Chapter 102: The Real Deal

"What is this thing?" I muttered to myself, my curiosity urging me to press it. Humans had a natural tendency to push buttons, so I was actively working on controlling myself and resisting the temptation.

"Forget self-control," I chuckled and jabbed the button with enthusiasm. I couldn't help but feel like a kid who had just discovered a big, red rocket button, eager to see what would unfold.

The moment I pressed the button, my vision underwent a dramatic transformation, and I found myself in a surreal virtual space. The entire world was reduced to just two colors: black and white lines.

"What the hell is this place?" I exclaimed, utterly shocked by the sudden turn of events.

I started to panic. Having a system didn't change the fact that seeing my hands reduced to black and white lines was unsettling. I felt like an incomplete skeletal frame for a gaming humanoid asset.

Then, I heard the familiar sound of the system.

[Congratulations, Host, for completing the Beta-Test without dying]

[System Software Downloading]

[Downloading Data... 1%]

[Downloading Data... 2%]

[Downloading Data... 3%]

[Downloading Data... 100%]

[Neurolink System v 3.0 downloaded]

[Status Updated]

[Store Skill Updated]

[Mission Board Added]

[Skill Combination Added]

"What in the world just happened?" I stammered, my mouth agape as I struggled to process the overwhelming information dump that had just been thrown at me.

[Ding]

===========

Name : Ji-Hoon Zyden

Title : Official System Holder

Age : 18 years old

Overall Stats : 40.2

Level :10 [470/5000]

———————

<Attributes>

Strength: 7

Agility: 11

"I'll start by checking out Mind Power," I thought, my curiosity getting the better of me as I wanted to understand this new attribute better.

[Mind Power: The ability to control or move things with your mind]

"Control things with my mind? Does this mean I can use telekinesis?" I pondered, my imagination running wild with thoughts of bending spoons and performing incredible feats. The idea of becoming a magician and earning heaps of money with telekinesis thrilled me.

"I'll start by adding one point to see what effect it has," I decided, eager to test the waters with this new attribute.

[Mind Power (0.1 —> 0.2)]

"What the heck!" I cursed out loud, my frustration evident as I realized that adding just one point to the Mind Power attribute had only increased it by 0.1. Mind Power seemed to cost ten times more than my regular attributes, and that revelation left me bewildered.

I attempted to sense if anything had changed, but it appeared that my Mind Power was still too low for me to notice any discernible effects.

After some thought, I realized that the high cost of upgrading the Mind Power attribute might be because of how powerful it could become.

My "Suggestion" skill, which I thought was overpowered, had its limitations. For instance, if an hired killer I didn't know about sniped me, I'd likely be killed instantly. Similarly, if I got into a car crash with a truck while driving, it would probably result in my death, unless I got really lucky and got a second chance at life through reincarnation in a world where beautiful elves exist .

On the other hand, Mind Power seemed to offer much greater flexibility. If I could harness it to its full potential, I might even achieve extraordinary feats like flying or stopping bullets. The possibilities were intriguing.

Unfortunately, I didn't have many attributes to spare at the moment, so it made more sense to hold off on investing in Mind Power until I had accumulated more to use.

'Now let me check Skill Combination ,' I muttered to myself as I summon the skill.

A window appear and it showed me something interesting.

[Skill Combination: Host can merge two skills with almost similar effects. The closer they are, the higher the chance of success. Failed combinations will be "charged to experience" ]

"This is amazing! With this option, I can fuse my abilities and create a better version!" I exclaimed with delight, my inner gamer awakened and raring to go.

As I examined the Skill Combination tab, I found that the user interface was straightforward and easy to grasp. All I had to do was drag my skills into the two boxes and then press the "Combine" button. It seemed like a user-friendly system for experimenting with skill combinations.

I had two skills that were nearly identical, so I decided to attempt a combination and see if I could enhance their effectiveness by merging them.

[Intuitive Complex Problem Solving + Enhanced Cognitive Intuition ]

After dragging the two skills into the respective boxes, I pressed enter, my excitement building as I eagerly anticipated the outcome.

[Skill Combination in Process... ]

[Skill Combination in Process... ]

[Skill Combination in Process... ]

[Skill Combination Success]

[Combined Skill : Complex Cognitive Instinct (level1) ]

I quickly read the information about my new skill, and a wide grin stretched across my face as I absorbed its potential and the possibilities it held.

[Complex Cognitive Instinct: is a unique and extraordinary power that combines advanced cognitive abilities with instinctual responses, resulting in an individual's unparalleled capacity to navigate complex situations and make split-second decisions with astonishing precision. ]

[Host can get 10% increase in effectiveness per level .]

While a 10% increase might seem relatively low, the fact that it was essentially two skills combined into one made me happy. I could see the potential for efficiency and synergy, and that brought a sense of satisfaction.

"Alright, it's time to combine the next one,"