After several hours of grueling struggle, Rio finally reached the peak of the mountain. To his surprise, not a single tree exploded along the way.
Although he remained cautious, it seemed these were just ordinary withered trees. Still, caution was never wasted,carelessness could cost a life. Rio never liked doing anything half-heartedly. If he did something, he did it thoroughly; otherwise, he wouldn't do it at all.
Looking around, he spotted an altar. It appeared surprisingly new and intact. He walked closer, scrutinizing it carefully.
So… what do I do now?
Just as he was starting to feel confused, the card in his hand began to glow brightly. Then, it suddenly vanished.
As if triggered by some hidden condition, the altar lit up, and after a short while, a small box appeared in front of him.
What could this be?
[An object sealed with mana has been detected.]
[Conditions required to open:]
The person must be a descendant of the Flash family.
The person must have a warrior-type class.
The person must be at least a D-ranker or above.
[All conditions met!]
[Would you like to unlock the seal? Yes/No]
"Yes, open it!" Rio said.
The box glowed faintly for a few seconds, then clicked open. Inside, the contents looked ordinary.
There were two things: a rusty small knife and a potion that appeared to be just water,or maybe it really was water.
Hmm… my father really was poor. I thought there'd be some incredible treasures, like in every novel, but apparently, that's only for protagonists. Sigh~
Rio picked up both items and checked the box again. He found a piece of paper with a few words written on it, though it was damaged in places:
"The potion looks like water, but it's actually a ??? You can increase?? Your ??? with it. The knife doesn't need explanation if you are truly fro. Flash fa??? It will????? With you? And you will? know? by yourself. From Kevin Flash"
Looks like my father was a carefree type… he could've at least used high-quality mana-infused paper. Sigh~
So… which do I start with? Hmm, let's try the potion first. I hope it's not actually just water,that would be terrible.
Rio shook his head and drank the potion. It tasted like water. Or maybe it was water,either way, it tasted like water. (Yes, water tastes like water. I didn't make a mistake; it was written twice to annoy the readers.)
Just as boredom was creeping in, a notification appeared:
[You have drunk the Potion of Enhancement.]
[Potion of Enhancement!]
[Rank: Extreme]
[Effect: Overall enhancement in every aspect.]
[Restriction: Works only on individuals below B-rank.]
What!? An extreme-rank potion!?
Before he could react, unbearable pain ripped through his body. It was worse than torture. Rio gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain sanity.
He sank to the ground, enduring the hellish agony without a single scream.
His skin peeled and regrew; bones cracked and rebuilt themselves. Organs shattered and reformed. Even his heart seemed to explode and reconstruct. Somehow, he lived without a functioning heart or organs,the mana in his body was keeping him alive.
Finally, the pain subsided. Rio panted heavily. Even though he hadn't breathed during the worst moments, he was still alive.
"Haa… huff… haa… that… those were truly the worst few minutes of my two lives," he muttered.
Even though only five minutes passed, it felt like eternity. Too dangerous,if I had to do it again, I'd hesitate.
Notifications continued:
[Potion absorbed successfully!]
[You are now a B-ranker!]
[Skills greatly improved.]
[Mastery of 'Sword Aura' increased; passive skill 'Sword Intent' unlocked!]
[Basic Swordsmanship evolved into Intermediate Swordsmanship!]
[Hidden attributes greatly enhanced!]
[Resistance (physical, magical, pain) improved significantly.]
Rio lay in his pool of blood, dazed but smiling slightly. The pain had been immense, but the rewards were generous. He had successfully reached B-rank.
After half an hour, he got up and inspected his body. He was taller, his muscles denser and stronger, and his senses sharper. Compared to his past self, he was considerably stronger. Facing Link now wouldn't be much of a problem.
He glanced at where his younger brother was, noticing he had grown too, and a proud expression appeared on Rio's face.
When my heart was crushed, I thought I'd die… but somehow, I survived.
Rio realized something incredible: his mana had been used instead of oxygen to keep him alive. The blood continued circulating without a heart, organs functioned, and even his brain enhanced itself instead of being rebuilt.
Maybe that's why protagonists in cultivation worlds survive body-cleansing rituals…
[Name: Rio Flash]
[Class: Swordsman]
[Rank: B-]
[Max Rank Potential: No limit (X)]
[HP: 3500/3500] [MP: 2400/2400]
[STR: 51/100] [SPE: 51/100] [AGI: 51/100] [DEF: 51/100] [INT: 51/100]
[Talent: Limitless (X), Sword Aptitude (X)]
[Techniques: Intermediate Swordsmanship (B-), Elemental Sword Art (B-)]
[Ultimate Skill: Concentration (?)]
[Skills: Body Strengthening (B-), Lightning Sword (B-), Sword Aura (B-), Handling (B-)]
[Passive Skills: True Immunity (X), Sword Intent]
[Evaluation: An absolute anomaly, unaffected by fate and destiny.]
[Items: An Unknown Fragment (???)]
I've become quite strong since the last time I checked my stats.
Now that the limiter was removed, he could continue to train intensely. His stats had been stuck at fifty for a long time, but now they could grow again.
But I've learned something today… Even water should be treated cautiously. Who knows if it's actually a potion to enhance your body? The price for enhancement can be brutal. Feeling your organs crushed… that's worse than death. But at least the rewards are worth it.
Rio noticed new words had appeared on the previously damaged paper:
"If you are reading this, it means you survived the potion. Congratulations. The chances of survival were only 1 percent; you have a very firm, strong will. I hope you achieve even greater heights. I wish you good luck!"