Alex's anticipation bubbled as he clutched the upgrade stone in his hand. He hurriedly used it, unable to wait any longer to discover the effects it'd have.
He squeezed, expecting the [Upgrade Stone] to crack like the [Stat Stone], but instead, a simple notification materialized before him.
[Would you like to use the [Upgrade stone] on [Exploding Touch]?]
"Hmm...Yes,"
Alex mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed that he had enthusiastically tried to break it.
Responding to his consent, the [Upgrade stone] in his hand disintegrated into a radiant light.
[Exploding Touch is now upgrading]
[Upgrade Successful]
[Exploding Touch is now Rank D]
Alex didn't check its effect though, as he swiftly took out the second [Upgrade Stone] he had gotten thanks to [Apocalypse Baby] and used it as well.
[Exploding Touch is now upgrading]
[Upgrade Successful]
[Exploding Touch is now Rank C]
Alex then checked its description to see what effect his unique ability had gotten for jumping two ranks.
And not surprisingly, the changes were remarkable.
[Exploding Touch (Rank c): The area you touch would explode in 20 seconds [Cost: 6 Mana]
[Amp: Damage output can be amplified (up to 3x) at a cost, increasing both the explosion's power and the area of effect. [2 mana per increase]
[Pause: The timer can now be paused and resumed delaying explosion [Cost: 1 mana]
[Dismiss: The user can now remove [Exploding Touch] set on an object [Cost: 2 mana]
The countdown had been reduced to twenty seconds, and the mana cost had increased since he could now cause more damage with it.
The power-up had also promised better manipulation of the ability, and Alex grinned evilly, as thoughts of how to use the new perks to his advantage flooded his head.
He picked up a small rock to experiment with and used [Exploding Touch].
The usual bluish circular light appeared with the number twenty over it, and the countdown to explosion began.
Alex then hurled the rock forward and crotch low hiding beside a tree. Though he could hold in his arm using [Pause] to stop it he didn't want to risk anything.
He'd learned his lesson the first time when he tested his ability with the tree, and wasn't blindly trusting of the system.
Once the timer reached one, Alex used [Pause] halting the countdown. Then approached the rock and picked it up, seeing the number one on it.
He then used another upgrade perk [Dismiss] and the bluish light disappeared, leaving nothing but an ordinary rock.
Alex's lips curled into a broad grin as excitement coursed through him, causing him to sweat. He could wreak havoc with this upgrade he's gotten.
"Haha"
The Oracle calling it a privilege didn't make it sound like much, but on experiencing it, was nothing short of mind-boggling.
"A super ability crazy cheat title haha." he uttered, looking upwards. Unable to contain the exhilaration he felt.
The sky had darkened and Alex dismissed the idea of hunting at night. Though he wanted to test the amplification effect he knew a loud explosion would attract unwanted attention.
He valued his life now more than ever, especially because for once in his life he was genuinely fortunate. If he died now, it would just be too wasteful.
Alex then took refuge in a nearby tree, trying to get comfortable amid the branches and leaves.
It felt strange sleeping somewhere that was not his home.
The rustling leaves, the chirping of insects, and the distant, animalistic roars echoing through the underbrush made it hard to relax.
And the rough bark pressing against his back was anything but convenient.
He checked the system [Shop] to see if they had a bed, but found they didn't sell one, which made him sigh dissapointedly.
Not that he could use a bed in the middle of the forest.
It would simply be him presenting himself to the monsters on a platter.
Alex observed his stats window and overall he was satisfied his growth.
Tomorrow was another day to grind and thought of testing out his enhanced ability on the poor cockatrice made him excited.
He would make use of this privilege he had gotten.
Abuse it.
So anyone--be it beasts, gods, or man--who tries to mess with him will regret it. But one thought lingered on his mind though
The treasure chest.
It was just laying there, almost too conveniently and had given Alex a massive boost for free. Alex hoped he could find more of the same treasure chest.
If Oracle was there he would have coughed blood. There were only three golden chests throughout the entire tutorial and they were all concealed in secret locations.
Alex was just lucky to find one lying in his path.
*
The next morning, Alex woke up with a loud yawn and then wiped the drool that had gathered on the corner of his mouth.
He didn't think he would sleep so deeply in an unfamiliar environment. And was grateful no danger came.
It was like he woke up a second after he closed his eyes and it was morning.
He ate a few pieces of cockatrice meat, savoring each bite as he washed it down with sips of bottled water.
And though he had enough coins--thanks to the golden chest--to browse through some food, he figured he would save it for later, planning to use it as a reward for himself once he successfully took down a formidable monster.
Feeling refreshed, Alex climbed down the tree, an evil grin on his face as he scoured for his first prey.
But about an hour later, his grin turned into a frown.
He had been walking for almost thirty minutes and hadn't spotted any single beast.
"Where did they all go?"
Alex wondered, furrowing his brow as he scanned the empty woods. There was no trace of monsters anywhere.
"Did they perhaps know I've upgraded my ability and have fleed in terror?"
Alex questioned but then shook his head.
He didn't waste his free time though. As he walked, he picked up rocks and used his [Exploding Touch] on them, then he used [Amp] to increase explosion damage, before using [Pause] to halt the timer, storing them in his inventory.
Once he ran out of mana he gathered more stones and stored them. And when his mana was refilled he repeated the process of turning rocks into grenades, which he was going to call: [Blastshards]
As Alex walked a few more meters, his sharp ears caught an unusual commotion in the distance. There was no mistaking it, it was a shrill cry of a cockatrice.
He grinned and sneaked close hearing a primal noise from most likely another creature mixed with it.
It sounded like a chaotic brouhaha, and from what Alex could hear, it was getting closer to his location
He took cover behind a tree to observe, feeling it was wise to see what he was up against, before jumping headfirst into action and putting himself in danger.
The last thing he wanted was to lose his head--literally.
As he watch from the cover, a group of greenish creatures burst out of the dense shrubbery, sprinting frantically as if pursued by something.
Alex's eyes widened in surprise on seeing these creatures, and he didn't even need the system to help identify them as he recognized what they were:
"Goblins!"