Prepration
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City S, Inner Ring
Inside the yard of a house, a boy could be seen swinging a wooden sword. His entire body was soaked in sweat, fatigue weighing him down, but his expression remained firm—filled with determination. His movements were basic yet elegant, a rhythm that carried an unexplainable charm.
And who was this hardworking boy? Of course, it was none other than Leo Heart, the most handsome man in the entire world! (According to himself, at least.)
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Ding-dong!
Leo's tired expression immediately brightened with excitement. He tossed the sword aside and rushed to the door. Standing outside was a delivery man carrying a large box.
"Are you Leo Heart, sir?" the man asked.
"Yes, that's me," Leo replied.
"I'm here for your delivery."
Leo's heart pounded in anticipation. "You can leave the parcel here."
The delivery man placed the package down, then took out a receipt from his coat. "Please sign here, sir."
Leo quickly signed and watched as the man left. Without wasting a second, he grabbed the heavy box and carried it inside.
"Finally! It's here! I've been waiting two days for this delivery!"
He placed the box on the table, opened it, and took a deep breath. Inside were all the essential survival tools he needed to prepare for his first climb in the Tower. After all, no one knew what kind of environment awaited them inside, or how long they'd have to stay.
The box contained:
A tent, a self-producing water bottle, and other survival gear to ensure he could last inside the Tower.
Weapons and armor—the most important things that had cost him every last bit of money he had saved by living frugally.
Leo took each item out carefully, his hands trembling slightly in excitement.
Gear Acquired:
{Mana Blaster (Rank E)}
A gun made by a new-generation mechanic. Uses mana bullets to fire rapid shots. Can tear a hole through any beast of Rank E or lower.
{Windcutter Sword (Rank F)}
A blade made by a novice blacksmith. Can easily cut through steel and F-rank beasts.
{Protection Coat (Rank E)}
A coat enchanted by a young but genius enchanter. Protects the wearer from extreme temperatures and absorbs minor attacks.
{Mana Potions (Rank F)}
Restores 100 mana points upon consumption.
{Vitality Potions (Rank F)}
Speeds up recovery from minor injuries. Multiple doses needed for larger wounds.
Leo smirked as he inspected each item, but none of these were what he was truly excited about. His eyes locked onto a small vial at the bottom of the box—the thing he had sacrificed all his savings for.
{Attribute Potion (Rank F)}
Allows the user to reach the maximum attribute potential at Level 0.
Note: A person can only take one potion of the same rank in their lifetime.
Leo clenched the vial tightly. This single potion was worth more than everything else combined.
In the Tower, every living being had a natural stat limit based on their race. For example, a human's max stat limit at Level 0 was 10, while a dragon's was 300. However, every time someone leveled up, their limit increased by 5. That meant a human would have a cap of 15 at Level 1, while a dragon would have 305.
That was why dragons were considered one of the pinnacle races in the Tower. Their stats were naturally superior.
But here was the real struggle—when a person leveled up, they only received 5 stat points to allocate. That meant most people had imbalanced growth and weaknesses they couldn't overcome. That's why any item that could increase stats permanently was priceless—it could determine the difference between an average fighter and a legend.
Leo took a deep breath. He knew he needed this.
Without hesitation, he uncorked the vial and drank it down.
The moment the liquid touched his throat, his entire body heated up—then the pain hit.
His muscles twitched violently, his bones felt like they were cracking apart and reforming, and his skin burned like he was on fire.
Leo gritted his teeth, refusing to scream.
"Motherf—!! No one told me this would hurt this bad!"
He collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat, as his body underwent the transformation. His vision blurred, his fingers dug into the floor, but he refused to pass out.
[Ding! Host has consumed Attribute Potion. Host's stats are rising.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind, but he barely processed it.
After what felt like an eternity, the pain finally subsided.
[Ding! Potion power fully absorbed.]
Leo lay there, panting, his body trembling from exhaustion. "It… was worth it…" he muttered, grinning through the pain.
"System, show my status."
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[Status Update]
User: Leo Heart
Class: Arcane Mage
Title: Outsider, Stealth
Rank: F
Level: 0 (0/100 EXP)
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Vitality: 10
Constitution: 10
Wisdom: 3
Mana: 100/100
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Leo stared at the screen, his grin widening.
"It was all worth it."
He clenched his fists, feeling the power coursing through his veins. His body had reached the absolute peak for a human at Level 0.
Now, he had a perfect foundation.
And tomorrow?
Tomorrow, he would step into the Tower.
"Wait for me, Tower…" Leo smirked. "A conqueror is coming."
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