Life-changing Gift

What followed that was a journey of the sealed eyes and how it ended up with him...

From what he saw and analyzed later on, the man himself doesn't have a clue where the eyes would end up. From the lingering thoughts and sentiment that he received from the eyes, he learned that the man just wanted to send the eyes away and hope that they'll be used by someone in a similar way to how he used them...to fulfill a purpose greater than their own.

These eyes were the main cause of the man's rise to the peak. It was something that he was born it, capable of seeing through everything. It gave him an unprecedented level of consciousness that even allowed him to easily commune with nature.

Even as he did his best to analyze everything, Cedric just couldn't fathom how such eyes manifested. And since he couldn't understand it, he might as well toss it at the back of his head, other things needed his immediate attention anyway.

Right, going back to it...

The eyes which were sealed on a stone eventually ended up in this universe. It floated through space for an untold amount of time, and through celestial movement, it got fused into a meteorite which later then fell to Prime Earth.

This happened way before the invasion of Demons too. Researchers who took pieces of the meteorite got hold of it but the specific part where the stone, where the eyes are sealed, was tossed to the side. They treated it like it was an insignificant piece of rock.

If only they knew, right?

Time passed like that and eventually, the stone found its way to a merchant's stash. It was used as a con item, it was then passed on to many hands, all of which failed to realize its true value.

Then, it found its way to the RMC. It got mixed up on the truck where the food supplies were. The cook wasn't paying attention, pouring the entire contents of the rice bag where the stone was, onto the pot.

It then landed on Old Bull's plate, which he then gave to Cedric (he actually saw himself biting into it, which was weird and embarrassing.)

When he lost his tooth and some of his blood, Cedric saw what happened. His blood became the catalyst for the activation of the seal. Then, out of the seal, it fused to him, replacing his old eyes.

...and that brings us to the present where Cedric could be found sitting on his bed, looking at the reflection of his new eyes through the mirror.

There, he found a fresh set of eyes, both bright golden in color, staring back at him. It almost seems like they're shining with how bright they were. Compared to his obsidian eyes previously, there's just no comparison whatsoever.

He woke up in a daze a couple of minutes ago. His entire body hurts as if he just got hit by a truck. His head was throbbing as it sorted through the memories he inherited. After remembering everything from start to finish, Cedric was once again in a daze, still finding it difficult to believe what just happened.

'...that's one hell of a journey, you two.' He mused, referring to his set of eyes.

His body was still adjusting to the new senses he received. As much as Cedric's entire body ached right now, he hardly paid attention to it. Currently, he's relishing the new sensation brought forth by his eyes.

It's as if he was a blind man who just saw colors for the first time. He had eyes before and his vision was 20/20 as far as he could remember, but that was nothing compared to what he's seeing right now.

Resolution-wise, he's seeing the world in 10k UHD compared to 720p HD. There's just no comparing it, really.

It wasn't just clarity either. Cedric's new vision allows him to change perspectives, allowing him to see what's behind him too. His sight could freely zoom in and out, and if he focuses hard enough, he experiences a sensation close to a 'Bullet Time' where everything slows down to a near-halt. It causes him a headache though...for now at least.

Surely there's more to this. After all, he just got the eyes. The more he gets used to it, the more he'll be able to see. And with the memories of its previous wielder fresh in his memories, he's confident that he will be able to use this gift to its greatest extent given time.

'...it isn't just limited to vision either.' Cedric giddily mused inwardly.

His new pair of eyes glanced at the numerous System Alerts floating in front of him.

[Warning, your Health has reached a Critical State!]

[Unknown mutation, in progress...]

[The Foreign Substance was now fusing with the user's eyes.]

[Warning! Unexpected development occurs! User's eyes exploded]

[Alert! The Foreign Substance is now occupying the User's empty eye sockets!]

[Alert! The Foreign Substance is changing. Prediction: the unknown substance is now turning into the User's new eyes!]

[Prediction proved correct. Congratulations, User Cedric! You receive a new set of eyes.]

[Notice! User Cedric's new eyes have been scanned by the System. The connection was made. It is confirmed that these new eyes bestowed new abilities to the User.]

[Congratulations, User Cedric! You have received:『Vision (M)』 and 『Learning (M)』. User's Profile, updated.]

  ***

[Profile]

Name: Cedric Stormrider

Age: 21

Race: Human

Class: Tier 1 - Swordsman

Level: 2

Aptitude:

Body: D (NEW!)

Energy: B (NEW!)

Spirit: (S) - Locked. Tier 2 req. (NEW!)

Final rating: C (NEW!)

Skills:

Actives: Stab, Cleave, Parry, Block, Roll

Passives: Vision (M), Learning (M) (NEW!)

Mandatory Task:

Hell Dive: Survive the Endless Undead Horde for 3 Hours. Current Record: 12 minutes

Rewards: 100% Demon Soul gain.

Failure: +1 Strike. Current Strike Counter: 1/3

  ***

"...Damn!" Cedric couldn't help but grin at the changes he saw on his Profile.

His Body rating changed from E to D. This was enough to make him happy but it didn't stop there. His Energy rating went from C to B, his Spirit rating became S!

'It's locked for now. It requires me to reach Tier 2 but still, it's an S-rank rating! If I report this to the higher-ups, I would become the next big thing!'

'...not that I plan on doing that though. But still! S-Rank! Shit, I have hopes now!'

Cedric felt like he was floating on clouds. With the changes on his Profile, he might actually have a chance to change his life now. These new eyes of his were truly a blessing. Hell, Cedric even felt like thanking the gods right now.

'Furthermore, I have Passive Skills now!' Cedric exclaimed inwardly. He focused on those skills and the System displayed what they do for him.

***

『Vision (M)』

: With the mastery of the Vision skill, the user's perception transcends the bounds of mortal senses. They gain the ability to perceive the world in a truly omniscient manner. No secret remains hidden, no location is unreachable to their gaze. The user can see through solid objects, peer into distant realms, and witness events in the past, present, or even potential futures. This all-encompassing sight provides unparalleled strategic advantage and insights into the mysteries of the world.

: Note - This skill is limited by the User's current strength. It is strongly suggested that User increases their Class Tier and Level to maximize the benefit of this skill.

『Learning (M)』

: The [Learning] skill, honed to its zenith, grants the user the gift of Cosmic Enlightenment. At this pinnacle, the user's capacity for acquiring knowledge becomes boundless. They absorb information at an unprecedented rate, effortlessly mastering complex subjects and skills in record time. This profound understanding extends beyond traditional realms, allowing them to grasp arcane magic, decipher ancient languages, and decipher the hidden threads of reality itself. Through deep concentration, they can even commune with the accumulated wisdom of ages past.

: Note - This skill is limited by the User's current strength. It is strongly suggested that User increases their Class Tier and Level to maximize the benefit of this skill.

***

Two Passive Skills maxed out, just like that. Truly, this day can't get any better than this.

These skills might seem mundane and all but Cedric knew better, especially with how the mind works now.

Cedric was already feeling the effects of these passive skills. And with the rate at which his mind now processes information, he's getting used to the new sensation brought forth by the skills.

It's his body that's lagging behind but truthfully, all he needs is time and everything will follow through.

Right now, even as he just existed in his room, his mind with racing with all sorts of stuff. He truly couldn't wait to see just how far he could abuse the skills he just learned. However, now's not the time for experiments, his body still needs rest after the frightening mutation that happened to it so he could only shelf the ideas blossoming in his mind.

It was then that he was reminded of something, well...someone, that made this all possible.

'...Old Bull...'