Enhanced Attributes, Upgraded Skills (First Update)

When he returned to the Attribute Enhancement Hall, he had a little tail following him. Apparently, he hadn't gone straight back to his private room this time, and someone had already picked up his trail.

He wasn't surprised. Cycle Paradise was a place where people settled their scores freely. As a Hunter, was he supposed to be afraid of some adventurer group's threats?

He glanced at the person tailing him and noticed that a new building had appeared in the mist: the Skill Upgrade Hall. It seemed this was a change brought about by his upgraded clearance.

[Prompt: Welcome to the Attribute Enhancement Pod. Please pay the activation fee of 100 Paradise Coins.]

After paying the Paradise Coins, Wang Changle's attributes appeared on the screen. (Equipment bonuses have been deducted.)

Strength: 7 (Black Hoof +1)

Agility: 7

Endurance: 12 (Black Hoof +1, Golden Bell Shield +1)

Intelligence: 10

Charisma: 8

Luck: 1

[Prompt: Hunter may freely distribute attribute points: 12]

[Prompt: Hunter's affinity attributes are Intelligence, Endurance, and Charisma. Please prioritize improving these three attributes.]

He had 12 attribute points in total. He planned to prioritize Intelligence and Charisma, since Intelligence was his primary offensive attribute, while Charisma was his weakest affinity attribute.

So he distributed his points as follows: Endurance +2, Charisma +5, Intelligence +5.

[Prompt: Attribute allocation complete. Enhancement commencing. Enhancement will cause extreme pain. Would you like to activate the anesthesia function? This function is free.]

"No need."

The enhancement pod began its work. This time, the pain wasn't as bad as before. Instead, a dull ache and sharp stabs in his brain came in waves, making him wish he were dead.

In an instant, his entire body flushed red, and it felt as if he were growing at an astonishing rate. The excruciating pain came not only from inside his body, but even more from his flesh and skin.

He had no idea how long the agony lasted. Beads of sweat kept pouring from his body.

After the enhancement, his unbuffed attributes were:

Strength: 7 (Black Hoof +1)

Agility: 7

Endurance: 14 (Black Hoof +1, Golden Bell Shield +1)

Intelligence: 15

Charisma: 13

Luck: 1

[Prompt: The maximum difference between Intelligence, Endurance, and Charisma is 2 points. If the difference exceeds 2 points, you must first make up the difference before enhancing any other attributes.]

Once the enhancement was complete, Wang Changle came to. His first impression was that the world had become clearer.

His senses had improved dramatically, giving him an almost uncanny sense of control over everything around him.

His body also felt firmer and denser, and he seemed to weigh a little more.

After steadying his breathing, he left the Attribute Enhancement Hall and entered the Skill Upgrade Hall.

High-level skills were an essential part of becoming stronger in battle.

However, upgrading skills cost a lot of Paradise Coins. Fortunately, he still had 49,940 in his inventory, which should be enough.

"Contractor, is this your first time at the Skill Upgrade Hall? I'm the receptionist here. I'll be happy to help you and show you around."

A pretty maid with glasses walked up to him politely, speaking shyly and hesitantly.

"Oh, that's nice. Then show me around."

He regarded the bashful girl with interest. Her long, pale legs were on full display.

"Of course! Please follow me, Contractor. This is an officially certified Paradise facility. This area is for upgrading passive skills, and that one is for upgrading active skills."

The bespectacled girl's voice was gentle, with a hint of innocence. A faint smile played on her face as she introduced the functions and differences between the upgrade areas, like a flower in bloom.

"Great, thanks for the introduction. Here's a tip for you."

As she showed him around, he gained a more detailed understanding of the Skill Upgrade Hall. He handed her a 40-denomination Paradise Coin.

"Thank you, Contractor! I hope you reap great rewards and grow stronger!"

The bespectacled girl accepted the 40 Paradise Coins, blushing slightly as she bowed to him.

He glanced at the shy, blushing girl, then turned and headed for the active skill upgrade area. It couldn't be easy for a Staff Member to survive in Paradise.

He smiled wryly, then entered a skill upgrade pod. The hatch closed, and the screen lit up.

[Prompt: Please select the skill to upgrade.]

He immediately selected Call of Nature. It was the skill he used most often, and the one that was easiest to combine with his other abilities.

[Prompt: Upgrading the active skill Call of Nature will cost 3,000 Paradise Coins. Pay?]

The price startled him. Three thousand for one level was painful. No wonder so few people were in the Skill Upgrade Hall—and no wonder mages were in such high demand.

"Confirm."

The 3,000 Paradise Coins vanished from his inventory, and silence fell around him.

In a daze, he saw a seed break through the soil, take root, and sprout. It grew vigorously amid lush greenery, becoming a towering tree.

[Prompt: Call of Nature (active skill) has been upgraded to LV2.]

Call of Nature, active skill

Requirements: Consumes 65 points of mana.

Skill effect: Consume nearby plants or natural energy to summon 1 Treant to assist in attacking. Cooldown: 54 seconds (1 minute). Duration: 26.4 seconds (22 seconds).

Prompt: When vegetation is nearby, consumption is reduced by 70% (50%).

..

At level 2, Call of Nature consumed 5 more mana and lasted 2.4 seconds longer than before.

It was a slight improvement, but nothing significant.

So he decided to keep upgrading. He paid the Paradise Coins, and the image of a plant growing appeared again.

[Prompt: Call of Nature (active skill) has been upgraded to LV3.]

[Prompt: Call of Nature (active skill) has been upgraded to LV4.]

[Prompt: Call of Nature (active skill) has been upgraded to LV5.]

When the skill reached LV5, Cycle Paradise issued a new prompt:

[Prompt: Your skill Call of Nature has reached LV5. Upon reaching LV5, this skill grants an additional trait. Please choose from the following options.]

1. Lush: Extend the summon's duration by 5 seconds.

2. Entanglement: Your Treants learn the Entanglement skill.

3. Split: The initial number of Treants summoned increases by 1.

After reviewing all three options, he hesitated between Entanglement and Split.

In the end, he chose option 3, Split. An additional Treant meant one more effective combat unit.

Besides, Treants had low Intelligence. Even if they learned Entanglement, it would be difficult for them to use it successfully.

An increase of 1 to the initial number meant he could summon at least 2 Treants at once. With Life Force, he would get 4 Treants!

This skill was exceptionally useful, whether combined with Life Force for a burst of power or with Root Entanglement for coordinated crowd control.

Looking at the 37,900 Paradise Coins he had left, he decided to keep upgrading Call of Nature.

[Prompt: Since Call of Nature has reached LV5, its upgrade cost has increased to 5,000 Paradise Coins.]

The Paradise Coins were disappearing at an alarming rate, but he still decided to continue.

He had a feeling this skill would bring him a pleasant surprise.

In Paradise, every investment would bring an equal return!