Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 34: The Rewards Beyond the Culmination

In that moment, he recalled his parents' words, spoken just before his virtual mother drew her final breath. They had urged him to keep pushing forward, assuring him that he would eventually find peace.

Considering his cursed existence, the idea of hoping for happiness definitely seemed like a stretch. However, he couldn't shake the thought of April and Mia eagerly anticipating their reunion. He felt a sense of duty to ensure that they, at least, found happiness.

"...Wait... Haxks?" he frowned in surprise, scrutinizing the name registered on his Status Window as he wiped away his tears. It's the name Evandria gave to me. I've been throwing it around ever since, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the System decided to identify me as such.

Daisuke sighed.

He could still feel the exhaustion from the battle, and the broiling sun was only sapping his strength even further. "Only 54 HP left? Damn. I was cutting it pretty close back there."

Finding a nearby oak tree, he cautiously looked around for nearby monsters before gingerly sitting against the sturdy trunk.

Clicking on his «HP bar», otherwise known as «Hit Points», brought up a small, intricately designed window. HP was essentially the total health a character or unit possessed—in other words, if Daisuke's 54 health had hit zero when he was fighting the Elemental King, he would have died.

And he didn't even want to consider what fate would await a bugged existence such as himself.

According to the description of his HP bar, he would gradually regain a bit of health by sitting down and resting. However, his recovery would be significantly enhanced if he chose to sleep.

Sounds about right, he thought inwardly. People heal and recover from fatigue when they rest in real life. It would be stranger if a game desperately striving for realism didn't follow the same principle.

HP: 72/270 | MP: 15/15

Strength: 3 (+15) | Stamina: 3 (+12) | Agility: 12 (+25) | Intelligence: 1 | Dexterity: 10 (+35) | Composure: 5 | Indomitable: 3

Stat Points: 70

Daisuke swallowed, and his heartbeat hastened. I swore the numbers would be different the next time I looked, but nothing's changed. This is insane!

His eyes quivered.

...Level 1. I mean, seriously, I'm at level 1. So how can I have this many Stat Points already? Just to clarify, the Base Stats of a level 1 character are supposed to be 1 Strength, 1 Stamina, 1 Agility, and 1 Intelligence. So, the total number of Stats for a level 1 character should be 4.

However, mine totals a whopping 19—and that's excluding the 53 points in my Special Stats and the 121 points from Option Buffs. When you add everything together, it's a mind-blowing 193 points. And that's not even including the 70 Stat Points I haven't distributed yet.

Stat Points are supposed to increase by 10 every time a level is gained, giving players the chance to allocate them to their Main Stats. But here's the thing: I have 70 Stat Points at level 1—why is that?

Daisuke considered that for a while.

There were just a few theories, the most feasible one being: Despite not awakening as a player, he was recognized as a «Named NPC» by the System and was steadily growing even without being able to call upon the Status Window.

In particular, he spent a very long time exercising and training his body to facilitate his... lifestyle during his time in Dusthaven. And he had killed a host of monsters leading up to the Elemental King.