NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62: Level Up Center
"This Level Up Center has five floors—not including the ground floor," Trey said as he popped a piece of bread into his mouth. With his mouth full, he continued, "The ground floor is mostly, as you can see, a hubbub of people. There are stores, but they're the same ones you'd find outside. The first floor and up, though—that's where this place really shines."
"Do those annoying ads show up on the first floor and above too?" Kael asked after taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, you'll have to deal with them. But after your second visit, they won't bother you as much anymore. Unless you go somewhere else that's also installed with one of those damn Ad-Grids," Trey answered.
"I see," Kael nodded, continuing to drink as the young man in front of him went on with his explanation.
Kael wanted to learn about the Level Up Center, as this was his first time actually stepping into one. Back when he was still active as the White Prime, there were always teams behind him—people with great talent dedicated to maintaining his Exoskeleton Suit and his body. They basically had their own personal Level Up Center, even if it wasn't officially called one.
And because their strength was already at the top, they didn't need to "Level Up" in the traditional sense. Their version of a Level Up Center functioned more like a maintenance bay. But if Kael ever wanted new weapons or high-grade equipment, the people supporting him could whip something up at a moment's notice.
"So, from the first floor up, you'll find all kinds of shops. Weapon stores, Exoskeleton vendors, elixir outlets, essential supply stores—basically everything a Primer might need. There are some really good restaurants, too. I recommend Chicken Behemech Diners. Their chicken is top no—" Trey stopped mid-sentence, realizing he was getting off track. "Anyway, the shops aren't the most important part. What really matters is the Level Up floor, which is on the top—fifth—floor. The fourth floor has arenas and tournaments, but only Primers with suits can enter, and they have to be at least Level Five. Oh, there's also the Training Room on the fourth floor—we should go there. That's where most Primers spend their time when they're not in the arena or on the fifth floor."
"Is that all?" Kael asked, placing his cup on the table with a soft clink.
"Ah, yeah, that's the gist of the place. Do you want to know where the bathroom is? I can show you," Trey offered, his mouth half full—though surprisingly, his words weren't slurred.
"No need," Kael shook his head and stood up. "Let's head straight to the fifth floor."
"But I'm not finished," Trey said, pointing at the leftovers on his plate. There was still a piece of bread and some egg.
"Just eat those with your hands," Kael replied as he started walking toward the door.
"W-Wait!" Trey hurriedly stuffed his mouth with bread and egg, quickly gulped them down, and grabbed the duffle bag filled with Growth Orbs before following Kael.
As the clinking sound of the Orbs echoed inside the bag, the two of them stepped out of the café.
"Everything's in there?" Kael asked, glancing at the duffle bag in Trey's hand.
"Yeah," Trey nodded. "I left mine—this one's all yours."
"Good. What do you think my Level will be after I use all of them?" Kael asked, a curious glint in his eyes.
He was still new to all this Level Up stuff and Growth Orbs. As the chosen Primeval, he never needed to Level Up at all—his strength, from the moment he became the White Prime, was already at the top.
From an ordinary—though admittedly handsome—Earthling to the strongest human in the entire universe in just about a week of experimentation, Leveling Up was nothing more than a method for weaklings to grow stronger.
Kael didn't need that… A hundred years ago, he would've laughed at the idea. But now, this was his shot to get back what he lost.
"If luck is on your side and you don't waste a single Growth Orb, you might be able to reach at least Level 10. Worst case? You might only hit Level 7. But that's still a good jump, considering you're starting from Level 0," Trey said after thinking it over.
"Level 7, huh?" Kael placed a hand under his chin. "Just three levels short of qualifying for an Exoskeleton Suit. Hmm… I'll aim for at least Level 10 then."
"Yeah, but you'd have to be very lucky. I wouldn't be surprised if you can only use a few of your First Grade Growth Orbs. You'll have better odds with the Second Grade Orbs, but remember—the success rate drops every time you level up. Your Second Grade Orbs might not be enough to get you to ten. In the end, it's all about luck," Trey explained, his tone serious. "But hitting at least Level 7? I think that's still worth it."
There was a level requirement if a Primer wanted to use an Exoskeleton Suit. Level 10 was the bare minimum, allowing the Primer to operate any standard suit. That's the point where Primers are officially recognized—qualified to even wear Half-Aegis Primes, though those required backing from a Primer Company. Most were content with the standard suits.
Of course, there were ways to bypass the level requirement—like wearing a weaker version of the standard Exoskeleton Suit. Primers who did this could mostly be found in Grey Fissures, since that was the only type of Fissure where their low-grade suits wouldn't be torn apart by the Behemechs inside.
The other method was more dangerous: forcing yourself into a standard suit even if you were below the required level. But that came with a steep price—the raw energy inside the suit could wreck the body of an unqualified wearer.
"You know, I always considered myself lucky," Kael said as they entered one of the tubes—an elevator that used anti-gravity tech to reach the higher floors.
"Then… you'll do good?" Trey asked, unsure.
"Luck is based on probabilities. So doing well because of luck just means you're playing with probabilities," Kael said, his tone teasing. "But probabilities are math—and math can be altered with the right formulas and laws. So, do you really think I'll do well just because I believe I'm lucky?"
"That…" Trey didn't know what to say. He paused for a few seconds before opening his mouth again. "You said you're lucky, so the probabilities should lean in your favor. But… I guess you're going to use math?"
"Correct," Kael said as the elevator tube passed the first floor. "I need to reach Level 10 if I want to wear a standard suit without it killing me. And by using math, I'll increase my luck."
Hearing that, Trey glanced at the duffle bag he was carrying, then let out a chuckle. "You're joking. You're gonna cheat the system? Just so you can use all your Growth Orbs?"
"Yes," Kael nodded. And when he saw Trey's face—clearly full of disbelief—he smirked.
Kael was confident in his engineering skills. He'd already decided to use them to make the most of the situation. He'd been trained by the greatest Exo-Engineers in the universe, and his skill alone could rival the technological output of an entire planet. With enough resources and time, he could even advance the entire tech level of Taros if he wanted to. But that kind of dedication? He reserved that for women—and killing the Anthi-Orgs.
"By math? H-how?" Trey asked, baffled.
"Remember who completed your Compression Sphere?" Kael said.
Trey's eyes widened. Right. The man standing in front of him was the one who completed his Compression Sphere—a task that normally took months—in just a minute or two. And Kael didn't even use tools!
"You did that… and you didn't even use any tools? You know, I've always wanted to know how you pulled that off. And now that we're teammates… will you tell me?" Trey asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
"You are my subordinate," Kael clarified. "And if you want to know, you'll have to help me carry out my plan."
"Plan? You mean… you can really increase your luck? Change the system to your advantage?" Trey asked, skeptical.
"Just follow my plan if you want to know how I completed your Compression Sphere," Kael said as the elevator tube passed the third floor.
Kael had already researched how Primers Level Up—down to the device they used—and he was confident he could do something to avoid wasting any of his Growth Orbs.
If what Trey said was true—that the lowest he could reach was Level 7 and the best-case scenario was Level 10—then Kael wanted to go beyond that. But doing so would require him to alter something in the device. And for that, he needed Trey's help.
Seeing the confidence in Kael's eyes, Trey thought for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Alright. So what do you need me to do?"
"You're going to buy some tools," Kael said as the tube stopped at the top floor of the Level Up Center. When the transparent door slid open, Kael stepped out.
"Tools? But they're on the first floor," Trey said, surprised.
"Yes," the White Prime nodded. "Anything you think might come in handy. I'll wait here."
"You could've told me before we got in this damn tube!" Trey shouted, but his voice was muffled as the elevator door closed and the anti-gravity tube began its descent.
Kael turned around and made his way toward the device that would allow him to Level Up.