Chapter 5 - Stats and Talents

Their university campus wasn't a sprawling labyrinth of corridors and classrooms. It was designed more like an expensive open space, with wide pathways, open-air seating areas, and lush greenery. So, navigating through the campus wasn't exactly a huge issue.

"We should grab whatever we can before the others realize what they should do. But first," Lucas said, pulling out his sticks from his bag.

His gaze sharpened as he spotted movement ahead. "We've got some beatings to do."

Chloe and Samantha also noticed several goblins were creeping closer. They intuitively tightened their grip on their crude weapons. Fear began etching on their faces as their breaths grew rapid.

"Now, listen carefully," Lucas began calmly. "Both of you have played RPGs, right? You know how it starts, tutorial fights with weak enemies, either slimes or rabbits. This is the same deal. Now, we're still in tutorial and those goblins are the weak enemies."

He gestured toward the approaching green midgets. "They're predictable. Watch them closely. First, they'll charge at you with their clubs high. That's when you move, alright? You step to the side, dodging their sticks, and swing at their head with everything you have. Simple, right?"

The girls stared at him with a pale face. The grotesque aftermath of the earlier scene still haunted their minds, and their hands shook involuntarily as those images resurfaced.

Sensing their fear and hesitation, Lucas softened his voice. "Hey, look at me. Don't worry. I'll be right here, keeping you safe. I promise."

Chloe took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Okay, Lucas. I trust you." Her words were short yet determined. Her fingers gripped the stick with a newfound resolution.

Samantha remained silent, but her actions spoke volumes as she squared her stance, holding her stick firmly as her knuckles whitened from the pressure.

A group of four goblins cackled gleefully at the sight of their prey. Their sharp teeth glinted as they chattered and pointed. Mocking laughter rang out when they saw their prey was just a skinny male and two weak female.

Excitedly, they charged forward, eager to overwhelm the seemingly defenseless trio. Two goblins were rushing at Lucas with their eyes gleaming with hunger. While the remaining two locked into Chloe and Samantha, thrilled at the prospect of an easy hunt.

Lucas's figure flashed forward, jabbing his sticks into the throats of the goblins charging at him. The goblins immediately clenched their throats, gasping for air. Then, with a powerful swing, Lucas shattered their legs, sending them sprawling on the ground.

But he wasn't planning on killing them. He left them writhing in pain as he was intending to let the girls deal the finishing blows and earn their own experience.

Standing off to the side, Lucas's eyes never once left the girls. They were doing surprisingly well for beginners, dodging safely albeit slightly awkward steps.

Both Chloe and Samantha avoided the goblins' wild overhead swing and managed to land a solid blow on them. However, their hits lacked the power as they only stunned the goblins momentarily.

"Go all out, don't hold back," Lucas called out. He wasn't about to intervene, preferring to let them take control and stand on their feet.

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as she swung her stick with all her might, smashing it again and again into the goblin's face. Each blow left the creature's skull caving in under the force, mashing it to a mush of blood and bone.

Samantha followed suit. Swinging her stick with everything she had, she cracked the goblin's skull wide open, spewing a spray of gore into the air. The monster collapsed as its lifeless body crumpled to the floor.

For a brief moment, both girls stood frozen as they stared down at the remains of the creatures they had just slain.

Lucas wasn't sure if they were stunned by the system notification announcing their kills or the fact that they had taken lives. Most probably a mixture of both. Either way, the silence was palpable as they stood in the aftermath.

Moments passed quickly, and the girls were assailed by nausea. Chloe and Samantha bent over retching and vomiting at the sight of the bloodied remains of their enemies. Blood drained from their face as they were trembling in shock.

"Feeling better?" Lucas asked with a soft tone as he watched the girls finish vomiting while their bodies still trembled from the gruesome scene.

Chloe gave a weak nod as her face was still pale, while Samantha remained bent over, clearly still shaken.

"Chloe, Samantha, this is how you grow stronger. By defeating these freaks," Lucas stated solemnly. "Right now, there should be a blue screen popping up telling you that you defeated a goblin, right?"

The girls glanced at Lucas before nodding weakly, still trying to shake off the aftereffects of their first kill.

Pointing at the two incapacitated goblins with unnaturally twisted limbs, Lucas continued, "Kill them too. Don't worry, they won't bite. I guarantee."

The girls turned to see the two poor goblins lying on the ground, still breathing but in no condition to do anything much less fight back. The creatures squealed and struggled weakly.

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

"Defeat those two and you'll get a level up," Lucas added, his eyes fixed on the girls. "This isn't just about taking life. It's about surviving and getting stronger. You'll feel it after you're done."

Hearing his words, the girls exchanged a nervous glance, their hands trembling as they clenched their makeshift weapons. Despite their hesitation, they nodded and stepped forward, steeling themselves for what needed to be done.

They approached the squealing goblins with their sticks raised high. As they tried everything they could to ignore the monsters’ pitiful cries, they swung down with all their strength, landing blows on the creatures' faces.

The cracking sound of the monsters' skull echoed as the girls braced themselves, striking again and again, each swing more forceful than the last.

Blood splatters across their faces and clothes, painting the scene with a grotesque sight.

Samantha turned toward Lucas, her face was pale yet determined. She saw him standing calmly, watching them intently with a gaze of approval.

Lucas smiled and praised, "Both of you did well. Enduring this takes strength. Not everyone can push through something like this."

Chloe but her lips before nervously asking, "It said I leveled up… but what do I do now?"

Lucas nodded and gestured for their attention. "Open your status window. You remember how to do that, right?"

The girls nodded, each summoning their respective status windows.

Stepping closer, Lucas continued, "Let me break it down for you. In your status window, you'll see your name, level, stats, talents, and skills. Since you just leveled up, you're both at Level 2 now, and you should have 5 Free Points to distribute, as well as a Talent."

He glanced at their slightly overwhelmed faces but pressed on. "There are five main stats. VIT, or Vitality, means your stamina, health, and recovery speed. POW means Power, your physical strength. AGI, or Agility, is your speed and reflexes."

Pausing, Lucas raised a brow. "So far, does that make sense?"

Chloe and Samantha bobbed their heads while their eyes still focused on their translucent screens.

"Want me to repeat any of that?" Lucas offered.

Chloe shook her head, and Samantha followed suit.

"Okay, moving on. INT is short for Intellect. It generally represents your intelligence and brainpower. It's especially important for spellcasting.

"Spellcasting? Like… magic?" Chloe blinked, clearly startled.

Lucas nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Exactly. Magic. But we're not diving into that anytime soon. Not until we're a lot stronger."

Samantha raised her hand slightly, her curiosity piqued. "And WIL, that's Willpower, right?"

Chucking lightly her gesture, Lucas answered, "Spot on. Willpower governs mental resilience, which might sound straightforward but is incredibly crucial. It ties into metaphysical stuff, like your soul, and also impacts your physical constitution and spellcasting. Don't underestimate it."

"But Lucas, how do you know all of this?" Samantha suddenly interjected, her time laced with suspicion and curiosity.

Lucas paused mid-explanation, then chuckled, "I was just about to explain Talent and Skill, but fine, let’s go with that question. How do I know all this? Simple. It's all written in the books."

Chloe and Samantha exchanged baffled looks. "Books? What books?" they asked in unison, their voices echoing their growing confusion.

Shrugging, Lucas answered nonchalantly, "You know, all those 'pointless' novels and stories I always read. The ones both of you always teased me about being an unhealthy obsession."

Chloe's brow furrowed, "Wait, you're saying… Are you joking right now?"

Samantha blinked, her confusion deepening. "There's no way you're serious."

Lucas laughed. It sounded surprisingly light amidst the grim reality. "I'm dead serious. Everything happening right now, the system, the monsters, it's textbook. A total cliché straight out of every novel I've ever read."

Samantha let out an exhale, muttering under her breath, "I can't believe this."

Chloe glanced at Lucas with disbelief but a spark of understanding. "You're telling us… you're good at this because of those stories?"

Lucas smirked, "Mostly. And now, thanks to my 'pointless' reading habit, we have a head start."

But Lucas thought to himself, 'I'd probably go crazy too if my Willpower weren't high enough. Probably from the wild fantasies I always imagine when I shower.'

Watching the girls’ baffled expressions, Lucas continued with a laugh, "Alright, listen up. Talents. Each of you should have at least one, but if you're especially talented, pun fully intended, you might have more than one. That kind of luck puts you on a protagonist level."

Samantha tilted her head thoughtfully. "I only have one," she admitted, glancing at Chloe.

Chloe hesitated, her voice unsure. "Uh… I think I have two."

This time, Lucas was genuinely taken aback. His surprise quickly shifted into a small grin. "Well, look at that! We've got ourselves a protagonist!"

Giving him a sheepish look, Chloe shared, "Mine are called Melodious Tone and Late Bloomer."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, his tone was light but carried a tinge of seriousness. "Just so you know, you're not usually supposed to tell others your Talents. It's kind of a personal thing, like keeping your cards close to your chest."

Chloe smiled innocently and asked, "But you're not 'others', right?"

Shaking his head slightly, Lucas just smiled. But before he could add anything, Samantha interrupted with her usual sass. "Okay, enough of the lovebird nonsense. Mine is Programming Expert."

Realizing how much trust they had in him despite telling them how personal a Talent was, he decided to return the trust. "Well, mine is Avid Reader."

With that, he turns serious again. "Alright, here's what you do. Focus on your Talent in your mind, and the system will give you the details. Give it a go."

Following his own advice, Lucas concentrated on his Talent, and a translucent blue screen appeared before him.

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Avid Reader

Rank C

Increases reading speed, comprehension, and memory retention. Enhances the practical application of any knowledge read and understood.

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