In the end, Ur managed to shake off Jelka.
The strange distortions above Moya City had faded, which meant the battle between the two guilds, Angel's Wing and Devil's Fang, was over. As tempting as food might have been to Jelka, the safety of her guildmates mattered more.
Once separated from her, Ur found a nearby city, rented a room at an inn, and collapsed into sleep.
That mission had nearly wrung the life out of him. What was supposed to be a simple thief-catching mission had somehow spiraled into an utter nightmare.
He had no idea how long he had slept. All he knew was that when he finally stirred, it was already deep into the night.
After shaking off the drowsiness, he ordered some food from the innkeeper, took a long, hot bath, and finally, refreshed in body and mind, returned to his room. With a thought, he summoned the system interface into reality.
That familiar ding echoed in his ears as lines of stark, otherworldly text lit up before his eyes. Ur's expression remained flat.
By now, he'd grown used to the system's shameless antics. Even if it pulled something outrageous, he felt he could stomach it by now.
Invincible Passive System
Host: Wei Yi (Ur)
Passive Abilities:Void Hunger, Lava Body, Evil Equilibrium
Health: 17
Magic Power: 161
Mental Strength: 19
Magic Resistance: 0%
Armor: 1%
This trip had been a mess, but the gains were undeniable.
Scavenging the battlefield and finishing off Sheris in the end had caused his magic power to skyrocket several times over. He had leapt from barely scratching the threshold of C-Class to standing firmly at the level of a high B-Class mage.
Magic in this world was strange. Some types were so unique that power couldn't be judged by rank alone. But through all his scavenging, Ur had gradually worked out a rough scale.
If the system's numbers were anything to go by:
C-Class mages capped around ~50 MP.
B-Class mages ranged between ~150–200 MP.
A-Class mages leapt all the way to ~500–600 MP.
The higher the rank, the larger the gap grew. Once you reached S-rank, the gulf became unfathomable.
It wasn't a single level but a vast spectrum. Whether it was Erza, Makarov of the Ten Wizard Saints, or even the elite Spriggan Twelve, they all fell under the same umbrella of S-rank mage.
"Right, System," Ur murmured, "You mentioned before that gold coins could be used for more than just lottery draws. What did you mean?"
[Gold coins serve two primary functions. First, they may be exchanged into local currency at the set ratio for lottery draws. Second, they may be spent directly to upgrade the Host's existing passive abilities.]
[The first upgrade for any skill costs 100 gold coins.]
[Would the Host prefer to exchange coins or begin upgrading?]
[A friendly reminder: Currency is a circulating resource, while gold coins are finite.]
Ur fell silent.
At least in this, the system was transparent. For all its other scams, when it came to topping up, it played fair.
He didn't yet know how powerful a skill upgrade would be, but if the ratio of coins to money was anything to go by, it shouldn't disappoint.
After a moment of thought, he said slowly, "System, exchange twenty gold coins into currency, then start the lottery."
[Confirmed.]
[20 gold coins exchanged. Host receives 6,000,000J]
[1,000,000J spent. Membership level increased.]
[5,000,000J spent. Current membership level: 5.]
[Host has received two lottery draws. Begin now?]
"Yes."
Watching his fortune drain away like water through a sieve made Ur's eye twitch violently. Still, he forced down the pain in his chest and gave the command.
The panel warped into a swirling black hole. It spun, faster and faster, then abruptly froze. Two streaks of white light shot out, sinking into Ur's body.
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the passive ability of the Hero: Garen, Might of Demacia's "Perseverance"!]
[Passive Skill – Perseverance: The Host's flesh has been touched by a fragment of galactic power. The body's first natural limit has been broken. Physical potential rises. The healing factor increased by 100%. Minor increase in magic resistance.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the passive ability of the Hero: Yasuo, the Unforgiven's "Way of the Wanderer"!]
[Passive Skill – Way of the Wanderer: The Host's willpower is reinforced. Gains innate talent in the way of the sword.]
Ur: "..."
He stared at the results with a complicated expression.
How should he even put it?
If he were allowed to curse, he could probably scream at the system for three days straight without repeating himself once.
Are you kidding me?!
This is a magic world.
And the blasted system gave him two martial-arts passives in a row?!
Invincible Passive System
Host: Wei Yi (Ur)
Passive Abilities:Void Hunger, Lava Body, Evil Equilibrium, Perseverance, Way of the Wanderer
Health: 19
Magic Power: 161
Mental Strength: 20
Magic Resistance: 1%
Armor: 1%
Feeling the added strength pulsing through his veins, Ur knew he should be pleased.
But for some reason, his chest felt tight, as though he were suffocating. He was angry, frustrated, and the urge to scream at the system nearly overwhelmed him.
Only after forcing down the impulse did he finally growl through clenched teeth, "System, next—upgrade my skills."