Chapter 63: New Orion

Chapter 61

[Skill Name: Flash]

[Rank: S]

[Description: An evolved form of the D-Rank skill, Dash.]

[When activated, the host releases a burst of mana that is converted into light energy, allowing the host to move at astonishing speeds comparable to flashes of light. Vast distances can be crossed in an instant.]

[The host’s speed, acceleration, handling, and reaction speed are tremendously boosted while Flash is active.]

[Mana Consumption: 50 mana points for every minute of use.]

Orion raised an eyebrow, completely stunned.

He had been getting one shock after another ever since he woke up. First, there had been his ridiculous stats, followed by the discovery that his Will had been labelled Infinite Will, even though its full potential remained locked. Then came the revelation that he had acquired telekinesis, an ability that allowed him to manipulate objects without physically touching them.

And now...

His only skill, Dash, had somehow evolved all the way from D-Rank to S-Rank.

Orion stared at the skill description, finding it difficult to believe what he was seeing.

Wait a minute...

A thought suddenly struck him.

Does that mean if I had possessed more skills apart from Dash, they would all have evolved as well?

His eyes widened slightly as he considered the implications. What if he had possessed ten skills? What if he had possessed a hundred, or perhaps even more?

Suppose he had collected dozens or hundreds of low-ranking skills, such as F-Rank and D-Rank abilities, before undergoing this so-called Origin Rebirth. Would all of them have been elevated to S-Rank? Would he have ended up possessing dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of ridiculously powerful abilities?

Orion’s face twitched.

He wasn’t sure whether he should laugh or cry.

Was he angry that he could have collected a bunch of low-ranking skills and watched them evolve into broken S-Rank abilities?

Of course he was!

Who wouldn’t be?

If he had known this would happen, he might have made an effort to acquire as many skills as possible before entering Dungeon X. Even a collection of seemingly useless abilities could have become an incredible treasure after the Origin Rebirth.

Unfortunately, he had only possessed one skill.

Dash.

Just one.

And now that single skill had evolved into Flash.

Orion let out a quiet sigh, feeling a faint sense of regret. However, whatever anger he might have felt quickly faded when he suddenly realized something far more important, something that made his heart seem to stop beating for a brief moment.

Wait...

Did I just witness another impossibility become possible?

His expression changed.

There were no abilities, skills, or even rare talents capable of elevating a skill’s rank in such a ridiculous manner, at least none that he knew of.

There were special types of crystals that could enhance skills, allowing their owners to improve the ranks of certain abilities. Even so, such crystals were exceptionally valuable, and their effects were limited. They couldn’t simply take a D-Rank skill and elevate it all the way to S-Rank.

That was an increase of five ranks!

From D to C.

From C to B.

From B to A.

From A to S.

Five entire ranks separated the original skill from its evolved form, and Orion’s system had accomplished that feat as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

There had been no complicated process, no expensive materials, and no lengthy requirements. The system had simply announced the evolution, and that was it.

A D-Rank skill had become an S-Rank skill.

That was the very definition of being broken.

Orion stared at the system screen, his heart beating a little faster as he tried to comprehend the implications. If this was what the Origin System could do with a single skill, then just how terrifying was its true potential?

What else could it accomplish?

What other impossible things could it turn into reality?

Unfortunately, before Orion could properly digest the revelation, another message suddenly flashed across the system screen.

Ding!

[Attempting to evolve the skill Flash from S-Rank to SSS-Rank...]

Orion froze.

For a brief moment, he genuinely forgot how to breathe. His heart seemed to seize up as his eyes remained fixed on the words displayed before him.

What?

He blinked, then stared again, but the notification hadn’t disappeared. It was still there, right in front of his eyes.

[Evolving...]

Orion didn’t move.

[Evolving...]

His mouth slowly fell open.

[Evolving...]

His expression became increasingly strange.

[Evolving...]

He could only stare as the system continued processing the evolution.

Then, suddenly...

[ERROR! ERROR!]

[Insufficient Origin Essence.]

[The remaining Origin Essence has been used to unlock other features of the Origin System.]

Orion released a deep breath.

Was it a breath of relief?

Or was it the opposite?

Honestly, he couldn’t really tell. His emotions were all over the place, and he wasn’t even sure how he was supposed to react anymore.

What he knew for certain was that if his majestic, miraculous system had somehow managed to elevate Flash from S-Rank to SSS-Rank, he might genuinely have fainted.

An SSS-Rank skill!

That was a mythical rank, the kind of ability that even the rulers of the world would be willing to fight, kill, and sacrifice countless resources to obtain. Such a skill wasn’t something an ordinary person could simply stumble upon, and its existence alone was enough to attract the attention of the most powerful beings in the world.

And yet, his system had attempted to create one with seemingly effortless ease.

It hadn’t even appeared to struggle.

The only reason it had failed was because it lacked sufficient Origin Essence.

Orion inhaled deeply, then exhaled just as sharply. He needed a moment, just a single moment to calm himself down and gather his thoughts.

But apparently, his system had other plans.

Before he could say anything more, another notification appeared on the screen.

Ding!

[Acceptable skill rank has been determined.]

Orion’s eyes shifted toward the message, and he continued reading.

[The host can only learn S-Rank skills and above.]

[Lower-ranking skills are not permitted.]

[They are beneath the host.]

[SS-Rank and SSS-Rank skills are preferable.]

Orion’s eyes twitched.

Once.

Then twice.

Then several more times in rapid succession.

He stared at the words, wondering whether his system had somehow developed a strange sense of humour.

What sort of freaking rubbish is this?!

Only S-Rank skills and above?

Seriously?

How was that supposed to work?

He couldn’t even afford to buy a D-Rank skill, yet his system was already telling him that anything below S-Rank was beneath him. What kind of ridiculous standard was that?

Orion knew perfectly well how expensive skill books could be. A D-Rank skill book alone could cost anywhere from ten thousand to thirty thousand points, and that was only D-Rank!

The prices became increasingly unreasonable as the ranks rose. B-Rank skill books could cost hundreds of thousands of points, while A-Rank skill books could cost millions.

And S-Rank skill books were on an entirely different level, with prices ranging from tens of millions to even a hundred million points.

A hundred million!

Just thinking about such a number was enough to make his head hurt.

Those prices were beyond insane.

Of course, there was a reason for their ridiculous cost. The higher the rank of a skill, the greater its potential, power, and rarity. Such abilities could drastically alter the strength of their owners, sometimes allowing a warrior to defeat opponents who would otherwise be far beyond their capabilities.

Even so, knowing the reason behind those prices didn’t make them any less outrageous.

And now, his own system was telling him that it would only allow him to learn S-Rank skills and above.

Where exactly was he supposed to find the money to purchase those?

Was he supposed to walk into a shop and casually spend a hundred million points on a single skill book?

Did the system seriously expect him to do that?

Orion’s expression twisted.

"Hey, System, you really should reconsider your plan..."

He spoke as though he were addressing a sentient being, his tone carrying a mixture of disbelief, frustration, and the faint hope that the system might somehow listen to reason. After all, what was the point of setting such absurd requirements when he couldn’t even afford to meet them?

Unfortunately, the system didn’t reply. There was no explanation, no reassuring message, and certainly no acknowledgment of his complaint.

Instead, what it did next was arguably worse than receiving a sarcastic response.

The lines stating that lower-ranking skills were unacceptable were suddenly illuminated brightly, making sure that Orion could see them clearly. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, the other lines were highlighted as well.

[SS-Rank and SSS-Rank skills are preferable.]

The words shone brightly on the screen, almost as though the system were deliberately emphasizing its standards to him.

Orion’s eyes twitched once more.

He stared at the glowing words in complete disbelief.

...

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I will release the mass release goal and extra/bonus chap release goal in the auxiliary chap very soon.