For the first time, I used the skill [King of Awakening], and it felt strange—strange but good.
As a Unique Skill, [King of Awakening] has the potential to help me create the most powerful and loyal faction. Its primary function is to "Awaken" others, enabling them to operate under the logic of 'Hell Difficulty Tutorial' world. This grants them a system screen similar to one from a web novel and awakens their starting two skills. And that's just the main function.
I can also use [King of Awakening] to grant others a copy of one of my skills, whether they are already awakened or not, with three different options:
1. **Perfect Copy**: I can give a perfect copy of my skill at its current level. However, this skill can no longer be mastered beyond that level, and after doing so, I can't use [King of Awakening] on that person for a period ranging from three months to three years.
2. **Half-Level Copy**: I can provide a copy of my skill at half—or less—of its level. Similar to the first option, this copy comes with the same restrictions, but the cooldown is reduced to between one week and three months.
3. **Level One Copy**: I can give a copy of my skill at level one. The recipient will gradually master it until it reaches level 100, at a rate of one-fifth of my own mastery speed. The cooldown for this option is always two weeks.
In Ben's case, I gave him [Cold Reading] at half the level of my own, with a cooldown of one month and five days.
I also have Administrative Access to the overall Hell Difficulty Tutorial system for anyone I "Awaken." This means I can read the status of anyone under my leadership, look at their actions, gather any information they possess, and analyze and store details about their skills and techniques more deeply than they understand. Yes, I have the potential to unlock and master those abilities.
Additionally, similar to the novel, I can provide anyone under my command with a pseudo-[Shop], which functions just like mine. The pricing and values are also similar, and I receive a 10% cut of anything they sell. Note that while it operates like mine, the value of a Shard is completely different between my shop and theirs.
Lastly, the most intriguing yet currently unavailable function is the ability to create the Tutorial itself. I will learn about its limitations and features once I reach a significant level of power..
After giving him the skill, I brought a copy of the novel he is from. Interestingly, the novel was originally just a Word file sold with a USB stick containing the files. However, since his world is set in the early 2000s and there could be tech issues, I decided to buy him a paper version, which was two hundred Shards more expensive. He told me to keep it, though, because he didn't have a backpack or any way to carry it without alerting his friend.
The rest of the day went normally. We played bowling—I won, by the way—went out for Chinese food, and continued our day as if I hadn't just revealed something world-shattering to him. I had intentionally downplayed the surprise to avoid overwhelming him with the revelation. I figured the consequences would hit him later, possibly as nightmares or thoughts like, "Does it matter? I'm not real, and everything is already decided."
Fortunately, he had a beautiful girlfriend waiting for him at home, which should help ease his mind. When our outing ended, I stayed with Ben until we reached his house. I didn't go inside since he lived with others and wanted to keep the books I gave him a secret, so we parted ways.
When I returned to my world, I entered a [Zombie Dungeon], where I took out a spear. This one was different from the wooden ones I used for sparring; it had an iron head. After taking down three regular zombies, I finally encountered a miniboss. Without relying on stealth or any cheap tactics, I charged at him.
Two and a half minutes later, after a short but intense battle that helped me level up my [Calmness] and [Spearmanship] skills, the zombie miniboss fell. Finally, the screen I had been waiting for appeared:
//
Level Up! Lv.10 -> Lv.11
+5 Free Stat Points
//
I didn't hesitate and allocated the stat points directly into Intelligence (INT), which increased my mana pool by another 50 points. I contained my laughter and continued my zombie kill streak. By the end of the day, I hadn't leveled up again, but I was close to reaching level 12.
Returning home, I cooked for everyone, which I had decided to do. After watching some TV, I went to my room. Before going to sleep, I reviewed some homework and spent two hours dealing with paperwork for my company. The amount of daily bureaucracy was overwhelming, but I was grateful for my Essence and my skills [Managing] and [Paperwork], which helped me ensure everything was for the future.
I wasn't in the mood for any romantic pursuits, especially after Ben's revelation. Instead, I chose to catch up with Ayano, Noan, and Yuki. By the end of our chat, it was already midnight, so I decided to go to sleep and let everything else fade away. It was better to relax than to engage with a woman and feel frustrated since no one could keep up with me.
Before fully drifting off to sleep, I said a prayer for Ben, hoping for a better future for him and that nothing serious would happen to him.