Soren focused his intent entirely on the glowing text, directing his thought toward the screen.

’Yes! Of course I’m gonna open it.’

The notification dissolved into particles of light, instantly replaced by a series of rolling logs that cascaded down his field of vision. The system’s familiar, mechanical chime resonated directly inside his mind.

───────

[Investment detected.]

[Target: Ryan]

[Analyzing investment...]

[Investment: You provided assistance to the target within the Labyrinth Gate and voluntarily ventured into the perilous Golden Gate to rescue him from certain death. To secure his path, you entered a binding agreement with the Sunless Emperor, vowing to act as the target’s guide. You then entered the true Golden Gate, fought alongside him through the final trial, and successfully cleared the gate.]

[Analyzing target response...]

[ As a result of your actions and choices, the target survived a fatal incident inside the gate. By fulfilling your vow to act as his guide, you fought through the final crisis together. Facing absolute peril, the target placed his complete trust in you, willing to risk his very life on your synchronization, resulting in a new bond and a successful gate clearance.]

[Evaluating investment...]

[Evaluation complete.]

[Investment Grade: SUPREME]

[Calculating returns...]

[Calculation complete.] 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

[Returns granted:]

[1. Amplification*]

[2. Dual Eclipse Arts]

[3. Pathfinder]

[4. Iron Will (D-Rank) → Unyielding Spirit (B-Rank)]

[5. Pain Resistance (D-Rank → C-Rank)]

[6. Accelerated Regeneration (C-Rank → B-Rank)]

[7. Constitution Evolution: Ironclad Body Constitution (C-Rank)→ Golden Body Constitution (B-Rank)]

[8. Adrenaline Burst (C-Rank → B-Rank)]

[9. Advanced Health/Mana Recovery Potions x10]

[Integration initiated...]

───────

The moment that final line materialized, that familiar process hit him.

A sharp sting pricked along his nerve endings, followed by a heavy, compact pressure settling deep into his chest. His core tightened, absorbing the feedback while his constitution adapted to the new baseline.

Soren gritted his teeth, his jaw locking tight as a tremor ran through his muscles. He stayed as still as he could, clamping down on a groan while his body rewrote itself in the dark.

As the pressure finally receded, the authority screen flickered, rolling through the progress percentages until a soft chime signaled the completion.

"Huff... Huff..."

He let out a long, shaky breath and relaxed against the mattress.

He lay like that for a few minutes, allowing the newfound strength to stabilize before finally turning his attention to the floating logs.

He skipped past the investment summary and the target response section after a single glance. He knew better than anyone else what they had endured in that gate, and he already knew Ryan had placed absolute trust in him. Still, seeing the evaluation finalized offered a massive sense of relief, because it served as the ultimate confirmation of Ryan’s survival.

Sighing, Soren locked his gaze onto the returns section. Looking down the list, a wave of genuine astonishment hit him. Almost all of his abilities had been upgraded at once.

The first upgrade was his basic Iron Will, which had skipped an entire tier to land at B-Rank, evolving into Unyielding Spirit. With this change, his baseline mental fortitude became significantly stronger than before. On top of the raw psychological reinforcement, the ability had awakened a new effect called Indomitable Presence. It allowed him to emit a quiet, grounding pressure that dampened terror and panic for his allies within a short radius.

’This will be really useful in the future.’ Soren noted before continuing.

Next was Pain Resistance, which had risen from D-Rank to C-Rank. This one didn’t introduce any flashy new mechanics; it simply strengthened its existing effect to a much higher degree. Even so, the sheer reduction in how his body would register physical trauma made it a massive improvement for active combat.

Then came Accelerated Regeneration, which had climbed to B-Rank. The upgrade drastically heightened his physical healing speed and added a constant, high-tier mana regeneration factor to his core. Along with those improvements, a new sub-effect had awakened.

It was called Vitality Anchor.

If his physical health dropped dangerously low during combat, it would automatically stabilize internal organ damage and prevent lethal bleeding, giving him a critical safety net in dire situations.

’Good. And the next is...’

Moving down the list, his eyes fixed on the seventh entry.

[Constitution Evolution...]

’To think it would evolve again, and the new name matches the new environment perfectly.’ Soren thought, recalling his past encounters. ’Back during the Ironclad Gorg incident, my constitution first evolved into the Ironclad Body. Now, following the grueling trials of the Golden Gate incident, it became the Golden Body.’

’What’s next? Diamond Body?’

A faint chuckle escaped his lips at the thought before he focused on analyzing the actual structural improvements.

His physical frame felt considerably denser and sturdier, providing a massive baseline upgrade to his defensive capabilities.

Furthermore, the evolution granted an active effect allowing him to temporarily turn his skin into a polished, golden hue.

While active, this state would directly reflect a portion of incoming physical and magical attacks back at the attacker, shifting his role from a simple tank into a lethal counter-striker.

Next on the list was Adrenaline Burst, which had also climbed from C-Rank to B-Rank.

The upgrade naturally extended the duration and reduced the severe physical fatigue that usually hit him once the rush wore off.

More importantly, the increased rank meant that when the burst triggered, the sudden spike in his physical speed and reaction time would be significantly sharper, allowing him to match the breakneck pacing of high-tier gates without blowing out his muscles like the last time.

’The potions are the bonus, I guess.’

He considered the glowing icon in his inventory for a moment. High-grade recovery items were notoriously expensive on the open market. Maybe he could sell some for a quick injection of funds, or just save them for critical situations when a standard potion wouldn’t cut it. Either way, having them on hand was a massive safety net.

’Now, for the main dishes...’

Soren looked away from the items, his eyes falling on Amplification, and suddenly his heart began to race.

Focusing his mind, he opened the description window.

───────

[Amplification*]

Rank: S

Type: Active / Passive

....

───────