--- Chapter 42 ---
In a vast white room, Huo Yuhao was lying on the clean paved floor and stared at the white ceiling. He closed his blue eyes and opened them slowly, grasping the surroundings through all his five senses.
[Name: Platinum Upgrading Ticket]
[Type: Upgrading Ticket/System Currency]
[Grade: Platinum/SSS]
[Description: An upgrading ticket with a 97.5% chance to upgrade anything into SSS Grade. And a 2.5% chance to reach EX Grade]
"Ex Grade... Something that I haven't achieved so far." Huo Yuhao commented while staring at the system panel. Even though he knew the Platinum Upgrading Ticket allowed him to upgrade anything to a grade beyond SSS Grade, it was still surreal to him.
Not to mention having two Platinum Upgrading Tickets at his level was possible because of the long pause of Start an Organization's Quest. He probably won't get the same ticket soon, considering Evo hasn't given him any Quest with excessive difficulty.
"It's a small window, but gambling is gambling."
Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment and decided to check his status panel. He wanted to see any possible perks that are worth to be upgraded with Platinum Upgrading Ticket.
[Opening Status...]
[Name: Huo Yuhao]
[Age: 9]
[Race: High Human]
[Sub-Races: True Dragon(+), White Tiger(+)]
[Class: Assassin, Dark Avenger, Dragonborn Crusader, Archer]
[Cultivation Realm: Level 50]
[Martial Soul: Chaotic Purgatory Dragon(3+), The Eyes of the Lord(+), Chains of Heaven(4+)]
[Skills: Craftsman, Chef, Alchemist, Blacksmith, Rune Master]
[Extra Skill: Overclock, Dice]
[Techniques: Haki(+), Penetrating Fist(S), Extreme Lightning Mirage, Four Season Saber Technique, Universal Breathing Technique, Weapon Mastery, Martial Art Mastery]
[Equipment: Eas(59), Baruka's Dagger(A), Failure(S+), White Ogre Mask, Heavenly Soap]
[Upgrading Tickets: Iron(111), Bronze(30), Silver(12), Gold(27), Platinum(2)]
"Well, convert these Upgrading Tickets. I have saved enough in the past three years." He said with a smile.
[Converting...]
[...]
[Upgrading Tickets: Iron(1), Bronze(1), Silver(6), Gold(8), Black Gold(2), Platinum(2)]
"That's more like it."
Huo Yuhao nodded and started to think deeply about what kind of item or perk he should upgrade with the Platinum Upgrading Ticket. There isn't much choice, to begin with, anyway.
After thoroughly examining his status, Huo Yuhao decided to upgrade one thing and saves the other Platinum Upgrading Ticket for something else in the future. It's too precious and such a waste to use it now.
"Evo, I choose you."
[Access Denied] Evo responded with a monotonous voice.
"I knew it... It won't be that easy to Upgrade you, Evo." A wry smile appeared on Huo Yuhao's face. "Well, thanks for confirming something for me."
"Anyway, Let's upgrade my SSS Rank Luck."
[Using 1 Platinum Upgrading Ticket on the SSS Rank Luck]
[Upgrading...]
[...]
[Your SSS Rank Luck upgraded to EX Rank Luck]
[Innate Effect: +110% Luck]
Huo Yuhao pumped his fist excitedly because he won the 1/40 and suddenly felt a weird sensation on his chest. He huffed and bent his body on the floor, gasping for air. A piercing golden light descended from the sky and hit the Dragon Nest's rune-based barrier.
At Huo Yuhao's house, Huo Yun'er, Scathach, and the Auspicious Monarch felt this phenomenon and stared at the backyard with a frown on their faces. Something is changing below there, and three of them know "exactly." who caused it.
Scathach couldn't grasp the Luck Concept in the atmosphere, so she could only feel something was changing faintly. Huo Yun'er and the Auspicious Monarch were different because they could, directly or indirectly, manipulate the Luck Qi surrounding them.
"Hao'er..." Huo Yun'er muttered to herself, seeing golden lightning piercing the backyard.
"His luck is increasing again." The Auspicious Monarch said with a speechless look. Even she, a descendant of five auspicious beasts, couldn't achieve something like this because that would be against the law of nature.
"How??"
Back to the underground training room, Huo Yuhao groaned and slammed his hand on the floor with an annoyed look. He wanted to curse but held himself down. After being stunned for several minutes, Huo Yuhao sighed with a sweat-filled body.
[You have acquired an Extra Skill: High-Roller(S+/Passive)]
[Increase the chance of winning an odd by 25%]
Huo Yuhao glanced at the new skill and sighed because at least something compensated him. "Evo, what happened before? I thought you had a protocol that warned me when something wrong was about to happen?" He asked the system.
[There is nothing wrong...] Evo answered naturally with the usual dull tone.
[Increasing your SSS Rank Luck was indirectly boosting your good karma, and that wasn't wrong according to the system protocol, Host]
[You might feel a bit uncomfortable, but your pain resistance should be high enough to endure that]
"..." Huo Yuhao was too stunned to speak. He couldn't help but feel the monotonous sarcasm from Evo, but then the system wasn't wrong in this scenario.
He shook his head and said, "Evo, I don't feel like arguing with you, so let's upgrade other things first."
[Ok]
"Upgrade the 1x Random Barrier Reward(S) with Black Gold Upgrading Ticket. With my current luck, It's a good thing to upgrade because It can protect the Dragon Nest and external forces from external forces such as an irresponsible group of Gods."
[Using 1 Black Gold Upgrading Ticket on the 1x Random Barrier(S)]
[High Roll(Passive) activated]
[Upgrading...]
[...]
[You have acquired 1x Random Barrier(SSS)]
[Do you want to open the 1x Random Barrier(SSS) reward?]
[Yes/No]
"Yes." He replied casually, hoping for a barrier that could even fool God's Divine Sense. He couldn't let Tang San meddle with his plan before everything was ready.
[Opening the 1x Random Barrier(SSS)...]
[You have received...]
[Absolute Void Curtain(SSS)]
Huo Yuhao clicked on the system and read the description with a small smile. "This is it." He sighed in relief because everything would be fine now, as nothing could enter the new continent.
[Name: Absolute Void Curtain]
[Type: Barrier]
[Grade: SSS]
[Description: Absolute Void Curtain is a powerful barrier that surrounds a specific area with an impenetrable curtain made of Refined Void, causing everything within it to become an Independent Dimension. Any attempt to break this barrier would result in a spatial storm that swept over the attacker into nothingness]
[Warning! After applying the barrier on the new continent, only people the Dragon Nest's Management System recognized as members would be allowed to enter and exit]
Huo Yuhao grinned indifferently and said, "Dragon Nest currently has 420.700 members after the Auspicious Monarch joined, which means I can finally exterminate those annoying rats from this place. They have been leeching on my resources for two years."
"Evo, open the 1x Random Training Ground(SSS) reward." He continued with a giddy mood.
[Opening 1x Random Training Ground(SSS)...]
[...]
[You have acquired Self-Evolving Dungeon(SSS]
"Give me the information."
[Name: Self-Evolving Dungeon(SSS)]
[Type: Training Ground/Growing Sub-Dimension]
[Description: Self-Evolving Dungeon is a Sub-Dimension that keeps evolving based on the environment with innate energy absorption, environment adapting, and a full-functioning life system. This Sub-Dimension also has time dilation that's slower than the outside world, roughly 1:4, and still growing]
[Warning! One hour in the outside world was equal to four hours inside, but that doesn't mean anyone who entered this Sub-Dimension could stay there forever. Anyone who entered the Self-Evolving Dungeon "strictly." was advised to get out in one month(outside world's time), or the Sub-Dimension would swallow your essence to the brim, turning you into dungeon soil]
"Any other limitation, Evo?" Huo Yuhao asked with a solemn expression. "Since there is a time limit, how long someone needed to enter the Self-Evolving Dungeon again?"
[Calculating...]
[Roughly one month's cooldown period] Evo answered after a brief calculation.
"Four months means 2920 hours inside the dungeon with one month's cooldown period for each entry. And six months outside equals one year of daily training inside. Well, what a broken training ground for my current level, and Dragon Nest would definitely grow tremendously with it." Huo Yuhao fell into deep thought for a moment.
"Since I haven't entered the dungeon myself, I can't test the energy level inside because it could be denser and purer than the outside world. Is it possible for the dungeon to spawn Spirit Beast like the monster in RPG dungeons?"
[You should check it by yourself, Host]
[A reminder from me, since you're the owner of the Self-Evolving Dungeon, the limitation placed on you is lighter than others]
[Do you want to create a connection with a Self-Evolving Dungeon?]
[Yes/No]
"Obviously, Yes." Huo Yuhao answered while preparing himself for an impact, but nothing was coming toward him. He closed his eyes and noticed the surrounding was changing quickly, turning into a mountain landscape filled with vast forest and lake.
[You have formed a connection with Self-Evolving Dungeon]
[Self-Evolving Dungeon has adapted to your Spirit Energy's purity, absorbing and evolving based on it]
[Every Spirit Beast you have killed so far will get respawned as a monster in the Self-Evolving Dungeon]
[Self-Evolving Dungeon has spawned Mountain Ape, Silver Liger, Earth Bear King, Twin-faced Giant, Bronze Dragon...(+100.000)]
[Do you want to name the Self-Evolving Dungeon?]
Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and stared at the vast land before him with a surprised look. His mouth was wide open because this place was roughly the same size as Water Behemoth's domain and even "larger." as there was another land beyond this mountain range.
"SED? Well, that would be too simple."
"Hmm..."
"Upgrade, Evo... Advance?"
"Whatever, I'll call the Self-Evolving Dungeon "Advalon." from now on." Huo Yuhao blamed his bad naming sense and grinned at the sight of his dungeon.
"Advalon, you're going to be one of Dragon Nest's most important resources!"
"Hahaha~!"