A week passed quickly since Arthur's arrival in this world. Each day followed a rhythm of training, quests, and steady progress.
In that time, he had completed five more special side missions, earning five random skill cards and five special roulette draws. His total balance now stood at a solid 3,500 system points a respectable amount, though still far from what he'd need to purchase the high-tier abilities he had seen in the shop.
He decided to save all his rewards until he could use them together, hoping that luck might favor him if he rolled everything at once.
Today, however, when he checked his quest log, the latest side mission lacked the familiar "special" tag. It was the same physical routine as before but offered only 500 points as a reward.
Apparently, the system's generosity had a limit. Those earlier roulettes and skill cards must have been a kind of beginner's bonus. After all, if he kept getting world-breaking items every day, he'd surpass the entire DxD power scale within a month.
He sighed quietly. "Figures. Would've been too easy."
Still, he had saved quite a few rewards. Without hesitating, he gave the command.
"Use."
[Used "Random Skill Card" x5]
Ding!
[Two cards have been fused into "Mid Mastery of Unarmed Combat"]
Ding!
[You obtained "Renewal Taekwondo"]
Ding!
[You obtained "Magic Power Manipulation"]
Ding!
[You obtained "Roar"]
Arthur's eyes lit up as the notifications appeared one after another. The results were better than he had expected. Not only had his hand-to-hand combat skill reached an intermediate level, but he had also unlocked one of the most powerful martial arts styles ever created.
Renewal Taekwondo—Jin Mori's fighting technique from The God of High School. It wasn't just about strength or speed; it was a style built on freedom, precision, and explosive power. With this, his close-combat capabilities would skyrocket.
"The rest of the skills are good," he murmured, looking over the glowing blue panels that hovered before him, "but they don't compare to those two."
He took a deep breath and moved on to the next part.
[Special Roulette Draw x5 used]
Ding!
[You obtained "Dew of Impeccability"]
Ding!
[You obtained "Body Reconstruction Pill"]
Ding!
[You obtained "Keen Insight"]
Ding!
[You obtained "Shunpo"]
Ding!
[You have obtained "Radiant Soul Fragment"]
Arthur stared blankly at the line of notifications. For a long moment, he didn't even blink.
He knew exactly what each of those rewards meant, and that realization made his hands tremble slightly.
Dew of Impeccability—a rare consumable capable of cleansing impurities from both body and mind.
Body Reconstruction Pill—a complete reset item that could heal any wound or illness.
Keen Insight—a permanent boost to awareness and perception.
Shunpo—the high-speed movement technique used by Soul Reapers in Bleach.
And the last one, Radiant Soul Fragment - something even rarer, an item whose power depended on the soul that owned it.
Arthur blinked once, then twice, and after a few seconds, slapped his cheek firmly.
It hurt.
So it was real.
He let out a slow breath, glancing at the glowing panel once again.
Not only had he gained two ultimate-grade skills, but the consumables alone could probably turn the tide of an entire battle. His lips curved into a faint smile that grew wider the more he thought about it.
"Alright," he said softly to himself, "if this is how it's going to be, then I'll make sure to use it well."
He closed the status screen, his reflection faintly visible against the holographic light before it faded.
He decided not to use the items immediately and ran home as if his life depended on it - because in a way, it did.
The moment he stepped inside, he stripped off his clothes and sank into the bathtub without hesitation. His breathing was calm, but his heart pounded with anticipation as he held the small glowing pill between his fingers.
Without overthinking it, he tossed the Body Reconstruction Pill into his mouth.
The effect was instantaneous.
A searing, indescribable pain tore through every inch of his body. His muscles twisted and snapped, bones shattered and reformed, tendons tightened like bowstrings. He could hear the crack of bone and the wet tearing of flesh, every sound amplified as though his senses had been sharpened to torture him further.
He wanted to scream, to lose consciousness and escape the agony, but his body refused. The pain dragged on endlessly, each second stretching into eternity.
If he didn't know the pill's true effect, he would have believed it to be a slow-acting poison killing him from the inside.
The Body Reconstruction Pill did not merely heal or strengthen - it rebuilt. It restructured every cell, optimizing them for martial arts and mana control. A pill like this could turn a cripple into a prodigy and a prodigy into a monster. In a cultivation world, wars would be fought for a single one.
After hours of enduring pure hell, it finally ended. Arthur's body lay limp in the bathtub, covered in sweat and flakes of dead skin. The water had turned murky and unpleasant.
But there was still more to do.
He reached for the small vial of shimmering blue liquid - the Dew of Impeccability - and drank it down in one gulp.
A moment later, his pores opened, and a foul-smelling, oily black substance began oozing from his skin. The stench was unbearable, thick and sour, clinging to everything it touched. He immediately turned on the shower, letting the hot water wash away the grime as the black liquid continued to flow out.
It lasted only a few minutes, but it felt much longer. When it finally stopped, the water running down the drain was as dark as ink.
Those impurities were the physical and magical waste his body had built up over the years - residues that blocked his mana channels and dulled his potential. The Dew of Impeccability didn't just cleanse them; it ensured that no impurities would ever form again. His body was now perfectly pure, a vessel capable of limitless growth.
Finally, he retrieved the Radiant Soul Fragment. Without hesitation, he pressed it against his forehead. The fragment dissolved into light and seeped into his body, flooding him with warmth and radiance.
A powerful surge of energy pulsed through him, reaching deep into his soul. For a moment, he felt as though he could see beyond himself - into the flow of mana, the pulse of the world, and the faint rhythm of life around him.
His soul had evolved, no longer ordinary or fragile. It now shone with strength, radiant and resilient, nearly on par with the souls of transcendents. This would protect him from any mental interference, illusions, or curses. It also harmonized perfectly with his new abilities, especially Shunpo.
When it was all done, Arthur let the water run over him once more, washing away every trace of the black residue and sweat. The air filled with steam and the faint scent of soap. He was grateful the previous owner of this body had left behind an entire shelf of cleaning supplies.
Stepping out of the bathroom, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and froze.
The difference was staggering.
The boyish face from before had matured into something sharper and more refined.
His skin was smooth and pale, his frame taller and more athletic. His height had grown from 163 to 175 centimeters, and his physique, though not bulky, now carried a defined strength that reflected years of training. His hair had become silkier, its light blond shade now glowing faintly under the light.
He looked like someone who had stepped straight out of fiction - a perfect blend of beauty and strength.
For a brief moment, arrogance flickered across his mind. He thought of how effortlessly he could outshine anyone now, how this world's standards of beauty couldn't compare. But then he stopped himself, smacking his own cheek with enough force to sting.
"Don't forget what happens when you act like this," he muttered quietly.
The past had already taught him where pride and ego led. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
He left the house not long after, wearing light training clothes. The morning sun was bright, and the air carried the faint scent of dew.
He began to practice the movements of the Renewal Style he had learned, testing the flexibility and precision of his newly reforged body.
To his surprise, each motion flowed perfectly. His kicks were faster, his punches sharper, his balance flawless. It felt as if his body had been created for combat.
He could also feel the energy around him shifting. His Six Eyes picked up faint traces of mana in the air - invisible threads of power swirling freely. With his improved magical manipulation, his body was unconsciously absorbing that energy, refining it into his core.
If he kept this up, he thought, he might soon be able to form a mana core and use actual spells.
Curious, he activated Keen Insight. The change was immediate. The world around him sharpened into perfect clarity. Every surface, every shadow, even the air itself revealed its flaws. He could see cracks in the ground, weaknesses in the walls, and faint distortions in the flow of wind.
Keen Insight - a skill belonging to a heroine from the Overgeared series - was known to terrify even gods. Its power allowed the user to perceive the flaws of creation itself.
Arthur moved again, practicing the Renewal Style once more. This time his strikes were impossibly smooth, guided by an invisible rhythm that pushed them toward perfection.
He decided to test another ability - Shunpo. It was a movement technique used by transcendents, allowing the user to travel short distances instantly. Normally, he wouldn't have enough spiritual energy to perform it, but thanks to the Radiant Soul Fragment and his system-based enhancements, he could use it freely.
The world blurred for a split second as he vanished and reappeared several meters away. The sensation was strange, exhilarating even, like stepping between moments of time. He practiced it several times until it felt natural.
Finally, he focused on his last new ability - Device Invocation. It was the signature power of Blazers from Chivalry of a Failed Knight, beings capable of manifesting their souls as weapons or armor.
The air around him vibrated as he summoned it. Lightning flared from his chest, spreading across his arms and legs before solidifying into sleek black metal gauntlets and boots adorned with golden lines. The craftsmanship was elegant, perfectly balanced between beauty and lethality.
He clenched his fists, feeling the hum of power coursing through the weapon.
"It complements my fighting style perfectly," he said softly. "Now, it just needs a name."
He thought for a long moment before the right words came to him.
"Lightning God's Armor."
The name resonated through him, and the armor pulsed faintly, acknowledging its master.