Upgrade Complete
Author: Agent_047
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Despite having been subjected to enough painkillers to choke an elephant, Rick was perfectly aware of every little thing that was happening to him. Even he had to wonder if he was suffering some divine retribution for taking the name of god as a cloak to fool others into supporting his ambitions and rage as he suffered the pain of every single cell in his body repeatedly dissolving and regrowing over and over in a cycle of creation and destruction that would render the most determined man insane.

He lay there twitching and spasming in agony as his blood boiled away and recondensed, thicker and more viscous, and his muscle fibers shredded themselves from end to end and regrew, reducing his muscle mass while greatly increasing their strength and tenacity. He listened to his assistant’s recounting of the events and the doctor’s frankly stupid questions until the sound around him was drowned out by the sharp cracking of his bones breaking down and shattering into tiny splinters, unable to
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  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   A Lot of Shoes Dropped at Once

    Aron slowly blinked his eyes as he felt the changes to his body. He was feeling refreshed, with no soreness despite having laid perfectly still for quite a long time.He remained in a daze, though, thinking back on the brief conversation he’d had with the system’s so-called consciousness. Though the actual time they had spoken was short, the weighty information he’d received made it feel like the conversation had taken hours, rather than moments. The memory was as clear and fresh as if it had been carved directly into his mind.The pod he was in released a soft hiss as the sealed door slid aside and he sat up. He dropped his feet to the ground and stood up, slightly bouncing up and down in place to accustom his body to moving again after his long sleep.Nova greeted him with new clothes, as the clothes he was wearing when the unexpected upgrade began had been disintegrated during the process. “Welcome back, sir.”“Thanks. Did anything important happen while I was asleep?” he asked as

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   A Biological Attack?

    {I’ll keep an eye on things and let you know if anything comes up that requires your presence,} Gaia said, then went back to collating and sorting the brain data in the library. Though it was curated and maintained by the akashic librarians, she still wanted to thoroughly understand it to better perform her duties.Aron logged out of the simulation, then headed to Rina’s side and watched her through the transparent lid of the pod she was in.“Nova, increase the mana flow to her pod. The awakening process is a lot like my upgrades, so the more mana in the local environment, the process will be faster and the outcome better.” Aron sat on the edge of her pod and began sorting through the thoughts in his head. He had been through an absolute emotional rollercoaster ever since his impromptu meeting with the so-called ‘system consciousness’, or so he assumed it to be, during his latest upgrade. And he was sure that more shocks were to come as time passes, but he could only deal with one thi

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   The 3%

    Soon, the silent majority’s patience was rewarded as the imperial government released a notification on all devices informing the citizens that the emperor would be releasing a statement shortly. Included in the notification was a link that people could follow if they wanted to watch the announcement; everyone would be free to decide whether they wanted to see it or not.In a matter of seconds, more than a billion people followed the link to watch the announcement. This would be the third time the emperor had made a public appearance, and the previous two raised mixed emotions in the citizens. In his first public appearance as the emperor, he had announced the formation of the empire, and in his second, it was a response to the recent attacks. Thus, people were curious whether this would be more bad news, or simply some matters of administrivia, but considering the situation, it was more likely to be bad news.“Citizens of the Terran Empire, We come bearing good news.”A collective si

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   Too Unbelievable

    After Aron’s announcement, the silently nervous world could no longer sit still. Most people were divided into a few main categories; there were those who were excited for the future, assuming what the emperor had said was true; those who didn’t believe it at all and, in fact, actively disbelieved it; and those who couldn’t care less, as they were still mourning their dead loved ones and preparing for their funerals.……Meanwhile, Aron, having rushed his announcement to completion, had logged out of the simulation and headed to where his and Rina’s parents were. Herschel and Virginia, at least, deserved to know that Rina was safe, though she was undergoing her awakening and wouldn’t be present in the real world for a while. Sure, she could explain all that by meeting them in the simulation on her own, but they still deserved to be informed face to face and brought to the secure pod vault where they could stay beside her through the process.“And you can visit whenever you want. Your g

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   The Farthest Frontier

    During the terrorist attacks, the asteroid belt.In the silence of space between Mars and Jupiter, a rocket engine had been decelerating for a few days as it neared the first marked object in the main asteroid belt of the solar system.Many such vessels had been sent, each of them targeting specific asteroids in the belt. This one in particular was approaching 4 Vesta. Its velocity had already decreased to a point where it would survive if it impacted its target, but the engine continued slowing it down as it approached for a soft landing.*Initiating anchors.... Initiated. Deploying anchors for catch maneuver,* the VI responsible for monitoring and controlling the vessel logged and reported back to the central AI.*Approaching target. Distance 600... 500... 450....* It continued reporting and logging the flight data as it approached 4 Vesta, continually updating the record as it happened.When the rangefinder reported fifty meters remaining, the deployed anchors were launched and the

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   For Posterity's Sake

    Aron had found himself alone with Rina’s mother just after attending his final state funeral. He had spent 72 hours nonstop visiting the funeral locations, prompting discussion among the people about whether he was among the blessed or simply superior to “normal” humans on a genetic level.Many people easily “debunked” the possibility that Aron was among the blessed, as it was obvious that he wasn’t in a medical pod in the process of receiving a blessing. In fact, he seemed perfectly fine as he flitted here and there, attending state funerals. Even though the wave of fainting people had begun a few days prior, even those who were among the first to be blessed were still in the medical pods and showing no sign of the process being complete anytime soon.So that left the second option. It was an open secret that ARES soldiers were genetically enhanced, as they hadn’t even tried to keep their performances to mere human levels. Thus, there were thousands upon thousands of video clips show

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   By Hook or by Crook

    February 1, 1 AEThe lockdown had officially ended after the empire had completed the majority of the transitional work. Currencies had been exchanged, workers had been retrained, agencies had been built and fully staffed, and all seven billion citizens had registered for their IDs. The only ongoing work was the initial medical treatment in the imperial hospitals inside each of the cubes scattered across the world and the retrial of prisoners who had requested one. No matter how efficient the empire was—and it was VERY efficient—they simply didn’t have enough medical pods or legal staff to handle that many jobs in a short period of time.That said, imperial clinics had been built outside of the cubes, filled with row after row of shiny, brand new medical pods, and subordinate AIs had quietly taken on quite a few of the cases in the justice system. The two tasks would be completed over the next few months and had been downgraded to low priority jobs in the background.Currently, the on

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   "I Really Liked Those Clothes, You Know"

    “It should be any time, now,” Nova said. She was in the secure pod vault with Aron, watching over Rina as the final stage of her awakening was progressing and documenting the changes in her.“I’m actually a bit excited... and curious, and nervous. I didn’t get to see anything happening during my upgrades at all,” Aron distractedly replied.Just as he was about to continue, Rina’s pod beeped, a notification that movement had been detected. She was waking up.Rina stopped absorbing the liquid mana in the pod, so Nova stopped the mana feed and allowed it to drain out of the pod and into the room, where it evaporated and joined the rest of the mana in the atmosphere. The mana density in the pod vault was so high it would awaken any five people, but to Aron, it was akin to a warm breeze on a hot day, practically unnoticeable.After a few minutes of outward inactivity, Rina blinked open her eyes and released a low groan. Due to concerns about interfering with the awakening process, Nova had

Latest Chapter

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Conversation II

    “Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Conversation I

    [Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Meeting

    [Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Fireworks

    To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    “WHAT”

    The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Therapy

    The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Ending Things

    "Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Awakening

    “Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l

  • Getting a Technology System in Modern Day   

    Rebirth

    Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra