Chương 50: Preparation

Dimitri threw his arms wide as if he were trying to hug the entire horizon, his face beaming with a level of aggressive optimism that probably should have been a regulated substance. He looked at us like we were the greatest thing to happen to the world since sliced bread, his massive presence practically vibrating with the need to go do something heroic.

"Well then, let us commence our grand trek as one!" he thundered, his thick Russian accent turning the cobblestone plaza into a stage for a legendary epic. He pointed a leather wrapped finger toward the distance with enough flair to start a parade.

"To the Second Floor!" Without a second of hesitation, the squad mobilized. Aiko scrambled after him with a tiny, high pitched squeak, her massive boots clattering against the ground as she tried to keep pace with his mountain sized strides. June followed behind them, moving with the practiced, effortless glide of a queen who had just decided the scenery here was beneath her. Even Fiona was in the mix, bouncing along with enough hyperactive Highland energy to make her hip length curls do a frantic little dance.

I stayed exactly where I was. I stood there in the middle of the plaza, my jaw dropping so low it was practically a structural hazard for anyone walking past. I watched the Russian mountain, the stuttering tactical nuke, the posh flamethrower, and the linguistic enigma march off into the distance, leaving me behind in a cloud of dust and my own increasingly questionable life choices. It was official.

I had somehow managed to stumble into a party with a group of people who were, quite objectively, significantly crazier than me. ••••• We navigated our way through the bustling streets toward the dungeon gate, a massive, swirling blue portal that looked like a localized cosmic hurricane. It was the kind of intimidating magical doorway that practically screamed "certain doom," but my new eccentric companions didn't seem to be catching the same vibes I was.

Before we actually committed to jumping into the glowing vortex of Floor 1, I decided to tuck myself into a quiet corner to handle some business. I needed to get my ducks in a row while the others were occupied with their own pre-game rituals. Dimitri was standing nearby, radiating enough silent, heroic warmth to heat a small village, while June was likely judging the portal's color palette and Fiona was bouncing around in a blur of Highland energy.

Aiko looked like she was trying to apologize to the cobblestones for standing on them. I pulled up my holographic interface, and the glowing blue screen flickered to life in my vision. [You have five available stat points to allocate. Please proceed with distribution.] Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. That monotone, clinical voice rang out in my head like a librarian reading a grocery list.

Seeing those five points just sitting there felt like holding a winning lottery ticket, and I started doing some frantic mental math on how to spend them without ruining my life. I realized I couldn't escape putting some points into my Strength stat anymore. It was a hard pill to swallow, but necessary. Even though my current Skill focuses on magic damage, my magic bullet is a bit of a hybrid beast that deals both physical and magic damage.

Skipping out on strength at this point was basically just leaving free damage on the table, and I wasn't about to let potential lethality go to waste just because I liked being a nerd for magic. Plus, I had to consider the practical side of things. Having better stamina is definitely worth the investment. Being able to move a lot and stay in the fight without wheezing like a broken accordion seemed like a solid plan for someone who planned on surviving.

I hovered my finger over the screen, staring at the icons and debating exactly how to carve up my future. I decided to play God with my own biology for a moment, pulling up the floating blue menu to do some high stakes digital sculpting. I stared at my current setup with the intense focus of a guy trying to defuse a bomb with a toothpick. First things first, I dumped two points into Intelligence.

My brain needed that extra spark, mostly so I could keep feeding my magic skills the raw fuel they required to turn our enemies into very expensive piles of ash. Then, I tossed one point into Strength, because as much as I hate to admit it, my magic bullets have a physical kick that needs some actual muscle behind them.

I rounded things out by sliding one point into Dexterity for that surgical precision and the final point into Agility, because being fast enough to not get stepped on by a boss is generally considered a pro gamer move. [Attribute allocation is finalized. Commencing physical optimization.] The monotone voice of the system rang out in my skull like a bored receptionist announcing a lunch break. The second the words faded, a strange, buzzing sensation washed over me.

It wasn't exactly painful, but it felt like my entire nervous system was being rewired by a caffeinated electrician. My muscles tightened with a new, lean density, and my mind cleared up until I felt like I could calculate the trajectory of a sneeze in mid air. I took a deep breath and flexed my fingers, feeling the subtle shift in my own weight. It was just one more step toward becoming something truly terrifying. This was another solid improvement on the long, weird road toward a potential for endless growth.

••••• MP: 50 Gold: 3 •••••• [STATS] VITALITY: 2 INTELLIGENCE: 5 STRENGTH: 2 DEXTERITY: 3 AGILITY: 3 AVAILABLE STAT POINTS: 0 ••••• I couldn't help it. A wide, probably somewhat manic smile stretched across my face as I basked in the glorious sensation of my own upgraded existence. I felt like a brand new engine that had just been topped off with high grade fuel, and I was pretty sure I was glowing with the smug satisfaction of a man who had just cracked the code to the universe.

Of course, my moment of private triumph was interrupted when I realized the rest of the circus was staring at me. Dimitri, June, Fiona, and Aiko were all huddled together, watching my grinning face with a mix of confusion and concern that made me look significantly more unhinged than I actually was. I quickly cleared my throat, trying to summon whatever remained of my dignity while my gunner trinkets gave a self conscious little jingle.

"Alright, enough standing around," I said, trying to regain my cool as I adjusted the strap of my mismatched gear.

"Let us move out." We stepped through the swirling blue vortex, and a second later, we were greeted by the familiar, rolling green horizon of the Plains of Cladea. It was exactly how I remembered it from about several hours ago: a massive, sun drenched grassland that was currently crawling with Level 1 players who were desperately trying to look heroic while smacking Level 1 monsters with wooden sticks. It was like watching a very violent, very disorganized company picnic.

I squinted against the bright sunlight, looking out over the sea of grass and the various groups of adventurers engaged in the eternal struggle against low level wildlife. Since I didn't want to wander around aimlessly like a tourist who had lost his map, I turned back to my colorful band of misfits.

"Okay, quick poll," I said, leaning back and looking at the group with a skeptical brow.

"Does anyone here actually have a clue where the gate to the Second Floor is located? Or are we just planning to walk until we trip over it?"