The System’s voice boomed like a massive bell in his mind.
BOOM.
A violent flood of information burst into his consciousness. It wasn't pain; it was enlightenment.
The data stream contained a new battle art. It felt eerily familiar to the [Basic Military CQC], yet utterly alien.
Every clumsy motion, every inefficient stance was tweaked. The changes were subtle—a shift in footwork here, a breathing rhythm there—but the result was magical. It turned a blunt instrument into a scalpel.
Under the System's guidance, Lance’s mind became a supercomputer. He simulated the new art millions of times in a split second.
Novice... Proficient... Expert... Master...
The proficiency bar filled up like a download speed test on fiber optics.
When it finally locked onto [Perfect], the mental storm subsided.
Ding.
System Alert: All exploits in [Basic Military CQC] have been patched.
Skill Evolved and Reforged.
New Skill: [Titanium War Art]
Rank: Tier 4 · Rare Grade
[Titanium War Art]
Description: A Rare Grade inheritance. Drastically enhances physical density and metallic affinity.
Special Unlock: At [Perfect] Mastery, unlocks passive trait: [Titanium War Body].
[Titanium War Body] (Rank C)
Type: Reinforcement Talent (Active).
Effect: Upon activation, gain +300% Movement Speed and +500% Physical Defense for a short duration.
Lance’s heart hammered against his ribs. He felt like he couldn't breathe.
Tier 4? Rare Grade?
He had just turned a piece of trash manual into a legendary inheritance.
In this world, the hierarchy of techniques was absolute:
Tier 1 was for Bronze.
Tier 2 for Silver.
Tier 3 for Gold.
Tier 4... that was the realm of [Grandmasters].
A Grandmaster was a walking nuke. One of them could hold a fortress solo. And "Rare Grade"? That was a badge of honor.
Within the same Tier, quality mattered. Common, Fine, Excellent, Rare, Legendary.
A Legendary manual was a national treasure. The Federation might have five, total. Even a Rare Grade Tier 4 manual was something the local lords in Silver Moon City would kill for.
And Lance just got one for free.
Wait. Lance re-read the description. Unlocks at Perfect Mastery? But I already...
Ding.
Proficiency Inheritance Successful.
Current Mastery: [Perfect].
Rare Grade Bonus Active: Cultivation Efficiency +300%.
Passive Talent [Titanium War Body] Activated.
Lance clenched his fist. The air crackled.
The [Titanium War Art] was brutal. It came with a killer move, the [Titanium Collapse Fist], capable of shattering steel plates.
But the real kicker was the passive. A C-Rank Talent just for mastering a skill?
He was now fighting on easy mode.
It makes sense, Lance realized. The original Basic CQC must have been a watered-down version of something incredible. That Dragon Rider Lord guy didn't write a textbook; he wrote a simplified grimoire.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
He pulled up his status panel. He needed to see the damage.
[User Status Panel]
Name: Lance
Rank: Bronze Tier 1
Constitution: 11.5
Soul: 5
Talents:
[Undying God-Body] (SSS): +300% Stats.
[Elemental Saint Body] (SS): +1000x Efficiency.
[Titanium War Body] (C): Active: Spd +300% / Def +500%.
Skill: [Titanium War Art] (Tier 4 · Rare | Mastery: Perfect | Effect: +300% Speed)
[System Note]: The [Titanium War Body] is the optimized outcome of skill reconstruction. Further patching is impossible.
Lance nodded. He had hoped to glitch the glitch, but the System shut that down in the fine print.
Still, a free C-Rank talent?
Yesterday, Lorraine awakened a C-Rank Flame talent and the media treated her like the second coming of Christ. She was on every news feed in the city.
Lance looked at his C-Rank [Titanium War Body]. Nestled under his SSS and SS talents, it looked like a rounding error.
Sorry, Lorraine, he thought with a smirk. But I think I win this one.
"Three times the speed..." Lance muttered, running the numbers.
With the [Perfect] rank Basic CQC, he had a 1.5x bonus. Now, with the Rare-grade art, his efficiency had doubled again.
Thirty-five minutes.
That was all it took to gain a raw +1 to Constitution now.
If I keep this pace, by sunrise, I'll be a [Bronze Rank · 3-Star].
He grinned. This was way faster than his conservative estimate.
Lance didn't waste another second. He threw himself back into the grind.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
His fists tore through the air, each punch detonating with a dull, terrifying roar.
The walls of his tiny bedroom began to vibrate.
This time, the sound dampening tech was struggling. In the living room, Lillian felt the floor buzzing beneath her feet.
"Hm? What's happening?" She frowned, her face pale. "Is it a Void Beast attack on the city grid?"
She frantically turned on the holographic TV, flipping to the Silver Moon City Defense Channel.
No red alerts. The city was green across the board.
"Just a small earthquake?" she wondered. "But why is the frequency so rhythmic?"
Even this rundown slum tower was built to withstand magnitude 11 quakes. A little tremor shouldn't feel like this.
"Weird... it's coming from Lance's room." She stared at his closed door. "But didn't he say he awakened a support talent? [Cellular Activation]? Why does it sound like he's dismantling a tank in there?"
Lillian was confused, but she knew better than to interrupt. She bit her lip and quietly went to her own room to meditate.
Inside the bedroom, Lance was a blur of motion.
Ding.
Constitution +1.
Ding.
Constitution +1.
Ding.
Constitution +1.
The notifications were addictive. His base Constitution climbed steadily, hitting 16 points.
GRRRAAAAHHHH.
Suddenly, his stomach let out a roar louder than his punches.
Lance stumbled. The world spun violently. Black spots danced in his vision, and his knees buckled. He slammed a hand against the wall to keep from face-planting.
"Sh*t. What happened?"
[Health Alert]
Biometric Warning: Severe Caloric Deficit.
Blood Sugar Critical.
Immediate high-energy intake required.
His wrist terminal screamed at him with a piercing alarm.
Lance frowned, fighting the dizziness. "That doesn't make sense. I took a [Low-Grade Military Alchemy Potion] fourteen days ago. The label said it lasts a whole month for an Apprentice Warrior."
He was confused. Two weeks ago, he’d spent 3,000 credits—half their savings—on a black market vial just for the final exam sprint. It was supposed to keep him fueled for thirty days. He’d even been eating regular food on top of it to conserve the energy.
Where did it go?
Then it hit him.
Conservation of Energy.
"Right. Physics." Lance facepalmed. "I'm not just gaining mana; I'm building density. Bone, muscle, tissue. You can't create matter from nothing."
He had just gained over ten points of Constitution in a few hours. His body was cannibalizing the energy reserves to fuel the evolution.
The potion wasn't defective. He was just burning fuel like a rocket engine instead of a lawnmower.
This is a problem.
Alchemy potions were dense. If he tried to cover this deficit with normal food, he'd have to eat five massive meals for every stat point he gained. He’d spend his entire life chewing.
"I need more juice," Lance decided. "Good thing I got that scholarship money."
10,000 credits. Enough for three vials.
He couldn't afford to waste time eating rice and beans. He needed pure energy.
Lance tapped his wrist terminal and accessed the [Federation Interstellar Marketplace].
The UI projected into the air. This was the Amazon of the galaxy, connecting millions of colonized planets. You could buy anything here—from a toothbrush to planetary ownership rights—if you had the credits and the rank.
Lance used to scroll through the "Discount/Damaged Goods" section for cheap ration bars. Looking at the high-end stuff—Monster Cores, Enchanted Weapons—used to just depress him.
Now, he didn't even blink.
"AI Assistant," he commanded. "Order [Low-Grade Military Alchemy Potion]. Standard pack."
[System Response]
Searching...
Item: [Low-Grade Military Alchemy Potion]
Price: 3,000 Credits / Vial.
Product Note: Sustains an Apprentice Warrior for 30 days.
Warning:
For [Bronze Rank] users: Sustains for 5 days.
For [Silver Rank] users: Sustains for 1 day.
Confirm Purchase? [Y/N]
