novelraw Chapter 5: Strange Status Screen
Chapter 5: Strange Status Screen
Maximillian Anderson Lv. 10/20 (EXP 70/100)
Rank: Aleph [1]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Novice
Title: The Unyielding Survivor
Status: Normal
Strength: 6 + 5 | Dexterity: 5 | Stamina: 7 + 5
Mind: 6 | Magic Power: 5 | Luck: 6
Free Attributes: 18
Signature Skill(s): [@!$#%*?&]
Skill(s): [Basic Spearmanship Lv.1], [Desperate Willpower Lv.1], [Inventory], [Pain Tolerance Lv.1]
Achieving level ten after clearing only one scenario was undoubtedly impressive. Yet, I didn’t let it swell my pride. This early in the game, leveling up was deceptively easy. I knew very well that as I progressed, the experience points required for each level would increase exponentially, and once I ascended beyond Aleph rank and further, the difference would be even more substantial.
I then scanned my stats, remembering that the average value for a new Aleph-rank divine warrior was five in each category. This meant that my stats placed me slightly above the norm, which was good but nothing special. As for the extra “+5” to both Strength and Stamina, it must have been the boost given by the title.
The Unyielding Survivor
Rank: Uncommon
Awarded to those who are able to defy all odds and survive when survival seems nearly impossible.
Grants +5 Strength and +5 Stamina.Before I could examine my status screen further, my focus was interrupted by a pained groan.
“Urgh…” Rex, still writhing on the ground, clutched at the stump where his arm had been severed. Blood continued to pour from the wound, painting the ground in dark red streaks.
Right… I almost forgot about him. I closed the status screen with a wave of my hand and turned my attention to the unfortunate man. Judging by the amount of blood he was losing, it wouldn’t be long before he bled out if nothing was done.
“Why doesn’t Rex’s injury heal instantly?” Boris asked, his hand already moving to inspect the wounded man. Although his expression was puzzled, he was calm. “Didn’t all our wounds vanish after we cleared the first scenario?”
Good question. Injuries sustained within a scenario were indeed restored afterward, but the same thing didn’t apply here. I glanced at Rex’s mangled arm, the severed limb lying a short distance away. Wounds sustained outside a scenario clearly required conventional healing. As for lost limbs, reattachment was possible using mid-rank recovery magic, but that kind of treatment wasn’t cheap. It would cost a significant amount of soul coins, though it was still preferable to regrowing a limb from scratch, which was even more expensive and cost an arm or a leg. No pun intended.
Before I could answer, Boris thumped a hand against his chest and crouched beside Rex. “No time to waste!” he said with a grin that belied the gravity of the situation. With practiced efficiency, he tore a strip from Rex’s tunic and fashioned a tourniquet above the injury. His hands moved with an expertise that suggested this wasn’t the first time he had dealt with such a wound.
I nodded, noting his initiative highly. “It seems injuries suffered outside a scenario won’t heal automatically,” I said. “He needs to be treated by an expert once we’re out of here.”
Boris gave a sharp nod, continuing in giving first aid to Rex. Truly a great man. His calm, decisive actions would be very useful in times to come.
Although my knowledge of Divine Will was second to none, I had to admit that when it came to practical matters like this that required specific expertise, I was as amateur as anyone else. This was precisely why I viewed Boris as a key asset, someone who could prove invaluable in my climb to reclaim the position I once held.
Meanwhile, I spared a glance at Michelle. While she initially stood frozen, she didn’t appear overly frightened. Instead, she seemed to be quickly adapting to the whole situation. To my surprise, she took the initiative, kneeling beside Boris to assist in administering first aid. It appeared that she could indeed become another valuable ally in the scenarios to come.
In stark contrast, the other two—the old man and the self-absorbed woman—remained rooted in place, clearly not as adaptable. They were still murmuring and trembling in place, unsure of what to do. It was apparent that not everyone could adapt to the harsh realities of this new world.
Ignoring them, I reopened my status screen and turned my attention to my class. It was “Novice” the same one almost everyone received at the start. The class gave two free attribute points per level, giving me a total of eighteen points to allocate manually. Normally, classes other than novice would automatically distribute attribute points based on their role, which streamlined growth but also funneled potential in a specific direction. Worse, these distributions often neglected the Luck stat entirely, leaving it criminally underutilized. On the flip side, they would give more points per level than the Novice class.
I paused, mentally running through the possibilities. Though other stats like Strength and Stamina were vital early on, I understood the hidden potential of the Luck stat—potential that others didn’t know about. Still, allocating the points recklessly could cripple my potential this early. Precision was key; this allocation could define the trajectory of my ascent to godhood.
Survivability-focused divine warriors usually dumped their points into Stamina and Strength, while those aiming for balance spread their allocation evenly. However, among the six stats, Luck was by far the hardest to increase, followed closely by Magic Power.
After a moment of consideration, I made my decision. “All right, this should do it.”
Luck: 6 → 14
I allocated eight points to Luck and kept the ten unused for later. The reason I did this was because I already had a plan in mind—one that relied on special methods to further boost my stats. Although magic power was also important, I didn’t know any magic spells at the moment, so it would be useless for me to increase it right now. Besides, I wanted to save up points in case of emergency.
Next, I turned my attention to a signature skill that had been bugging me ever since I first saw my status screen:
[@!$#%*?&]
Rank: &!%@#?$
Type: ?!@$%&#
&@#!?$%&#@!$%#?!&@%$#!?&%@#!&$?*#@!
What’s this supposed to mean? The skill's name, rank, type, and even its description are a mess of symbols, completely incomprehensible. How can something like this even exist? I thought with a frown.
Signature skills were, in a sense, unique skills that were tailored to the individual divine warriors. Most wouldn’t possess one in normal circumstances. Still, even with my unmatched knowledge of Divine Will, I couldn’t decipher this skill’s purpose without further testing. Was it some kind of glitch?
“No, that can’t be… I’m sure that I created a perfect game…” I muttered to myself. Whatever the case, it was impossible to ignore.
By contrast, other normal skills were clear and straightforward like this:
[Desperate Willpower Lv.1]
Rank: Uncommon
Type: Passive
When faced with life-threatening situations, your willpower will surge, granting a temporary boost to overall combat power by 10% and resistance against pain and mind-affecting effects.
Clearly, the difference between these two skills was night and day. If my hunch was right, this cryptic skill might be the remnant of my—
“Hey, you there.”
The entitled woman’s haughty voice interrupted my train of thought. She, who looked not much older than thirty years old, approached me with an air of superiority. “You look dependable. I won’t report you to the authorities as long as you help me.”
What is this crazy woman even talking about?
Rather than responding to her nonsense, I turned on my heel and walked toward Boris and Michelle. I should probably check my status screen later when I was alone. Just as I was about to pass her, she stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Bastard! You dare ignore me?” she snapped at me.
“Step aside, lady.” Without hesitation, I pushed her aside with my hand.
“How dare you lay your hand on me?! Do you even know who my boyfriend is? He’s—”
I shot her with an intense glare. There was no need for shouting or threats.
Though her face was still flushed with anger, she clamped her mouth shut, trembling as she stepped back.
“What’s up with that lady?” Boris asked as I approached him. From his tone, I could guess that he was a bit annoyed—even a patient-looking guy like him.
Michelle, her brow furrowed with concern, chimed in, “I’ve never seen someone act so childishly before. It’s almost surreal.”
I shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care. Let’s just forget about it.”
There were more pressing matters to address than wasting time on trivial behavior. Turning my attention to Rex, I examined his condition. Boris had done an admirable job with the first aid, the tourniquet stemming the bleeding effectively.
“Hey, are you feeling better now?” I asked, crouching beside Rex.
Rex nodded weakly, cradling his bandaged stump, slightly trembling. “Yes… Thank you for saving me earlier, Maxim. Boris mentioned your name. I… I’m not usually so hot headed. I don’t even know what came over me back there. I would’ve died if you hadn’t pulled me back.” His voice was shaky, and the lingering shock was evident on his face.
It was clear that fear and adrenaline had pushed him into recklessness. Facing Raphael’s overwhelming presence likely clouded his judgment, driving him to act without thinking. Such desperation wasn’t uncommon when someone was backed into a corner, especially when they didn’t fully understand the danger they faced.
“Mm, it’s nothing,” I said, brushing off the gratitude. After a brief pause, I added, “But listen, you’ve lost an arm. That puts you at a severe disadvantage. Surviving this game will be nearly impossible in your current state. However…”
Rex’s eyes widened slightly as I continued.
“There might be a way to reattach your arm in the divine city, Fantasia. But I’m sure it won’t come cheap. The cost will be significant—soul coins, most likely. If you’re serious about surviving, you’ll need to find a way to pay it.”
Rex clenched his jaw, determination flashing in his eyes. “Thank you. I’ll figure it out. I don’t want to die yet.”
“Good.” The only reason I told him this much wasn’t out of kindness—it was purely pragmatic. Rex might prove useful in the future. Whether that would happen or not remained to be seen.
“You seem to know quite a bit about all this, young Maxim,” Boris remarked, looking curious.
I had anticipated this line of questioning and prepared a plausible excuse. “Well, to be honest, it’s a lot like those novels and video games I used to immerse myself in a few years ago. This setting feels oddly familiar because of that.”
“Vi-deo game?” Michelle echoed, tilting her head quizzically.
“Something from where I’m from. I’ll explain later,” I deflected with a shake of my head. “For now, we’ve wasted enough time. Let’s get going.” As I said that, I put the steel rebar into my inventory, accessing it with a simple intent.
Rusty Steel Rebar (Common) x1Without waiting for further discussion, I turned and strode toward the towering double doors, the others following closely behind me. Time was of the essence, and I understood well that every second in this game mattered.
Reaching the doors, I placed my hands against the cold, unyielding surface and pushed with all my strength. The ancient mechanisms groaned in protest as the heavy doors creaked open, revealing a blinding light that beckoned us forward.
Spoiler
Spoiler:
Note that while I write that other classes give more stat points, once he or she changes their class, the points that they should have gotten would be given then. This will be mentioned later.
I put this here so that readers won’t have to worry about MC missing out on attribute points.
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