Chapter 111: Chapter111-A new skill accompanied by a fresh surge of pain

My eyes fluttered open, greeted by the sterile white of a ceiling overhead. Huh? What? The sharp scent of disinfectants filled my nostrils, and the softness of the mattress beneath me made it clear I wasn't anywhere familiar. A wave of confusion washed over me. Where am I? I tried to move, but the slight tug of something on my arm made me pause. Glancing down, I saw several stitches and a small needle taped to my skin, connected to a thin tube leading to an IV drip hanging from a stand nearby. Am I in the hospital again? The rhythmic beeping of machines I hadn't noticed before filled the room, their sounds blending into the background. Pushing aside the discomfort, I sat up slowly, the soft mattress shifting beneath me. As I did, recognition hit me like a cold splash of water. This room it was unmistakably mine. I muttered to myself, "This room? Isn't it mine?" I looked around, my eyes scanning the room for familiar landmarks. There was the luxurious drawer, the cupboard stuffed with shoes and watches, the bed with its perfectly folded sheetsall mine, all exactly as I remembered them. My heart raced as the reality of my surroundings settled in. I'm absolutely sure this room is mine, and that can only mean one thing... "Did I come back?" I whispered, the words barely audible as they left my lips. So suddenly? The last thing I remembered was what? The memories were hazy, slipping through my grasp like sand. Why can't I remember? I grabbed my head and swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet touching the cool floor as I stood up. My head spun a bit, and I had to steady myself against the bedpost, my mind racing with panic... Did I forget everything like before? After holding my head for a few more minutes, I finally remembered all those conversations I had with Lee. I sighed in relief. Thank goodness I didn't forget anything... As I was deep in thought, my system screen suddenly lit up with several notifications: [Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've successfully completed the Merged Quest: [Deadliest Survivor!]] [Objective completed: 1/1.] [Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've received two rewards: one of the seven keys to the lost continent and a Gold Rank Dagger, both now added to your inventory!] [Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've gained a new skill, "Sexual Stimulation," which has been added to your skill options!] Ahh... Yes... This rewards... After so many days of hardwork... I have been impatiently waiting for so long to get my hands on them and, now finally I could touch them... So, what should I check first? That skill? Key? Which one? My mind was buzzing with excitement, making it impossible to think clearly. After a few minutes of overthinking, I finally made up my mind... I'll focus on my skill first. I called up my system and opened my character profile. Unlike last time in that creepy, dark place where my system didn't show up, it appeared in front of me now, glowing like a hologram. As the system interface fully materialized, I couldn't ignore the question that had been nagging at me since that strange incident. "System," I asked, my voice steady but curious, "Why didn't you respond when I called you repeatedly back there?" The system paused for a brief moment before replying, its tone apologetic yet mechanical. "Apologies, Host! An unknown force took control of me during that period, preventing me from functioning normally." An unknown force? My mind instantly jumped to the only other person who had been present at that time*him*. Lee... Given his extraordinary strength, it was highly probable that this mysterious force the system mentioned was somehow linked to him. So, he knew about my system all along... I wasn't entirely surprised. The way he had spoken, his demeanor, the subtle hintsit was clear he knew far more about my situation than he let on. However, this revelation only led to more questions. The way he spoke made me suspect that Lee and his associates were the ones who brought me here. But why? Was their plan, like Lee's, for me to save this damn world? The thought seemed implausible. I mean... If that were truly their goal, why had only Lee approached me with such a request, while the others remained hidden in the shadows? There had to be more to this than simply saving the world. The pieces didn't fully add up, leaving me with a lingering unease as I wondered what might happen next... Hmmm... Anyway, for now, I needed to focus on the task at hand. I redirected my attention back to the screen in front of me, navigating to the skill section on my profile page. With a quick click, a list of all the skills I currently possessed appeared before me. 1) **Dash Skill [Level 3]** 2) **Rage Skill [Level 3]** 3) **Horny Meter [Level Max]** 4) **Sexual Stimulation [Level 1]** Wait... What? I already have a maxed-out skill? I stared at the screen in surprise. Somehow, I had completely missed that. "Damn, how did I not notice?" I muttered to myself, but a smirk slowly spread across my face. This was a fortunate discovery, and I had no doubt that this skill would come in handy sooner or later. The thought of its potential made me even more eager to see what my new skill was all about. Returning to my original purpose, I clicked on the new skill I had just unlocked. A new page opened, revealing detailed information about the skill. **Sexual Stimulation:** - **Effect:** When you touch a woman, her horny meter will increase by 10 percent... - **Note:** You can only touch one part of any woman's body once per day! I paused for a moment to take in the information. It's not bad... but not great either. The potential of this skill interested me a bit, and I could see how it might be useful in the future. However, the downside is its limitations. I can only touch a woman once a day, which won't do much to make them horny. This means I'll need to be strategic about when I use it, making sure each touch really counts. I can't afford to waste it. I took a closer look, inspecting every detail more carefully. Suddenly, it hit meI had completely forgotten that I could upgrade this ability. Without hesitation, I navigated to the (Level 1) section. As soon as I did, a new screen materialized before me, capturing my attention. The screen displayed a prompt in bold text: (Would you like to upgrade your Sexual stimulation to level 3?) Beneath the question were two options: (Yes/No). The details of the upgrade were also provided: (You need 1100 Monster Essences to advance to the next level.) A note followed, reminding me: (Monster Essences used for upgrading your ranks will be deducted from your character profile.) The decision was now mine to make, and I couldn't help but weigh the possibilities. If I chose to upgrade, there was a strong likelihood that the skill's limitations might decrease, making it far more effective for me in the long run. The thought of enhanced power and greater utility was tempting, pulling me towards the upgrade option. After another minute of careful consideration, I made up my mind. The potential benefits were too significant to ignore. With a deep breath, I moved my cursor to the "Yes" option and clicked it. Almost immediately, a new page appeared before me, confirming my choice. (1100 Essences deducted from the host's Character profile.) (Processing the upgrade...) The screen began a countdown, heightening my anticipation: (10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...0.) With a soft chime, the system delivered the news I'd been waiting for: (Ding, Congratulations Host! Your Sex Stimulation skill has been successfully upgraded to Level 3!) Excitement and curiosity surged within me. I needed to see the results of this upgrade for myself... let's see if it has improved or not... Eager to explore the enhancements, I navigated back to the skills menu and selected the newly upgraded skill. A detailed information screen unfolded before me: **Sexual Stimulation:** - **Effect:** When you touch a woman, her arousal meter will now increase by 30 percent per touch! - **Note:** You are limited to touching three parts of any woman's body, with a maximum of three touches per day! Perfect... This is exactly the skill I needed... Combined with the horny meter, it will work much better... Just like bread and butter... With that my charcter profile appeared infront of me... Name: Michael Frostburne Race: Human Current Rank: Iron Title: Netori King, Lust King Progression to Gold Rank: 32% (800/2500 essences) As my eyes drifted to the amount of Essences I had accumulated, a sudden realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. Wait a minute... Why am I still in the Silver rank? With all these Essences, shouldn't I have been promoted to Platinum rank by now? My mind raced, and then the truth struck mewait! I never received any Essence points as a reward in the first place... Confusion set in, and I quickly blurted out, "System, why did?" But before I could finish my sentence, a virtual interface materialized in front of me, interrupting my words and demanding my attention. [Ding! Congrats, Host! You've successfully completed the Sacrificial Quest: Death of Resurrection.] [Objective completed: Saved 30/30.] (Congratulations, Host! You've earned 15,000 Essences from the Sacrificial Quest, and they have been added to your Character Profile!) (Ding! Congrats, Host! You've met all the requirements for an upgrade!) (Do you want to advance to [Platinum] Rank?) (Yes/No?) I was at a loss for words. I had been ready to ask the system for an explanation, but it seemed there was no need anymore. The system had anticipated my question and provided the answer. Well played, system. Without a moment's hesitation, I clicked the "Yes" option. As soon as I did, a bright white light descended from above, enveloping my entire body. I imagined it must have come from the sky itself. The light felt warm and comforting, wrapping around me like a protective cocoon. Yet, despite its warmth, there was something surreal about the experiencelike I was on the edge of stepping into a new realm. Finally, the process began. A series of notifications appeared before my eyes: (Processing... Upgrade...) (Increasing Spirit... Successful!) (Increasing Recovery... Successful!) (Increasing Speed... Successful!) (Increasing Power...) Then, suddenly, everything came to a halt. The holographic interface froze in place... For a full two minutes, there was no movement, no progress whatsoever. At first, I didn't think anything was wrong. But as more time passed and the hologram remained unchanged, a sense of confusion began to creep in. Why was it taking so long to increase my power? I started clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to feel if my strength had improved. To my frustration, there was no noticeable difference. My power felt exactly the same. What's going on? The upgrade process from Silver to Gold rank typically took about four minutes. But here I was, waiting far longer, with no sign of progress. "When will it happen?" After I said that, a sudden bone-chilling pain surged through my body... "This little pain-Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The pain was all-consuming, a searing fire that ignited every nerve ending in my body. Each heartbeat sent shockwaves of agony through my veins, like molten lava coursing through fragile glass. What's... My vision blurred as the room around me distorted, colors bleeding into one another in a nauseating swirl. The scream that tore from my throat felt like it came from the depths of my soul, a primal cry of anguish that reverberated off the sterile white walls of the hospital room. Suddenly, the door to my room burst open with a loud clatter, the handle slamming against the wall as a nurse rushed in. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene before herme, crumpled on the cold linoleum floor, convulsing in sheer torment. Her hands flew to her mouth, muffling a gasp as she scrambled to my side, dropping to her knees beside me. "Oh my God! What's happening?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with panic as she reached out, unsure of how to help. I couldn't think clearly. Her fingers hovered just above my trembling body, hesitating to touch me as though afraid that the slightest contact would shatter me into pieces. Her professional composure faltered, replaced by a frantic urgency as she fumbled for the call button clipped to her uniform. Before she could press it, however, the door flew open again, and Allen stormed into the room. His expression was cold, though a flicker of concern flashed in his sharp, steel-blue eyes. "I knew it!" He didn't waste a second assessing the situationhe was already moving, his body fluid and controlled, like a predator stalking its prey. "Move aside," Allen ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. The nurse obediently backed away, her hands shaking as she watched him with wide eyes. Allen knelt beside me, his movements swift and precise. His presence alone seemed to anchor the chaos that had erupted in the room, his calm composure a stark contrast to the storm raging inside my body. Allen's hands found their way to my forehead, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone of his stature. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he focused, and I could feel a subtle shift in the air around us. It was as if he was drawing the pain away from me, absorbing it into himself like a sponge soaking up water. What? My pain... It's fading... My convulsions began to subside, the overwhelming agony gradually ebbing away, replaced by a deep, bone-weary exhaustion... Allen's brow furrowed in concentration as he guided his breathing, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. His hands moved in a slow, deliberate motion, tracing intricate patterns over my skin. I recognized the techniqueyoga mixed with some kind of meditative energy control, something only a top-tier ranker like Allen would know. He was using ancient techniques to calm my nerves, to suppress the pain that was tearing me apart from the inside... As his breathing synced with mine, the pain, though not gone, became bearablea dull throb instead of the mind-shattering torment from before. "HUfff...huff..." I gasped for breath, my lungs burning as I took in air that no longer felt like fire. My vision cleared, and I could see Allen's face, calm and focused, his eyes boring into mine as if willing me to hold on. "There, just breathe," he murmured, his voice a low, soothing rumble. "Let it out slowly. You're going to be okay." Tears welled up in my eyesnot from the pain, but from the relief that came with it easing. I managed a shaky nod, following his instructions as best as I could, my body still trembling from the aftershocks of the ordeal. The nurse, who had been watching in stunned silence, finally seemed to regain some of her composure. She quickly moved to the other side of me, checking my vitals with practiced efficiency. "Whatwhat just happened?" she asked, her voice a hushed whisper, as if speaking too loudly would break the fragile calm that Allen had managed to establish. "He's experiencing an extreme physical reaction," Allen replied, his voice steady, though his gaze remained locked on mine. "Probably triggered by something internal, but it's subsiding now. I'll keep him stable until a doctor arrives." The nurse nodded, clearly still rattled, but reassured by Allen's presence and control over the situation. She hurried out to get the doctor, leaving Allen and me alone in the room. As the door closed behind her, I let out a shaky breath, the fear that had gripped me beginning to release its hold. "Thankyou," I managed to whisper, my voice hoarse and strained. Allen gave me a small, tight smile, still holding his hands close to my body, continuing to channel whatever calming force he could. He asked calmly, "Were you ascending?" I wasn't the least bit surprised In this world, individuals ranked from Normal to Platinum can only witness a person's first ascension. For example, when a child reaches the Normal rank for the first time They can observe that initial ascension, but they're blind to the more powerful transformations, like when a hunter ascends to Iron or higher ranks... Only Ace rankers have the ability to comprehend or even perceive those higher ascensions... "I-" Before I could finish speaking, he interrupted again. "You're strong," he said softly, "but you need to let this go. I'm here. Just focus on your breathing!" Suddenly, a flood of notifications filled my system interface... When I looked at them, I was stunned to see something unbelievable and unexpected appear in front of me... (Host...)