Eren kept looking at the screen without blinking, a deep frown on his face.
The red screen was already gone, and the panel had returned to its usual color.
He was now sitting on one of the rows of seats, his gaze fixed on the time limit.
"I have to clear 20 dungeons at level 25, solo, on nightmare difficulty?! This is too much!"
He still couldn't believe the level of difficulty required for the next transformation.
It seemed really weird to him.
Usually, when someone takes a skill-up quest, the difficulty level is set based on their current strength and Tier.
But the quest given to him seemed to be a Tier higher.
Eren had never heard of someone receiving such an absurd quest before.
"But it's also true that the value of the reward could be just as absurd as the difficulty."
It was also common knowledge in the world that the more difficult the quest was, the more rewarding it became.
"So the problem is… what should I do next? Level 25 dungeons have restrictions that only allow Levels 20 to 25 to enter. Does the Gaya System want me to Tier up quickly to finish this quest?"
Eren shook his head in denial as soon as that thought formed in his mind.
"I don't want to Tier up this quickly… The stronger I get, the stronger my intuitions become as well… I feel like I should wait until my skills can't be leveled up any further. Only after then will I attempt to Tier up."
Not only would maxing out and evolving his skills increase his attributes, but his bonus status upon Tiering up would also be significantly higher.
There was also a very high chance of receiving a promotion for his profession.
"At the same time, I can't give up on this quest either. An absurd level of difficulty means that's how much stronger this new Two-Tailed Dusk Wolf transformation is…"
Eren was in deep dilemma, thinking about every possible action he could take right now, but eventually ended up sighing dejectedly.
"The Gaya System may have given this quest to me, but it doesn't mean I need to Tier up. It determined that I could finish this quest even without Tiering up… Did it mention my unique skill?"
Eren immediately found the two messages along with the text that said:
'Found possibility to enter higher level dungeons.'
Gulp.
"Dungeon Deception… so that's how it is…"
Dungeon Deception was one of the authorities provided by his unique skill, Eternal Masquerade.
It allowed him to enter higher-level dungeons by giving false information.
It's also means he can enter higher level dungeon despite being lower level.
[Detected you have enough Life Essence to upgrade authority [Eternal Masquerade] from Level 1 to 2…
Would you like to sacrifice 5,000,000 Life Essence for level up?
Yes / No]
When Eren tried to level up his skill, he found something peculiar.
"Sacrifice? Not using Life Essence to level up…?"
Obviously, the five million Life Essence required for the level-up was nothing to him.
Instead, that single word caught his attention more.
"It seems authority-based skills are different from normal skills…"
Without wasting a moment, Eren said,
"Level up!"
Nine times, the skill leveled up.
[You have leveled up your unique skill [Eternal Masquerade] to Level 2…]
[Gained +100 Spirit]
[You have leveled up your unique skill [Eternal Masquerade] to Level 3…]
[Gained +100 Spirit]
[You have leveled up your unique skill [Eternal Masquerade] to Level 4…]
[Gained +100 Spirit]
…
Each level cost an additional five million and gave hundred additional points in the Spirit attribute, which was already in four digits.
The spiritual energy inside his body became even thicker, almost forming something like veins rather than its previous liquid form.
In the very short time, 225 million Life Essence gone from his reserve.
[Detected you have enough Life Essence to evolve your unique skill [Eternal Masquerade] to [Primordial Layers of Truth and Lie]]
[Would you like to sacrifice 200,000,000 Life Essence to upgrade your skill?
Yes / No]
Eren didn't choose to upgrade immediately.
Instead, he took a look at the current information of his skill.
[Eternal Masquerade Lv.10
Authority-Type Skill: An authority that exists between illusion and reality. The user can wield dominion over perception, information, and disguise.
Authority 1: Absolute Observation — The user may view the status, attributes, skills, and other concealed details of a target without triggering detection. Detection is only possible if the target's spiritual sense far exceeds the user's and possesses Celestial-grade sensory abilities.
Authority 2: Information Manipulation — The user can manipulate any information within status windows or items below Celestial grade. Deceive all kinds of appraisals below Celestial grade.
Authority 3: Form Alteration — The user can change their own appearance or that of a chosen object. The range of alteration depends on the level of [Eternal Masquerade]. At the current level, the user can change appearance to an extreme degree and can also alter the shape of their body at will. However, the core and overall skeletal structure cannot be changed yet.
Authority 4: Dungeon Deception — The user can deceive dungeon restrictions in Level 25 or below dungeons by submitting false information.
Spirit Cost: Varies depending on usage.
Cooldown: None.]
"It really worked! I can enter Level 25 dungeons with this!"
A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
His eyes then looked at the other changes as well.
"Celestial Grade?!… Is this the next grade after Divine Grade?!"
This was the first time he had heard of such a grade.
Not only had his Dungeon Deception increased in efficiency, but his other authorities had improved as well.
He could now see through any details of a person or object without them noticing, even divine grade sensory ability would be useless against him now.
He could also manipulate any information below the so-called Celestial Grade, which seemed to be even higher than Divine.
"Now one problem is solved… The next problem is how I should get permission to enter higher-level dungeons from the Association?"
All dungeons in the empire were under the strict supervision of the Association.
Even the dungeons outside the city were under it's indirect regulations.
No one could enter or exit without informing them.
Entry registration required level details and an Awakener ID.
If Eren faked his level to Tier 2, it would escalate into another issue, and he would end up being closely monitored by powerhouses as a promising junior.
Eren didn't want that.
He took out his phone and searched to see if there were any skills that could be upgraded into stealth abilities and were not associated with profession requirements such as Assassin or Thief.
Not long after, he found what he was searching for.
[Breath Concealment
Upon use, reduces the presence of the user by a certain degree, suitable for scouting surroundings without alerting targets.
The concealment is fragile. If the user takes any action or is attacked by someone, the skill will be cancelled instantly.
Spirit Cost: 5 per minute
Grade: Common
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Cost: 10,000,000 Alliance Coins]
"This is… perfect! I still have more than 225 million Life Essence left… It's more than enough to max out this skill."
Without wasting another second, he purchased the skill, and his gaze landed on his account balance.
"1.4 billion…?"
Eren opened the trading page and found another huge frenzy going on there, along with thousands of messages he had received in his inbox.
"All the Elixirs have been sold again!"
It hadn't even been 11 hours since he put them all into auction, yet the elixirs, along with some other products, had already been sold, and he had made more than a billion so easily.
The demand for the Elixir didn't seem to be decreasing at all.
More people were asking for another round of auctions.
"I can keep selling as long as you all want…"
Eren immediately put another batch of Elixirs and materials up for auction before starting to search for more suitable skills and equipment beneficial to shapeshifters.
***
Author's Note:
Guys, I am planning to start saving additional chapters and opening a Patreon with 10 chapters in advance. Getting a contract doesn't seem to be working for me. I hope you guys will support me so I can finish this novel. Thank you all.