Chapter 2

PROCESSING...SOLUTION REJECTED.

CALCULATING...SOLUTION FOUND.

The player's current level could be raised to 10 to counterbalance the error.

CALCULATING...SOLUTION ACCEPTED.

Current level raised to 10.

50 stat points awarded.

I stared at the text as it shifted from red to blue. Level 10? Despite my disbelief, a wave of relief washed over me. My fingers relaxed, releasing the toilet paper roll. For a split second, I reveled in the realization that I still existed, that I hadn't been erased from whatever new reality this was.

Before I could even fully process the bizarre messages, a deafening scream erupted from outside the restroom, followed by another and another. Each one spiked my adrenaline levels higher. The screams were chilling and tinged with an inexplicable sense of dread that crept into my very bones.

I froze, my hand hovering over the lock on the stall door. The thought of stepping out to discover the source of the screams clashed with an overwhelming instinct to stay hidden, stay safe. After what felt like an eternity, I withdrew my hand, deciding that ignorance might be bliss — or at least survival — in this situation.

I went back to the text displayed that I had 50 unallocated stat points. My heart was still pounding from the adrenaline of hearing those screams coming from outside, but now I was also starting to get curious about these stat points. What could they mean? In video games, stat points usually let players customize their characters, enhancing their abilities. Was that what this was? Could life now be a game?

As I stood there, a swirl of emotions engulfed me. Confusion clouded my mind - how could this be happening? The idea that my life might now follow the rules of a video game was both scary and utterly bizarre. But amidst all this, there was an undeniable surge of excitement. My heart beat faster, not just from fear, but also from the thrill of something new and extraordinary. The possibility of gaining power, of being able to control my own life in ways I never imagined, sent a jolt of exhilaration through me.

The notion seemed absurd, yet the bluish screens and text that had popped up were undeniably real. And if they were real, then maybe these stat points were, too. But how would I allocate them? Was there some sort of interface, a menu, perhaps? I thought about saying something out loud, a command maybe. After all, everything else so far seemed ripped from a game or something.

"Status Window," I muttered cautiously, half-expecting nothing to happen. To my astonishment, another blue screen materialized before my eyes:

Status Window

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Name: Kei Sato

Level: 10

Health: 100/100

Health Regen: 0.01/Sec

Mana: 100/100

Mana Regen: 0.01/Sec

Stamina: 100/100

Stamina Regen: 0.01/Sec

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 10

Agility: 10

Vitality: 10

Intelligence: 10

Luck: 10

Damage Reduction: 1%

Critical Chance: 1%

Unallocated Points: 50

As my eyes scanned over the descriptions, my mind worked furiously, weighing the pros and cons of each stat. For a moment, I felt overwhelmed, almost paralyzed by the sheer number of choices in front of me. This might seem like a game but it wasn't; these were decisions that could potentially affect my current survival in this new reality. I had to make them count.

Health and health regeneration, fueled by vitality, seemed like obvious choices for survival. The hallway outside was uncertain, filled with unknown dangers — I'd heard enough screams to establish that fact. The idea of enhanced resilience and quicker recovery was alluring. But what about stamina? Being able to outlast or outrun a threat would also be invaluable. Strength, agility, and dexterity also had their merits — enhanced speed, attack power, and precision could mean the difference between life and death in combat situations.

My mind wandered briefly to the concept of mana. As of yet, I had no idea how to cast spells, if spells even existed in this reality. So, while the concept of a large mana pool was intriguing, I felt like those points could be better spent elsewhere. The same went for luck. A chance at critical hits sounded great in theory, but I wasn't willing to gamble my survival on chance alone.

After a few minutes of internal debate, I started to see a pattern. If I wanted to be a well-rounded survivor, capable of facing a variety of challenges, I would need a balanced approach. Yet some stats offered a multi-faceted advantage. For example, vitality didn't just increase health; it also affected stamina and their respective regeneration rates. That was three benefits in one. Similarly, strength would not only allow me to hit harder but also to carry more, perhaps even equip heavier and more protective gear.

Finally, I made my decision. The screams outside that were slowly dying out reminded me that I didn't have all day. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I spoke my choices aloud to the system.

"Allocate 20 points to Vitality, 10 points to Agility, 10 points to Strength, and 10 points to Dexterity."

The screen flickered briefly, then updated to reflect my new stats. As it did, a sensation unlike anything I had ever experienced flooded through me. It was more than just a surge of energy; it was an overwhelming euphoria, a wave of ecstasy that cascaded from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. It was as if every cell in my body was singing in harmonious jubilation, as though I'd tapped into some primal well of vitality and vigor.

The pleasure was so intense, so complete, that for a few moments, I felt disconnected from reality, almost as if I were floating. My senses didn't just sharpen; they seemed to expand, as though I were suddenly attuned to every particle of air, every mote of dust in the room. My body felt lighter, yet immeasurably stronger, as if bound by a different set of physical laws. As the sensation gradually settled, integrating into my newfound capabilities, I felt transformed, and reborn.

Status Window

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Name: Kei Sato

Level: 10

Health: 300/300

Health Regen: 0.03/Second

Mana: 100/100

Mana Regen: 0.01/Second

Stamina: 300/300

Stamina Regen: 0.03/Second

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 20

Agility: 20

Vitality: 30

Intelligence: 10

Luck: 10

Damage Reduction: 3%

Critical Chance: 1%

Unallocated Points: 0

I took one final look at the blue screen that displayed my newly allocated stats. Seeing it gave me the final nudge I needed to leave the stall. Taking cautious steps, I traversed the expanse of the restroom, each footfall echoing slightly. My gaze fell upon the restroom door leading outside, and my heart pounded as if it wanted to escape my chest. The screams had almost died down entirely by now, with an eerie silence instead for replacement. Finally, I reached the door and my hand hovered above the cold metal of the door handle, trembling slightly.

Then my hand came down, and the door swung open.