Attribute Point

"Kyaaa!!"

"Huh?!"

"W-Why is he walking out of the gate naked? A-And those scars... holy shit..."

"HEY! YOU PERVERT! COVER YOURSELF! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE YOUR DISFIGURED BODY!"

"..."

After the incident, Cyrus stumbled out of the gate, disoriented and naked. The sight of his disfigured body caused the other hunters to recoil in horror and disgust, hurling insults and mockery at him. Despite entering the gate with the intention of making money by collecting ant parts, he realized that the experience had given him a far greater reward - the power to awaken and become stronger. As he stumbled away from the gate, Cyrus vowed to use this power to seek revenge on those who had put him in danger. However, upon surveying his surroundings, he discovered that his enemies had already fled the scene, leaving him with only his determination to fuel his pursuit of justice.

His eyes flashing with a fierce determination. 'You think you can mess with me and get away with it? Not a chance,' he seethed. 'You'll regret the day you crossed me.'

"Dude!"

A young man in his mid-20s approached Cyrus with a ragged cloth in his hand, holding it out in front of him and waving it up and down as a gesture for Cyrus to take it and use it.

"..."

"Listen, I don't know what happened in there, but please, can you cover yourself up? I don't mean to be disrespectful, but your body is not the best thing to look at."

"Listen, I don't know what happened in there. But please, could you wrap something around yourself? If not, I might throw up in front of all those people. I don't mean to be rude or disrespectful, but your body is not something one should marvel at for too long."

"... Thank you."

"I'm just saying, it's better to wear some proper clothing before going out, this should help until you make it back to your home."

Cyrus gratefully accepted the cloth offered to him and wrapped it around himself, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Despite the man's insensitive comment, he couldn't help but appreciate the act of kindness. It aligned with his own moral code, and he was grateful that he wouldn't have to face the humiliation of walking home naked. He shuddered at the thought of being caught on camera or arrested for indecent exposure. Cyrus hastened his steps and left the area behind him.

***

Two hours later, Cyrus finally arrived home. He immediately removed the ragged and dirty clothes and placed them on the table chair. He then made his way to the bathroom and without any hesitation, jumped right into the bathtub.

As he let out a deep sigh, he turned on the faucet and let the hot, steaming water pour over him. Although he had set the temperature to what should have been his usual preference, the water felt too cold for his liking. He slowly turned the knob, increasing the temperature until he could no longer handle it. However, even when he turned the knob all the way to the hottest option, the water still only felt mildly hot at best.

"Seems like the [Overloaded Heat] skill has left a lingering effect on my body. System, could you please open the attribute menu?"

[Attributes:

Strength: 10

Vitality: 10

Endurance: 10

Agility:10

Intelligence: 10

Attribute points available: 5]

"System, give me a run down for each attribute stats."

[Strength: Each points boost Physical Damage by 0.5% and Critical Damage by 0.5%.

Vitality: Each points boost Maximum Health by 10 points.

Endurance: Each points boosts Physical Defense & Magic Resistance by 0.5%.

Agility: Each points boosts Attack, Cast and Movement speed by 0.5% and Critical Chance by 0.5%.

Intelligence: Each points boost Maximum Mana by 10 points and Magic damage by 0.5%.]

"Hmmm, System. Could you specify what exactly Magic Resistance does."

[Magic Resistance: Provides the user with a defense mechanism against elemental damage. If the user is hit with an attack or ability that uses any of the six types of elemental damage - fire, cold, lightning, arcane, dark, or holy - the damage taken will be reduced by a certain amount. The extent to which the damage is reduced depends on the user's magic resistance.]

"Understanding the stats is relatively simple. I have five [Attribute Points] to allocate, and given that my Awakened ability uses my Health as a resource to deal damage, I should focus mainly on [Vitality]. However, I'm also tempted to invest in [Endurance], as it can increase my [magic resistance]. Since my ability, [Overloaded Heat], is based on the [fire element], it has a magical component to it. By increasing my magic resistance, I can reduce the damage and pain I experience from my skill and any other magical attacks."

"What should I choose..."

"I made my mind. System! distribute all five attribute points to my Vitality stat!"

[Vitality: 10 -> 15]

[Health: 100 -> 150]

Cyrus made a deliberate decision to focus on his Vitality stat instead of Endurance, recognizing the flexibility it offered. With this attribute, he could bolster both his defensive and offensive capabilities. By increasing his maximum health pool, he could boost his survivability and in turn, his damage output through his awakened ability which dealt 10% damage per second based on his maximum health. While Endurance may have provided some mild pain relief, it would not have made a significant impact on his current situation. Cyrus knew that he needed strength to confront the impending danger he would have to face alone, and increasing his Vitality was the best way to achieve it.

"I made the best decision I could have made. By earning money from gate delving, I can always improve my resistance by purchasing better equipment. However, at the moment, what I need most is enough damage to actually kill the monsters that bring in the money."

Cyrus turned off the tap and stepped out of the bathtub. He grabbed a towel and began to dry himself off. As he wrapped the towel around his waist, he made his way to bed.

"Wow, what a day," he murmured to himself. "I still can't believe I'm an Awakener now. Tomorrow, I'll register to become a Hunter and start a new life... a better life... a stronger me!"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling a sense of anticipation and excitement for what the future held. Finally, he drifted off to sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of his new power and what he could accomplish with it.