Chapter 298: Gearing UP
With the world now aware of my existence, thanks to my over-the-top flaunting like I'm some kind of badass villain, it's safe to say they're all going to be side-eyeing me like, "Oh great, here comes Zero-One. Guess we're just gonna die."
What I did was a bold declaration to the world after killing all those people: "I don't give a fuck about your rules."
I was guessing that every country had some sort of arrangement or treaty with Cerebrum and other affiliated gifted organizations. It was the only way they managed to keep the existence of gifted individuals under wraps for this long.
The ships sent by Cerebrum was an obvious evidence of this collaboration. It was apparent that the North Koreans must have reached out, seeking assistance to handle me, as they lacked the manpower to take down someone of my caliber.
Now, I have to be cautious because my actions just turned me into an enemy not just of an organization but entire countries. The moment they learn about my identity, my normal life would be over.
I also had to act fast after reaching Seoul, beating them to the punch before they could relocate my mother to a more secluded place.
It was more of a gut feeling than a certainty, but I figured once they caught wind of my South Korean origin, they'd likely hesitate to confine important individuals in their readily accessible headquarters.
I mean, with my Aegis skill at its peak, I could potentially wipe out the entire base with just one powerful strike.
'Status'
Seeing my surplus skill points, I decided to invest in upgrading all my attributes so I could get a bunch of random skills.
[System]
Strength: 20 —> 30
Agility: 20 —> 30
Stamina: 20 — > 30
Endurance: 30
Intelligence: 20 — > 30
Charisma: 20 —> 30
[ Congratulation Host for Reaching 30 Strength]
[ Congratulation Host for Reaching 30 Agility ]
[ Congratulation Host for Reaching 30 Stamina]
[ Congratulation Host for Reaching 30 Intelligence]
[ Congratulation Host for Reaching 30 Charisma]
The simultaneous upgrade made me feel something, but with my current strong body, I no longer had to endure any major pain at all.
"Did I get taller?" I muttered to myself, inspecting my appearance.
My skin had taken on a more flawless quality while maintaining its manly essence. Sculpted muscles adorned my physique, and I sensed an increase of about an inch, bringing me to a towering 6'4".
Despite the perfection of my body, my height still bothered me. It wouldn't be a concern if I were in the US, but in Korea, where the average height for men stood at 5'9", I was undeniably conspicuous. Even models fell short of my stature. Thankfully, my body's perfection spared me from resembling a character customized in a 2K game.
***
[Ding]
[Ding]
[Ding]
[Ding]
[Ding]
Consecutive notification echoed in my head, the random skills began pouring in. I held onto the hope of acquiring at least one useful skill, if not something that could synergize with my existing abilities.
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Titan Call: The host harnesses the power to amplify his strength exponentially, calculated by the formula (Strength * % Level x 3). This formidable ability comes with a cool-down period of one day .
[Effect Duration : 3 minutes]
[Cool Down : 24 hours]
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Rapid Strike: The host gains the capacity to unleash a barrage of strikes upon an adversary in an instant. The number of strikes is determined by the host's level, with ten levels equating to one rapid strike. This technique also carries a cool-down period of one day.
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Gear Shifting: Delving into the latent potential of the human body, the host unlocks the art of Gear Shifting.
By intensifying blood flow through the heart, the host experiences a remarkable surge in overall speed, strength, and endurance. The augmentation is calculated as (Stamina * % Level x 3), offering a dynamic enhancement to his physical capabilities. This empowering skill, requires a one-day cool-down.
[Effect Duration : 1 minutes]
[Cool Down : 24 hours]
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Will of Z : The host acquires the skill to ease the strain caused by excessive use of Mind Power and mentally taxing activities. With each level, the host gains a 0.25% increase in tolerance, enabling sustained mental resilience and control.
The Will of Z also enhances the mental fortitude of the host's mind, making the host capable of passively withstanding psychic attacks.
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Shapeshift: The host's charisma has soared to extraordinary levels, granting the ability to control the muscles in his body. Each level-up amplifies the realism of the imitation, and boosting charisma points empowers the host to mimic even non-humanoid forms as long as it was not too small or too big.
=====
'These are good skills,' I chuckled to myself. Some may be useless for my current style, but I could definitely leverage them for skill combinations.
However, among them, Shape-shift stood out as the most useful.
Reading deeper into its details, it appeared that I could morph and mimic someone appearance , and the realism improved with each level-up. Upon further reading, it dawned on me that this skill would perfectly synchronize with my other ability, Faker.
[Shape-shift + Faker ] [Chance 100%]
"I knew it," a smile formed on my face, confirming that my intuition was spot on; the synergy between Shape-shift and Faker was perfect.
With that realization, I seamlessly combined the two and eagerly awaited another overpowered skill to add to my arsenal.
[Combining]
[Combining]
[Combining]
[Super Shape-shift: This ability grants the Host the power to mimic everything to a perfected level. From appearance and voice to antics, demeanor, and even habits, the host can replicate every nuance with astonishing precision.
This heightened form of Shape-shift ensures an unparalleled level of realism, allowing the host to seamlessly integrate into any role or persona with unparalleled authenticity.]
I clicked "Read More" to delve into the details and explore it more thoroughly.
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[Cool-Down 12 hours]
[Penalty - 50% stats when transforming (Temporary)
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<Level up effect>
[Increase accuracy per level up]
[Reduce Cool-down]
[Reduce Penalty ]
======
Considering the penalty, I made the decision to upgrade this skill to level 200. With the abundance of skill points at my disposal, and a feeling that I would be using this particular skill frequently in the future, it seemed like a worthwhile investment.
I also pondered the possibility of using this skill with Mind Power Sharing . The idea of turning a puppet into a super human excite me.
[Super Shape-shift level 1- 200]
The moment I leveled it up, the cool-down and penalty vanished.
"Perfect,"