Esdeath burst into uncontrollable laughter, rolling around on her bed in her dorm room. "Bwahahaha... Hahaha!" She laughed so hard that tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she calmed down, sitting up and taking a deep breath. "I bet Ethan's face was priceless..." she chuckled, imagining the shock on his face.
She knew the importance of the system she had. Unlike others, system could instantly refine essence stones—except for the highest-ranking ones. In the main storyline, Ethan was supposed to discover this ability later that night, making him the first to refine the Moonblade Essence Stone. But Esdeath had swooped in and stolen his thunder.
"I don't need everyone's attention, but I couldn't pass up twenty silver coins," Esdeath mused, pulling out a small pouch filled with coins and feeling their weight in her palm. "My idiot father didn't give me any pocket money, and I'm broke. But for my future plans, money is something I absolutely need."
She frowned, calculating her finances. "Hmm... Twenty silver coins isn't enough. I need more, especially since I'll soon be going on a small trip. The travel costs will eat up most of this."
But as she thought about the SP (Self-worth Points) she might have earned from winning, a sly grin crept onto her face. "Let's see how many SP points I got. I bet I'll get a lot more when everyone hears I won the competition."
With that thought, she willed her status screen to appear.
Suddenly, a notification popped up:
Esdeath stared at the floating text, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "....."
Then, as the realization hit her, she exploded. "....!!!"
"Fuck... you... Constellation!!!" she yelled, throwing up a middle finger at the status window in pure frustration.
"Why do I have to be stuck with this third-rate system? Why, why, why...?" she groaned, slamming her fists into the bed repeatedly, her earlier excitement replaced by sheer exasperation. Her carefully crafted plans had backfired, and now, she was left with nothing but her own annoyance.
Suddenly, another notification popped up on Esdeath's screen, interrupting her thoughts:
Esdeath stared at the screen, her emotions a mix of frustration and curiosity. "So, if someone is unsure about me or doubts my abilities, I get fewer SP points? That's something new," she muttered, frowning slightly.
She then focused on the last part of the notification. "And 100k SP points to change the rules of the system... Does that mean if I gather that much, I could make it so breaking the main storyline actually gives me SP points?" The thought made her eyes light up for a moment, but she quickly shook her head. "No point thinking about that now. I'm nowhere near 100k SP. Better focus on what I can do with what I have."
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Determined to make the most of her situation, Esdeath turned her attention back to her current SP points. "Let's see what I can do with these 1330 SP points," she thought, a hint of excitement creeping back into her voice.
With a simple thought, she willed her status to appear:
Current skills in possession
- Sharpshooter (F) Upgradable: When used, time will slow down for three seconds. Can only be used once an hour.
- Keen Eyes (F) Upgradable: Can see over great distances with precision.
Esdeath examined the screen closely, noting the changes since the last time she checked. "My strength went up by 0.5 thanks to my workout routine and eating healthier," she thought, feeling a small sense of pride. "And my stamina increased too, by 0.2 on its own, plus the 200 SP I spent on it earlier."
But the biggest improvement was in her speed and magic power. "Speed went up by 0.4, and magic power jumped by 8 points. Not bad," she mused, feeling a surge of confidence. She knew she still had a long way to go, but seeing the tangible results of her efforts fueled her determination to keep pushing forward.
Esdeath sat on her bed, deep in thought, her expression growing serious as she mulled over the complexities of the game's system. With a sigh, she muttered, "The main reason this game is such a mess is because you can't just increase your stats without thinking. A single mistake could even get you killed!"
She knew how absurd it might sound to someone unfamiliar with the game, so she continued, explaining it to herself as if talking to a curious outsider. "You must be thinking, 'What kind of joke is this?' But no! It's real. For example, if you put all your points into increasing your 'strength' stat, it doesn't magically turn you into Saitama from *One Punch Man.* Instead, at some point, your body could literally explode or break apart because it can't handle the power."
Esdeath shook her head as she calculated the risks in her mind. "If you want to increase your strength further without any dangerous side effects, you'll need something like an essence stone that can fortify your body—strengthening your skin, bones, and muscles. Things like Iron Bones Essence Stone or Bronze Skin Essence Stone... In short, if you want to get stronger, you also need to boost your endurance. But unfortunately, the system doesn't have an 'endurance' stat, so I have no choice but to focus on those essence stones."
She paused, thinking about how speed worked in the game. "And the same goes for speed. Speed is the riskiest stat of them all. It's got so many ways to kill you. If you boost your speed but don't have enough stamina, you'll be out of breath after just a few meters. Push yourself too far, and you might end up coughing blood. Worse, if you put too many points into speed, your legs could break from not being able to control it."
Esdeath frowned, realizing it wasn't just about physical stats. "But that's not all. Even if you have enough stamina and speed, if you don't strengthen your soul and mind, you won't be able to think as fast as you're moving. That could lead to you crashing into a wall and becoming a bloody mess. There are essence stones that can help with that too, like the 'Guts Stone,' which can sharpen your mind and let you think at lightning speed. But again, there's no 'intelligence' stat in this system."
She sighed, her mind still working through the complexities. ,"stamina is probably the safest stat to focus on. It has the fewest drawbacks, and you can never have too much of it."
Esdeath sat cross-legged on her bed, her eyes fixed on the floating screen in front of her. After a moment of contemplation, she decided on how to allocate her SP points. "Alright, let's do this," she whispered to herself, feeling the weight of her decisions.
She started by funneling 300 SP into her Strength stat. Immediately, she felt a surge of power course through her body, as if every muscle had suddenly become denser and more capable. She clenched her fist, feeling the difference.
Satisfied, she then directed 200 SP each into her Speed and Stamina. As the points were absorbed, she felt a rush of energy in her legs and lungs, like she could run faster and longer without tiring.
Esdeath stood up on her bed, a menacing smile spreading across her face. She flexed her arms, feeling the new strength coursing through her veins. "Finally, my overall stats are at the same level as an average awakened," she thought with satisfaction. The sense of power was intoxicating, and for the first time in a while, she felt like she was finally catching up to the others.
But she wasn't done yet. "I think I should create a new skill with the remaining SP points," she mused, her mind already whirling with possibilities. She needed something practical, something that would give her an edge in future battles—especially when it came to dealing with humans.
After some thought, she decided on a paralyzing effect. "This will be perfect," she thought. "It'll help me take down targets silently, especially when it comes to killing humans." She briefly entertained the idea of creating an ultimate skill that could paralyze even S-rank monsters, but she quickly dismissed it. "I don't have nearly enough SP points for that," she realized. Instead, she decided to make the skill upgradable, starting with a basic paralyzing bullet.
<500 SP points reduced>
"Hmmm... I guess this should be enough for now. I'll leave the remaining SP as it is," she concluded, feeling content with her decisions. She had made significant progress today, and the thought of what she could do next filled her with excitement. For now, though, it was time to rest and let her new power settle in.
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Team B won with 6-1....predictor gonna come back as female but if course there's time for that....