The Hidden Potential – Unlocking the System!
Leon fell onto the grass, his chest heaving up and down. His knuckles throbbed, his arms weighed a ton, and his heart drummed like a war drum.
He had just killed ten goblins.
Alone.
The thought seeped in slowly.
He had never been in an actual fight before—not in his world. And yet somehow, his body had acted of its own accord, moving faster than he knew he could.
He looked at his shaking hands.
"This isn't a dream, is it?"
[No, it is not.]
Leon sat up with a start, eyes flitting to the hovering HUD screen. The voice of the System in his head—soothing, clear, and mechanical.
[Tutorial Complete. Rewards Provided.]
A fresh notification glowed at the bottom of the screen.
["+10 Stat Points Won]
[Skill Unlock Ready]
Leon let out a sharp breath, the fatigue giving way to elation.
"Alright, let's take a look."
Leon pressed the glowing HUD screen, and a new window opened up in front of him.
[Status Screen]
Name: Leon Striker
Class:???
HP: 95/100
MP: 50/50
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 14
Stat Points Available: 10
He stroked his chin.
"Alright, if this is actually a real game system, then I should best allocate my stats."
He thought about the goblins' swiftness, their uncoordinated attacks. Dodging had been the key to his survival.
"I'll allocate five points to Agility, just in case I want to move faster."
[Agility upgraded to 17]
Leon nodded. "Good. Now, my attacks were good, but I don't know how hard upcoming enemies will be. I should add more Strength, probably."
He put three points into Strength.
[Strength upgraded to 13]
"And now the last two…" He is unsure, then shrugged. "Let's increase Intelligence. Perhaps it assists in magic or something."
[Intelligence rose to 16]
[Stat Distribution Complete.]
The moment the message came up, Leon felt something inside him change.
His muscles were lighter. His reflexes quicker. His mind sharper.
It was real.
This system wasn't in there for a pretty face—it made him more powerful.
He smiled. "Now, let's test that skill unlock."
A screen came up in front of him.
[Choose Your First Skill!]
- Quickstep: Speeds up movement for a brief period.
- Power Strike: Boosts attack power for the next strike.
- Analyze: Gives the power to view enemy stats and vulnerabilities.
Leon's eyes jumped between the three choices.
"Hmm… A quickstep will be helpful for dodging. Power Strike might be useful in fights. But Analyze… if can view an enemy's stats, I'd gain an edge."
He clicked on Analyze.
[Skill Acquired: Analyze (Lv.1)]
The instant he affirmed the decision, a weak light enveloped his eyes, and a peculiar feeling flowed through his head. It was only for an instant, but he felt changed instantly.
[Analyze Skill Activated.]
Leon gazed at his own hand, concentrating.
A small transparent window materialized beside his arm.
[Leon Striker - Human]
HP: 95/100
MP: 50/50
Strength: 13
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 16
Skills: Analyze (Lv.1)
Leon's jaw dropped.
Just when he was enjoying his newfound power, he heard a low growl echoed behind him.
Leon remained stationary.
Slowly, he turned around.
A gigantic wolf-like creature stood at the edge of the forest, its yellow eyes glowing in the dark.
[Wild Direwolf]
Level: 5
HP: 150/150
Attack: 20
Agility: 18
Skills: Predator Instinct (Lv.1), Pack Leader (Lv.1)
Leon's muscles tensed.
"This thing is faster than me and has more HP than those goblins."
[Warning: This enemy is stronger than previous tutorial monsters.]
"Yeah... no kidding," Leon growled.
The direwolf growled and slunk into a fighting crouch.
Leon's mind reeled. He wasn't armed with anything. Armored? Are you kidding?! And he just killed goblins.
Can he actually win the fight?!
The wolf rushed headlong!
Leon dodged to the side, rolling over the ground. It was faster than the goblins.
"Okay, think! What do I have?!"
[Tip: Use Analyze to look for weak points.]
"Okay!"
Leon used the Analyze skill on the direwolf.
[Weakness Identified: Eyes and Hind Legs]
A plan was formed in a split second.
He need to blind it or disable its movement.
The direwolf whipped around, and going to charge again.
Leon waited until the last second—then he sprang, turning in mid-air.
His foot slammed into the wolf's face!
The wolf yelped, stumbling backward.
Leon landed roughly, rolling onto his feet but He wasn't done yet!
"Let's see how you will like this!"
He charged ahead, targeting its hind legs.
Before the wolf can recover, Leon dropped low and kicked its back leg.
The monster collapsed, yowling in pain.
It worked!
[Critical Hit! -20 HP]
Leon wasted no time. He punched the wolf's head again and again.
[Critical Hit! -30 HP]
[Enemy HP: 100/150]
But then—
SNAP!
The wolf ripped his shoulder.
[-15 HP]
Leon gritted his teeth. He is still standing, but he could not take any more hits like that.
[Warning: Enemy was entering "Predator Mode."]
The direwolf's eyes glowed red. Its body tensed, muscles bulging.
Leon's stomach sank.
"That… doesn't look good."