[Stone Golem Ring (Excellent Accessory):] Enhances the wearer's Physical Defense. When attacked, it summons two Level 40 Stone Golems to join the fray. This effect can only be triggered once per day.

  [Fire Spirit Orb (Excellent Accessory):] Increases the power and condensation speed of the wearer's Fire Magic. Once combat begins, a magic shield slowly forms around the wearer; condensation pauses upon taking damage.

  [Phantom Necklace (Excellent Accessory):] Grants the active skill: Phantom. Conceals the wearer's form and conjures a realistic decoy nearby.

  [Stone Giant Ring (Rare Accessory):] Significantly enhances Physical Defense. When attacked, a stone shield manifests to protect the wearer, and two Level 60 Stone Giants are summoned to fight. The summoning effect can only be triggered once per day.

  One ten-pull, and Kael had struck gold.

  "That’s enough. No more pulling for today," Kael muttered, thoroughly satisfied.

  He finally understood why accessories were priced higher than weapons or armor. One look at these effects and the integrated passive skills told the whole story. Moreover, their physical appearance—glittering, delicate, and expertly crafted—screamed "high-end."

  The System's suggested retail price: 300 Spirit Crystals for an Excellent accessory, and a staggering 6,000 Spirit Crystals for the Rare one.

  Kael felt it deep in his soul—accessories were the true luxury goods of this world. The ancients did not lie; beauty and power came at a steep price.

  He could already foresee that his earlier words would become a self-fulfilling prophecy: based on the price tags alone, Blood Wolf and his crew probably couldn't afford these even if they wanted to.

  "Forget it. Keep a positive mindset," Kael comforted himself. He headed back to the Combat Simulation Room and closed his eyes to rest.

  Before long, a notification chimed in his mind, signaling the completion of the upgrade. Kael snapped his eyes open.

  The shop was still the same shop. The booths and the crystal balls looked exactly as they had before.

  "So... what exactly was upgraded?" Kael stared at the seemingly unchanged room for a long time, speechless.

  Did it only upgrade the software? He realized this was likely the case and nodded to himself. He placed both hands on the base of a crystal ball.

  The familiar arena appeared within the sphere, but the number of figures standing below the stage had increased to eight. Simultaneously, a flood of information rushed from the crystal ball into Kael’s mind, explaining the new changes.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  There were three major updates:

  First: The number of challengeable classes was increased to eight. Furthermore, two difficulty levels were now available: the original "Half-Stats" mode and the brand-new "Full-Stats" mode.

  Second: A Multiplayer Mode was added. Anyone currently in the Combat Simulation Room could choose to link up. They could duel each other for practice or form a team to fight against the eight classes in the arena to train their coordination.

  Third: And perhaps the most formidable addition—Environment Simulation.

  The system could now simulate various terrains, such as forests, deserts, and oceans. Once the simulation was active, the combat area expanded drastically, no longer confined to a simple raised platform.

  "A multiplayer mode... It looks like Blood Wolf and the others are going to practically live in here," Kael mused.

  While this mode didn't affect him much, it was a game-changer for mercenary squads. Every elite team required years of grueling cooperation to achieve peak synergy, and every new recruit meant starting that process over from scratch. Usually, this bond was forged in life-or-death battles where a single mistake meant a trip to the graveyard.

  But now, the Simulation Room provided a safe alternative. Combined with the Environment Simulation, squads could train their tactics in any terrain. Given the hyper-realistic feedback of the room, the speed at which a team could bond and synchronize would be phenomenal.

  I just hope they don't get bullied into tears, Kael thought silently.

  He had just noticed a catch: in Environment Simulation, the opponents were chosen automatically by the System. He doubted the System would be kind enough to give the trainees any tactical terrain advantages.

  Still, that wasn't Kael's concern. He was more interested in how strong a "Full-Stats" opponent would be.

  He checked the roster. The four new classes were the Berserker, Battle Mage, Assassin, and Archer. Like the original four, they all possessed remarkably average faces. If not for their distinct equipment, Kael might have confused them.

  With the original Swordsman, Spearman, Archmage, and Guardian Knight, these eight classes covered every tactical role imaginable, excluding pure healers—though the Archmage could technically fill in as a support if needed.

  Seeing this, Kael was certain: Environment Simulation was simply a new, sophisticated way for the System to brutally crush his customers' spirits.

  "Seriously, I should consider a rebranding. This shop is looking less like an armory every day," Kael rubbed his chin, completely forgetting he had started his business by selling pills.

  Currently, there were only twenty crystal balls. If the shop's popularity continued to soar, twenty seats wouldn't be nearly enough. He needed to think about expanding the room.

  But for now, his priority was testing the updated arena.

  He placed his hands on the crystal ball. In his mind, two options appeared: [Single-Player Mode] and [Multiplayer Mode].

  "Single-player."

  Since he was the only one there, the choice didn't matter. Then came the stat selection. Naturally, Kael chose "Full-Stats." After battling through all eight classes, he finally felt he had gained some "true" combat experience.

  He had to admit, a Full-Stats opponent was a headache even for him. The four new classes were every bit as powerful as the original ones. The Battle Mage, in particular, proved to be an exhausting opponent.

  By blending high-tier magic with close-quarters combat, their explosive power was terrifying. Their fighting style was more deceptive than a Swordsman's, more ruthless than an Assassin's, and their burst potential even rivaled a Berserker's.

  In Kael’s estimation, in terms of raw individual dueling power, the Battle Mage was easily number one.

  "Wait... speaking of Battle Mages..."

  After finishing a fight, Kael suddenly froze.