A shocked look appeared on Logan's face as he stared at the rewards the system had displayed.
Damn... system, are you trying to spoil me?
[Rewards: SSS-Rank Sword | 1,000 System Points | 50 Free Attribute Points | 100,000 EXP]
An SSS-rank sword.
Logan drew in a sharp breath. Just an S-rank sword was already overpowered enough to increase one's attack by more than ten percent. How much would an SSS-rank sword push that number to?
Then there was the second reward.
1,000 system points? His eyes narrowed slightly.
Astra, can you explain what system points mean?
[Yes, master. As previously mentioned, system points can be used to purchase items from the system store. One system point represents ten high-grade origin stones. From that, you should be able to understand their exchange value.]
What?
Logan was dumbfounded all over again.
In this world, the currency of mortals ran in a simple chain — copper, bronze, silver, gold. One hundred of each equaled the next. But once you stepped into the world of origin experts, the scale shifted entirely. One hundred gold coins equaled one low-grade origin stone. Ten low-grade origin stones equaled one middle-grade. Ten middle-grade equaled one high-grade.
From that alone, the value of a single system point was staggering.
And he had a thousand of them.
Logan sucked in a slow breath, his heart racing from the excitement.
How nice it is to have your reader spoiling you, he thought, a quiet chuckle rising in his chest.
He decided to save the purchasing for later and moved on to the remaining rewards.
Astra, can you explain what free attribute points are?
[Yes, master!]
A brief pause.
[Every human possesses various stats, however these are not displayed physically. The case is different for you, master. You may view your stats below.]
A new line of text materialized before him.
---
[Master: Logan Weaver]
[Rank: Unawakened]
[Lifespan: 60]
[Level: 1 (0/1,000)]
Strength: 6
Agility: 7
Stamina: 6
Charm: 11
Endurance: 8
Origin Energy: Unawakened
---
Astra continued.
[You may assign your free attribute points individually across strength, agility, stamina, charm, and endurance. Please note that the natural limit of an ordinary human is 10.]
A few seconds of silence passed as Logan processed everything, then he exhaled slowly.
This is simply incredible.
So my full name is Logan Weaver. He glanced at the stat display and nodded, finally acknowledging the name of the extra he'd taken over.
The rank he could understand. Drawing from years of studying novels in his past life, the rest of the stats fell into place quickly. Strength was physical power. Agility covered speed and reaction time. Stamina determined how long he could sustain exertion — combat, training, anything demanding.
Charm was self-explanatory, and judging by the number, this body was far from ordinary in that department. Endurance represented willpower under pressure and his physical defense capabilities.
[That's right! As expected of master.]
Astra sounded particularly pleased that he'd figured it out without being told.
Then Logan frowned slightly.
Why is my lifespan only at 60?
A brief silence fell before Astra responded, her voice carrying a faint trace of melancholy.
[Because you have just sixty years remaining, master.]
Just sixty? Logan's eyes narrowed. Are you telling me I'd die at seventy-eight?
[Not necessarily. Your lifespan can be extended by leveling up and advancing your rank.]
Oh.
He relaxed. For a moment he'd braced for the kind of cursed-protagonist setup that plagued every other novel he'd ever read. Knowing it was simply a byproduct of being unawakened put his mind at ease.
Assign ten attributes to each stat. And apply the EXP as well.
[Understood, master!]
The system flashed. All fifty free attribute points vanished in an instant, and the EXP bar surged forward like a breaking wave, tearing through level one and level two before a full second had passed.
Something shifted inside Logan.
A mysterious energy washed through him, sweeping clean through every fiber of his body, carrying with it a sensation unlike anything he'd experienced. Warmth. Relief. Like a thousand hands working across muscles he hadn't known were tense.
He closed his eyes and let it move through him.
It lasted a few minutes before fading entirely.
When he opened his eyes, the world felt different. Sharper. Like a lens that had finally been adjusted to the right focus.
Then the smell hit him.
A faint stench drifted through the parlor. Logan glanced down and immediately found the source — his skin was covered in a layer of sticky, dark residue.
[This is normal after a breakthrough, master.]
He nodded, still slightly caught off guard by the fact that he'd just become an origin warrior.
His updated stats confirmed it.
---
[Master: Logan Weaver]
[Rank: Origin Initiate]
[Lifespan: 60]
[Level: 7 (37,000/64,000)]
Strength: 16
Agility: 17
Stamina: 16
Charm: 21
Endurance: 18
Origin Energy: Unawakened
---
His origin energy remained unawakened since he hadn't yet chosen an origin path, but that did nothing to dampen the satisfaction spreading through his chest.
You're the best, Astra.
[...Thank you, master.]
She sounded genuinely caught off guard by the remark.
Now I just need to work toward awakening an origin path. His thoughts drifted briefly to Evelyn. Astra, you know the potion required to cure her condition, right?
[Yes, master.]
How much does it cost in the system shop?
[900 system points, master.]
Seriously?
Logan felt the blood drain from his face.
I only just got 1,000 system points and I'd be bleeding out 900 of them in a single night? His heart wept at the thought.
[Master, this investment will prove significant in winning her over.]
Astra's tone was gentle, clearly trying to steer his attention away from the price.
After a long moment, Logan exhaled and nodded.
Fine. I'll buy it another time. Is there anything else worth looking at in the system shop?
[Whatever you require is available, master. You need only pay the price.]
Good to know. The thought settled him somewhat.
Logan let out a yawn, stood from the couch, and stretched until something in his back popped satisfyingly. Then he headed for the bedroom.
The door swung open quietly as he stepped inside.
Evelyn was asleep on one side of the bed, her breathing slow and even, her expression uncharacteristically unguarded. Logan's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before he turned toward the bathroom.
Without hesitation, he stepped in and showered, scrubbing away every trace of the residue clinging to his skin. When he stepped back out, his long hair was damp, trailing against his neck and shoulders.
He considered the couch for a moment.
Then he crossed the room and lay down on the far side of the bed.
No movement from Evelyn. No sound. She remained perfectly still.
But as Logan settled in and the room fell quiet, her eyes opened — just slightly, barely a sliver — and her gaze shifted toward him in the dark.
Whatever was moving through her mind, she kept it entirely to herself.