I can evolve everything

What kind of mess is this?

Driven by modern thinking, Ryan subconsciously asked: Since it's a branch, is there only one option?

The moment the thought flashed through his mind, a line of small print appeared next to the information describing a "safe knife that will never cut your hand."

[Should we expend extra energy to explore new possibilities?]

Without hesitation, Ryan chose "yes" in his mind.

A sharp pain shot into his temples, and the emptiness in his stomach intensified, as if an invisible hand was churning inside.

Then, the message "Safe knife that will never cut your hand" began to flash, the light flickering.

A few seconds later, where the original information had disappeared, new points of light began to converge and rearrange the new characters.

[Evolutionary Branch: Bloodthirster (Slightly Inferior)]

[Description: Invisible barbs and blood grooves are etched into the metal. The resulting wounds are extremely difficult to heal and cause continuous bleeding.]

[Required Resources: 1 kitchen knife, 15 days' worth of stamina.]

[Time required: 15 days.]

Upon seeing this, Ryan's pupils suddenly contracted.

He forced himself to look away from the knife and instead gazed at the other items in the room, suppressing his discomfort.

The brass candlesticks by the bedside, the wool rug on the floor, the crystal vase by the window... whenever he focuses his attention on something for more than a few seconds, similar words will invariably appear.

Renn looked at the glass of milk.

[Evolutionary Branch: Life Milk]

[Description: A liquid concentrated with the essence of life; drinking it can quickly repair severe internal and external injuries and restore depleted physical strength.]

[Required Resources: Milk x1, Energy Reserve (300 days' worth)]

[Time required: 300 days.]

Three hundred days of preparation, nearly a year's worth of time. A price he absolutely could not afford.

His mind raced as he tried to figure out the purpose of this cheat code.

First, he can see the evolutionary branches of any item.

This evolution comes at a price: the so-called "energy reserves" and varying amounts of "time required."

Exhaustion of energy leads to fatigue and hunger.

Time, on the other hand, is calculated in units of days, months, or even years.

Finally, and most importantly, evolutionary branches seem to be able to be refreshed.

A sharp, stabbing pain still lingered in my temples.

Just refreshing the knife's attributes once gave him a splitting headache.

Given the current state of his body, he felt that he could only withstand one more such exertion before he would completely faint.

Furthermore, after refreshing, the "Safe Knife That Will Never Cut Your Hand" option has completely disappeared and can no longer be selected.

In other words, refreshing is a completely irreversible operation.

A familiar term from his past life surfaced in his mind: roguelike game. (Refresh the entry.)

Every refresh is a gamble.

To gamble with enormous energy on an outcome that could be better or worse.

Raine's breathing became somewhat rapid.

If we're talking about physical objects, they can evolve.

...Then what about those abstract concepts? For example, the skills within the memories of this body? And even...myself?

Once the thought arises, it can no longer be suppressed.

Rein closed his eyes, his consciousness leaving the outside world and turning inward, beginning to meditate on the body named "Rein Wilder".

boom--

The entire world completely disappeared from his perception.

He felt as if he had fallen into a corridor made of endless gray mist.

The walls of the corridor were covered with countless obscure symbols, which emitted a faint glow in the darkness.

The clearest area corresponds to his own information.

Name: Ryan Wilder

Race: Human

[Level: 1]

Strength: 11 (This affects your athleticism and basic physical strength.)

Agility: 8 (Alcohol and a chaotic lifestyle have severely impaired your reflexes; your physical coordination is even worse than that of a drunken goblin.)

[Constitution: 11 (Affects your physical flexibility, reflexes, balance, and stability.)]

[Intelligence: 13 (Affects your mental acuity, information recall, and analytical abilities.)]

[Perception: 12 (Affects your alertness, intuition, and insight.)]

[Charisma: 13 (Affects your confidence, eloquence, appearance, and leadership.)]

(Note: The average score for each attribute of an adult human is 10)

【skill:】

[Gambling Skills (Proficient): You excel at identifying the weakest opponent at the gambling table and verbally provoking them; this is one of your few special talents.]

[Street Fighting (Beginner): You know how to use groin attacks and how to utilize whatever is around you, such as bottles and stools.]

[Knight's Basic Swordsmanship (Unmastered): Your father tried to teach you basic swordsmanship and breathing techniques, but you knew nothing about them, only remembering a few comical starting stances.]

He calmly analyzed everything he had just witnessed.

From his memories, Raine knew that the original owner of this body was now sixteen years old.

Judging from the average strength and physique of an adult, this body's foundation is not too bad; it at least surpasses that of a teenager and reaches the level of an adult.

This was probably due to the strict training his knight father had given him since childhood, even though the original owner spent most of his time slacking off.

However, with the attributes of an ordinary adult, it is impossible to pass the knight test, let alone last a minute under the command of a formal knight.

Even more fatal is that his agility is only 8 points, and his skill bar can be considered a blank.

A month later, he will face a seasoned and professional knight.

Even if Sir Karen only used the back of her sword and exerted only a third of her strength, it was still something that an amateur like him could not withstand.

Renn's gaze swept over the lines of techniques one by one.

[Gambling Skills (Proficient)], [Street Fighting (Beginner)], [Knight's Basic Swordsmanship (Unmastered)]

Gambling was the first thing to be ruled out; he couldn't very well play dice with Sir Karen in the dueling arena.

His gaze fell on the street brawl.

This was the result of the original owner's years of wandering the streets. He concentrated, and the branches of evolution immediately appeared next to the text.

[Evolutionary Branch: Street Fighting (Mastery)]

[Description: You will learn how to subdue enemies in confined spaces using any means necessary, including but not limited to ambushes, disarming, joint locks, and blinding opponents with lime powder.]

[Required Resources: Energy Reserves (90 days' worth)]

[Time required: Ninety days.]

It looks practical, but it's also insidious.

But ninety days is simply not enough time.

Finally, his gaze settled on the line "[Introduction to Knight Swordsmanship]".

He focused his attention, anticipating its changes.

New characters slowly emerged.

[Evolution Branch: Dragon Slayer Sword Skill - Starfall]

[Description: A forbidden sword strike, a move that stakes life and honor. When swung, its light is as dazzling as a falling meteor, easily slicing through a dragon's scales. Side effect: Each use permanently burns a portion of the user's life force.]

[Required Resources: Reserved energy (twenty years).]

Time required: Twenty years.

"..."

Ryan's lips twitched.

This sword technique looks quite powerful, but it will take twenty years to master.

Twenty years from now, his legs will probably have been broken several times by the original owner's father.

He chose to refresh without hesitation.

This time, he was mentally prepared. The familiar, sharp pain struck again, and the emptiness in his stomach made him want to vomit.

He suppressed his discomfort and stared at the [Dragon Slayer Sword Technique].

The characters trembled and flickered violently before finally shattering completely.

New characters come together again.

[Evolution Branch: Knight's Parry (Proficient)]

[Description: You will master the techniques of deflecting and parrying, allowing you to withstand enemy attacks with minimal effort and maintain your balance.]

[Required Resources: 150 days' worth of reserve energy.]

Time required: 150 days.

Or not.

One hundred and fifty days, and there's still not enough time.

Renn frowned. Was he going to give up now?

No, there must be another way.

He recalled his previous observations: the simpler the structure and the less effective the evolution, such as a kitchen knife, the less time and cost it takes to evolve; the more complex the structure and the greater the effect of evolution, such as a glass of milk that can save lives, the greater the cost.

Although this "Knight's Beginner Swordsmanship" is only a beginner's course, it is a general skill that includes a series of scattered movements such as thrusting, slashing, cutting, parrying, and footwork.

But overall, it remains a large and complex concept.

So what if I choose to evolve only a more specific part of it?

Raine stopped focusing on the entire "Introduction to Knight's Swordsmanship" and instead tried to concentrate on imagining the specific actions of "blocking" and "parrying".

He recalled the defensive stances his father had taught him, which he had almost forgotten, and repeatedly simulated the trajectory of raising his sword to block in his mind.

In the misty corridor, the characters 【Knight's Beginner Swordsmanship (Not Mastered)】 suddenly rippled.

Immediately afterwards, as if it were a branch extending from the main trunk, a line of even smaller characters slowly emerged.

[Detailed skill detected: Basic defensive stance]

[Description: A few simple starting stances for blocking and self-defense.]

Become!

Renn was overjoyed and immediately focused his mind on the new line of characters.

[Evolutionary Branch: Iron Wall Stance]

[Description: By optimizing muscle activation and body balance, you can more stably withstand impacts. Your blocks will be like an impenetrable iron wall.]

[Required Resources: Reserved energy (for 28 days).]

[Time required: 28 days.]

Twenty-eight days!

The timeframe is just right—not too much, not too little—to finish before the assessment!

Renn breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't have the energy to refresh the page, nor did he have a better option, so he stopped hesitating.

"confirm."