Choosing the Ability System

[Selection successful. Job transfer initiated... Job transfer complete. Class changed: None → [Ultimate Ability Master]. Energy converted to ability power.]

[Ultimate Ability Master]: All ability effects boosted by 100%. Awaken new abilities when subjective emotions peak. Intelligence grants an extra 100 points per level.

Description: [Only the craving shall gain more.]

[Conditions met. Ultimate ability triggered. Awakening in progress. Please remain quiet.]

In an instant, the stone melted into streams of glowing liquid that seeped into his body. Any onlooker would have shuddered—Zhang Luan’s entire form glowed crimson, like a red-hot iron ingot, or a bomb seconds from detonation.

This state lasted nearly half an hour. Faint scarlet light pulsed beneath his skin. Two ethereal glyphs flickered on his wrists, then slowly vanished.

[Ding! Congratulations! Ability awakening successful. First ability: [Stellar Flame]. Second ability: [Fearless Explorer].]

Zhang Luan opened his eyes. His left pupil swirled with burning galaxies; his right held flowing time. Gradually, both settled back to deep black.

He raised his right hand. A dreamy, starry flame danced in his palm.

“Kinda like ice cream. Wonder if it’s tasty,” he murmured, licking his lips. Hunger gnawed at him.

On his character panel, the ability descriptions lay clear:

[Stellar Flame]: Star-fueled flame. Damage scales with intelligence. Burns and disrupts judgments.

—Evaluation: How many stars has this beauty consumed?

[Fearless Explorer]: Target a single object to reveal its hidden associations.

—Evaluation: A true fearless explorer never loses the trail.

He hadn’t expected two abilities at once. The Ultimate Ability Master’s description promised new powers whenever one emotion peaked.

Reborn, his deepest craving was strength. Stellar Flame alone ranked near the top of known abilities.

But it wasn’t enough. Far from enough.

He’d never settle. No “strongest”—only “stronger.” Stellar Flame was just the start.

Knowing the future, if he didn’t seize every treasure and opportunity, what was rebirth worth?

That’s why he’d awakened [Fearless Explorer].

Both abilities would aid his plans—[Stellar Flame] for combat, [Fearless Explorer] for secrets.

And [Fearless Explorer] sparked a memory: beyond Acamana City, deep in the Ancient Forest, stood an abandoned Sacred Temple.

No statues filled it—only an ancient, mysterious coin.

At level 10, players could trigger an S-rank quest there:

[Direction]

Its description held just one line:

[Fate will guide you.]

No other clues existed. Countless players had tried solving it. Until Zhang Luan’s rebirth day, none succeeded.

But for him? Different. If [Fearless Explorer] worked anywhere, he’d crack this.

Not yet though. His level was a pitiful 1. But reaching 10? One day sufficed.

New launch players couldn’t dream of that. Day one meant struggling against level 1 slimes. NPC quests gave crumbs of XP.

Picture thousands scrambling for dozens of slimes—a nightmare.

Higher zones had goblins. One was manageable, but they swarmed. Kill too many, and elite goblins spawned.

He recalled a viral clip: one level 20 Goblin Warrior mowing down a thousand players.

Honestly, Zhang Luan owed that goblin thanks. Without it, he might never have joined *Otherworldly Gods*.

But to him, goblins were nothing. Stellar Flame could handle even a Goblin Warrior. Plus, ten years of past-life combat experience? Mere goblins.

Their tribes overran the plains, spawning frequent extermination quests. Low XP, but every bit counted.

To Zhang Luan, they were walking experience points ripe for harvest.

He followed memory’s path out of the safe town, into the perilous plains.

Ahead, a goblin squad gnawed a rotting corpse. Spotting him, their eyes reddened. Tongues lolling, they charged—greedy for fresh meat.

Too bad these brainless beasts couldn’t see: this human felt no fear.

To Zhang Luan, they weren’t monsters. They were adorable XP babies.

He licked his lips, a gentle smile spreading.

As the first goblin lunged, he drew a ready iron sword, coating it in Stellar Flame.

“Easy now. Take your time. You’re working so hard to level me up—I almost feel bad~”