“The message popped up saying that the commander-in-chief is dead,” Shin Kyung-Ah stated as if she was certain that I killed the monster. It wasn’t important that the intense frontline had come to a lull after its death. Since the battles had been quite disastrous, she seemed to have lost some of her confidence. Nevertheless, she said that her desire to experience the real stage remained unchanged. Her ambition to get stronger was still the same, and I was proud of her. I wouldn’t have needed to modify the System if everyone had the same mindset as her. However, she was one of the few who had experienced true power.
That afternoon, the frontline battles ended. I had also participated in the war and destroyed the corps that entered this area. Then, I moved to a quiet place.
[You have set the current spot as a return point.]
[Subject: District 13]
“Guide! Guide!” I shouted.
A little face that I didn’t truly want to see appeared in the air. If there was a sound effect, it would have been something like ‘Pyong!’
[It has been a while since I last saw you in person. You must have become a challenger, right?]
The Second Round of Privileges had been assigned to nine more Awakened after me. If the corrupted System considered Woo Yeong-Hee as a threat, she could afford the Second Round by upgrading her stats to S-class. We had always kept that in mind.
“Am I still the only challenger?” I asked as I had hoped for that. If there were other challengers, it meant that Woo Yeon-Hee had also started the Second Round. I didn’t want her to go through this stage after her stats were reset.
[Why are you acting like an amateur? I can’t give you an answer as it is a matter beyond my authority.]
Ugh.
“Let’s get down to business.”
I listed the details that I wanted to revise, and my priority was replacing the current class system with a level system. For instance, if the value was F(1), it would be equivalent to 1 stat point. F(100), also known as E(0), would become 100 stat points. E(1) would become 101 stat points, D(1) would become 201 stat points, and C(1) would become 301 stat points. I wanted to indicate one’s level with only numbers instead of letters. When converting this to a level, every 5 stat points would be 1 level. Basically, what I was trying to do was…
[Name: Hong Gil-Dong
Health: E (45), Strength: E (10), Agility: E (22), Sense: E (14)]
If an Awakened currently had the above stats, the converted version would be Health 145 stat points, Strength 110 stat points, Agility 122 stat points, and Sense 114 stat points, with a total of 491 stat points. Accordingly, the level of the Awakened would be 98, considering 1 level per 5 stat points. The status window would then look like this:
[Name: Hong Gil-Dong, Level: 98
Health: 145, Strength: 110, Agility: 122, Sense: 114]
If this change was done, a total of five hundred and sixty levels would be available for the Awakened. In addition, it would motivate them to engage more actively through fast-paced level-ups. Level-up, level-up, level-up! Seeing that series of notification messages would stir their blood. Even if the actual improvement rate didn't change, it would feel like they were growing much faster.
At the end of my explanation, the Spirit responded.
[You should know that you will go through challenges in order to verify that you have the qualifications to change the System as you want.]
Last time, the Spirit willfully made me do a challenger quest without even asking me first. Although it was currently glowing a tranquil blue and sending me sweet messages, no one knew when it would decide to throw me into hell. I was mentally prepared, but it was scary.
However, the reason why the Spirit couldn’t immediately proceed with the quest was because there were some remaining problems.
[You want the System to allow you to distribute 5 stat points to the desired stats whenever the user’s level goes up, but do you think that this is possible? If we convert one S-class category into 700 stat points as you described, then that is equivalent to the user being level 140 based off of that one class alone.]
The Spirit then continued.
[Based on the current system, level 140 is an E-class. If an E-class Awakened focuses on one category alone until they reach level 140, one of his or her categories will be S-class by that time. In other words, an E-class Awakened would have an S-class category!]
“While the other categories remain at the lowest class,” I said.
The spirit pointed out, [But it’s a composition that can overcome the weakness of other categories. It’s an S-class.]
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t the System exist to help Awakened grow?”
[The System is purposely designed to prevent an E-class Awakened from owning an S-class category because it would be wasteful to hand out that kind of power to the unprepared. The power of the System isn’t infinite.]
A waste eh…
We could be stronger if the Awakened were free to disperse stat points to whichever category they wanted. However, the blue Spirit had a point.
“Then, I will limit the degree of growth per level. I’ll match it to the box system.”
[For example?]
“For now, each class is…”
F-class would be up to level 80.
E-class would be up to level 160.
D-class would be up to level 240.
C-class would be up to level 320.
B-class would be up to level 400.
A-class would be up to level 480.
S-class would be up to level 560.
“Why don’t we limit the number of stats we can upgrade until we proceed to a higher level? Then, the System wouldn’t need to waste power on those who aren’t prepared.”
For instance, the limit wouldn’t allow users under level 80 to use more than 100 stat points to upgrade each category. The limit would be lifted whenever the user increased their level from 80 to 160, 160 to 240, and so on.
[Then, have you thought about the XP a user needs to upgrade a level?]
I responded, “Let’s look at the F-class Awakened for now. The number of bronze boxes they need to upgrade to an E-class is seventy-three. That comes out to 21,900 points. 1 XP per 1 point. In other words, we divide that 21,900 XPs within 80 levels. Isn’t that consistent with the System’s intention? Its purpose of giving more power to those who are prepared.”
[But the possibility of getting the expected result increases if the user gets a high-class box.]
Yes, that was the point. I wanted to deal with the System even by giving up on that expected result.
“I want you to introduce proficiency in skills and traits. Something where we don’t need to waste stat points on. I want them to be upgraded naturally based on how actively the user activates and uses them.”
What I had outlined would be meaningful only if the Spirit accepted this amendment. Otherwise, it would just change the notation.
[Do you want to delete all the box systems and convert them all into points?] it asked.
I shook my head. “No, not that.”
If I eliminated that, our source to obtain skills and items would disappear. Most quests had box rewards in addition to points anyway. The Awakened needed to receive points as XP through modification and keep the box rewards system to get what category of compensation we wanted. I wanted to remove all the elements that were related to luck, but the Spirit’s color was getting darker as my demands increased. It must have been measuring the difficulty of the quest according to my requests.
“In the end, nothing much changes. Only the notation of the power that the System gives to Awakened will become more intuitive.”
[Is that so? My concern is whether the Awakened would still appreciate the System if we go with your change. They might consider that the power they have was something they had gained with their efforts, not something that the System has generously bestowed upon them.]
What the fuck?
Of course, power was something we should receive after expending a lot of effort. We, the Awakened, were the ones fighting for our lives, not the System.
I knew I couldn't say that out loud, so I swallowed it down and instead said, “Is the System planning to raise devotees? Or does it exist to prevent the destruction of humanity?”
I had more questions, but I stopped there and waited for the Spirit’s answer.
[Let’s talk about the proficiency system. Regular Awakened can have a max of sixteen skills and traits, whereas the Challengers can have up to twenty. In addition, Challengers can have four to five more traits or skills than stats. I’m not convinced as to why you want all of them to grow naturally.]
“What is the problem? You said the System wants to give power to those who are prepared. Using skills more frequently and accurately means that the user is ready to use higher-class skills and traits. That lines up with the System’s intention. I’m not asking for your opinion. Is that possible?”
I waited for an answer, but the Spirit didn’t respond.
A few minutes later…
[It’s possible only if you adjust the growth rate of the proficiency to the current rate.]
[The Challenger has been activated.]
[The quest ‘Majestic Challenge(2)’ has begun.]
[Majestic Challenge(2) (Quest)
Mission: Kill the Baclan King
Reward: Authority to modify the grading system, introduction of the proficiency system and points
* This is a challenger-only quest.]
...The Baclan King!
[You will be transferred to the quest location. Then, good luck. (*Ծ﹏Ծ)ノ]
The Spirit’s light quickly flickered from red and blue multiple times. The last color I saw was definitely red. The moment when I was thrown somewhere…
[Woo Yeon-Hee has joined your party.]
What?