CHAPTER 5: POINTS ALLOCATION

Wade sat on the edge of his new bed and let out a long sigh.

The straw stuffed mattress was thin and creaked anytime he shifted even a little, but to him it felt like a cloud.

He leaned back until his shoulders brushed the wall, staring at the wooden ceiling above his head.

The day had been long. Too long.

After the awakening and the skills, he’d been swept along by Calista and the rest of the guild staff as if caught in a current.

They had taken him to the mess hall first, where he’d eaten more food in one sitting than this body had seen in months.

Stew, bread, and even a small piece of roasted meat. He hadn’t cared that it was bland. Every bite had felt like it was saving his life.

He’d been tempted to test out a piece of bread on his inventory, just to confirm that he could, but he’d been too hungry to try.

Then came the procedures.

He’d been measured, fitted, and handed two plain sets of trousers and tunics, along with boots that actually fit.

The guild had added the cost of all of it to his debt without so much as a question.

A clerk had even smiled as he wrote it down, as if he enjoyed adding more chains to Wade’s neck.

But Wade didn’t mind. With his Dimensional Ledger, he would soon be out of there.

The procedures were soon followed by orientation.

A dry lecture in a room with other new recruits, most of them fresh faced commoners who looked either excited or terrified.

Wade had kept his head down and listened. He learned how their stats were tied into their health and mana.

How strength and constitution shaped hit points, while agility and perception shaped mana.

He learned about party rules, dungeon guidelines, and the long list of ways a careless adventurer could die.

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, it was the longest topic of the lecture.

Then, he’d had dinner, a meal that had been just as heavy as lunch. He’d eaten it all. He needed every bit of fuel.

Then Calista had walked him down yet another corridor to the guild dorms, handed him a small brass key, and left him at his new quarters.

It was a cramped room with a narrow bed, a chipped desk, and a washbasin in the corner. It wasn’t much, but after a quick bath in lukewarm water, it had felt like a palace.

He’d scrubbed himself until his skin reddened, letting the filth of weeks on the street swirl away.

For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt human again.

Now, alone at last, he lay back fully and pulled the thin blanket up to his chest.

Tomorrow, he’d be introduced to his party. Tomorrow, things will begin in earnest. But tonight... tonight was for choices.

He focused, called his status, and the golden letters appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Wade Barrett]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Dimensional Merchant]

[Origin Skill: Dimensional Ledger]

[Level: 1]

[Exp: 0%]

[HP: 39/60]

[MP: 45/45]

[Strength: 5]

[Agility: 6]

[Perception: 9]

[Constitution: 15]

[Stat Points: 100]

[Skills: Observe, Conceal, Inventory, Exchange]

A hundred unspent points. That was power in his hands, waiting to be allocated.

He stared at the numbers, weighing his options.

From what he had learned, hit points scaled from strength and constitution, while mana points drew from perception and agility.

He had no idea what he would face in the dungeons, whether monsters, traps, or worse. He couldn’t lean too hard in one direction.

"I’ll raise both," he muttered to himself. "Keep it balanced. No point in being a glass cannon or a brick that can’t move."

Still, he knew enough to hold something back. His instincts, hardened by years of scraping by below minimum wage, told him to keep some points in reserve. He couldn’t predict everything, and he might need to adapt fast.

So he made his decision. 25 points saved, hidden away for emergencies. Of the rest, he spread them carefully.

25 into strength, and another 25 into agility. 15 into perception, and 10 into constitution.

Being an adventurer was physical work. Swinging weapons, running from monsters, dodging monster attacks, and everything that came with it.

His body had been weak and broken when he woke up here, so that had to change. With strength and agility boosted, he would finally feel capable.

Perception was already close to average, and constitution was already better than most, so they didn’t need as many points.

He confirmed the allocation. The numbers on the panel shifted, glowing brighter for a moment before settling.

[Name: Wade Barrett]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Dimensional Merchant]

[Origin Skill: Dimensional Ledger]

[Level: 1]

[Exp: 0%]

[HP: 144/165]

[MP: 165/165]

[Strength: 30]

[Agility: 31]

[Perception: 24]

[Constitution: 25]

[Stat Points: 25]

[Skills: Observe, Conceal, Inventory, Exchange]

Wade sat up, eyes wide. The change was instant. His body no longer felt like a scarecrow’s frame.

His arms puffed up solidly, his muscles growing to fill in the deficiency that had been there before.

He could feel it. His chest felt stronger, and his breathing was more stable.

His vision grew clearer, and every detail he could see in the room felt like his eyes were working in 4k.

Even the bed under him felt different on his skin, as if he could feel... more of it than he could before.

He swung his legs to the floor and stood, stretching.

His joints cracked, but there was no ache. Strength hummed under his skin. He clenched his fists, marveling at how steady they felt.

’So, this is what it feels like to have 144 HP.’

He grinned, a hungry grin that showed the edge of who he was becoming.

For the first time since the bus accident, since waking up in this starving body, he felt hope. Real, raw hope, even more than what he felt when he saw his Origin Skill.

This one just felt more... real. Maybe it was because he could feel the changes himself.

He lay back down slowly, pulling the blanket over him again, excitement beating in his chest.

He was going to have fun tomorrow.