Chapter 56: Why 27?

After shutting down the computer, I realized that my to-do list had grown so long that I didn’t even know where to begin. At least there was one thing I could take care of without leaving the apartment.

The Eclipsie Points I had earned from clearing the Overlap were still waiting to be used.

I leaned back slightly in my chair and called out to the System. Bluish lights gathered before my eyes, and my current point total appeared at the top.

[Current Eclipsie Points: 26]

Twenty-six points...

When I first obtained the System, even a single point had been valuable to me. Now I had a small fortune. I could use the points to draw a new card, upgrade one of my existing abilities, or save them all for a more valuable option that might appear in the future.

However, the moment the thought of drawing another card crossed my mind, my stomach churned.

When I closed my eyes, I saw myself surrounded by thousands of cards drifting through endless darkness again. The blood-red word [OVERLAP] that had appeared on the dark gray card I reached for was still burned into my mind.

"No, thanks."

I didn’t want to draw another card for the time being. Even if the System offered me a free draw, I was certain I wouldn’t go anywhere within several kilometers of those cards.

Just thinking about what had happened yesterday made me feel like throwing up.

I didn’t know whether the thing that caused twenty-seven people to die had truly come from the card or whether the card had merely connected me to an Overlap that was already about to form. The System hadn’t said a single word about it, and I was certain it would continue remaining silent no matter how many questions I asked.

With card draws out of the question, upgrading my abilities was the only option left.

Umbrella had saved my life more times than I could count last night. Unfortunately, because it was a special item I had obtained from a card rather than an ability, I had no idea how to upgrade it.

That left my other ability.

"Show me White Serpent’s information."

A new screen opened in response.

[White Serpent ★★]

[Type: Passive]

[Description: Continuously enhances the body’s natural regenerative capacity. Reduces the time required to recover from injuries the body can heal naturally and from physical fatigue. Cannot instantly repair fatal damage or regenerate lost limbs.]

[Regeneration Rate Increase: 200%]

At first glance, White Serpent didn’t look as impressive as Umbrella. I couldn’t use it to crush monsters’ heads, cover my body in armor, or blow up an entire temple.

However, without this ability, I would have been unable to move after suffering the first few wounds last night. When the creature disguised as an elderly woman bit my shoulder, White Serpent had helped the pain gradually fade and prevented the fatigue building throughout the battle from completely overwhelming my body.

Cecilia’s potions had saved me from the brink of death several times, but White Serpent was what kept me on my feet between them.

Besides, if I had to face more dangerous Overlaps in the future, the value of having a regenerative ability would only increase. Considering that the System’s missions were becoming more dangerous, I couldn’t expect to escape with nothing but superficial injuries next time.

"I want to upgrade White Serpent. How much will it cost?"

The text on the System screen changed.

[Upgrade Cost]

[White Serpent ★★ → ★★★]

[Required Eclipsie Points: 12]

I stared at the number for a moment before rolling my eyes.

Twelve points wasn’t actually expensive. Since I had twenty-six, I would still have fourteen points left after the upgrade. Considering how valuable my abilities became at higher star levels, the cost was quite reasonable.

What bothered me was the number itself.

"Why twelve instead of ten or fifteen?"

The System didn’t answer.

"I swear you make these numbers up at random. You write down the first number that comes to mind and put it in front of me, don’t you?"

After several seconds of silence, a new message appeared.

[Upgrade costs are fair and proportional.]

"Sure, sure... I don’t doubt for a second that they’re perfectly fair."

If I asked what the costs were proportional to, I wouldn’t receive an answer. I had to accept that there was no point arguing over prices with something that had dropped me into an Overlap filled with deadly monsters yesterday and disappeared after wishing me good luck.

With a sigh, I tapped the confirmation option.

"Whatever. Upgrade it!"

[Upgrade confirmed.]

[12 Eclipsie Points spent.]

[White Serpent ★★ → ★★★]

[Regeneration Rate Increase: 200% → 400%]

[Remaining Eclipsie Points: 14]

As the notification appeared, I felt a faint warmth in the center of my chest. The warmth spread through my veins with every heartbeat, reaching my fingertips within seconds.

Thanks to Cecilia’s potion, there wasn’t a single unhealed injury left in my body. However, I could feel the fatigue buried deep within my muscles rapidly fading. The lingering heaviness that had remained even after I woke up disappeared, and my mind became noticeably clearer.

"Not bad..."

Increasing my regeneration rate from two hundred percent to four hundred percent also meant that my body could endure more intense training. If my muscles recovered faster, I could train for longer periods on the same day and raise my stats more quickly than before.

I would have to wait a few days to see how much of a difference it made.

My gaze shifted toward the black bracelet around my wrist.

White Serpent had kept me alive last night, but Umbrella was what allowed me to win the battle. If I could upgrade it as well, I might not have to get thrown into walls like a rag doll by another ram-headed monster the next time I entered an Overlap.

"I want to upgrade Umbrella too."

The text on the System screen flickered for several seconds before a new notification appeared.

[Umbrella]

[Cannot Be Upgraded.]

I frowned at the screen.

"What do you mean, it can’t be upgraded?"

[Umbrella cannot be upgraded through currently available methods.]

"Then what method can I use to upgrade it?"

[...]

"Does it require a specific material? Do I need to find another card, or is there some condition I haven’t fulfilled?"

[...]

I poked the black bracelet with my finger while waiting for the System to answer, but the three dots in front of me didn’t change. I had first used Umbrella’s explosive ability during the battle when its gauge reached one hundred points. Perhaps its growth depended on battles rather than Eclipsie Points, or on some other method I had yet to discover.

"I’d be surprised if you gave me even one useful answer."

Being unable to upgrade Umbrella was frustrating, but there was nothing I could do about it right now. At least even in its current state, it was powerful enough to blow up a temple when used properly.

I turned my attention back to White Serpent’s screen.

"Then how many points will it cost to upgrade this one again?"

The answer came almost immediately.

[Next Upgrade]

[White Serpent ★★★ → ★★★★]

[Required Eclipsie Points: 27]

My eye twitched.

I leaned closer to the screen to make sure I hadn’t misread the number. No matter how long I stared, the twenty-seven didn’t change.

"Why twenty-seven, you son of a bitch?!"

[...]

"Shouldn’t it be twenty-four after twelve? Or you could say twenty-five like a normal person! Where did twenty-seven come from?"

[...]

This time, the System didn’t even bother repeating the same nonsense about the upgrade costs being fair. It chose to leave me alone with my anger while displaying three dots in the middle of the screen.

"You’re definitely making these numbers up at random."

After waiting a little longer for an answer, I waved my hand and closed all the screens. I knew White Serpent would gain limited limb regeneration at four stars, and considering that I had nearly lost an arm several times last night, reaching that upgrade had become far more important.

Unfortunately, I only had fourteen points left.

I would have to wait for the System to give me new missions before I could earn the thirteen points I was missing. Of course, I sincerely hoped the next mission wouldn’t send me into another Overlap.

Now that I was finished with the System, I needed to go outside.

I had to buy a new phone and reactivate my old number. I had no idea what condition my SIM card was in after my phone was destroyed, but if I could recover the same number, I might be able to contact the people whose information I had lost.

My biggest problem was Eris.

We were supposed to meet this afternoon—or at least I hoped the meeting was in the afternoon. Before leaving, Eris had told me she would message me after her workout with the time and place where we would meet.

Since my phone had been destroyed inside the Overlap, I had never had a chance to see her message.

Maybe there was still time before our meeting.

Or perhaps she had already spent hours waiting for me at the place she chose, sending one message after another and growing angrier with every passing minute.

I swallowed the moment I considered that possibility.

The words Eris had spoken while staring directly into my face a few days ago echoed clearly through my mind.

’Don’t ignore me again, and answer when I call.’

I had understood how serious she was at the time, but I hadn’t considered that I might be unable to answer my phone while fighting monsters inside an Overlap. Since Eris didn’t know my phone had been destroyed, she might think I had disappeared or was deliberately ignoring her.

"God, I’m definitely dead this time..."

I had survived the ram-headed monster, but I wasn’t nearly as confident about surviving an angry Eris.

Then my angel came to mind.

We were supposed to meet at the park this morning. Even if the park was no longer usable, I still hadn’t answered any of her messages. She had probably called me, assumed I had overslept, or started worrying that something had happened to me.

In truth, I was the one who should have been worried.

The Overlap had appeared near her home. Since several buildings around the park had also been pulled inside, there was no way I could relax without finding out where my angel was.

Being able to perform forty perfect pull-ups didn’t mean she would be safe among hundreds of monsters. No matter how strong she appeared, I didn’t even know whether she had a Nexus.

With nothing I could do right now, I clenched my teeth.

I couldn’t contact her until I bought a phone. All I could do was hope she was safe and pray to God that I would see her again.

I got up and went into the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, I stood in front of my wardrobe and searched for something clean to wear.

Eventually, I pulled out a black T-shirt with a big-eyed, pink-haired anime girl printed across the front. After putting on a pair of loose black pants, my reflection looked less like a Guardian who secretly cleared Overlaps at night and more like an anime addict who never left his room.

That was safer for me.

The people investigating Orochimaru’s true identity probably wouldn’t expect the mysterious Guardian to walk around wearing a T-shirt with a cute anime girl on it.

After quickly combing my hair, I checked my wallet. I didn’t have much cash left, but my bank card was still there. Thinking about how much of the money in my account I would have to spend on a new phone caused a fresh pain in my chest.

"Please let me find something cheap..."