Chapter 16: Upgrades! Caught On Live Recording?
Just then, the system came to life once more.
[Congratulations host, your strength has increased drastically]
Glancing at the information, Aleron was pleasantly surprised.
He noticed the first line of words:
[Congratulations. Your contracted summon has slain 102 Abominations.]
[You have received 107,000 experience points.]
[You have leveled up four times.]
[Origin Initiate Level 11: 7,800 / 102,400]
Aleron's heartbeat pounded like a drum in his ears. His vision lingered on the final system line. Four levels? Even for a contracted summon, this was madness.
He felt a mysterious change in his body.
A unique sensation flowed through him.
Aleron felt his body lighten drastically, as though he were floating.
Feeling the surge and increase in his strength, Aleron did not hesitate to punch out.
Bang!
The punch was exceptionally strong.
This strength could rival that of a Tier one abomination. Aleron was stunned, staring at his own fist.
He turned his attention to the system. "Show me my stats."
At Aleron's words, the system panel flashed, and then a string of information appeared in his line of sight.
[Strength: 26]
[Agility: 27]
[Defense: 25]
[Origin Energy: 46 / 46]
The first thing Aleron noticed was that his physical capabilities had now far surpassed those of a normal human.
"I am now almost three times as strong as an average human."
His Origin Energy was also increasing at a drastic rate.
Aleron clenched his fist. Then, suppressing his excitement, he refocused his attention on the other information displayed by the system.
[Congratulations. Your contracted summon has broken through successfully.]
[The Infernal Eyes have leveled up.]
[Infernal Eyes Level 2]
[Heat Vision Improved: Can precisely judge the intensity of any fire or heated object within sight.]
[Controlled Ignition: Ignite flammable materials such as paper, leaves, or kindling with a focused gaze.]
[Flame Drift: Move small open flames, such as from candles or fireplaces, with eye movement.]
[Note that the cost for all previous abilities of the Infernal Eyes is now halved.]
[The distance limitation of the Infernal Eyes has been improved to six meters.]
[Congratulations on letting your contracted summon break through. You have awakened a unique aspect of the Infernal Eyes.]
[Using the Infernal Eyes, you can now use shared vision, linking you to your summoned dragon.]
Aleron was stunned by the information displayed.
The upgrade to the Infernal Eyes was extraordinary.
Aleron was speechless and remained silent for a long time before his expression slowly returned to calm.
"Dad, I have eliminated all the abominations and eaten to my fill." At that moment, Ashkar's voice entered into his ears.
Aleron smiled faintly, then patted the dragon's head.
"Ashkar, you are truly my good luck charm."
Ashkar flapped his wings in excitement at Aleron's words.
No longer paying attention to the surroundings, Aleron decided to test out the abilities of the Infernal Eyes.
Although he understood the system's description, perhaps there were other abilities he could discover himself.
With that thought, Aleron no longer hesitated. His Origin Energy surged, and the next moment his pupils slowly reshaped and turned into fiery red slits.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that within his fiery slits were strands of golden hue. Aleron's Infernal Eyes had been upgraded significantly.
The moment he activated the Infernal Eyes, everything in his line of sight changed.
He felt his vision sharpen drastically and could see everything within six meters with perfect clarity.
Not only that, but he also began to notice multicolored lights flickering in his vision.
The colors were mostly red but held various tints and shades.
"I can somehow understand what these colors mean."
Aleron was surprised to realize that he could perfectly interpret the significance of the colors.
Some represented death that had occurred not long ago.
They hovered around the location where the abominations had fallen earlier.
There were other glows as well, flickering around vehicles and nearby heated surfaces.
Aleron took a moment to process the sight before him.
Just then his eyes caught something.
A burning dark red aura, hiding not too far away.
Aleron's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the figure trying to remain unseen.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to the dragon. It was time to try out the other ability of the eyes.
"System, how do I connect our vision so I will be able to see using Ashkar's line of sight? And what is the limitation of this unique ability?"
[Similar to the process of fusion. All you have to do is link your Origin Energy with your contracted summon. You should feel a peculiar sensation in your Infernal Eyes. Accessing it, you can switch your vision at will.]
[The range limitation of the ability is six meters, corresponding to Infernal Eyes Level 2.]
Only now did Aleron completely understand what the Infernal Eyes were capable of.
"Ashkar, let's link our Origin Energy," Aleron spoke to the dragon in his mind. He understood this process required participation from both sides.
"Dad, are we fusing again? Is there any danger nearby?" Ashkar sounded slightly excited.
However, Aleron shook his head.
"This is a new ability I awakened. Using it, I can see through your vision."
At his words, the dragon's eyes widened in shock. The ability was truly remarkable.
"Ooooh! That sounds awesome! Let's do it, Dad!"
Ashkar's wings fluttered with excitement, barely holding still.
The dragon readily agreed with Aleron, then began circulating his Origin Energy, syncing it with Aleron's.
Aleron mirrored the process, and soon his vision began to shift. His heat-augmented sight merged with Ashkar's, and a new visual field opened.
In his line of sight, the world now appeared fiery red.
Everything pulsed with heat trails and glowing intensity. The terrain looked as if it were on fire, with light warping across surfaces and glimmering edges around every object.
Aleron's eyes widened. Through Ashkar's vision, the world was a dance of radiant heat trails and pulsing auras. He felt like he'd slipped into a world forged by fire and energy.
It was breathtaking and strange. Almost like stepping into another realm.
Aleron was momentarily dazed but quickly remembered the reason he had activated the eye-link ability.
He focused and relayed the direction to Ashkar.
Ashkar nodded. With a powerful flap of his wings, he launched into the sky. In the blink of an eye, he had ascended over a meter into the air and was soaring silently.
Soon, through Ashkar's eyes, Aleron caught sight of the hiding figure. It was a woman.
She held the phone steadily, its lens locked onto Aleron's position. Her lips moved fast, like she was narrating the events that were transpiring.
"That direction…" Aleron's heart skipped slightly. The phone was clearly aimed at him.
He furrowed his brows, then spoke to Ashkar through their connection.
"Lean in closer and tell me what she is saying."
Unaware of the massive dragon above her, the woman continued recording. Aleron stood in the distance, pretending to be unaware.
Following Aleron's instructions, Ashkar descended slightly.
Then his voice echoed in Aleron's mind.
"Dad, it is you!" Ashkar exclaimed, confused and surprised.
"Calm down and tell me exactly what you are hearing." Aleron steadied the dragon mentally.
Ashkar took a deep breath and relayed what was happening.
"No. Stop her!" Aleron shouted mentally upon realizing she was livestreaming him and Ashkar.
He leapt off the ground, wind rushing past him as he raced toward the woman's location to intercept her.
If a detailed video of him and his dragon was released on the internet, it would attract unwanted attention.
There were many who harbored ill intent.
Groups like the Genesis Coil.
But the damage was done.
The livestream had already reached thousands.
And far away, someone was watching the livestream.
Not just someone from the Genesis Coil but someone whom Aleron wouldn't expect to catch the attention of.