On day 365, the HUD flared back to life, Wirs shimmering into view with that same smug grin.
"Well, well," Wirs purred as she floated closer.
"Look at you, host. You're a total looker now, aren't you? Hot damn, Jin Hao, you've gone from soggy mess to a walking heartbreaker. I mean, if I weren't your system, I'd be falling all over myself for you—those muscles, that fire in your eyes? You're trouble wrapped in a damn fine package. Quest complete—Self-Dominance crushed, and you've come out the other side a god among men. Congrats, you beautiful bastard, you've earned every bit of this. Let's see the spoils, shall we?"
〘Quest: Self-Dominance Completed!〙
〘Objective Achieved: He who wishes to dominate others must first dominate himself.
Rewards:
Stat boosts (Strength, Agility, Charisma +1 ranks each)
100,000 Yuan
Skill: Iron Will
Type: Mental Fortitude Skill
Description: A mind forged in the crucible of unrelenting resolve, this skill transforms the host into an unbreakable force of will. Doubt, fear, and pain bow before it—shattered like glass against a steel wall. When the world tries to crush you, Iron Will laughs in its face and spits on its ashes.
Effect: Grants immunity to mental fatigue and emotional breakdowns; boosts resistance to coercion and despair by 50%.〙
Wirs floated closer, her smirk widening as the system updated. "Feel that, Jin? That's power sinking into your bones. But wait, there's more—let's check your new status. You've earned a glow-up, inside and out."
She snapped her fingers, and another window flared up, this one labeled Status, glowing brighter than the last time he'd seen it:
〘Name: Jin Hao
Age: 28
Stats: Strength (B), Agility (C), Charisma (D), Intelligence (C)
Appearance Rating: A
Skills: Intuitive Divergence, Iron Will
System Buffs: 5x XP Booster (Active)
System Remark: A lean, hardened machine with a spark of menace. No longer a ghost—now a predator in the making. Still room to sharpen those claws.〙
Jin stared, his breath catching. Strength at B—two ranks up from D, a testament to the muscle he'd packed on, the weights he could now throw around like toys.
Agility at C, from E—those endless runs and martial arts stances had paid off, his body moving smoother, quicker.
Charisma at D, up from F—he hadn't talked to a soul, but the books on charm, the way he carried himself now, it showed. Intelligence holding steady at C, but sharper, honed by strategy and psychology. Appearance at A? All the way from F?
He stepped over to the cracked mirror propped against the wall, the glass warped but clear enough.
His jaw was sharp now, chiseled under a shadow of stubble, his chest broad and defined, abs etched like they'd been carved from stone.
His hair was longer, wilder, framing eyes that burned with something dark and intense.
Wirs floated over his shoulder, her holographic body hovering close enough that he could almost feel her.
She tapped his arm, her finger brushing over his shoulders as she stared at the reflection as well and seemed like she was drooling.
"Oh, yeah, that's the stuff," she said. "Look at that jaw—could cut glass with it. And those abs? Hell yeah." She quickly wiped her mouth. "Jin, you're a total badass now. But you know what'd complete this badass look? Ink."
Her clothing suddenly changed to that of a simple crop top and shorts, with tattoos on her arms.
"Get yourself some sick tattoos—imagine two massive snakes, coiled around your arms, slithering up to your chest. Black scales rippling with every flex. The ladies will instinctively call you Daddy in bed."
Jin tilted his head, studying his reflection, picturing it—the snakes winding over his biceps, their heads meeting at his pecs, fangs bared.
"Tattoos, huh?" he finally murmured, his voice... was so firm... so... refined, like one of those voice actors from a dark romance movie.
"Yeah… that'd look pretty damn cool. Make me stand out even more."
"Stand out?" Wirs laughed, drifting back to perch on air. "You're already a standout, darling. Strength at B? You could crush Bai Zhenghao's spine with a handshake. Charisma's climbing, and with Iron Will locking you down, you're unshakable. The cash—one hundred thousand yuan—hits your account tomorrow. You've dominated yourself, Jin, and you're a sight to behold. How's it feel, huh? A year of all or nothing, and you snatched all?"
He flexed his arm, watching the muscle shift under his skin, feeling that steel core Iron Will had planted in him. "Feels like I'm alive," he said, grinning slow and sharp. "Like I'm not just scraping by—I'm ready to take what's mine. But 'still room to sharpen those claws'? What's next?"
Wirs tilted her head, glasses flashing. "Next? Oh, Jin, you're just warming up. You're a predator now, but the game's got bigger prey—Lin Qian, Bai Zhenghao, every smug bastard who ever looked down on you. That 5x booster's still running; you'll keep growing, learning, fast. Tomorrow, we pick your first target—a woman with a man," she licked her lips, "someone to test this new you on. You ready to play dirty?"
Jin's grin turned feral. "Hell yeah," he said calmly, his voice a low growl.
"Let's make them regret everything."
Wirs clapped once. "My kind of host. Rest up—you've earned it. Tomorrow, we hunt." She winked, then flickered out, leaving the HUD to fade and Jin alone with his reflection—a man reborn, ready to carve his name into the world.