BUZZ.
The alarm from Dean's phone woke him. Squinting, he reached out to turn it off. He kept his eyes narrowed for a moment longer before stretching lazily, reluctantly opening them to stare blankly at the ceiling.
He hadn't slept that comfortably in a long time.
He'd just had a very strange dream.
In the dream, he had acquired an odd detective panel. Just like a game, it allowed him to earn Experience Points and level up his character by solving cases. Upon leveling up, he would also gain a fixed number of Attribute Points and Skill Points. The Attribute Points could enhance his Spirit and Physique, while Skill Points could improve the skills he'd mastered—all very simple and direct.
Recalling the details of the dream, Dean couldn't help but smirk. "I guess the pressure from Santoni's unknown organization made me have such a strange dream. How could there possibly be a detective panel in reality..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a simple frame materialized in his mind:
[Detective Panel]
Character: Dean
Level: 3 (0/400)
Spirit: 11 (Human Race, peak average is 10)
Strength: 11 (Human Race, peak average is 10)
Speed: 9 (Human Race, peak average is 10)
Endurance: 8 (Human Race, peak average is 10)
Skills: Pistol Mastery (L2), Blowgun (L2), Mating (L3), Ordinary Bus Driving (L1), Interrogation (L2), Stealing (L1)...
Attribute Points: 3
Skill Points: 3
Cases Completed: 1. Los Angeles County Morgan Bank Armored Car Robbery, details...
"..."
With a dumbstruck expression, Dean foolishly stared at the panel in his mind, taking a moment to process it.
The dream... was it real?
After a long pause, Dean snapped back to his senses, an idea sparking in his mind.
The next moment, the panel in his mind vanished.
With another thought, the panel reappeared.
Dean finally confirmed that he really did seem to possess a Detective Panel.
Last night's dream was real!
"I've struck it rich!"
Dean clenched his fist, got up to lock the door from the inside, and sat back down on the bed, ready to thoroughly examine the panel.
He discovered that if he focused his consciousness on a specific part of the panel, relevant explanations would appear. It was very intuitive.
Take the four attributes, for example:
Spirit: Memory, Observation, Logical Analysis...
Strength: Muscle Density, Bone Density...
Speed: Muscular Burst, Bone Density, Nerve Reaction...
Endurance: Muscular Energy Metabolism, Organ Strength (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys)...
In simple terms, the Spirit attribute wasn't equivalent to IQ but was more of a composite score. The other three physical attributes were similar; they were all interrelated, and it was impossible to allocate points to extremes in any single attribute.
The benchmark for each attribute was the average peak value across the entire human race.
Under normal circumstances, the physical peak for humans generally occurred between the ages of twenty-eight and thirty-two. An average value of 10 was derived from this range.
However, due to individual differences in innate physique, postnatal nutrition, and exercise, there could be significant variations. The average value was only for reference.
Among his peers, Dean's current attributes indicated decent athleticism and a well-developed physique; not bad at all. After all, at only twenty-one, he hadn't yet reached his physical peak.
Dean shifted his gaze from the attributes to his Skills.
He had many skills, but they were mostly L1 (Usage), a few L2 (Proficient Usage), and only one L3 (Professional Usage) skill.
Level one skills were everyday abilities Dean regularly used, such as driving, disguise, lock-picking, tailing, and so on. He could perform them, but he wasn't an expert.
Level two skills were Dean's true bread-and-butter, like Pistol Mastery and Blowgun. Compared to an average person, he was elite in these areas. Although these core skills were only at Level Two, using them in combination had allowed him to thrive as a Sweeper in his previous life. So, this level wasn't bad at all.
Level three skills represented professional mastery, marking an individual as outstanding in that field.
Dean had just one Level Three skill: Mating (L3)...
"..."
My goodness. A professional elite in Mating... This is getting a bit awkward. This damned panel! It's slandering me!
Beyond this, the skill panel also seemed a bit bloated. He only gained 1 Skill Point per level. Many skills were common, everyday life skills. There was no need for them to appear on the panel.
If only the Detective Panel could be a bit more streamlined! Dean thought.
The next moment, the Detective Panel in his mind changed.
[Detective Panel]
Character: Dean
Level: 3 (0/400)
Spirit: 11
Strength: 11
Speed: 9
Endurance: 8
Skills: Pistol Mastery (L2), Interrogation (L2), Blowgun (L2).
Attribute Points: 3
Skill Points: 3
Cases Completed: Details omitted.
Dean nodded. This was much better.
Now that he understood the information on the Detective Panel, Dean focused his consciousness on the Attribute Points and Skill Points.
Attribute Points could enhance one's physique out of thin air. Skill Points, on the other hand, could directly improve the skills Dean had already mastered.
Simple and direct!
Dean licked his lips and tried allocating one Attribute Point to his Strength attribute.
The information on the panel changed.
Attribute Points: 3→2.
Strength: 11→12.
The next moment, a warm current materialized within Dean's body, flowing from head to toe, washing over his muscles and bones, all in less than three seconds.
That's it?
Dean clenched his fist, puzzled. His strength did seem to have increased a bit, but not significantly.
He took off his pajamas and went to the mirror.
The change was more apparent now. Dean's already robust upper body looked even more symmetrical.
He then took off his pants as well and added a point to the Speed attribute.
Attribute Points: 2→1.
Speed: 9→10.
It was the same process. The warm current appeared out of nowhere, flowing throughout his body. But Dean noticed that this time the warm current focused more on certain tissues within his flesh, clearly indicating a different emphasis in enhancement.
The allocation was complete.
This time, Dean definitely felt a difference.
He had a large frame—strong but not very agile. He often appeared somewhat clumsy in sports and couldn't perform certain actions, like the "Asian squat."
Now, things were different. His body felt as if it had shed some restraints, its flexibility vastly increased. Movements he couldn't perform before were now easy. His reaction speed and limb coordination had both significantly improved.
Why does adding one Attribute Point to Strength feel so different from adding one to Speed?
A puzzled look appeared in Dean's eyes. He was still in an experimental phase, trying to figure out which attributes offered the best return on investment for his points, hence his exploratory mindset.
Let's add another point to Strength and see.
His last Attribute Point vanished.
Dean's Strength attribute reached 13, exceeding the average peak value for ordinary humans by thirty percent!
This time, the warm current was much stronger and hotter. It felt both searing and itchy, lasting a full five seconds before fading.
Dean's physique had also undergone some changes.
I seem a bit taller... My muscles have compacted, but their density has increased... And I feel full of strength all over. The attribute enhancement... it doesn't seem to be a percentage increase, but far exceeds that...
Dean felt his solid pectoral muscles, then glanced down, pulled open his pants for a look, and nodded in satisfaction.
He understood now. The panel had already given him the answer.
Strength, Speed, and Endurance—these three attributes were all part of one's overall physique, interrelated rather than independent.
So, each Attribute Point allocated—whether to Strength, Speed, or Endurance—actually brings about a comprehensive enhancement of the body, just with a different emphasis... A classic case of one plus one being greater than two!
Dean grinned.
He moved around a little.
Dean then turned his attention to his Skills.
No need to hesitate here. His discovery in Las Vegas had put him under immense mental pressure. Now that he had the chance to become stronger, his first priority was naturally to enhance his combat abilities!
In his previous life, his killing methods had relied more on tools like firearms and blowguns. His hand-to-hand combat skills weren't strong; they hadn't even manifested as distinct skills on the panel.
Dean directly allocated Skill Points to Pistol Mastery.
Skill Points: 3→2.
Pistol Mastery: L2→L3.
A flood of memories surfaced in Dean's mind. Against a dark background, he was mechanically raising a pistol, aiming at moving targets in various environments. His aim grew steadier, his shots more accurate. Finally, within twenty meters, his bullets never missed!
The memory ended.
Pistol Mastery L3: Years of rigorous training enable high-precision pistol shots within a twenty-meter range under various conditions.
Dean looked down at his hands. His hands were still his hands. But the implanted memories felt as real as if he had experienced them himself.
Now, his pistol skills were definitely no worse than those of his instructor from his previous life! That instructor had been a veteran hitman, active for over a decade!
"Keep going!"
Dean rubbed his slightly throbbing temples, took a deep breath, and decided to further upgrade his pistol skill.
Skill Points: 2→0.
Pistol Mastery L3→Pistol Proficiency.
This time, it surprisingly cost him two Skill Points. Moreover, Pistol Mastery didn't advance from L3 to L4 but instead transformed into Pistol Proficiency.
The implanted memories shifted from target practice to scenarios where Dean wielded different pistol models, engaging in live combat against real opponents in diverse environments...
This time, the volume of implanted memories was greater.
It took Dean a while to shake off the grogginess.
His first action was to look at the panel.
Pistol Proficiency: Years of combat enable you to quickly master any pistol and maximize its performance. Within fifty meters, any enemy in your sights means death!
After reading the description, Dean gulped and retrieved the M1911 he had hidden beneath his pillow.
The moment the gun was in his hand, Dean immediately felt the difference.
The gun's specifications—its approximate age, potential issues—instantly surfaced in his mind, analyzed from its weight and appearance...
Dean was certain that after firing just a few rounds, he could easily master this pistol and achieve high-precision shooting.
"Incredible..."
With the cold pistol in hand, Dean felt an unprecedented sense of security and... confidence!