Having lost the Trial, Hagen didn't just lose his interface and his memory of it, but also everything he'd achieved. His UFC career was ruined before it even began. Stripped of all his skills and abilities, Mike is once again a useless weakling. The last straw is the loss of all the money that he'd bet on his own victory.
But you do remember, don't you, that Phil Panfilov promised to take care of his old comrade from Pibellau?
What can Mike achieve with a non-combat version of Phil's augmented reality interface? He could, of course, become a businessman or found a gaming startup, but where would he find the money and investors he needs?
It looks like he might have to start fighting again. However, this time there're no prison guards to maintain order and make sure that rules are obeyed. Once out of prison, Hagen is fair game for anyone who wants to kill him. Once again he has to survive on his own.
My Opinion: 571 pages, $5.99, Not Available On Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review. I purchased a copy when it became available.
This is a hard reset to the spin-off series. At the end of the last book Mike, the main character (MC), lost access to his interface and the first 15% of the novel deals with the consequences to that and the MC getting the interface again. Only this time, he doesn’t use it for fighting instead using the other aspects to improve his other interests and get experience for selling things, computer repairs, and other non-combat actions. There are also more social aspects that line up with the interface from the main Level Up series. There is still combat and fighting but it’s not the only thing happening here anymore.
Overall, this is a slice of life story where the MC gets second chance with a RPG interface. It feels like a redo for the story and it’s better for it.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Level Up: Update (The Knockout Book #2): LitRPG Series