Missed Call
Lina and I decided to seize the day. After the trials and tribulations of obtaining the [Melting Coal], we opted to take a break from the relentless grind. We made our way to Lily's Inn, where Lily had recently opened her doors for business.
"Hey, it's you! Bladeheart, isn't it?" Lily wiped her hands on her apron and warmly greeted me as I stepped into the inn. Lina planted a loving kiss on her mother's cheek before disappearing into the back room.
"Are there any rooms available at the moment?"
"A room, you say? Of course, we've just opened, and there are no other guests at the moment. Would you like to book a room?" Lily inquired.
"Yes, please. I'm exhausted from collecting monster materials left and right," I replied, sliding a shiny gold coin across the counter.
"Our inn offers rooms at a daily rate of 10 silvers, complete with a complimentary breakfast. How many days?" Lily inquired.
"Go ahead and book a room for me. Make it around a week and keep the change as an initial deposit in case I want to extend. I intend to linger in The Capital for a while," I stated with a friendly smile.
Lily pondered for a moment. "Alright, a week it is. If you want to extend your stay, just say it alright?" she replied, sliding the gold coin I put across the counter straight into her pocket. "Here's your key. Your room is located at the very end of the third-floor corridor. Enjoy your stay."
I nodded in appreciation and ascended the stairs. The inn's layout hadn't changed a bit since my last visit. Though it seemed rather deserted now, I knew it would soon be bustling with adventurers once they defeated the Gate Guardian and made their way to the capital. I needed to secure my place before all the rooms were taken. After a short walk, I reached the final room on the third floor. Inserting the key into the lock, I opened the door and surveyed my new surroundings.
------
Name: Bladeheart
Level 21
Experience: 1650/42000
Health Points (HP): 6000/6000
Mana Points (MP): 3700/3700
Attributes:
Strength (STR): Very Poor
[AP Bar: 57/100]
Agility (AGI): Very Poor
[AP Bar: 57/100]
Dexterity (DEX): Very Poor
[AP Bar: 66/100]
Endurance (END): Very Poor
[AP Bar: 64/100]
Intelligence (INT): Very Poor
[AP Bar: 77/100]
AP left to spend: 191
Title: Memento Mori
Skills: Click here to Open the skill trees
SP left to spend: 148
Equipment:
Head: Beginner Hood
Face: White Fur Wolf Mask
Upper Body: Green Armor
Lower Body: Beginner Pants
Shoes: Beginner Boots
Gloves: Beginner Gloves
Necklace: None
Left Arm: None
Right Arm: None
Ring: None
Weapon: Versatile Weapon
------
I may have to rely on the Rock Armor later, and I'm eager to see how Almira can enhance its capabilities. I just hope I haven't squandered my opportunities by going that route. But let's get back to the matter at hand. Now, with more available AP, I find myself facing a daunting decision. The dilemma lies in how to allocate my points effectively. It's quite a conundrum, and I'm struggling to make the right choice.
My strength could use a boost, although I typically lean more towards magic. This inclination makes me contemplate raising my INT stat. On the other hand, I value agility and finesse in weapon handling, which is where DEX comes into play. Then again, I also need the speed to escape from formidable foes, which necessitates investing in AGI. And, of course, durability is vital to withstand enemy attacks, so the END stat should not be ignored. I find myself in a constant state of confusion, torn between these options. It would be great if there was a button to just instantly distribute my stat points so that I don't have to contemplate which stat I should focus on first.
"Should I opt for a well-rounded stat build?" I muttered to myself, my thoughts in disarray."
After some contemplation, I realized that, despite the necessity of expending my precious AP, hoarding it would serve no purpose. It would be wasteful, wouldn't it? Therefore, I made the choice to allocate 20 AP to each of my stats, aiming for a balanced distribution.
However, this also led to my Intelligence (INT) becoming the highest among all the stats, still residing in the "Very Poor" category but are few points away from jumping to the "Poor" Category. The other stats were inching toward "Poor" as well but they are a lot farther than the INT stat. Yet, there remained a critical decision to be made. I had 91 AP left, an odd number that prevented me from continuing the 20-point distribution. I had to sacrifice one stat. Given that INT was the highest at the moment, it had to be excluded from my selection.
I could invest another 20 AP in the remaining stats, but what about the lingering 11 AP? Perhaps on the INT to close the gap and reach the "Poor" category? I thought hard and decided that I should just do that instead. I don't want more headaches to come through me with that.
-----
Name: Bladeheart
Level 21
Experience: 25/20000
Health Points (HP): 10000/10000
Mana Points (MP): 5300/5300
Attributes:
Strength (STR): Very Poor
[AP Bar: 97/100]
Agility (AGI): Very Poor
[AP Bar: 97/100]
Dexterity (DEX): Poor
[AP Bar: 106/200]
Endurance (END): Poor
[AP Bar: 104/200]
Intelligence (INT): Poor
[AP Bar: 108/100]
AP left to spend: 0
Title: Memento Mori
Skills: Click here to Open the skill trees
SP left to spend: 148
Equipment:
Head: Beginner Hood
Face: White Fur Wolf Mask
Upper Body: Green Armor
Lower Body: Beginner Pants
Shoes: Beginner Boots
Gloves: Beginner Gloves
Necklace: None
Left Arm: None
Right Arm: None
Ring: None
Weapon: Versatile Weapon
------
I didn't notice it but the only stats left I have right now are just the STR and AGI but both of them are also points away from reaching a new tier. I also hit the 10k threshold in HP. I wonder how tough I am right now, perhaps those wolves that were tearing me like paper before are no longer even able to make a dent in me even if I stay there all day.
A triumphant grin spread across my face as I witnessed the unfolding development. It was a mesmerizing spectacle, and it filled me with a sense of readiness. With this substantial progress, I believed I had finally amassed enough strength to venture into the first dungeon and unlock its hardest difficulty, Abyss Mode. However, the thought of attempting it today seemed daunting, given my current exhaustion. Perhaps I should postpone it until tomorrow, allowing myself some well-deserved rest. After several hours of gameplay, I made the decision to log out.
...
...
...
Opening my eyes, I once again found myself lying in bed. With a groggy stretch, I sat up and checked the time. The digital numbers on my digital clock's screen beside my bed read almost 1 p.m. Hunger gnawed at my stomach – no wonder, I hadn't eaten lunch yet. I reached for my phone, my fingers dancing across its surface to check for any missed calls or texts. To my surprise, there were 20 missed calls. Given that I rarely called or texted others, this was unusual. My curiosity piqued, and I opened the Call Register to see who had called, only to find that it was my father.
My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to recall the reason behind his persistent attempts to reach me. This scenario didn't seem to match my memories from the past timeline. I wracked my brain, attempting to remember this particular event, but for some inexplicable reason, it eluded me.
"Wait, has the future already changed?" I wondered aloud. "I haven't made any significant alterations directly affecting my family at this point, so what could be happening now?" I contemplated this mystery for a moment before deciding to dial my father's number. The phone rang, the seconds feeling like an eternity until someone finally answered.
"Hello, Father?" I spoke into the phone, hesitating.
"Manato! Damn, why haven't you answered your phone for the past few hours? I was getting worried, thought something might have happened to you," Father's voice trembled with concern.
"I'm sorry," I replied, guilt creeping into my voice. "I left my phone in my room when I went out, but I just got back home and saw your missed calls. Is everything okay? Is there something urgent?"
Father's next words hung heavily in the air, as he broke the heartbreaking news, "There's something I need to tell you. Your mother has been in a terrible accident. She's in a coma now..."