Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1517 The Rise of the Sword Hero
This energy was gentle yet incredibly domineering, instantly washing over every corner and every cell of his body.

It's not a simple fix; it's more like a "state reset" that reverses time.

One second it felt like being in hell, with the excruciating pain of being pierced by countless steel needles and burned by flames, but it was as if an invisible hand had wiped it away in an instant!

The stinging pain from the sword hilt digging into my ribs, the burning sensation of my muscles tearing, the dull ache of my displaced internal organs... all the pain vanished in an instant.

This extreme contrast even gave him a strange sense of "weightlessness," as if his whole body was unrealistically light.

The limbs, which had been heavy and powerless as if filled with lead and drained of all their marrow, were instantly filled with a sense of abundant strength.

The soreness, trembling, and exhaustion vanished, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of fullness, as if one could shatter rocks with a single punch.

He subconsciously moved his fingers, which were now flexible and strong, no longer numb and unable to even bend them as before.

The thick "mud shell" on their faces and bodies, a mixture of blood, sweat, dust, and monster slime, seemed to have met its nemesis.

Where the warm current flowed, the dirt seemed to be broken down by an invisible cleaning agent, quickly dissolving and peeling off.

The skin felt the coolness of the air again, breathing became smoother than ever before, and the nauseating mixed stench faded away instantly. Although the smell of blood in the alley was still there, it no longer had that suffocating oppressive feeling.

The sticky substance that had been obscuring my eyes disappeared, and my vision instantly cleared—although I still saw the filthy back alley and the monster's corpse, the feeling was completely different.

The burning thirst in my throat was soothed and calmed, and the rumbling in my stomach started again, but this time it was a clear and pure signal of hunger, no longer background noise drowned out by the pain.

The body's thirst for energy has once again taken over the role of the senses.

The mental fog that was on the verge of collapse was completely dispelled by this energy.

My mind has never been so clear and calm.

The previous fear, despair, and sense of collapse disappeared like the receding tide, replaced by a strange, almost cold, calm.

He instantly understood the meaning of "upgrade"—it was not just a change in numbers, but a tiny leap in the essence of life, a systemic "forced repair" and "basic enhancement".

He could clearly hear the strong, powerful beating of his heart in his chest, and the lingering stench of monster blood and sewer decay in the air became distinctly layered.

He could even vaguely sense the presence of the "NV" longsword stuck in the monster's head, as if it was no longer just a cold, inanimate object, but had a faint, energy-level connection with him.

In just a moment, he transformed from a near-death, utterly ravaged man into a vibrant, fully healthy… “Level 1 Apprentice Hero.”

Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly opened his eyes.

The bloodstains were gone, and vision was crystal clear.

He looked down at his hands.

His skin was intact, and even the scrapes from the fall had disappeared.

Although his clothes were filthy, the potentially fatal pain and weakness inside his body had vanished.

He supported himself on the ground and stood up smoothly, even feeling a surge of power within his body that far exceeded his previous strength.

He walked expressionlessly to the monster's corpse, and without the slightest hesitation, reached out and grasped the cold, sticky hilt of the "NV" longsword. This time, what he held was no longer a straw to grasp for survival, but a tool that felt... somewhat "familiar."

He pulled hard.

"Shoot-"

With a teeth-grinding, metallic scraping sound, the longsword was cleanly and swiftly drawn.

Dark purple blood flowed down the sword groove and dripped onto the monster's corpse.

The sword hummed slightly, seemingly echoing the newfound power within him.

He flicked the blood off his sword, the movement carrying a familiar, almost instinctive skill that even he himself found strange.

Then, he looked up.

His face showed no relief at surviving the ordeal, nor any fear of the monster; only a deep, cold, and lifeless stillness. The recovery brought by the upgrade did not dispel the weariness and world-weariness in his eyes; instead, it coated that deep background with an even harder, more indifferent cold light.

Hachiman Hikigaya's lips twitched down very slightly, forming a cold, almost mocking arc.

Brave?
Ah.

He was nothing more than a lifelong wage slave who had signed a contract of servitude and was exiled to the lowest level of hell.

Moreover, the overtime work has only just begun.

As if to confirm his cold sentiments, a semi-transparent interface emitting a cold, eerie blue light, like a leech, forcibly unfolded before his eyes without warning and without any refusal.

The cold, emotionless system text was laid out line by line:
[Daily Mandatory Tasks (Next Day)]

1. Standard Push-up: 0/1000 (Requirements: Lower yourself to a 90-degree angle at the elbows, fully push yourself up, engage your core, and maintain a steady rhythm. Incorrect form will not be counted.)

2. Standard Squat: 0/1000 (Requirements: Hips lower than knees, back straight, knees not extending past toes, full recovery. Incorrect form will not be counted)

3. 5公里耐力跑：0/1（要求：配速不低于6分钟/公里，心率维持目标区间。低于配速或心率异常视为无效）

4. Basic swordsmanship slashing practice: 0/1000 (Requirements: Use a standard training dummy; each slash must reach a specific power threshold; posture must conform to the standard model. Insufficient power or incorrect posture will not be counted.)
5. Basic Magic Element Perception Meditation: 0/60 minutes (Requirement: Enter a system-certified deep meditation state, effectively perceive and guide at least one basic elemental particle)

6. Basic Endurance and Impact Resistance Training: 0/30 minutes (Requirements: Withstand standard intensity energy impacts without dodging or using active defensive skills; rely solely on physical strength and passive skills to withstand the impact)
7. Battle Replay Analysis: 0/1 (Requirement: Watch and analyze today's battle replay, and submit a summary of weaknesses and improvement plans of no less than 500 words)
The list was despairingly long, like an endless, thorny track.

Each task is marked with extremely demanding and even obsessive requirements, revealing the unquestionable will of the system (or rather, the person behind the system) and a certain perverse desire for precise control.

Physical strength, skills, willpower, and theory are all squeezed out, leaving no room for respite.

"This year's heroes... are really... too difficult to manage..."

Hachiman Hikigaya whispered in a monotone, almost a sigh, a voice only he could hear. He didn't even bother to express emotion in his complaint, as if he were simply stating an objective fact.

(End of this chapter)