Chapter 11: System Update + New Skill

"Arrrggh!" A sharp, painful scream tore out of Rayleigh the second he accepted the absorption.

►[ Absorption sequence initiated ]

Rayleigh’s heart pounded so hard that he thought it would get ripped out of his chest.

Perhaps dying right now wasn’t a bad idea if it meant putting an end to his pain.

Rayleigh waited for his heart to give out, but no such thing happened.

Rather, his knees buckled, meeting the steel floor with a bone-cracking drop, but his dislocated knee was the least of his concern.

He was more occupied with the intense pain in his head that felt like a construction site.

It felt like the worst headache he had ever had in his entire life, as though a nuclear bomb had gone off inside his cerebral cortex.

"Argh!" Rayleigh grunted hard, his hand clutching his head with a dangerous grip. Rayleigh feared his head was about to explode.

►[ Do not move. Do not disrupt the process ]

Through the searing pain, Rayleigh was able to see the system interface with detailed information on the absorption. His vision blurred at the same time but he maintained a conscious state.

►[ Absorbing: 10x Intermediate Grade Weapons ]

►[ Ballistic Rifles x4 — Absorbed ]

►[ Dune Swords x3 — Absorbed ]

►[ Stun Gauntlet x3 — Absorbed ]

►[ No active or passive skills extracted. Items absorbed into system ]

►[ Absorbing: 2x Legendary Grade Weapons ]

►[ Fang of the Voidcrawler — Absorbed ]

►[ Gamma Requiem — Absorbed ]

►[ Skill extraction successful ]

►[ Absorbing: 1x Advanced Grade Defense Shield ]

►[ Ionefield Barrier — Absorbed ]

►[ Skill extraction successful ]

►[ Compiling data... ]

►[ System Upgrade in progress ]

►[ Upgrade Complete. You are now a level 2 user. ]

►[ System Upgrade in progress ]

►[ Upgrade Complete. You are now a level 3 user ]

►[ You have successfully obtained one attacking skill and one defensive skill ]

► [ Gamma Requiem: This is a cosmic firearm that fires concentrated gamma-radiation blasts. Each shot pierces conventional armor and floods the target with destructive radiation, while sustained fire can create a rapidly expanding Gamma Zone that will damage everything caught inside.

Special Ability – Gamma Collapse: This weapon can compress its radiation into a single devastating beam that detonates on impact in a burst of gamma energy, eating everything in its path. This weapon’s range can only cover a four-meter radius. ]

► [ Gamma Requiem has been added to Energy Weapons ]

► [ Lonefield Barrier: This barrier is a defensive skill that generates a concentrated energy barrier around its user, forming a protective field that absorbs attacks and releases a refined and concentrated form of that attack. It is similar to the Energy Field, but does not only absorb and stop attacks; it also deflects them, shielding only the user from physical strikes, projectiles, and low-level energy attacks before collapsing under sustained pressure. The barrier only works for its user. ]

► [ Lonefield Barrier has been added to Defence System ]

► [ All attribute points have been increased ]

► [All Weaponry and Defence and Weaponry Systems has been upgraded to Grade 3 ]

The raging war in Rayleigh’s head settled, and his vision became clearer. Eventually, the storage unit came into contrast as his eyes adjusted.

Slowly, Rayleigh lifted himself up from the ground, and that was exactly when he noticed a few changes. His body felt almost weightless.

His voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke. "Whoa. This feels... strange."

Rayleigh took great detail in noticing how fluid and light his body felt; it was amazing, exhilarating even. If every level-up and system update had the capacity to alter his very being, making him as light as paper, he might start levitating anytime soon.

Ding!

► [ 1 of 2 Mission Objectives complete: Break Ron Kol out of prison ]

►[ Reward granted ]

►[ New tab unlocked: Cosmic Affinity ]

► [ +10 Level-Up SP ]

► [ Additional Reward: New Tab Unlocked: Inventory ]

► [Additional Reward: +1 Cosmic Control. Cosmic Control decided the number of Cosmic Affinity user can control at a time ]

► [ Additional Reward: One ability attained: Stellar. Lv 1 ]

► [ Meteor Summon: This is a stellar ability that summons a meteor up to the size of a small vehicle, which is launched toward a designated target at extreme speed. Upon impact, the meteor explodes violently, releasing a powerful burst of heat, force, and debris across the surrounding area.

Maximum Uses: 5 meteors per activation cycle

Cooldown: After all 5 meteors are summoned, the ability enters a 10-hour cooldown before it can be used again. ]

Rayleigh scrambled for words—any words, but he was completely dazed. He was left speechless by this new ability.

Eventually, he found his words. "I–I can summon a meteorite? No, wait—I can call in a freaking meteor strike!!!"

His voice echoed through the hallway of Area C-EW5, which, at this point, Rayleigh assumed to be an abbreviation for East Wing 5.

Rayleigh couldn’t quite fathom the extent of the power that rested in his fingertips. An ability to summon a meteor strike, even though it seemed weak at the moment, was no small power.

Rayleigh knew that with a gradual and steady level-up, it should be only a matter of time until he was able to summon meteors the size of a moon.

"This is too good to be true," Rayleigh admitted with a wide grin. It was obvious that he was trying and failing to hold back a dangerous burst of excitement. He seemed to forget he was currently carrying out a dangerous mission.

Rayleigh also seemed to forget another important detail. The weapons he absorbed belonged to Elias.

Rayleigh scanned the storage unit, his eyes sharp as a Dune Sword. The place was completely empty. Not empty, per se, but empty in the sense that not a single weapon could be seen inside the entire storage unit of C-EW5-10.

Rayleigh had absorbed them all. But he wasn’t a small child who ate someone’s candy by accident; he was well aware of his actions and ready to face the consequences; the consequences being that Elias now had the power to deny him access to a spaceship for stealing his high-grade weapons.

Rayleigh didn’t have the time to decide on whether it was worth it. He did receive a massive system upgrade with new sets of skills and abilities that included cosmic and interstellar prowess.

At this point, Rayleigh was sure there was nothing stopping him from waltzing in and forcibly taking a spaceship from Elias’ fleet.

"It was worth it," Rayleigh admitted in a small whisper.

With that being said and done, his mind settled on the fact that he had spent far too long in this facility. It was finally time to leave.

He turned around to leave the storage unit, but what waited for him outside wasn’t something he was ready for.

Bodies of Silvered agents stacked themselves in a dangerously precise formation, completely blocking the exit of the hallway. All had their rune abilities on display, ready for instant fire. Their faces showed that they were ready.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

►[ WARNING! ]

►[ Multiple hostile targets detected ]

►[ Threat Level D detected ]

►[ Threat Level D detected ]

►[ Threat Level D detected ]

►[ Threat Level D detected ]

►[ Threat Level D detected ]

►[ Threat Level D detected ]

►[ WARNING: Imminent attack detected ]

►[ Recommended action: RETREAT ]

Rayleigh’s expression immediately changed because the system had never sounded this frantic before. For a moment, he simply stared at the soldiers standing between him and the hallway.

There were too many, far too many of them.

Every single one of them was staring directly at him, their abilities already activated and their weapons ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Rayleigh slowly clenched his fists. The excitement he had felt moments ago vanished completely.

A Silvered agent stepped forward, carrying the flair of a leader. His eyes were sharp, his expression cold and emotionless.

"Surrender immediately."