Tatehan was startled with surprise.

Yes?!

Yes?!

That was shocking. Genuinely shocking. He blinked at the glowing text, his mind momentarily blank as he processed what he'd just read.

He hadn't actually expected a positive answer. Not really. He'd asked the question more out of curiosity than genuine hope, half-expecting the system to respond with something vague or dismissive. Maybe a simple [No additional uses available] or [Cores are single-purpose items] or some other bland, unhelpful response.

But instead, it had said yes.

Why had he even asked in the first place? Was it because he really wanted to know if there was something else he could do with the cores? Or had he just wanted to test the system, to see how it would respond, to poke at the boundaries of what it was willing to tell him?

Regardless, it had worked.

Another notification appeared, the text scrolling smoothly across his vision.

[There are many things the cores can help you with.]

Tatehan's eyes widened further.

Many things?

And then, before he could fully process that statement, another line appeared.

[Wanna see?]

Tatehan was absolutely appalled with surprise. His jaw actually dropped slightly as he stared at the words.

The system was conversing with him.

I mean, sure, it had communicated before. It gave him notifications, status updates, warnings, and instructions. But this? This felt different. More casual. More... personal. Like the system wasn't just a tool or a program, but something closer to an actual entity. Something with its own personality and agenda.

It had never been this formal and casual at the same time before.

Tatehan hesitated for only a moment before responding mentally.

'Yes. Show me.'

The system responded immediately, a new interface materializing in front of him. Clean, organized and laid out like a menu with clear options and descriptions.

[Ways to Use Shadow Goblin Cores:]

[Option 1: Use all 54 cores to upgrade Gravity Manipulation by 3 levels]

Current Level: 12 → New Level: 15

[Option 2: Use all 54 cores to upgrade Partial Regeneration by 3 levels]

Current Level: 8 → New Level: 11

[Option 3: Use all 54 cores to upgrade Heightened Perception by 3 levels]

Current Level: 5 → New Level: 8

[Option 4: Use all 54 cores to upgrade Enhanced Durability by 3 levels]

Current Level: 3 → New Level: 6

[Option 5: Use all 54 cores to upgrade Phase Shift by 3 levels]

Current Level: 1 → New Level: 4

[Option 6: Use all 54 cores to upgrade Kinetic Absorption (Armor Ability)]

Note: This is a FIRST. The impact force of your releases will be significantly increased.

Tatehan stared at the list, his mind racing. It was certainly surprising that his system had given him something as detailed as this on how to use the cores.

Things that would really benefit him.

Six options. Each one viable. Each one offering a substantial boost to one of his existing abilities.

He started contemplating, running through each option in his head, weighing the pros and cons.

Gravity Manipulation.

Currently at Level 12, it was already his most versatile and powerful ability. He'd used it to survive a fall from the sky, to lift a sixty-ton mech into the air, to control the battlefield in ways that no one else could. Upgrading it to Level 15 would make it even stronger. Maybe he'd be able to manipulate heavier objects, or affect multiple targets simultaneously, or extend the range of his influence. At Level 15, he might even be able to create localized gravity wells, crushing enemies or objects with focused gravitational pressure.

That would be devastating.

Partial Regeneration.

Level 8 was already pretty good. His body healed faster than any normal human's, recovering from injuries that would take others weeks in just days. But Level 11? That would push it into the realm of true rapid healing. Maybe he'd be able to recover from broken bones in hours instead of days. Maybe deep wounds would close up in minutes. Maybe he could even regenerate lost tissue and regrow damaged organs.

That would be a game-changer for survival.

Heightened Perception.

Currently at Level 5, it was already incredibly useful. It let him see attacks coming in slow motion, giving him just enough time to react, to dodge and to counter. But Level 8 would sharpen it even further. Maybe he'd be able to predict enemy movements before they even made them, reading body language and micro-expressions with perfect clarity. Maybe he'd gain a kind of combat precognition, seeing multiple possible futures and choosing the best course of action instinctively.

That would make him nearly untouchable in a fight.

Enhanced Durability.

Only at Level 3 right now, it was one of his weaker abilities. It made his bones denser, his muscles tougher, his body more resistant to blunt force trauma. But it wasn't enough to make a huge difference yet. Upgrading it to Level 6 would change that. His bones would become nearly unbreakable. His skin would resist cuts and punctures. He'd be able to take hits that would cripple normal people and just shrug them off.

That would make him a tank.

Phase Shift.

Brand new. Only at Level 1. But already one of the most powerful defensive abilities he had. It let him make one body part intangible for a second and a half, dodging attacks that should have killed him. Upgrading it to Level 4 would be huge. Maybe he'd be able to phase for longer, or phase multiple body parts at once, or reduce the cooldown significantly. And eventually, at a much higher Level, he might even be able to phase his entire body for a brief moment, becoming a ghost.

That would make him nearly invincible.

Kinetic Absorption.

This one was interesting. It wasn't technically his ability, it came with the armor. But the system was offering to upgrade it anyway, which was a first. The armor already absorbed kinetic energy from impacts and let him release it in devastating bursts of force. But if the system was saying the impact force of his releases would be significantly increased, that meant his punches, his attacks, his explosive releases of stored energy would hit even harder than they already did.

That would make him a walking bomb.

Tatehan exhaled slowly, his mind spinning with possibilities.

Each option was tempting. Each one offered something valuable. But he could only choose one.

He leaned toward Gravity Manipulation. It was his most versatile ability, the one he relied on most, the one that had saved his life more times than he could count. Upgrading it felt like the safest, smartest choice.

But then again, Phase Shift was new and still weak. Upgrading it now, while it was in its early stages, would give him a huge defensive advantage. And defense was just as important as offense.

Or maybe Kinetic Absorption. The idea of hitting even harder, of turning every impact into a devastating counterattack, was very appealing.

Tatehan was about to make his decision, his mental cursor hovering over the Gravity Manipulation option, when the system interrupted him.

[Or...]

Tatehan froze.

He blinked at the single word, confusion washing over him like a goddamn washing machine.

Or?

The system suddenly seemed like a tricky magician playing mind games with him.

Why hadn't it just listed all the possibilities of what he could use armor for first, why did it wait for him to really pick an option and when it seemed like he would choose, it suddenly interrupted with: OR?

"What?" he asked out loud, his voice breaking the silence of his room.

The system replied immediately, a new notification appearing.

[Use all 54 cores for a Blind Chase.]

[You are guaranteed to receive a NEW ability if this option is chosen.]

[However, it is a 50/50 chance. You may receive an ability perfectly suited to your needs... or you may receive something completely random and potentially useless.]

[The outcome cannot be predicted or controlled.]

Tatehan stared at the notification, his mouth slightly open.

"Uh..."

What the fuck was wrong with his system?

A blind chase? A fifty-fifty chance? Completely random?

That was insane. That was gambling. That was throwing away fifty-four cores on a coin flip, hoping for the best but with no guarantee of anything useful.

But... a new ability.

A new ability…

Not an upgrade to something he already had. Not a boost to an existing power. Something entirely new. Something he didn't have yet.

And depending on what it was, it could be a total game-changer.

Or it could be completely useless.

Tatehan leaned back against his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing.

A new ability would really help. He'd seen firsthand how much difference a single ability could make. Phase Shift had saved his life earlier that day. Gravity Manipulation had won him countless battles. Every new ability expanded his options, made him more adaptable and more versatile.

But was it worth the risk?

Tatehan closed his eyes, thinking hard.

Then, slowly, a thought formed in his mind…

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