“It’s nothing special,” Ren replied, deflecting. “More importantly, I thought you said you were a Martial Artist? But you clearly used Mechanic Force—”

  “That was Aura.”

  “…”

  “It was Aura.”

  “…Have you completed your first Class Evolution?”

  “No.”

  “Then you can’t use Aura—”

  “I said it’s Aura,” she repeated, her tone slightly sharper this time.

  Ren frowned internally. That had clearly been Mechanic Force. The blue lightning effect was textbook. Aura users manifested a different energy entirely, and it was impossible before first Class Evolution.

  Why is she so angry just because I pointed the Mechanic Force out? he wondered.

  It felt like he had stepped on something sensitive. Still, he had already succeeded in diverting attention away from his own class. There was no reason to push further.

  “Alright. Maybe I misunderstood,” he said lightly.

  They moved from one hiding spot to another, carefully timing their steps whenever the giant’s gaze shifted elsewhere. Fifteen minutes passed in tense silence.

  Ren eventually spoke.

  “Can we take a short break? I’m exhausted,” he lied. In truth, he wanted to use his EXP.

  Freya stopped and scanned the surroundings before nodding.

  “Okay. I’ll guard the perimeter. Take a break.”

  Ren sat down behind a low salt ridge and opened his Status.

  [Name: Ren Buttowski (Level 1)]

  [Class: Mage]

  [Elements: Wind, Water, Earth, Fire]

  [Spells: Wind Bullet, Water Bullet, Earth Bullet, Fire Bullet]

  [Talent: Heir of Demonic Magic]

  [Strength: 4 / Agility: 6 / Constitution: 4 / Mana: 0 (sealed)]

  [Free Stats: 0]

  [EXP: 300]

  He closed his eyes and entered a light meditative state.

  Converting EXP into Stat points required focus. It was not automatic. One had to consciously guide the energy inward, allowing it to settle into the Status structure.

  Even while meditating, he remained aware of his surroundings. He kept track of Freya’s movements and any unusual sounds. If she decided to attack him during this vulnerable moment, he needed to react instantly.

  Five minutes later, the conversion completed.

  [EXP: 300 → 0]

  [Free Stats: 0 → 3]

  Three points.

  Now what should I strengthen?

  Stats were the foundation of everything. Strength, Agility, and Constitution could be improved with Stats obviously. But there were more options.

  Putting Stat points into [Name] would allow him to level up. The cost increased progressively.

  One stat point to go from Level 1 to Level 2.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Two stat points to go from Level 2 to Level 3.

  Three stat points to go from Level 3 to Level 4.

  And so on, until first Class Evolution.

  Alternatively, he could put stat points in [Class]. Strengthening the [Class] allowed him to unlock new elements. He could also invest into [Spells] to strengthen a specific spell directly. Or invest into [Elements] to unlock new spells under that element.

  His attention shifted to the Talent.

  Can I strengthen my Talent with stat points?

  Almost everything on the main Status screen could be improved with stat points. Strength, Agility, Constitution. Name. Class. Elements. Spells. You name it. It was the same for other Classes. They had options like Techniques, Beast Skills, and Mechanic Force. The only things that could not be directly strengthened were [EXP] and [Free Stats].

  Talent was listed just like the others on the status screen.

  He wondered what would happen if he tried to allocate a stat point into it. Would the Talent grow stronger? Would the lifespan absorption increase? Would the tenfold EXP multiplier become higher?

  Or would the system simply reject the attempt the way it rejected changes to EXP and Free Stats?

  He wanted to experiment.

  But…

  I have only three stat points.

  I need to use them carefully.

  This region was not forgiving. One mistake, one miscalculation, and he would turn into salt like everything else around them.

  I can experiment with Talent later when I have more leeway with stats.

  He focused on the safest and most immediate option.

  First, he placed one stat point into his [Name].

  The blue screen flickered.

  [You have leveled up. Strength +1, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Mana +4]

  Ren opened his eyes briefly, then checked his updated Status.

  [Name: Ren Buttowski (Level 2)]

  [Class: Mage]

  [Elements: Wind, Water, Earth, Fire]

  [Spells: Wind Bullet, Water Bullet, Earth Bullet, Fire Bullet]

  [Talent: Heir of Demonic Magic]

  [Strength: 5 / Agility: 7 / Constitution: 5 / Mana: 0 (sealed)]

  [Free Stats: 2]

  [EXP: 0]

  This was the advantage of levelling up. It increased all base stats, with slight differences depending on your Class.

  For a Mage, leveling up granted +1 to all physical stats and +4 to Mana, which was a unique stat of Mages.

  Mana was useless for him. He was wearing a Mana Sealing Bracelet. The physical boosts, however, were not useless.

  He could already feel a slight difference in his body. His legs felt lighter. His breathing was steadier.

  Agility was especially important here. They had to move quickly between cover points, timing their dashes carefully to avoid the giant decapitated woman’s gaze. A small increase in speed could mean the difference between safety and death.

  Constitution mattered too. It improved stamina, recovery, and resistance to attacks.

  After considering his situation for a moment, Ren shifted his attention to his spells.

  Water Bullet had proven extremely useful. It revealed invisible enemies and gave Freya openings.

  Let’s use one point.

  He allocated a stat point into [Water Bullet].

  The screen updated.

  [Water Bullet]

  [Rank: Normal]

  [Level 1 → Level 2]

  [Description: A tightly compressed sphere of water fired at high speed. Carries a sharp, rain-clean scent. Effective range: 8 meters → 10 meters. Impact force: can form bruises → can dent light armor.]

  He felt a subtle change in his understanding of the spell. The water sphere formed in his mind felt denser, more stable, and easier to control. Other than what was described on the status screen, he felt he could increase its size slightly or maintain its aftereffects for longer with less lifespan expenditure.

  That left him with one stat point. To upgrade Water Bullet to Level 3, he needed two points. Investing the final point into it now would do nothing. He decided to keep the remaining stat point for emergencies.

  “Done?” Freya glanced back at him.

  “Yes,” Ren replied, standing up.

  “Good. Then let’s move.”

  They resumed their careful advance through the salt ridges.

  The first time Freya had used two stones, it was to demonstrate how the giant decapitated woman’s gaze shifted from one disturbance to another. Now, she used only one. She waited for a subtle shift in the oppressive feeling around them, then tossed a stone in a controlled arc toward an exposed area. As soon as the gaze redirected, they moved.

  Despite successfully moving several times, going out in the open was nerve-wrecking. The giant decapitated woman was not a computer program with a set pattern. Her behavior might change any second.

  Ren tried to speak once they were behind another salt pillar.

  “Where is the nearest base from here?”

  “Shh. Stay silent.” Freya immediately raised a finger to her lips.

  “We’re behind cover,” he said quietly.

  She shook her head. “Last time we were lucky. We faced a higher-level Hushclaw. It was heavy, so it left depressions in the ground. If lower-level ones come, they won’t leave clear marks. We won’t even know what killed us. So stay silent.”

  Ren frowned but did not argue further. Inwardly, though, his thoughts sharpened.

  Is it really that hard to tell me where the nearest base is?

  It would take only a few words. Yet she refused every time he tried to bring it up. It felt deliberate. As if she wanted to ensure he stayed with her instead of striking out alone.