So I went back to 'Evolution Pod'.

  Evolution Pod

  Level Up

  [Level 3: 200 Elixir]

  After seeing that, I selected the ‘Level Up’ again and it gave a countdown of 25 minutes.

  The kid also said game characters get stronger whenever they levelled up, I felt a something good earlier when the Message Box pooped up.

  I wanted to confirm if I became stronger, so I excused myself from the group by saying “I want to go take a whiz”.

  I can’t go out the perimeter the Enforcers and soldier set up, but there were still a lot of thing I could use to test my strength out without being seen.

  I stylishly walked to a sign post by the side of the road and trying to pull it from the ground but it didn’t budge.

  Not even a sound was made for putting all my efforts.

  ‘I am not stronger, could the all be in my head. No, I shouldn’t judge too quickly; it’s just one Level up’ I thought to myself and went back to the group.

  Normally I would have been preparing myself mentally from this raid, but the presence of the System took most of my focus.

  I called out Interface as I stood there; ignoring everything else that was going on around me.

  Then I selected ‘View’, I have been here before but was too scare to try anything out because I couldn’t understand what some things meant but I had to try because that’s the only way to understand this vague ‘System’.

  View

  Highlight every object: Off

  Highlight only arcane beings: Off

  Highlight anything that contains mana: Off

  Highlight nothing: On

  Reflex Evolution Pod: Off [Evolution Pod will not be initiated manually, at the cost of 8% more of required Elixir for each Level up]

  The Voice: Off [An Aid. Grants knowledge, guidance and warnings. It will cost 2% Elixir more for each Level up]

  It wasn’t a surprise what first caught my eyes now – The Reflex Evolution Pod, if I understand correctly, it means I would not have to summon the Evolution Pod every time I want to level up. That would save me a lot of stress to always keep up and remember when to Level up but it came at a cost – 8% Elixir more for each level up, which is a lot.

  Like the kid game, Elixir and Coin are currencies in the System. I currently have

  Elixirs: 915

  Coins: 15

  The cost of each Level up seems to be the increasing; the first cost me 100 Elixirs and the second one cost me 200 Elixirs, the third one will probably cost me 300 Elixirs and 8% is added to all these numbers it might seem small now but over time it will definitely be a huge subtraction.

  It all comes down to how much is my peace of mind worth, I would not like to lose Elixirs but I need a least stressful mind to perform better, so I activated the Reflex Evolution Pod.

  A Message Box popped up to confirm my action and I selected ‘Yes’.

  I wanted to figure out the rest of the options in View when the recruiter arrived with some geared-up Guards and two of the Guards carried a green trunk.

  I cancelled out all the holograms and paid attention to the arrival of the recruiter like everybody else.

  When the recruiter reach where we stood, he instructed one of the Guards that he brought along with him to open the trunk and distribute the assault rifle to the people who he would point at.

  After arming those of us he pointed to, he pulled brought out a drone from the briefcase he carried and plugged in an earpiece, then turned it one with a larger controller on his hand.

  Everyone also gear themselves up with either their melee weapons or side arms or both, I brought out my holster and wore it around my waist, then place my axes in it.

  “Taiko, you will take point and other will follow behind him. Go in 30 seconds after I send in the drone” The recruiter said.

  The drone flew into the air, then inside the Gate. We all stood there, until Taiko told us to move in.

  The Gate had a different terrain on the inside; it was a thick jungle with a very humid atmosphere and muddy ground, with clouds about 300 feet above the ground. There was light from something beyond the cloud but it wasn’t the sun because the jungle was confined within the Gate and the light was blue.

  The sounds of different sort of creature from the forest added to freaky nature of the jungle.

  “Hey Gutter-Guards, firstly – don’t talk or ask any question once we start moving, secondly – you all stay and move closely behind me and attack when I attack, lastly- if you try anything stupid, I will kill you myself” He dictated coldly and didn’t wait for any response, before he and his men started moving forward.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  We reached a certain place in the dense forest, Taiko gave a gesture by raising his right fist to the air which told tell us to stop and be quiet, then signs to his men to go take up certain positions around the area before saying “Go!”; which I think he says to his men through his earpiece.

  His men started firing their weapons while we followed closely behind him and started fighting when he brought us to a cleared field and started shooting at a sizable number of White-face Zipper-spines of about 30.

  The ambushing of the Zipper-spines made us clear their numbers down to zero in tens of seconds.

  “They already know we are here because of the gun shots, so from here on we should all be extra vigilant and avoid any surprise attack or we will end up like them” He said to all of us, pointing the muzzle of his arcane assault-rifle to the dead White-face Zipper-Spine under his left foot.

  The White-face Zipper-Spine were the same in behaviour and appearance of a Zipper-spine, but with a slight darker grey skin tone and a large white stipe that ran from the top of their head to the place where their nose would be if they had one.

  We continued our raid.

  A Message Box popped up, as I walked.

  Message Box

  [Level Up!]

  [Reward: 5 Status Points]

  I also noticed that ‘Elixir’ also increases from 915 to 995, after I killed four Zipper-Spines.

  Soon we encountered another pack of Zipper-Spines, these ones weren’t relaxing like the previous pack.

  This pack was heading directly towards us and weren’t really surprised as they made contacted with us, instead they immediately rushed to attack but they were gunned down less quickly than we ended the previous pack.

  Some tried to retreat but Taiko’s men chased after them and shouts were heard, and the Guards returned.

  “These guys were heading straight for the place the other pack we killed stayed” One of Taiko’s men said, as he reloaded his arcane-assault rifle.

  “More will be on their way and with the shoot-out we just had, they will change direction and head straight towards us.” Another of Taiko’s men commented.

  “We will turn and head east, then circle back around.” Taiko said, pointing all the fingers of his left hand to the east.

  “It’s better to play ‘cat and mouse’, then to be totally surrounded and attacked at any point” Taiko concluded.

  We moved due east, we encountered another two more packs of White-face Zipper-Spines and they were completely wiped out but there was a cost this time around.

  One of the Mercenary-Guard that didn’t carry an assault rifle was killed and two of Taiko’s men were bitten; it was a serious injury but it wasn’t that fatal and they got tended to by their comrades.

  After that, Taiko made us go back south, saying that Zipper-Spines and probably Goblins are very close to catching up with us if we stay on that trail.

  We walked for hours without seeing anything, before Taiko held out his hands which prompted us to halt.

  “Hey, I thought you were our eye, why the hell aren’t you guiding us to take down these bastards?” Taiko said in annoyance to the microphone in his ear, but made sure not to shout too much and attract unwanted attention.

  “What do you mean, they will instantly circle around us if we continued playing ‘cat and mouse’?” He continued.

  “Shit!” Taiko said in vexation, as lets his finger go off the earpiece in his ear.

  “Damn Drone-pilot” He said almost like a whisper, before turning to us.

  “We were lead here because the noise we drew a lot of Aggressors to us, too quickly. We will stay put, while the bloody drone-pilot and control will figure out how we can proceed without severe casualties.” He said, before chasing some flies from his face and sitting down on a tree’s root.

  “What about the goblins, boss? We have seen any since we arrived” One of Taiko’s men asked.

  “Nothing yet on them, just relax while we stay put but stay on alert” Taiko said as began checking his arcane-assault rifle.

  Most of us obeyed; sitting on rocks, roots and whatever we could find while some still stood on guard.

  We stayed there for almost an hour when I suddenly realize that I didn’t see and ‘Level up’ message or any decrease in my ‘Elixirs’.

  Elixirs: 1095   *Profile

  Coins: 15     *Interface

  *Codex

  …and Evolution Pod was missing. After a moment thought, I guess that enabling a Reflex Evolution Pod caused this.

  I guess I understand why the kid warned me not to mess with the setting if I don’t understand it or follow up.

  Amounts of ‘Elixirs’ will continue for every Level-up, which meant the next cost to Level 4 was high.

  ‘Now that I think about Level up, it is clear I didn’t get any stronger or faster.’ I thought to myself.

  I looked around the jungle, trying to determine if I could distract myself to figure out how to become stronger when Zipper-Spines or goblins could show out from any corner.

  Then I steeled my nerves; I had to take a risk, I might be destined to die a few moments from now and figuring this ‘Level Up’ thing might be the only way to save my life.

  I opened Profile, and saw ‘my’ details; which isn’t totally clear to me but I select ‘Power Status’.

  I remember coming across this in the shopping mall and also remembered something about Status points anytime the ‘Level Up’ message box popped up.

  Power Status

  Strength: 1  Heart: 1

  Speed: 2   Vitality: 1

  Stamina: 4   Energy: 2

  Construct: 10 Cognition: 2

  Available Status Points: 10

  ‘It looks like I might have found what I am looking for’ I thought to myself and almost snickered aloud, but after a moment of processing what I am seeing, I began to feel bad.

  I do not know what the numbers behind the attributes mean but they were too goddamn pathetic.

  ‘Strength is 1 and Speed is 2, why the fuck are they that freaking low, am I that weak?’ I couldn’t help but wonder.

  I might not understand about half of what I am seeing but there no need for explanation when strength and speed are listed as attribute.

  They were one of the attributes with the lowest number and seeing them broke something inside me.

  I had 10 points; 5 from each time I levelled up. I immediately put 7 points in Strength and 3 points in Speed.

  I didn’t want to put the whole 10 points in Strength because Speed is equally important when fighting and I don’t really know what most of the other attributes might mean.

  I immediately carried the arcane-assault rifle I kept beside me; to test if there was any different in my strength.

  The assault rifle felt much lighter as I held, I threw the gun into the air to check if I wasn’t just imagining the gun’s lighter weight.

  I caught it back with ease but also one or two insults from Taiko’s men.

  “Are you daft, why the hell are you messing around with that?” One of them said.

  “Fool, thinks it is toy, ehh.” Another one said.

  Their insults didn’t bother because I was internal happy, maybe genuinely for the first time since I can remember.

  I wasn’t imaging things, I somehow acquired a System that will make me stronger.

  I didn’t know when a smile appeared on my face and the men that reprimanded me for tossing the assault rifle in the air took my smile as an offense, even tried to take it from me but Taiko stopped them, telling them to leave me be.

  Even if they took it or even beat me up at this point, I couldn’t care less – I am happy.

  I now know that I am stronger but didn’t know how, that quick-thought made me swiftly put up my guard and regain my vigilance.

  I cancelled the Power Status screen and noticed some changes in Profile.

  Profile

  Name: None

  Nature: Evolve Human

  Level: 3

  Title: Ratty

  Hit point: 100

  Damage per hit: 40

  Arcane Energy: 6

  Arcane Skills (None)

  Arcane Physiology (None)

  Power Status

  Trophy

  Damage per hit became 40, I guess it means I would be giving a damage of 40 for every hit but I don’t know what that number actually means in a real fight.

  I had 2 points of Damage per hit, now I have 20 times more Damage per hit, that is be a drastic increase in power.

  I closed all the screen, I have learnt how to make myself stronger after each Level up. It will be stupid to push my new and surprisingly luck by investing my focus into understanding the System better. This level of distraction could get one's head chopped off normally.