Klein Reddington's smug face was the last thing Dravin saw before he turned his attention inward. The stadium, the thousands of whispering students, all faded away. While Klein enjoyed his fleeting moment in the spotlight, Dravin had work to do.
He closed his eyes, focusing his consciousness on the blue interface floating in his mind.
'A system… It's really a system,' he thought, a sense of surreal disbelief washing over him. 'Just like in those novels from Earth. Is this the standard package for all transmigrators?'
His eyes scanned the details again, but this time, he truly absorbed the name.
『10,000 Times Lottery Cultivation System』
The implications of that name hit him like a lightning bolt. Ten… thousand… times. It wasn't just a simple boost or a hundred times boost. It was ten thousand times!
This was even better than cheat code!
A scream of pure, unadulterated happiness threatened to escape his lips, but he forced it down, channeling it into a silent, trembling excitement.
This was his second chance. This was his path to ensuring he would never be a victim again.
He had suffered enough on earth already. Not only didn't he get girls, he was a loner by circumstances.
Not to mention his Dad went to get milk for ten years and his newly married mom's step son was actually gay and made Dravin an actual target. It was just too much for 17 year old Dravin to bare and he immediately tried to hospitalize himself to get some time alone from the house.
An idea, sharp and brilliant, sparked in his mind. He didn't need to wait. He could start right now.
He focused on the technique ingrained in his new memories: the `Astra Breath Absorption Technique`. It was the most basic meditation method taught to all recruits, designed to slowly draw in the ambient dimensional energy in the air. Following the instructions, he controlled his breathing, creating a gentle circulatory rhythm within his body.
Almost immediately, he felt it—a faint warmth, a barely perceptible trickle of energy seeping through his pores. It was like trying to fill a bucket with a leaky faucet. The minuscule wisp of energy merged with his muscles and skin, and then… nothing.
Dravin felt a pang of disappointment. The process was pathetically slow. At this rate, it would take months just to see a 20% increase.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a sound, clearer than any bell, chimed in his head.
[Ding!]
[Cultivation of 'Astra Breath Absorption Technique' detected.]
[Random multiplier activated: 200x!]
[Energy absorption amplified!]
Before he could even process the message, the gentle trickle of energy inside him erupted into a roaring tsunami. The wisp he had absorbed didn't just grow; it violently multiplied, transforming into a raging torrent of pure power that surged through his veins.
His cells, starved for energy, greedily devoured the massive amount of energy. His muscles tightened, his bones vibrated, and a wave of heat washed over his entire body as every fiber of his being was saturated and reforged. It was a feeling of overwhelming power, a sensation of being filled to the absolute brim.
[Lifeform Level has broken through the first barrier!]
[Congratulations on reaching Rank 2 Super Soldier!]
His internal system panel refreshed instantly.
┌──────[ Profile ]──────┐
│ [Name]: Dravin Borne
│ [Quest]: NILL
│ [Astra Soul]: Water [F-rank] (Level 1) <0.01%>
│ [Lifeform Level]: Rank 2 Super Soldier <0.00%>
│
├──────[ Attributes ]───┤
│ [Strength]: 8
│ [Speed]: 8
│ [Physique]: 7
│ [Energy]: 120
│
├──────[ Techniques ]───┤
│ [Meditation Technique]: Astra Breath Absorption [Level 1] <3.50%>
│ [Combat Technqiue]: Basic Saber Technique [Level 1] <10.50%>
│ [Beast Companion]: NILL
│[[New User Gift: One (1) Lottery Spin available. Use now?]
└─────────────────────────┘
His attributes had doubled! A breakthrough that should have taken the original Dravin over a year of grueling, non-stop training had been accomplished in a single breath. The sheer absurdity of it left him speechless.
Just as he was about to burst into manic laughter, a deafening explosion ripped through the stadium.
"BOOM!"
Dravin's eyes snapped open, his newfound senses sharp and clear. All eyes were on the stage, where Klein stood bathed in a vortex of swirling cosmic energy. The energy converged above him, solidifying into the massive, projection of a three-meter-long saber that pulsed with raw power.
"An Astra Soul Manifestation!" someone shouted in the crowd.
Klein's face was contorted in a proud grin. He reached up toward the ghostly projection, his hand closing around an invisible hilt. As his fingers tightened, the projection dissolved into motes of light that rushed into his palm, forging a physical, blazing saber crackling with real flames. The air around him shimmered with scorching heat.
Gasps of shock and awe rippled through the recruits.
"Astra Soul: Blazing Sabre! It's a high grade D-Rank Astra soul!" One of the instructors announced, his voice booming with approval. "An excellent result!"
To showcase his newfound power, Klein let out a roar and swung the flaming sword horizontally.
A meter-long slash of pure fire shot from the blade, slicing through the air for a dozen meters before finally dissipating with a soft hiss.
The display sent another wave of envy and admiration through the crowd.
His awakening complete, Klein descended from the stage, his head held high as he soaked in the praise. His eyes scanned the crowd until they locked onto Dravin.
He swaggered over, the fiery saber vanishing from his hand. Stopping just a few feet away, a cruel smirk spread across his face. He looked Dravin up and down, as if inspecting a piece of trash he was about to throw out.
Then, slowly and deliberately, he raised a hand to his throat and dragged his thumb across his neck in a sharp, cutting motion. The message was clear.
Dravin felt the raw power thrumming through his newly reinforced body. He met Klein's threat an icy, profound calm.
A D-rank talent was impressive to the masses, but to him? It was just a slightly brighter firefly in a world where he was destined to become the sun.
He looked at Klein's threatening gesture and offered nothing in return but a cold, dismissive stare. It was a look one might give an insect buzzing annoyingly in their path!