The upgrade process began, the System's interface flashing with lines of code and progress bars. Yun's excitement grew with each passing moment, his thoughts consumed by the potential of this new upgrade. Finally, the upgrade was complete, and the System's interface settled into a new configuration.
[ Skill: Ability Extraction (NEW) ⊹ ] the System declared, a small icon appearing on the edge of the screen. Yun's curiosity was piqued, and he reached out to touch the icon, revealing the skill's description.
[ Description: You can copy the experience of any person's work just by touching that person. Now you don't have to increase that person's favorability towards you. ]
Yun's eyes widened as he read the conditions and limitations, his mind racing with the implications.
[ Condition: To copy someone's ability, you must maintain physical contact with them for at least 1 minute.
Limitation: You can only use this skill 10 times a day. ]
But as he delved deeper into the skill's description, Yun noticed something strange. The skill window was locked, and a hidden menu seemed to be lurking just beneath the surface. "System, why is the skill window locked?" Yun asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. "Are some functions of this upgraded skill locked? Or can this skill be upgraded even more?"
The System's silence was unsettling, its usual responses absent. Yun's words hung in the air, met with an unsettling stillness. "Why aren't you saying anything, syst... ooh."
[ Congratulations, Host! ] the System exclaimed. [ You have maxed the favorability of 10,000+ people! ]
As the System's congratulatory message flashed on the screen, Yun's heart swelled with pride. He had worked tirelessly to reach here, and now, his efforts had paid off in a big way. The favorability of over 10,000 people had been maxed, a testament to his dedication and hard work.
Yun's eyes widened as he read the reward message.
[ As a reward, you get three vouchers:
1. Ability Enhancer Voucher +1,
2. Ability Merger Voucher +1, and
3. Skill Upgrading Key Voucher +1. ]
[ Description:
1. Ability Enhancer Voucher: By using ability enhancer voucher, you can take any of your abilities to max lv.
2. Ability Merger Voucher: By using ability Merger voucher, you can merge any of your three abilities and create a new skill.
3. Skill Upgrading Key Voucher: By using skill upgrading key voucher, you can unlock the lock on any skill and upgrade that skill. This voucher can be used only on those skills which have a lock (⊹). ]
Yun's excitement grew as he pondered his next move. Which voucher would he use first? And how would he utilize the rewards to further his journey? The possibilities seemed endless, and Yun was eager to explore them all.
Yun's curiosity got the better of him as he asked, "I understood about the Ability Merge Voucher and Skill Upgrading Key Voucher, but what is the max lv. in the Ability Enhancer Voucher?"
The System responded. [ Host, let me explain in simple words. Till now, you only know about novice, intermediate, and professional levels. But these three are just three grades of Level 1. Every ability has 10 levels - Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 - and every level has three grades: low, mid, and high. When an ability reaches Level 10 and high grade, it is called max level. ]
Yun's eyes widened as he grasped the concept. He had no idea that abilities had so much depth.
Yun's mind raced with possibilities. He decided to use the Skill Upgrading Key Voucher on his Ability Extraction skill. "Ok, use Skill Upgrading Key Voucher on Skill: Ability Extraction."
But the System's response was unexpected.
[ Voucher cannot be used. Condition not met.
Condition: ??? ]
Yun's confusion grew, "Whaaat? But why so?"
The System's response was just as cryptic.
[ How do I know what the condition is? Maybe the condition will also be known with time. ]
Yun's frustration mounted. What did the System mean? What condition needed to be met? He was determined to find out. "Tell me, System, what do you mean by 'condition not met'?"
The System's silence was deafening. Yun knew he had to wait for the answer, but he was ready to do whatever it took to unlock the secrets of the vouchers and upgrade his skills.
39 Years 5 Months Later
Just then, the System announced, [ Congratulations, Host! You have completed 50 years with the system. ]
Yun couldn't believe it. Time had flown by so quickly.
The System continued.
[ As a reward, you get Mystery Voucher +1
Description: By using the Mystery Voucher, you can randomly get any skill, ability, voucher, or natural treasure. ]
Yun's excitement grew as he read the description. This voucher sounded incredibly powerful.
The System added. [ Reminder: Host, if you collect these Mystery Vouchers and use them together, you will get an unexpected reward. ]
Yun's mind raced with possibilities. What could this unexpected reward be? He couldn't wait to find out.
Yun's determination grew as he asked, "So, how many vouchers do I have to collect?"
The System's response was cryptic. [ The more vouchers you use at once, the better the rewards you will get. ]
Thirty-Nine years and five months had passed since Yun began his journey to learn new abilities. Now, at the age of 75, he felt the weight of time bearing down on him. Despite his physical strength, he knew he was slowly succumbing to the ravages of age. Yet, his determination remained unwavering. He had copied an astonishing 99,998 abilities so far, each one a testament to his unrelenting dedication.
The journey had not been easy. The conditions for acquiring new abilities were often arduous, and the fact that copying the same ability from another person counted as only one ability made his progress slow. Moreover, he had to travel to different countries by airplane to find new abilities to copy.
After a long and arduous journey, Yun finally reached his destination - a tribal clan nestled in a remote corner of the world. Here, he sought out a man renowned for his extraordinary ability to grow trees. For seventy years, this man had honed his craft, possessing knowledge that allowed him to grow any tree anywhere in a remarkably short time. His secret? No modern chemicals or tricks, just a deep understanding of nature's rhythms.
The head of the clan, a wise and aged man, possessed a remarkable power passed down through his ancestors. This power allowed him to grow trees at an extraordinary rate, a secret he only shared with his own clan and neighboring communities. Yun had traveled far and wide to learn from this man, to copy his ability and add it to his vast collection.
A mango tree, typically taking five to eight years to mature but he can grow in a mere one and a half to two and a half years. This was the kind of knowledge Yun sought, the kind that would change the world. And he was determined to copy it.
As Yun prepared to leave, the System announced. [ Congratulations, Host, you have acquired the 99,999th ability: Accelerated Horticulture, Level 1, Grade High. ]
Yun's eyes lit up with excitement. "Come on, let's go from here now. There's only one more chance left to copy an ability today."
But as he turned to leave, he noticed a peculiar scene on the side of the clan. "Eh?"
[ Congratulations, Host...]
"Shhh! System, keep quiet for a while," Yun interrupted, his eyes fixed on a young child from the clan. "What is that child doing?"
The child sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed, small hands placed on the earth. Yun approached him, intrigued, and asked, "What are you doing?"
Just then, a man from the clan appeared, his expression stern and warning. "Stay away from that child, stranger," he said, his voice low and firm.
Yun's instincts told him something was amiss. "Why? What's wrong with the child?" he asked the man, his curiosity piqued.
The man hesitated, his expression grim. "That child is cursed. We've kept him out of our clan because...because of what happened when he was just five years old."
Yun's eyes widened as the man continued, his voice laced with a mix of fear and sadness. "Our clan's old place was destroyed because of him. The ground cracked, and many people died or got injured. All because he was secretly listening to the earth's conversations."
As Yun listened, a shiver ran down his spine. What kind of power did this child possess? And what did the man mean by "listening to the earth's conversations"? He felt an overwhelming urge to uncover the truth behind the child's curse.
Yun sent the man away and turned to the child, his eyes filled with curiosity. "What's your name?" he asked gently.
But the child remained silent, his eyes downcast.
Yun tried again, "Please, help me understand what's going on. What's happening to you?"
Still, the child said nothing.
As Yun turned to leave, the child finally spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper. "My name is Hiki."
Yun turned back, his eyes locked on Hiki's. "Tell me, Hiki, what's going on? What's this power you possess?"
Hiki's eyes seemed to cloud over, and he began to speak in a low, measured tone. "I can hear distant sounds. Sounds that others can't. I heard the ground whispering to me that day, warning me of danger. I told the tribe, but they wouldn't listen. They called me mad and chased me away."
Yun's heart went out to the young boy. "What did you hear, Hiki? What did the ground say?"
Hiki's voice cracked as he continued. "I heard the sound of the earth cracking, of rocks shifting. I knew something was coming, something deadly. But no one believed me. When I returned after a few days, our tribe and the nearby ones were destroyed. They told me it was my fault, that my power was cursed. They expelled me from the clan."
Yun's mind raced with questions, but he knew he had to approach Hiki with care. "Come with me, Hiki. I'll help you understand your power. We'll find a way to control it together."
But Hiki shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears. "No, I won't leave. This is my home. I was born here, and I'll die here. I won't let my power hurt anyone else."
System's window appears: [ Congratulations, host, you have learned the 100,000th ability: Echo Location Lv.1 Grade High. ]
Yun's eyes widened in astonishment. "Grade High? So, is this kid god-gifted? What a pity, I can't take him with me."
Just then, a flurry of notifications erupted from the System:
[ Ding! ]
[ Congratulations, host, you have learned 99,999 abilities. ]
[ You get a Mystery Voucher +1. ]
[ Congratulations, host, you have successfully learned 100K abilities.]
[ As a reward, you get:
1. Mystery Voucher +1
2. A Mystery Box +1
3. +50 Years Vitality Potion.
Description: By consuming this Vitality Potion your lifespan will increase by whole 50 years. ]
[ Skill: Ability Extraction (lock)
Description: You can copy the experience of any person's work just by touching that person. Now you don't have to increase that person's favorability towards you.
Condition: You must maintain physical contact with someone for at least 1 minute to copy their ability.
Limitation: You can use this skill only 100 times a day. ]
Yun's mind raced with excitement as he gazed at Hiki. "This kid's power is incredible! I can't believe I've reached 100,000 abilities!"
He looked at Hiki with a tinge of sadness, knowing he couldn't take him along. "I'll have to come back for you, Hiki. But for now, I have a whole world to discover!" With a determined smile, Yun set off on his next adventure.
Yun said, "T_T" Waah! System, you didn't give me anything in these 27 years..."
System Interrupted him. [ To be exact, 27 years and 5 months. ]
Yun continued, "Yes, in 27 years and 5 months, you didn't give me anything, even after copying 20K, 50K, 90K abilities. But today, you gave me so many rewards together. Thank you, System. Thank you."
Yun then said, "System, use the vitality potion on me."
System responded. [ Vitality potion is being used on the host. The host's life span has been extended by 50 years. ]
Yun exclaimed, "So, I won't die for 50 years now?"
System clarified. [ Who said? Vitality potion only increases your vitality; it doesn't make you immortal. Until your Vitality Power is not exhausted, i.e., until you don't die naturally, this potion will work. But if you die due to any other reason, then you will die. Then, the vitality potion will be of no use. ]
Yun nodded, understanding the conditions. "I see. So, it's like a temporary shield against natural death, but not a guarantee of immortality."
System confirmed. [ That's correct, host. Use your rewards wisely. ]
Yun grinned, feeling a sense of relief and excitement. "Don't worry, System. I will. And thank you again for the rewards!"
Yun commanded the system, "Open mystery box."
System responded. [ It's Empty. ]
Yun was shocked, "Whaat? Are you kidding me?"
System chuckled. [ It's just a prank. ]
Yun burst out laughing, "Pfft! Hahahahaha....."
As he laughed, Yun couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. He had been so caught up in the excitement of opening the mystery box that he had forgotten that the System had a sense of humor.
"Good one, System," Yun said, grinning. "I should have seen that coming."
System responded. [ Glad you enjoyed it, host. ]