Chapter 41: Another Mystery

While Nora sat cross-legged on the floor, staring softly at yuki every time when the little dragon tried and failed to hop over her outstretched leg, Neo leaned back against the bed frame, watching the two of them with a quiet, satisfied smile.

Then, without warning, familiar chimes rang through his mind.

[Ding!].

-----

[Karma Evaluation Triggered.]

[Cause: Successfully protecting a target during a hostile encounter, while sustaining significant personal risk. Additional factor: preserving the life of an endangered species (Frostwyrm) through concealment and care.]

[Karma is being evaluated...]

[Evaluation Complete.]

[Based on the accumulated Karma, three suitable rewards have been generated.]

-----

Neo blinked, sitting up a little straighter.

’Oh. Guess yesterday’s little disaster counted for something after all.’

-----

[Reward Options:]

[1: Attribute Scroll — Instantly grants +30 points, distributed freely across any attributes of your choice.]

[2: Skill Scroll— "Advanced Ice Manipulation" — Grants intermediate control over ice-based spells, reducing casting time and mana cost significantly.]

[3: Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Scripture — An ancient cultivation technique of unknown origin. Compatibility with host: Unconfirmed.

Risk level: High.]

-----

Neo stared at the third option for a long moment, his brows furrowing slightly.

’Unknown origin, unconfirmed compatibility and high risk?’ He tapped his fingers against his knee, chewing on his lower lip. ’That sounds like exactly the kind of thing that either turns me into an overpowered monster or melts my insides on the spot.’

He glanced over the first option again. Thirty free attribute points was tempting, simple, safe, and immediately useful. No risk involved at all.

The second option was equally practical. Better control over his ice magic would mean fewer wasted mana reserves during a fight, something that had nearly gotten him killed just last night.

But his eyes kept drifting back to the third choice.

’Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Scripture.’ He mouthed the words silently, feeling an odd, unmistakable pull toward it that he couldn’t quite explain.

’That name alone sounds like something straight out of an overpowered protagonist’s dream. But "unknown origin" and "high risk" together is never a good combination.’

He weighed his options carefully, running through every possible outcome in his head. A stat boost was reliable. A new skill was practical. But an ancient, mysterious scripture with unconfirmed compatibility, that was the kind of thing that could either grant him monstrous power or leave him worse off than before.

’Then again, I did gamble on a mystery box once already, and look how that turned out.’ He thought, glancing briefly toward Yuki, who was currently attempting, and failing, to climb over Nora’s knee for the fifth time in a row,

A slow, determined grin spread across his face.

"Alright, Let’s roll the dice again."

[Selected: Option 3 — Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Scripture]

[Confirm selection?]

[Y/N]

"Yes."

[Ding!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained: Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Scripture.]

[Integrating information into host’s memory...]

The moment the message flashed across his vision, a sudden, overwhelming pressure slammed into his mind, far heavier and more violent than anything he’d experienced from the system before. His whole body stiffened, his vision blurring instantly as an enormous wave of information crashed through his mind all at once.

It felt like someone had shoved an entire library directly into his skull and set it on fire.

Neo gasped sharply, his hands flying up to grip either side of his head, his body swaying slightly where he sat. The pain lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity, before it finally subsided, leaving behind a dull, ringing ache.

He opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the lingering dizziness.

’Okay-Okay, that’s over now. Let’s see what I actually got.’

He reached inward instinctively, searching his memory for the technique that had just been forced into his brain, expecting to find detailed instructions, breathing patterns, cultivation methods, anything at all.

He found nothing.

Neo frowned deeply, focusing harder, trying to recall even a single fragment of what the scripture was supposed to contain. But no matter how hard he searched, there was simply nothing there. No technique, No instructions, Not even a vague outline of what it was supposed to do.

It was like reaching for a locked door inside his own mind, one he couldn’t even find the handle for.

’Wait. What? I got the reward, right? The system said it was integrated. So why can’t I remember a single thing about it?’

He pulled up his status window quickly, scanning through the techniques section, hoping to find some kind of clue.

-----

[TECHNIQUES]

>Basic Cultivation Scripture

>Draven Dragon Art (Basic)

>Celestia Cultivation Scripture (Basic)

>Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Scripture [LOCKED]

-----

There it was, right at the bottom of the list, exactly as expected, except for the word sitting right beside it.

Locked.

Neo tapped on it mentally, the same way he always would with any other section, hoping for some kind of explanation to pop up.

-----

[Description: LOCKED]

[Reason: Host does not yet meet the necessary conditions for comprehension. Further access requires unknown trigger.]

-----

Neo stared blankly at the message for a long moment; his mind completely blank.

’Unknown trigger? Great, Fantastic... So I have a scripture sitting inside my head that I can’t even use, and I don’t even know what would unlock it.’

He let out a long, heavy sigh, rubbing his temple where the dull ache still lingered faintly.

"Sigh..."

Nora glanced up at him, tilting her head slightly in silent question, though he waved her off with a small, reassuring smile before she could worry too much.

’Another mystery in my life to solve, I guess.’

He glanced down at his own hands, flexing his fingers slowly, half expecting some kind of visible change despite knowing nothing had actually shifted. Nothing had. He felt exactly the same as he had five minutes ago, just with one more locked door sitting quietly somewhere deep inside his own head, waiting patiently for whatever condition would eventually pry it open.

’Well. At least it’s not actively hurting me. Small mercies, I suppose.’

He shook his head, pushing the thought aside for now, and turned his attention back toward Nora and Yuki, who had finally succeeded in climbing over her knee, letting out a proud, triumphant little chirp as if it had just accomplished the single greatest feat of its short life.

Neo couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped him, all thoughts of mysterious scriptures momentarily forgotten in the face of one very smug, very small dragon.