I took one step forward and clenched both of my fists tightly.
"Come at me—"
I was always a loser, a good-for-nothing loner.
Even if I lose this, even if I die, even if I get beaten badly...
"I refuse to run..."
The beast seemed startled by my words.
As if it could understand what I was saying.
The beast had many advantages over me—sharp claws, enhanced speed and strength—
While I didn't even have a weapon.
Status
Strength: 15
Speed: 11
Endurance: 5
Agility: 8
The system window opened before me.
Hmm... decent stats.
Arsin has some decent abilities. I don't know how, but he's kind of strong for a commoner.
Show me the list of available skills that I have.
The window changed again, displaying a list of my current skills.
Not good.
Sadly, I didn't have any useful skills. But will that stop me?
Nah.
As the author of this very world, I know many ways to get stronger and exploit the knowledge I have.
The system that every person in this world receives at birth is more like a guide, helping them grow stronger by allowing them to learn new skills.
While some may think getting stronger in this world is easy, the truth is the complete opposite.
The system doesn't flood you with "OP" skills. It lets you learn the skills you're most compatible with at your current state.
That means you have to train yourself to reach a certain level before unlocking certain skills.
But even then, it doesn't mean you can learn any skill from any category.
It all depends on your attribute.
If you possess the Infernal attribute, you can use and learn fire magic or any magic related to flames. You can also learn skills based on your magic.
If you wield a sword or any other weapon, you can learn weapon skills based on your magical affinity.
But what is my attribute?
Attribute: Error
"....."
What?! What does that even mean? Error?
I'm so cooked...
How is that even possible? Does "Error" mean I don't possess any attribute? How can that be?
While it's surprising, it doesn't mean that everyone possesses an attribute. There are some individuals who can't use magic—but someone like that getting selected into the Chain?
Thousands of candidates take the entrance exam every year, and only 350 are selected. And among those 350 students... Arsin Atherian is one of them.
Someone who can't use magic but still managed to get into the academy must have some kind of talent.
Well, it doesn't matter. When I said you can't use a certain type of magic if you don't possess its attribute, I didn't mean you can only have one attribute.
Most people believe you can't have more than one attribute unless you're born with them, and that's true—to a certain point.
But the protagonist of this story found a way to acquire more than one attribute even if they weren't born with them.
And who made him discover that method? Of course, it was me—the author.
Even then, the protagonist wasn't able to obtain more than two attributes. He believed that was the limit, but he was wrong. His method was flawed.
Me, not having a single attribute, is actually quite—no, very beneficial.
At birth, people don't receive an attribute randomly. They receive the attribute closest to their affinity, or, if their family lineage is strong, powerful attribute fragments get passed down through generations.
The best time to gain more than one attribute is right after birth.
Yes, I'm not joking.
The moment one is born is when they receive their first attribute. At that time, their mana core isn't fully developed to support just one attribute. Once they reach the age of four, their core becomes more aligned with their initial attribute.
But if someone tries to learn a new attribute before the age of four, they can actually succeed.
Because at that stage, their mana core isn't fully dedicated to any single attribute.
And obviously, a newborn wouldn't try to learn magic.
That... is the key.