NOVEL WEB Chapter 141: Upgrade!
Hugo was sprawled on his bed, his pillow awkwardly wedged between his legs like it was a sacred relic.
He wasn't sure why he did this—it wasn't particularly comfortable—but somehow, it made him feel like a philosopher deep in thought.
The soft fabric of the pillow got squished every time he shifted, which was often, because sitting still had never been Hugo's strong suit.
He stared at the ceiling, trying to piece together the jumbled mess of thoughts swirling in his brain.
Today had been exciting—mentally, physically, and spiritually. Okay, maybe not spiritually, but he liked the sound of it.
"Alright, System," he said, his tone equal parts curious and impatient. "What exactly does this Level-Up Token do? It better not be something dumb like upgrading my shoe size or something. Because shoe size don't always mean D-size!"
The System's familiar voice echoed in his mind, smooth and emotionless as ever:
[The Level-Up Token allows the host to upgrade any System Ability of their choice.]
Hugo straightened up, suddenly intrigued. His eyes lit up like a kid being told he could pick any toy in the store. "Wait, any ability? You mean any of them?"
[Correct. The host may choose any existing ability within the System to upgrade.]
Hugo leaned back, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the corner of his pillow.
His mind immediately raced to the two abilities he currently had: Emotion Highlight and Aura Radiation. Both were useful in their own way, but both had their limitations too.
The Emotion Highlight ability was simple but effective—it let him see people's emotions as holograms above them.
He could know exactly what a person was feeling at that moment, it was absolutely insane.
But there was one tiny problem: he could only use it three times a day.
Aura Radiation, though? That was the flashy one. It let him radiate multiple auras like a human magnet, making people around him more drawn to him, whether they liked it or not.
The downside? It only lasted two measly minutes, and its range was limited to five metres.
Hugo clutched the pillow tighter, squishing it as he frowned. "Alright, System, spill. What happens if I use this Level-Up Token on one of those? Like, what changes?"
[Ding! If the host upgrades the Emotion Highlight ability, its daily usage limit will increase from three to six. If the host upgrades the Aura Radiation skill, its range will double from five metres to ten metres.]
Hugo blinked. Then he squinted. Then he slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.
"Wait, that's it? That's so lame! Ten metres? What am I, a Wi-Fi router?!" He flopped onto his back, dramatically draping one arm over his eyes.
"Who even cares about range? I don't need to charm people across a football field!"
He groaned, rolling over and nearly crushing the poor pillow in frustration. For a moment, he seriously considered ignoring the Level-Up Token altogether.
What was the point if the upgrades were this underwhelming? But then, a light bulb went off in his head.
He sat up so fast he nearly headbutted the wall. "Wait a second... System, can I use the Level-Up Token to upgrade my aura duration instead of its range?"
breath, his heart pounding in anticipation. Then, the System replied:
[Yes, the Level-Up Token may be used to upgrade the duration of the host's auras.]
Hugo's face lit up like a kid being told Christmas had come early. "No way... Are you serious?!"
He leapt off the bed, clutching the pillow like it was a trophy. "This is it! This is what I've been waiting for! Increase the time, baby!"
Without missing a beat, he pointed dramatically at the air—because pointing at nothing in particular made him feel cooler. "System, upgrade the duration. Do it now!"
[Acknowledged. Upgrading aura duration...]
Hugo held his breath as a strange humming noise filled the room. It wasn't real, of course—probably just his imagination—but it made the moment feel way more epic.
Finally, the System spoke again:
[Ding! Upgrade complete. The duration of the host's auras has been increased from 2 minutes to 4 minutes.]
For a moment, Hugo just stood there, frozen in place. Then, his jaw dropped. "FOUR MINUTES?!"
"Are you kidding me? That's DOUBLE the time! This is insane!"
He threw the pillow into the air like he was celebrating a touchdown. It landed on his head, but he didn't care.
"Do you know what this means, System? I can actually hold people's attention long enough to, I don't know, make actual progress!"
He leapt off the bed, pacing the room like a mad scientist who'd just discovered the secret to immortality. "This changes everything. EVERYTHING!"
Still riding the high of his newly upgraded ability, Hugo suddenly remembered something else. "Oh, right!" he said, snapping his fingers.
"What's that Alpha Pill Package thing I saw earlier? Sounds like something straight out of a dodgy late-night ad."
The System responded without hesitation:
[The Alpha Pill Package is a single pill containing five effects: Plate Unlock, Man Unlock, Muscle Unlock, Bone Unlock, and Testosterone Unlock. These effects work simultaneously, achieving results in one week that would normally take five weeks.]
Hugo's mouth fell open again. "Wait... so you're telling me... one pill does all that? At the same time?!"
[Correct.]
The System continued:
[Plate Unlock accelerates height growth. Man Unlock enhances male... attributes. Muscle Unlock allows for rapid muscular development. Bone Unlock accelerates structural alignment and improves facial features. Testosterone Unlock permanently boosts testosterone production.]
Hugo's jaw dropped. He stared at the ceiling, then at his pillow, and finally at his reflection in the mirror.
"So you're telling me... this one pill will make me taller, more ripped, more... endowed, and give me a jawline that could cut glass? All in one week?"
Hugo threw himself onto the bed, grabbing the pillow and shaking it in excitement. "This is it. This is what dreams are made of! System, gimme it! I want it now!"
_____
$$$$
_____
Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!