Chapter 83 — The System Awakens
Peterson slowed his steps as he approached the Ant Queen, the massive creature barely clinging to life in front of him. Its body twitched weakly, legs scraping against the stone as if it was still trying to fight even in its current state. The battlefield behind him remained chaotic—echoes of Jean-Daniel's hammer, bursts of flames from Kemi, the sharp crack of water colliding with stone—but none of it pulled his attention anymore. Right now, everything in front of him mattered more.
He tightened his grip on his weapon, then stopped. Something inside him shifted. It wasn't danger, not exactly. It felt… internal. Like something had just finished aligning.
A faint glow appeared in his vision, and the system opened.
At first, he didn't react. He just watched as messages began stacking one after another, faster than usual, cleaner, more structured. The interface itself felt different—less raw, more refined.
[ System Synchronization Complete ]
[ Core System Upgrade — Successful ]
Peterson frowned slightly. "So it finally caught up…"
More lines appeared.
[ Zed Contract — Completed ]
[ Temporary Power Phase — Ended ]
He paused there, thinking back. The fight with the spider generals… the pressure… the instinctive movements. He hadn't even noticed when the timer ran out.
"…So I was already running on the upgraded system," he muttered quietly. "Didn't even feel the switch."
The system continued.
[ Previous EXP Scaling: Recovery Mode ]
[ Reason: System Damage After Medallion Extraction ]
[ Objective: Accelerated Growth ]
Peterson nodded slowly. That part made sense. After everything he lost, the system had basically been carrying him forward, helping him rebuild faster than normal.
Then came the part that made him sigh.
[ Recovery Phase Complete ]
[ Applying True Scaling System ]
He already knew what was coming, but he still waited.
[ New EXP Scaling Rule ]
Level Requirement = Level × 1000 EXP
Peterson stared at it for a few seconds, then let out a quiet breath through his nose. "Yeah… alright. That's more like it."
The next line hit harder.
[ Next Level Requirement Updated ]
Level 25 → 26 = 25,000 EXP
He shook his head, half amused, half annoyed. "Man… you really waited until now to tell me that, huh?"
Still, he couldn't complain too much. He felt it. The difference. His body wasn't the same as before. The way he moved, the way he reacted—everything had sharpened.
"…Fair trade," he admitted.
Then the system shifted again.
[ New Class Available ]
[ Zed Path — Unnamed ]
That made him smile.
"Now that's what I've been waiting for."
He opened his full status screen.
Level: 25
EXP: 1640 / 25,000
HP: 2200 / 2200
Stamina: 1150 / 1150
Magic: 1200 / 1200
Unspent Stat Points: 85
Peterson looked over everything carefully, not rushing this time. "Alright… this is where I need to think properly."
He crouched slightly, resting his elbow on his knee as he considered his options. "Strength is fine for now. I'm hitting hard enough, especially with the weapon transformations. Speed's not bad either—I can keep up in most fights."
His expression shifted slightly as he remembered the hits he took earlier.
"…Defense though."
He let out a short breath. "Yeah… that's the problem."
He tapped the side of his head lightly. "If I get caught clean by something stronger than those generals, I'm not walking it off. That's not happening again."
The system panel expanded, ready for allocation.
"Alright, let's balance this out."
He began assigning points.
First, defense.
+30 Points → Defense
He nodded as he confirmed it. "This is non-negotiable. If I can't tank at least a few hits, I won't survive long enough to adapt."
Then vitality.
+20 Points → Vitality
"More health means more room to make mistakes," he added with a slight smirk. "And I know myself—I'm going to need that."
Next came stamina.
+15 Points → Stamina
"I'm switching weapons, moving constantly, and stacking skills. If I run out mid-fight, I'm done. That's not happening."
He paused before assigning the next set.
"Strength still matters," he said, glancing toward the Ant Queen. "Especially if I want to finish fights faster."
+10 Points → Strength
"And magic…" He glanced briefly at the clone standing nearby. "…I don't fully understand everything I can do yet, but I know it's important."
+10 Points → Magic
He leaned back slightly, reviewing everything.
"…Yeah. This works."
Balanced. Durable. Still dangerous.
[ Stat Allocation Complete ]
Peterson rolled his shoulders once, feeling the difference almost immediately. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was there—subtle, solid, reliable.
"Much better."
Then his focus returned to the system.
The class selection window expanded in front of him.
Two paths stood side by side.
Midnight
Zed Path — Unnamed
He stared at the second one for a moment, thinking.
"…Needs a name."
He rubbed the back of his head slightly, recalling what he had seen before—Makroz, the darkness, the overwhelming presence. Midnight wasn't just a name, it was a feeling.
Then he thought of Zed.
Fire. Power. Presence.
"…Opposite."
A small grin formed on his face.
"If Makroz is the Midnight King…"
"…Then Zed should be the Noon King."
He chuckled quietly. "Yeah… that fits too well."
He looked back at the system.
"Alright… class name…"
He took a breath, then said it clearly.
"Blazing Sun."
The system responded instantly.
[ New Class Name Registered: Blazing Sun ]
Peterson nodded in approval. "Yeah. That's clean."
Then another prompt appeared.
[ Would you like to change the name of the Midnight King class? ]
He hesitated for a moment, then let out a short laugh. "Makroz might complain about this one."
Still, he shrugged. "It's my system too."
He thought for a second.
"Midnight King…" he repeated. "…Too long."
Then he snapped his fingers lightly.
"Midnight."
The system updated.
[ Class Name Updated: Midnight ]
"Perfect," Peterson said with a satisfied smile.
He then focused again.
"Now switch to Blazing Sun."
The system paused briefly before responding.
[ Class Switch Initiated ]
[ First-Time Switch Detected ]
A warning appeared.
For the duration of the switch (3 minutes), you will be unable to move or perceive your surroundings. It is advised to ensure your safety before proceeding.
Peterson blinked, then immediately turned his head toward the clone standing nearby.
"…Right. Timing."
He shook his head slightly, amused at himself. "Almost forgot you were here for a second."
The clone smirked faintly. "You've been a little busy."
Peterson let out a short laugh. "Yeah… that's one way to put it."
He studied the clone for a moment, more seriously now. It still felt strange—looking at himself, but not quite himself. There was something different in the way the clone carried himself. Calmer. Heavier.
"I'll be honest," Peterson said, "you came in clutch back there."
The clone shrugged lightly. "That's what I'm here for."
Peterson nodded. "Still… I appreciate it."
There was a brief pause before Peterson added, "And about earlier—what you said about helping when I wasn't around…"
The clone looked at him, waiting.
"…Thank you," Peterson said. "For real."
The clone didn't respond immediately, but the slight change in his expression said enough.
Peterson then smirked again, pointing at him. "Just one rule though."
The clone raised an eyebrow. "Here we go."
"Don't touch my woman," Peterson said casually. "Or I'm deleting you myself."
The clone laughed. "You didn't even have to say that."
"Still saying it."
"Relax," the clone replied. "I'm on your side."
Peterson nodded, satisfied. "Good."
He then shifted his tone slightly, more serious now. "I'm about to switch classes. System says I'll be out for a bit."
"I figured," the clone said.
"Can you cover me?"
The clone didn't hesitate. "Yeah. I've got you."
Peterson took a breath, then turned back toward the system.
"…Alright."
"Let's do it."
[ Class Switch Starting ]
The system activated.
And just before everything faded—
Peterson relaxed slightly, trusting that for once…
He didn't have to handle everything alone.
[ End of Chapter 83 ]