"Whooah!!!" Eric yelled despite himself, his eyes still closed.
"Tier upgrades grant stat points, right?"
[Accurate...]
"With all points distributed equally among the stats?"
[With all points distributed as the system wishes. Again, points are allocated based on what the Host is lacking, or needs for the time being.]
"Uh, spoiler alert. Still, from my weak math skills, I should be getting more than 100 points for a single stat, right?... Right?..."
[Not Accurate. Your rough calculation is based on the former +5 addition of stat points. However, the amount of points added to stats increases with each Tier upgrade. Tier 1 was +5 points. Tier 2 came with +7 points. Tier 3 comes with +10. But it doesn't keep increasing. It stops at a certain number and is also not consistent.]
"At this point, I'm going to be overpowered. Is there a downside to that too?"
[If your willpower won't keep up, yes. That's a downside.]
[Upgrading stat points…]
[HP: 200/200]
[EP: 200/200]
[Strength: 280]
[Speed: 200]
[Stamina: 200]
[Willpower: 434]
"Something tells me you're bad at maths. I just can't prove it," said Eric.
[You can't prove it, because "bad" does not even qualify as a word to describe how bad you are at maths]
"Uh-uh."
[Host can deflect arrows but is still vulnerable to savage replies]
"That was a good one. Now, is that all about Stat and Tier upgrades?"
[For now, yes]
"Alright. Now I'm excited about the awakening part. I'll be awakened now, right? You can't prank me this time around, system. I have to awaken."
[Mana consumed till awakening: 100/100]
[200/200: Mana Slave]
[300/300: Mana Master]
[500/500: Mana Lord]
[1000/1000: Mana King]
[2000/2000: Mana Demon]
[2365/5000: Mana God]
[Host has awakened 6 times]
[6 awakening rewards granted to Host]
---
[First Awakening]
[Rank: Mana Slave]
[Reward: Mana Summoner]
[Description: This ability enables Host to suck up mana from dead victims without bending close to them to consume mana. This can be used anytime as it's an ability, not a skill. However, Host cannot consume more than 5 mana units at a time.]
Eric, already getting the flow of things, replied, "That's pretty cool. Now, I don't have to smell their corpse before consuming mana. It's also effective when fighting. I can just continue consuming mana without losing focus on the enemy before me."
[Accurate]
"I also realize I've said a lot of damning things just now without flinching. Is it the effect of the kill-power upgrade?"
[Yes. Willpower is more important than you are aware of.]
"If only you'll let everything out. How am I supposed to be aware when you won't tell me?"
The System again ignored Eric's pestering.
[Second Awakening]
[Rank: Mana Master]
[Reward: Mana Sharer]
[Description: This ability allows Host to give out mana, for example, to a dying person, or to strengthen them by increasing the quantity of mana available in them. Host can also forcefully take mana from people with this ability, but that can only be possible if the person is blood-bonded with Host.]
"I don't know why I'm sharing mana with someone, but pretty nice. At least now I know I'm not just a mana thief. I can strengthen others too. But what did you mean by 'blood-bonded'? Is it what I think it means?"
[I don't know what you think it is, but you will find out soon.]
[Third Awakening]
[Rank: Mana Lord]
[Reward: Blood-bonding]
[Description: Blood-bonding ability gives Host the power to recruit people under a bond, in other words, Mana Slaves. Host has direct contact with each Mana Slave at all times: they follow every of your command, and also, they are living sources of mana. Which means, Host can draw mana from them as a short and temporary source of supply in case of emergency…]
"Hell no! And after I draw their mana, what happens?"
[Mana Slaves have abundant mana in them as they unconsciously draw in mana from others too, though very little. When you draw mana from them, they are knocked out cold, almost dead, but never dead. If you don't use the mana, share ability to transfer mana back to them, they can still stay alive by their inbred ability to draw little mana units from other living beings. Here's the interesting part… They can also draw mana from plants.]
"I've exhausted my daily supply of 'wows', but here's another one. Wow."
[However, they are completely under your protection. Once bonded, they become extraordinarily strong, about 5x stronger than an average man. They also become stronger the more you upgrade in Strength. They are slaves and you have their trust, but you must be deserving of that trust. Though completely under your puppet string, they can go on a rampage and slowly make the bond between you and them grow weaker…]
"Another wow. These Mana Slaves don't seem like slaves at all. I mean, only I have everything to give them, yet they can rebel against me? How so?"
[You have many things to give, not everything. To have subordinates who are subjected to your every will, is great power. And you have to take care of them and protect them, and that is a great responsibility. Remember, Host… with great power comes great responsibility.]
"Hmmm, deep. But I'm unfazed. Anyway, this Mana Slave concept is an interesting one. One question, how do I know who to recruit?"
[You'll feel the natural bond with such individuals when you see one. However, because you feel the bond does not mean you blood-bond them. Some people have stronger willpower than others and they can be harder to control by you. However, if you are a power maniac, you can totally subdue them against their will because of your overwhelming level of willpower.]
"Everything keeps telling me that this is a villainous system. You drop hints that it's only a choice fit for villains, then act like I have the option. But in reality, it's all just an illusion of choice."
[You have been dealing with illusions of choice ever since you breathed your first air in this colony. What's one or two more?]
"Again, you hurt me, system. Another question, how many Mana Slaves can I recruit?"
[Again, it all depends on your level of willpower. With your current level, you can bond three Mana Slaves at most, so you can be able to have total control and manage other things as well.]
"And if I raise it to five?"
[It's all up to you, Host. Jump in, only then can you feel the deep]
"That feels like a threat. Ominous."