Soon, a few more days passed, each bringing Keon closer to the next stage of his arduous journey. He stood silently outside the main building, encased within his formidable exoshell E3, his gaze fixed on a new notification that shimmered before him, momentarily lost in a daze.
[Congratulations for passing the third phase of competition]
[Rewards: Sub Talent Upgrading Token]
[Fourth Phase:
Task 1: Survive until half the population remains
Task 2: Reach Level 20
Task 3: Explore the entire planet]
[Time Limit: One Year (EST)]
[Current population: 1,111,111,111]
…
'It was indeed a month-long time limit, just as I had anticipated,' Keon mused, a month having passed precisely since the completion of the second phase. 'Now, I am confronted with three distinct tasks. Surviving and reaching level 20 seem manageable enough, but the prospect of exploring an entire planet… it appears my challenges have escalated exponentially. Nevertheless, I was already prepared for such a surprise, understanding that I couldn't always advance in a low-key and effortless manner, devoid of any struggle.'
Keon's pupils flickered as he absorbed the details of the tasks and the daunting one-year time limit. As his gaze drifted to the remaining population, a little over one billion souls, familiar figures from his past resurfaced in his mind, their images flickering through his memory.
'Sigh! Only one billion remain out of eight billion in just one month…' he lamented silently. 'I can only wonder if my parents and siblings are among the survivors. I have no way of knowing their whereabouts or condition, as the filters prevent anyone from revealing their true names or identities on the communication channel. It seems the higher-dimensional being desires us to focus entirely on ourselves, to compete without the distraction of external attachments. To label the higher-dimensional being's nature as benevolent or kind would be a grave error. To him, we are merely ants, struggling for supremacy.'
Keon sighed deeply, his thoughts swirling, before his attention settled on the reward: a Sub Talent Upgrading Token.
[Sub Talent Upgrade Token: Use it to upgrade any upgradable sub talent to a higher level with more functionality and less consumption.]
'I had expected a rare or special redemption coin, or perhaps another unlocking token,' he pondered. 'This, however, appears to be something far more remarkable than those items. This token possesses the power to upgrade sub-talents.'
A new thought ignited, and Keon's pupils brightened. 'Wait, I know precisely which sub-talent is most recommended for upgrading right now.'
He swiftly opened his status panel, meticulously reviewing the description of each of his sub-talents.
Sub-Talent 1: Material Recognition
(Non-upgradable)
Automatically identifies properties of scanned substances.
Sub-Talent 2: Material Assimilation
(Non-upgradable)
Assimilates materials to create, modify, upgrade, and process machines.
Sub-Talent 3: Reforge (Upgradable)
Repairs or reconfigures damaged components using assimilated matter.
Sub-Talent 4: Core Optimization
(Non-upgradable)
Optimizes, modifies, and enhances the main core using assimilated matter.
Sub-Talent 5: Material Gathering
(Non-upgradable)
Extracts and gathers different elemental particles from composite ores.
Sub-Talent 6: Advanced Synthesis (Upgradable)
Transforms existing technical and raw material blueprints into superior designs and new technologies.
Sub-Talent 7: Neural Nexus
(Non-upgradable)
Establishes a profound and intricate connection with all imprinted machines, thereby enabling seamless remote control and operational capabilities across vast distances.
…
A flicker of surprise coursed through Keon's core as he noted the "Non-upgradable" designation beside five of his sub-talents. He then understood, nodding in silent acknowledgment.
'It's fair enough,' he concluded. 'Material Recognition and Material Assimilation are merely basic passive talents, their upper limits determined by my sensors and mass. The more powerful my sensors, the more effective my material recognition; the greater my mass, the higher my material assimilation capacity.'
'Core Optimization, on the other hand, simply optimizes my core, refining its design and component efficiency. Its upper limit is based on the basic materials used in my main structure. Material Gathering, in turn, is dependent on Material Assimilation; a higher assimilation limit translates to greater gathering capacity.'
'Finally, Neural Nexus relies on my processing powers and basic attributes. If my processing capacity is sufficiently high, I can remotely control millions of machines across vast distances.'
Keon's thoughts drifted, comprehending the rationale behind the non-upgradable status of these five sub-talents. His gaze then shifted to Reforge and Advanced Synthesis, both of which were indicated as upgradable.
'I had initially intended to upgrade Material Assimilation, but that is clearly not an option,' he reflected. 'Now, it appears the most recommended sub-talent for immediate upgrading is Reforge. Fortunately, it is indeed upgradable. Before this upgrade, I could only repair and modify components with Reforge. Now, I earnestly hope it will empower me to create, repair, modify, and process components at a nanoscale level.'
Keon's thoughts solidified, and without further delay, he directly selected the Reforge sub-talent.
"Do you wish to utilize an upgrading token for Sub Talent: Reforge [Y/N]?"
A notification instantly flashed across his visual display. He selected "Y."
"Congratulations, the sub-talent Reforge has been upgraded successfully."
[Sub Talent: Reforge > Micro Fabrication]
Sub-Talent 3: Micro Fabrication
Fabricates intricate machines and materials at micro and nano scales, enabling precise construction of advanced components.
…
Keon's expression froze in disbelief as he observed the upgraded sub-talent and its description.
'Why? Does this upgrade truly follow the principle of heart's desire?' A doubtful thought flickered within his core. Although he was undeniably excited by the results, which perfectly aligned with his deepest wishes, such an outcome left him somewhat confused and contemplative about the underlying principle governing this transformation.
After a period of reflection, he recalled all the talents he had acquired in sequence from the very beginning. A profound self-realization immediately struck him.
'It seems all these sub-talents are awakened based on my current condition and environment,' he concluded. 'My heart's desire and other special factors are also intricately involved. Initially, I awoke in an enclosed cave, devoid of resources and with a damaged main frame. My racial talent, in response to that peculiar situation, granted me three sub-talents, Material Recognition and Assimilation, along with Reforge.'
'When I yearned to leave that cave and design an exoshell, it bestowed upon me Core Optimization. Just as I began to worry that my dependence on other players, like 5757 and 8990, for resource gathering would impede my progress, I awakened the Material Gathering sub-talent myself.'
'Upon leaving the cave and discovering the immense, empty planet, it granted me the Neural Nexus sub-talent. Now, feeling constrained because my talent couldn't reduce my main frame size to a micro scale or construct chips at a nanoscale, it upgraded my talent and provided the solution to this very problem, all based on my heart's desire.'
Keon's thoughts settled, and he nodded, his core filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. 'Very well, now I understand the correct path to evolution in the future.'
With this newfound understanding, he opened the world communication channel.
Immediately, countless messages from various universes flickered across his vision, a chaotic tapestry of experiences.
[Universe 66889]
"Have you all also received multiple tasks? I have received three: My first task is to survive, the second is to reach level 20, and the final, third task is to explore the nearby region."
[Universe 974725]
"@66889, My first two tasks are similar to yours, but the third task is to attack the flame monkey tribe which I recently discovered in the nearby territory."
[Universe 233]
"I only received two tasks: the first is to survive, and the second is to safeguard my cave from another blood bat attack. Regardless, these tasks are easy for me; I am already at level twenty-three."
[Universe 855432]
"@233, Damn! You are amazing. I am just level ten, and I don't know how I will upgrade to level twenty in such a short duration. I wish I wasn't born as such a talentless silver snake; it took me day and night to devour and digest tiny creatures and upgrade to this level. Now I feel nauseated thinking about devouring these dirty creatures again and again. Yuck!"
[Universe 233]
"@855432, Brother, good luck."
…
'It seems, with the exception of the last task, the first two tasks are consistent for everyone,' Keon observed. 'I must hurry and upgrade my level to twenty, and concurrently, I should begin exploring this planet. Now, with this new sub-talent, Micro Fabrication, it will be significantly easier for me to complete all three tasks in a year.'
Just as Keon closed the communication interface, preparing to complete his tasks as swiftly as possible, a private notification sign flickered on his panel. His lenses focused on the Universe 5757 ID displayed beside the notification.
…