C4 Strength Increased
Personal Profile:
Name: Rinn
Level: 0
Title: None
Occupation: Blacksmith Apprentice
Attributes: Strength 0.3, Agility 0.7, Intelligence 1.0
Occupational Skills: Beginner Forging Technique (60/100)
Combat Skills: None
Skill Points: 1
Attribute Points: 1
Experience Points: 70/50 (Eligible for Level Up)
...
A semi-transparent line of text materialized before his eyes.
Before diving into "Divine Kingdom," Rinn was a seasoned gamer, often found battling virtual foes from the comfort of his dorm room.
This personal data laid bare a troubling fact.
"My physique is seriously lacking!"
Rinn shook his head in resignation.
If his memory served him right, starting attributes for all professions in "Divine Kingdom" were roughly equal, averaging close to 1.
Yet, this body's strength and agility fell woefully short, not even measuring up to a beginner's account!
"I'm pathetically weak! No wonder I'm at the mercy of Drunkard John!"
With a sigh, Rinn inquired, "System Boss, could you fill me in on the game's lore? Maybe detail the professions?"
Rinn had taken the game for a spin before.
But that was merely the beta version. Who's to say the rules hadn't changed since then?
The System responded, "The main professions on the continent are Warrior, Mage, Assassin, Knight, Priest, and Archer. Each has its branches, like Sword Artist for warriors; Lurker for assassins... Regarding the continent's lore..."
The system then gave an overview of the game's setting.
Rinn nodded, "Seems consistent with the beta. But System Boss, am I an NPC or a player right now?"
The System stated, "Host identity is ambiguous, explore at your discretion..."
"Fair enough..."
Realizing the System's aloofness, Rinn pressed no further.
He pondered his strategy for allocating points.
As with many games, the distribution of points across the three attributes was crucial, often dictating the player's trajectory.
Strength was synonymous with physical power and health, agility with speed, and intelligence with mental acuity and mana reserves...
In standard gameplay, a warrior would prioritize strength, an assassin agility, and spellcasters like priests and mages would focus on intelligence.
Rinn was known for his greed. If it were up to him, he'd max out all three attributes and ascend to the status of an all-powerful deity.
But the reality was, he had only a meager amount of attribute points to work with—nowhere near enough!
"Host experience points have exceeded the limit. Please select the upgrade option."
Just then, the system's prompt echoed in his mind. Instinctively, Rinn thought, "Upgrade?"
The next moment, warmth flooded Rinn's body, and a power beyond words began to surge within him. His body felt lighter, and his thoughts, sharper!
There was no time to ponder the reasons as his personal panel updated before his eyes.
Personal Panel
Name: Rinn
Level: 1
Title: None
Profession: Blacksmith Apprentice
Attributes: Strength 0.8, Agility 1.3, Intelligence 1.5
Profession Skill: Beginner Forging Technique (60/100)
Combat Skill:
Skill Points: 2
Attribute Points: 2
Experience Points: 20/100
...
"Hmm, just like in the games—each level up boosts the three attributes by 0.5..."
Post-upgrade, Rinn could feel his body growing stronger and his mind, even more lucid.
The System announced, "With each level up, the three attributes, skills, and attribute points will increase. Additionally, congratulations to the host for being just one step away from reaching the adult standard in all three attributes."
"Have I finally reached the adult level?"
A spark of excitement lit up Rinn's eyes as they fell upon a stone at the roadside.
The stone, over a foot tall and flat, served as an impromptu bench. Its weight was unknown, but Quinn once attempted to lift it in a show of strength.
Quinn's attempt was in vain; he couldn't even make the stone wobble.
"I'll give it a shot!"
With renewed vigor, Rinn approached, bent down, and wrapped his hands around the stone, exerting all his might.
The stone didn't budge from the ground, but it did tremble slightly.
Releasing the stone with a huff, Rinn couldn't hide his disappointment, "Man, this stone is heavy. I couldn't lift it, but I made it shake more than Quinn did last time, right? Does that mean I'm stronger than Quinn now?"
Rinn couldn't help but feel a bit of joy at the discovery.
"Quinn can swing a hammer one-handed now... If I'm stronger than him, does that mean I can forge iron too?"
If he weren't still wary of John's potential retaliation, Rinn would have loved to head straight to the blacksmith shop to experience the thrill of forging iron.
Remembering he had two attribute points and two skill points remaining, Rinn didn't hesitate. With a thought, he commanded, "Increase strength!"
A popular internet adage had just crossed his mind:
Wimps play mages, cowards play archers, freaks play assassins, but it takes a real man to play a warrior!
And at the core of a warrior lies the strength of their fists!
Truth be told, if given the choice, Rinn would rather be a freak or a wimp.
After all, since his transmigration, he wasn't just mentally controlling a character; he had become an NPC in the flesh.
Being on the front lines as a warrior meant taking hits, and that still hurt.
Mages and archers, on the other hand, could take cover behind others and make stealthy attacks!
But there was no escaping the fact that even mages and archers needed a baseline level of strength.
It didn't have to be sky-high, but it should at least be above average, right?
His current strength was a mere 0.8, not even meeting the average. It definitely needed a boost!
"Whoosh!"
The warm surge representing strength coursed through him once more. Rinn watched as one attribute point was deducted and his strength attribute rose to 1.8.
"My strength is greater now! Can I lift this stone?"
Rinn eyed the stone, eager to test his new power. He bent down, wrapped his hands around the stone, and heaved.
Instantly, the stone lifted from the ground, resting at the level of Rinn's thighs.
"I did it! I actually lifted it!"
Rinn was overjoyed. It had been a long struggle, but finally, he could lift the stone. It was like the proverbial ugly duckling transforming into a swan!
But his elation lasted only a few seconds before discomfort in his palms and body set in.
Reluctantly, he released the stone, letting it fall back to the ground.
Thud!
The stone hit the earth with a heavy thump, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Dust clouded Rinn's vision, but once he wiped the grime from his face, he gazed at the rock and mused, "This surge in strength has made me so much more robust. The freedom to do as I please feels infinitely better than my previous feeble self!"
"Could I get even stronger? Maybe I should keep boosting my strength?"
Rinn was getting a taste for power and he liked it.
He pondered for a moment. It wasn't easy to just become a Mage or an Archer.
He needed to reach level 10 first and find a mentor to switch his profession.
In Snakefield, this forsaken place, it seemed to be populated only by ordinary farmers. Were there any high-level archers or Mages around?
"No point in dwelling on it. Agility and Intelligence won't do me much good at the moment. As a blacksmith, strength is what I need for forging. So, I'll focus on building strength!"
With those words, an odd energy coursed through him. When he checked, his attribute points had dropped to zero, but his strength on the system panel had jumped to 2.8!
"Time for another go!"
With a look of determination, Rinn squatted and embraced the stone, hoisting the massive rock to his chest with ease!
Thud!
After setting the stone back down, Rinn couldn't contain his smug grin. "Have I really become this strong? Taking down Quinn should be a breeze, right? And what about John the Drunkard? Could I take him?"
Just a short while ago, he was powerless, but now he was a "Warrior" capable of lifting boulders.
Joy had struck him unexpectedly!
"Quinn, you useless lump, keep an eye on the forge. I'm off to drag that scoundrel Rinn back here and blow his head off!"
John's curses echoed from the blacksmith shop, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.
"This is bad! Drunkard John is on his way..."
Panic set in for Rinn. The image of John effortlessly swinging a hammer that weighed dozens of pounds was enough to squash any thoughts of confrontation.
"John's strength is formidable. I'm no match for him yet. Better to make a strategic retreat!"
"Hmm? Was someone just here?"
John had been drinking, but his vision was clear.
Stepping out, he spotted the disordered footprints on the ground and signs that a stone had been shifted.
"Could it be Ghul? He's the only one in town who'd pull something this dull, right?"
With a furrowed brow, John pondered briefly, then set off in the direction of the footprints.
