Chapter 176: Upgrade Perks

The stream of notifications flooded Adrian’s vision, but he remained perfectly still. He braced himself for what was to follow.

This wasn’t the first time he had undergone an ’evolution’, and he could vividly remember the last. It had been several minutes of agonizing, soul-tearing pain, and he was determined not to be caught by surprise this time.

He anchored his mind, solidifying his resolve as he waited for the process to begin.

A gentle, warm sensation coursed over his head and down through his entire body. It was pleasant, almost soothing.

He waited for the other shoe to drop, for the warmth to erupt into the searing torment he recalled. But it never came. Instead, a simple line of text appeared.

[Evolution Complete!]

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "That’s it? That’s all?"

He considered the possibilities. Perhaps his vastly strengthened soul that came after consuming that soul had rendered the process painless. Or maybe his body was now robust enough to handle the transformation without strain.

He couldn’t be sure. His thoughts were cut short as Tech Core continued with a cascade of new notifications.

[Cognitive abilities have been greatly enhanced!]

[System Upgrade Completed!]

[Tech Core functionality optimized for improved efficiency and adaptability!]

[Reward System Updated: TP and EXP are earned when your inventions achieve remarkable outcomes or serve their intended purposes effectively.]

A new, more detailed window opened immediately after.

[Tech Points are now earned based on the daily usage of your inventions!]

[Conventional Inventions: +1 TP per daily usage

[Unconventional Inventions: +5 TP per daily usage]

[Experience Points are linked to TP and performance outcomes.]

>> Baseline: EXP gained is equal to TP earned when an invention performs as expected.

>> Remarkable Outcome: EXP gain is multiplied when an invention is used to achieve an exceptional result for the user.

>> Underperformance: EXP gain is reduced if the invention fails to meet its intended purpose.

"Conventional inventions, that’s new."

As if hearing him, the System responded instantly.

[Conventional Inventions: Inventions that operate entirely within the established and understood laws of physics.]

[Unconventional Inventions: Inventions that incorporate or are powered by energies and principles beyond standard physics.]

Adrian’s brow furrowed slightly as he processed the information. "Interesting," he murmured. "So, basically magical inventions. But it’s giving me a clue that there could be other sources of such energy. Very intriguing."

To Adrian’s amazement, the System wasn’t done with its surprises. More notifications followed, each one making the faint smile behind his mask widen.

[System Store Updated!]

[Evolvable NanoForge Power Suit Unlocked!]

[You are now able to make upgrades to your Power Suit!]

The final line of text stole Adrian’s breath. He had received skills related to the Power Suit before, like the flight capability, but this was different. This was fundamental.

He had long harbored a feeling that the suit could be so much more. He imagined attaching weapon modules, among other features.

But unfortunately, he could never act on these ideas. He could command the nanites to form simple constructs, release parts of the suit, or dispel the entire assembly into his [Inventory], but the core architecture was a black box. He could never take the suit out, lay it on a workbench, and tinker.

This notification changed everything. Those limits were gone. He could now examine the suit for himself, study its intricate nanite structure, and see what he could do to make it better. The suit was no longer just a piece of powerful equipment; it was now his ultimate personal project.

"Very nice!" Adrian said aloud, the satisfaction clear in his voice.

The flow of notifications finally ceased, giving him a moment to grapple with the upgrades he had just received.

’Unlike last time, my brain still feels the same,’ he thought. He wasn’t expecting another monumental leap after the massive power-up from consuming the soul, but he couldn’t help but wonder what the cognitive enhancement truly entailed.

The term was broad. It wasn’t just about thinking faster, like a simple clock speed increase in a processor.

True cognitive enhancement could encompass a whole lot of other areas.

The true benefits might not be immediately obvious, but he knew they were there, a silent upgrade to his mental operating system that would reveal itself in the crucible of action.

Another improvement Adrian was profoundly grateful for was the new reward system.

The old method had been effective, but opaque. Getting a lump sum of TP and EXP daily without any solid, quantitative proof of how it was calculated had always been slightly annoying. It made tracking the impact of his individual inventions a matter of guesswork.

That problem was now solved. "Now I can measure my progress more effectively," he said to himself.

The new system provided direct feedback, allowing him to calculate in advance how to get the most out of his sales, his projected earnings and why.

Finally, Adrian opened the System Shop, which was said to have gone through its own upgrade.

"Wow."

What he saw left him momentarily stunned. The sheer scope of the new inventory was shocking. He couldn’t even imagine a scenario where he would need most of this knowledge. The same went for the new blueprints.

Although he hadn’t been using pre-made blueprints very often lately, preferring the flexibility of his own designs, their utility was unarguable.

They were a shortcut and a way to bypass the laborious and time-consuming process of research and development for complex projects.

The first Magi-Tech Rover, for instance, had taken him days just to finalize the design. With a blueprint, he could have saved himself that stress and moved directly to fabrication.

The new offerings, however, were on another level entirely.

As he scrolled through the new, improved Store, he shook his head. "I don’t see myself needing most of this anytime soon."

There were knowledge packs for things like [Warp Drive Technology] and [Quantum Entanglement Communication]. Their prices were, predictably, astronomical. For now, Adrian decided to simply ignore the Store.

That led him to the last, tantalizing reward he had earned from the Quest. He looked into the empty air of his room and spoke with quiet anticipation.

"Reveal Mystery Reward."