-[You have completed the quest Kairoth implemented]-
-[Reward: Level passed down by Kairoth Umbren]-
-[Reward now eminent]-
-[Reward: lvl 99]-
Zachary's eyes locked onto the screen the moment the words appeared. His breath hitched slightly, like his body didn't know how to react first.
"…What the he—" he started, his voice cracking just a bit from the shock.
The number didn't feel real, like it didn't belong to him. Because it didn't, but before he could even finish the sentence, another notification cut him off mid-thought.
-[You can use this power freely in any way, without restrictions]-
"Without…" Zachary read slowly, his voice quieter now.
His eyes traced every word carefully, as if afraid it might disappear. "…Restrictions?" he finished, his brows tightening slightly.
That word lingered in his mind longer than the others. It didn't make sense—not fully.
He stood there for a moment, unmoving, letting the information settle.
Then his expression shifted into confusion.
"…How am I supposed to activate it?" he muttered to himself. His gaze drifted away from the screen as he started thinking out loud.
If it was a system ability, then it had to follow some kind of trigger.
"Go..?" he tried, half-heartedly. Nothing happened.
He frowned slightly, then tried again. "Power up..?" he said, a bit more clearly this time.
Still nothing—no reaction, no response, no change.
Zachary exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"That's not it…" he muttered under his breath. Then something clicked in his mind. His eyes sharpened just a little as he remembered.
"I activated my Eye Of Sensibility by saying 'Activate'…" he said, almost whispering.
He straightened slightly, testing the idea in his head. "Maybe it works the same way…" he added, uncertainty still in his tone.
He didn't expect much from it. But at this point, it was the only thing that made sense.
"Act…ivate..?" Zachary said slowly, almost unsure of his own voice.
The word left his mouth without confidence, like he was just testing it. For a split second—nothing happened.
Then—
-[Successfully activated lvl]-
Zachary's pupils shrank.
-[When the lvl is activated, the user's stats will increase by x9]-
The screen began updating instantly.
-[Strength: 8239.5 points]-
-[Agility: 7672.5 points]-
-[Recovery: 5252.4 points]-
-[Durability: 5117.4 points]-
-[Mana: 5378.6 points]-
-[Casting speed: 5432.4 points]-
Zachary didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even blink.
His body felt… different.
Not heavier.
Not lighter.
Just—
Sharper.
Everything around him became clearer, like his senses had been turned up all at once.
The air felt denser, the ground beneath him more defined. Even his own breathing sounded louder in his ears.
He clenched his fist slowly, feeling the strength surge through his arm.
"…This…" he muttered quietly.
It wasn't just power.
It was overwhelming.
Then—
-[You can only use this state for 5 minutes, every day, the limit will increase by 1 second]-
Zachary's eyes flickered back to the screen. The restriction grounded him immediately, cutting through the surge of adrenaline.
"…Five minutes…" he repeated under his breath.
His expression steadied slightly as he processed it.
Short.
Limited.
Controlled.
But even then—
Zachary slowly lowered his hand, staring at it in silence. The faint tension in his fingers hadn't gone away yet.
He could still feel the power lingering inside him. And for the first time—
He understood.
This wasn't something he had to grow into.
It was something he had to control…and master