Getting stronger

As Jon entered the room, it struck him how similar it was to the rooms in the boys' hostel, though this one had a subtle feminine touch—perhaps because he was keenly aware of where he was.

Each room housed three students and was arranged in a rectangular layout. The space itself was square, with three beds against the walls and the last wall dedicated to desks for studying. The rest of the rectangular setup was reserved for a small bathroom and toilet, though they were no longer functional in the current situation.

He locked the door, sat on one of the beds, and set his bag down beside him. From the bag, he carefully took out the orbs.

"Alright, here goes nothing," he muttered. He picked up the first orb, hoping for good fortune, and cracked it open.

A familiar old scroll materialized, then disintegrating into white motes of light that entered his body.

Expecting a system message, Jon focused, but none came. Instead, a sharp, sudden pain began creeping through his body. It started small but intensified rapidly.

The pain spread from his head to his shoulders, and soon it enveloped every inch of him. The 'Composure' trait activated to help him stay calm even in such a situation, however, he had never experienced pain like this before.

His instincts were screaming that something was wrong, but his skills told him it was necessary—vital, even. Which could he trust?

The top layer of his bones was being stripped away and replaced with something stronger. His muscles tore and mended, and his skin underwent a similar transformation. It was as though his entire internal organs were been scraped off and replaced with a stronger one.

He gritted his teeth and chose to trust in his abilities.

The agony was overwhelming, and started clutching his head and covering his mouth, desperate to keep from screaming. The last thing he wanted was to lose control and cry out in a hostel full of women. It was better to save his dignity and die than lose it here and survive.

His body shook with the continuous strain, but after five long, grueling minutes, the pain slowly began to fade.

"My body, what happened?" He asked no particular person as he touched all over his body. For a brief moment, he felt nothing—an eerie emptiness, as if his body was no longer his own. It reminded him of how it felt when he froze the movements of the monsters, making them feel disconnected from their own bodies before he struck.

Just as he was beginning to regret trusting the process, another wave of pain struck—this time directly in his head. Unlike before, it hit him like a sledgehammer, as though his brain had been cracked open and filled with new knowledge.

"Now what?" he groaned, still suppressing the urge to shout. Streams of information flooded his mind: hand-to-hand combat techniques, the use of various weapons, tactical maneuvers, strategies and movements. It was as if a lifetime of military training had been forced into his brain all at once.

After five more minutes, the pain finally stopped. He panted heavily as his body was drenched in sweat, but his mind buzzed with newfound knowledge. Then, a system window appeared, confirming the transformation.

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED A PASSIVE SKILL]

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED 'SOLDIER'S PHYSIQUE (EVOLVABLE)']

[SOLDIER'S PHYSIQUE: GRANTS USER KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT AND WEAPONS MASTERY OF THE GREATEST SOLDIERS IN YOUR WORLD.]

Jon's eyes widened in shock, even though he had expected something significant. He realized just how little time had passed since the world had changed—less than seven hours—and yet, here he was, transformed into what felt like an elite soldier in just a few minutes. And in the old world, it would take years of rigorous training and experience to achieve this kind of skill.

"Haa… What are you? And why did you change the world like this?" he sighed, speaking to no one in particular. He didn't even expect an answer, but the question lingered in the air. Whoever or whatever had caused this change, it was powerful beyond comprehension.

He glanced at the remaining orbs. After the 'Soldier's Physique,' he didn't really care if the rest turned out to be useless. But curiosity still drove him to pick up the second orb and crush it.

This time, a pair of boots materialized. They were sleek, all black with small white feathers at the sides—barely noticeable unless you looked closely. As he touched them, the system provided details:

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED 'HERMS' SHOES (UNRANKED REALM)']

[EFFECT: INCREASES USER'S SPEED BY 15%. SPECIAL ACTIVATION: WITH 30 MANA POINTS, INCREASES SPEED BY 50% FOR 3 SECONDS.]

"New shoes, huh?" Jon muttered with a grin, glancing down at his worn-out sneakers. "Good timing. These were falling apart anyway."

He swapped his old shoes for the new ones. Immediately, he felt lighter, as though his entire body had become more agile. The day seemed to be going in his favor, and he chuckled to himself.

"Maybe the next one will be some new clothes," he joked, crushing the third orb. His smile shattered as the system delivered the result.

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED 'LILITH'S DRESS (UNRANKED REALM)']

[EFFECT: CAN BLOCK ANY ATTACK FROM UNRANKED REALM UNDER LEVEL 15. SPECIAL ACTIVATION: USING 20 MANA POINTS, CAN BLOCK BLACK REALM RANKED WEAPONS FIVE TIMES BEFORE WEARING OUT.]

Jon blinked at the description. The item was incredibly useful—but it was a dress.

"Of course it had to be a dress," he groaned, lamenting his luck. "Guess I'll trade it with Jenny or someone."

Though the item was undeniably valuable, he couldn't help but feel slightly let down. Making a mental note not to jinx his luck again, he picked up the last orb. If it was something trivial, he wouldn't mind. The skills and items he had already obtained were more than enough.

The final orb shattered, revealing a large, worn-out brown book. Its cover was scrawled with old handwriting. When he touched it, the system remained silent, offering no description or explanation. However, the title on the cover caught his eye:

'Blacksmithing for Dummies' by Mervil.

Jon stared at the book in his hands, intrigued. He had no idea what use it would have in the current world, but something about it felt, important.