list began scrolling upward.
[Cooking
Driving
Gardening
Entrepreneurship…]
Hundreds of mundane skills flashed by one after another.
"Stop." Ethan said in a flat tone.
The scrolling halted.
"Add 35 EP to Body, and 22 EP to Mind. Let's just upgrade my physique first. These skills are also important but I don't need them at the moment."
The panel responded at once.
[Body: 15 + 35 → 50]
[Mind: 28 + 22 → 50]
[You have reached the maximum limit of your current physique.]
[Physique will now upgrade.]
[Initializing physique upgrade…]
[10%…
30%…
50%…
80%…
100%]
[Upgrade complete]
The moment the upgrade finished, Ethan felt a strange wave sweep through his body. It wasn't raw strength surging into his muscles, but something subtler and deeper. His entire being felt refreshed, as if layers of hidden filth had been washed away from the inside.
His body grew lighter, his breathing smoother, and his thoughts sharper than ever before. "What is this feeling?! I feel like my mind is crystal clear now, unburdened, like a fog was lifted."
It wasn't power in the sense of brute force, but rather the feeling of being reborn, his physique refined, cleansed, and ready to contain something greater.
[Congratulations, Ethan Wolf.]
[Your physique has advanced from No Grade to Ordinary Grade.]
[Host: Ethan Wolf]
[Balance: $9,999,979,899,995,160]
[Physique: Ordinary]
[Body: 0]
[Mind: 0]
[Skill: None]
[EP: 144]
"Good. Now let's see some real stuff," Ethan muttered, his eyes gleaming. "Show me the skills I can buy now that will actually make me stronger."
[Acknowledged.]
A new set of options appeared on the panel, scrolling upward from the bottom.
[Boxing
Taekwondo
Martial Arts
Kickboxing
Cultivation
Marksmanship
Heightened Senses
Stealth
Invisibility]
One after another, countless skills filled the screen.
Ethan's brows furrowed. There were so many choices, he couldn't decide.
"Which one should I pick…?" he thought to himself. Then he asked aloud, "Halo, can you suggest the best skills here?"
[Yes. If the host prefers weapons like small arms or long-range firearms then Marksmanship would be ideal. If the host prefers close combat, Martial Arts is recommended. The host may also choose Cultivation. Though its progress is slow at the beginning, its potential is limitless.]
"Oh?" Ethan's eyes lit up. "That Cultivation sounds interesting… What else? Is there any skill that could save me from… unwanted trouble?"
[You may choose Invisibility or Stealth. Invisibility conceals only your body. Stealth, however, conceals your entire existence.]
Ethan tilted his head. "My entire existence? What does that mean?"
[Even if you are invisible, sharp-minded individuals can still sense you through the micro-vibrations in the air, through fluctuations in energy, or through instinct. But with Stealth, all such traces are erased. Only someone who also possesses Stealth, and at a higher level than yours, will be able to detect you.]
"Amazing…" Ethan whispered, his heartbeat quickening. Then he clenched his fists with excitement. "Alright then. I want to buy Cultivation, Marksmanship, and Stealth!"
The panel buzzed.
[You have insufficient EP to purchase all three at once.]
Ethan blinked. "What? Insufficient? How much do they each cost?"
[Marksmanship: 50 EP
Cultivation: 100 EP
Stealth: 100 EP]
Ethan fell into thought again, torn over which skill to purchase first.
Sensing his hesitation, Halo took the initiative to guide him.
[You can start with Cultivation. Later, when you have more EP, you can purchase the others. Even if you learn Marksmanship, carrying weapons everywhere is not advisable. And while Stealth is useful, it won't actually make you stronger.]
Ethan chuckled softly at the advice.
"You're right about Marksmanship. But I think I'll buy Stealth first. Even if it doesn't make me stronger, it'll help me avoid trouble and escape from people I don't want to clash with. As for Cultivation, no matter how hard I train, I won't surpass that bastard Lucas right away anyway. So, Stealth it is. I want to buy Stealth."
The panel buzzed with Halo's dry retort.
[Even with me here, the first thing you plan is running away? Pu**y.]