Chapter 1: Chapter 1: On the Matter of Attributes

「Gray Wood Forest.」

The overlapping canopy, like a dense, impenetrable ceiling, blotted out the moonlight. In the woods, every gust of wind and chirp of an insect sounded jarringly loud.

’My head hurts so much...’

Consciousness gradually returned, and his blurry vision slowly came into focus.

’Where is this...’

Wang Dong looked around in a daze as the scene before him came into sharp focus.

There was a brightly burning bonfire, a rather dilapidated tent, and three people sitting around the fire, resting.

’A pretty standard campsite for an Adventurer.’

’But the question is... why am I in this godforsaken place in the middle of the night?!’

Wang Dong’s heart leaped in shock.

As his consciousness fully returned, a massive influx of memories flooded his mind.

After a good while, he finally understood his current situation completely.

Simply put, he had transmigrated.

He was no longer just some ordinary person from Blue Star. He had been transformed into a novice Adventurer in an Otherworld—Zelir.

"Uh... I..."

Zelir subconsciously raised a hand to his face. The smooth, supple skin was a far cry from that of his previous life.

It made sense. After all, his current body was only sixteen years old—a genuine teenager.

"Spacing out again, Zelir?"

A man from the bonfire plopped down beside Zelir, slinging a friendly arm around his shoulders.

Zelir frantically searched through his memories.

The man’s name was Gray, a Swordsman in their Adventurer Squad.

However, compared to his Swordsmanship, Gray was clearly much more skilled in the art of romance.

He had brilliant golden hair that fell to his shoulders and a perpetually carefree smile. He was the kind of guy who really knew how to charm the ladies.

Also in the squad was a Ranger, Valles, who was rumored to be a Half-Elf.

Zelir had to study him for a while before he could make out the slight point to his ears, making him wonder just how diluted the bloodline was.

Then there was the squad leader, Marcus.

He was a tall, burly man with a crew cut and a hardened leather vest that left his thick arms bare. With a small Round Shield in his left hand and a Battle Saber in his right, he exuded an air of reliability and security.

And finally, there was him.

Zelir, a sixteen-year-old novice Adventurer, green and inexperienced. His profession was....

Zelir’s spirit soared. He latched onto the one word that truly intrigued him—Mage!

That’s right, he was a Mage.

Seeing Zelir remain silent, Gray figured he was still getting used to things and squeezed his shoulder a little tighter.

"Hey, relax. No need to be so tense. Once this job is done, I’ll take you to the tavern in town to unwind. Might even be able to help you go from a boy to a man while we’re at it."

"Tch... You’ve got a one-track mind."

A disdainful snort came from across the bonfire.

The Ranger, Valles, shot him a contemptuous look. "If you have the time and money for that, you’d be better off using it to hone your skills."

Maybe it was due to the diluted Elf blood in his veins, but Valles always wore a "keep your distance" expression.

Zelir’s gaze fell on the Half-Elf, and an old, out-of-place phrase from his past life popped into his head: ’Damn short-lived species. You think a little punk like you can even act like an Elf?’

"Valles, are all you Elves uninterested in procreation?"

A flippant smile played on Gray’s lips. "But I heard your father was a man of many loves. I bet you have plenty of half-half-half-half-half-elf half-brothers by now, right?"

Valles’s face turned livid.

He hated philanderers, just as he hated his own father.

"Alright, both of you save your breath."

A deep voice cut off their bickering as the squad leader, Marcus, came over to play peacemaker.

"We’ve been patrolling the outskirts of Gray Wood Forest for five days. Supplies are low, and it’s time we headed back. Zelir, you take the first watch. Gray, you take the second. We move out at dawn."

The night gradually fell silent as countless stars began to dot the sky.

By sifting through the original owner’s memories, Zelir had gained a basic understanding of this world’s Magic System.

Within the sea of consciousness of every Mage lies a Spring Seed, the very source from which Magic Power is born.

To perform Casting, one must channel Magic Power through a full cycle along a Spell Structure.

This so-called Spell Structure is something akin to a circuit diagram.

Every Magic spell has its own unique Spell Structure. For the spell to succeed, Magic Power must trace this structure along its designated path with perfect precision.

The only Magic that Zelir currently knew was the Fireball Skill.

He exhaled slowly, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.

Magic Power flowed from his sea of consciousness like a current of water, completing its circuit within his mind.

A moment later, a tiny wisp of flame flickered to life at his fingertip.

’So Magic... it’s real.’

Zelir murmured to himself, staring at the Flame.

For a native of Blue Star, the sight was nothing short of stunning.

This wasn’t some cheap trick from a street magician; this was the real deal—"Magic" that created fire from thin air.

However, at Zelir’s current level of skill, this was the most he could manage.

You couldn’t expect a sixteen-year-old boy from a poor family, who was entirely self-taught in Magic, to know any more.

The body’s previous owner had neither the outstanding magical talent that would have Mages vying to take him as an apprentice, nor the vast fortune required to hire a professional Magic Tutor.

With both of his parents deceased, he had mulled it over and concluded his only option was to join the Adventurer’s Association, take on jobs to earn some money, and figure out the rest later.

This current mission wasn’t complicated: hunt the wild wolves in Gray Wood Forest to deal with the local infestation.

It sounded dangerous, but wild wolves didn’t even qualify as Demons. Besides, the other three members of the party were fairly experienced, so everything had gone smoothly so far.

Then, Zelir focused his mind, and an illusory interface that only he could see slowly took shape.

Zelir: Level 1 (99/100)

Leveling up grants 4 attribute points.

Basic Attributes: Each increase costs 1 point.

Power: 65

The top choice for any Physical Warrior. Directly increases physical strength.

Want to punch through a steel plate with your bare hands? Then pump up your Power!

Weakly linked to Constitution. 6 Power increases Constitution by 1.

agility: 60

Inextricably linked to coordination and speed, allowing for maximum control over your own body.

If you want to be an Assassin, you can’t afford to be clumsy. No one’s going to hire an Assassin who can’t even climb a wall. Plus, it helps you run away faster when a mission goes south.

Linked to Power. 4 agility increases Power by 1.

Constitution: 68

A Vanguard’s best friend. Represents the body’s endurance.

Basically, the higher your Constitution, the better you are at taking a beating.

Linked to Power. 4 Constitution increases Power by 1.

Spirit: 67

The lifeblood of a Mage. Increases the Magic Power storage capacity of your sea of consciousness, letting you sling more Fireballs.

It also improves the quality of Magic Power produced by your Spring Seed, making every point of Magic Power more effective.

Intelligence: 66

Don’t get it twisted. Intelligence isn’t IQ. An idiot is still an idiot.

However, raising your Intelligence does improve your comprehension. For example, a Warrior can grasp Combat Skills faster, and a Mage can decipher more complex Spell Structures.

As for a Vanguard... a Vanguard just needs to get up there and take hits. No Intelligence required.

Strongly linked to Charm. 4 Intelligence increases Charm by 1. (Smart people are always more likable.)

Advanced Attributes: Each increase costs 2 points.

Perception: 30

Increases your detection range. At high enough levels, you can even perceive an enemy’s weaknesses in combat. An essential skill for any Assassin who wants to kill people and take their stuff.

Of course, that’s the ideal scenario.

At the very least, putting points into it gives you a better chance of surviving a sneak attack in your sleep.

Charm: 45

Ohoho, now this is a real cure-all attribute.

It might not help you in a fight, but in everyday life, the benefits are endless.

For example, you might get the cute girl next door to give you little gifts, or catch the eye of some rich matron from the Imperial Capital during your travels and live out your days as a well-fed pretty boy. (A must-have for slice-of-life players.)

Ultimate Attributes: Each increase costs 4 points.

Lucky: 41

If you don’t put points into me, I’ll make you choke to death on water next time.

Just kidding. Lucky is a pretty esoteric stat, tied to all events of probability.

In a way, if you’re lucky enough, there’s no difference between 99 Lucky and 1 Lucky.

If you think you’re the protagonist of destiny, you’d be better off spending your points elsewhere.