"F*ck you, system!"
A bolt of silver lightning as thick as a bucket descended from up above and struck his head.
Electrical currents instantly ran through his entire body, making his limbs spasm uncontrollably as if he were performing an ungainly dance.
That night, all of the residents of Chaos City heard a resounding thunderclap which roused many people from their slumber. However, given the fact that there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, none of them could figure out where the thunderclap had come from.
"Mother, I just saw a man dancing under a bolt of lightning!" a young boy yelled excitedly.
"Hurry up and get your a*ss to bed or I'll make you dance under this belt!" The curtains were abruptly closed by a stern-looking woman, obscuring Mag from view.
After what seemed like an eternity, Mag finally regained feeling in his body. He wiggled his fingers and touched his face, only for his fingertips to go numb following a loud crackle. He immediately put down his hand, and grumbled internally, "System, I'm just trying to redeem a strength point, why do you keep bringing lightning strikes down on me? I'm not transcending a tribulation!"
His clothes were charred black, and soot was falling like rain from his body. Thankfully, his crown jewels were still intact.
The system's smug voice sounded. "You were the one who requested to redeem an entire strength point in one go. Due to the severity of the injuries you've sustained three years ago, a more powerful electrical stimulus is required to recover vitality in your cells. That's why the system is incorporating many types of cutting-edge technologies to direct artificial lightning strikes down on you. Shouldn't you be praising the wonders of science instead of complaining?"
Mag rolled his eyes, and couldn't be bothered to argue with the system. Instead, he began to assess the changes in his body. The lingering numbness was quickly fading as he took a few tentative steps forward. His strength was slowly returning to him, and he was struck by a brand-new feeling. It was the feeling of improved power, and that sensation was still on the rise.
Mag paused at the edge of the balcony. The numbness from the lightning strike had already completely disappeared, and he clenched his fists tightly, basking in a sensation that was both foreign and familiar at the same time. He felt as if he were powerful enough to kill an Ironhide Bull with a single punch.
So this is what it feels like to have the strength of a 3rd-tier knight. As expected, this world is an extraordinary place. This energy circulating within my body must be the so-called soul power, right? Mag closed his eyes and carefully assessed the matter flowing through his body, which seemed to be both a liquid and a gas at the same time, kind of like plasma.
Soul power was something that was unique on the Norland Continent. Magic casters could cultivate spiritual power through meditation, dragons were born with powerful physiques and the inherent ability to constantly evolve, demons could evolve through the power of their bloodlines, forest trolls... Everything had its own unique way of progressing in power.
However, the comparatively frail humans were able to establish themselves on the Norland Continent and gradually developed to become one of the eight major species. This was partly due to the awakening of magic casters, but a large part of this could be attributed to their discovery and mastery of soul power. This gave even normal humans a method to quickly progress in power, thereby allowing them to stand up against the other major races.
Soul power could allow a human to constantly increase the upper limit of their potential, and could grant them incredible power and speed. That was why humans knights didn't need to fear powerful demons and why top-tier knights like Mag Alex were even able to slay dragons.
However, soul power was not something that everyone could cultivate, either. Less than one percent of humans could become knights, and only knights who reached the 3rd-tier could cultivate soul power. Soul power was imperative for further progression, so without it, one would forever be relegated to the realm of a 2nd-tier knight.
Mag opened his eyes and pulled out the box within which his longsword was contained. He stepped forward and drew his sword before piercing through the air. A glint of cold light shimmered along the surface of the blade, and it was as if the very air itself had been sliced open.
A smile appeared on Mag's face. It was the same old sword form, but it was clearly faster than before. All he had to do now was to improve his swordsmanship so it could correspond with his current power level.
He sheathed his sword and cleaned up the tattered rags on the ground. He was planning to take a bath before entering the test field for the God of Cookery to learn how to make mooncakes, as well as for some further sword practice.
However, he was abruptly taken aback by his own reflection in the mirror after entering the bathroom.
Within the mirror was a man wearing only a pair of charred black shorts with skin that was pitch-black. He was like a miner who had just emerged at the conclusion of a shift. Only his teeth remained white, and he had been given a very stylish afro.
"System, the lightning strike to progress to the 3rd-tier is already this powerful; won't I be zapped to death eventually?" Mag looked at his reflection with a peculiar look on his face.
"Don't worry, the system won't do something so cruel to you." The system offered words of consolation as it said, "We'll take it slowly so it'll be a steady progression."
Mag was just about to heave a sigh of relief when he recalled that the system was not to be trusted. Who knew if the progression was actually going to be slow and steady, or if the system was going to throw him into the deep end?
Mag shuddered to imagine the horrific experience of having an even more powerful bolt of lightning striking him from above.
However, that was something to worry about in the future. Thus, Mag rid himself of that train of thought, and began to scrub himself down. The layer of soot was quickly washed away, returning his skin to its original pallor. In fact, it seemed to be even softer and fairer than before.
The thin and scrawny body he'd once had now recovered to a normal standard. He didn't have a set of exaggerated muscles, but his physique was quite even and powerful. He could clearly see a six-pack on his abdomen too; overall, he was very satisfied. This was his ideal physique.
He looked away from the mirror and changed into his pajamas before carefully sneaking back into the room. As soon as he lay down on his bed, he opened the shiny golden experience bag in his mind.
A stream of information flowed into his mind, quickly intermingling with his memories to be assimilated as his own experience.
Mag closed his eyes and quickly digested the information within the experience bag. He opened his eyes after a long while and a peculiar look appeared on his face as he asked, "What are you doing, system? You're listing five kernel mooncake as the most delicious flavor? You could've picked literally any other flavor, and it would've been better than five kernel mooncake! Mooncake should be sweet and smooth, not coarse and bland!"