No Responsibility Once It Leaves the Window

Gan Ming picked up the list and studied it carefully.

[1. Heavy Strike (Melee): Launch a powerful attack at the target, dealing 120% physical damage. Cooldown: 6 seconds. Mana cost: 10.]

[2. Quickstep (General): Temporarily increases movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 15 seconds. Mana cost: 8.]

[3. Fireball (Ranged): Fires a fireball at the target, dealing 130% spell damage. Cooldown: 5 seconds. Mana cost: 15.]

[4. Healing (Support): Restores 40 HP to yourself or an allied target. Cooldown: 12 seconds. Mana cost: 20.]

[5. Stone Skin (Defense): Adds a shield to yourself that absorbs 30 damage for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds. Mana cost: 12.]

[6. Detect (General): Briefly senses the presence of creatures within 15 meters for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Mana cost: 5.]

Heavy Strike and Fireball were both damage-dealing skills, and their damage multipliers looked decent.

But his attack power was already low. Whether it was 120% or 130%, the actual damage would not be much.

Besides, he had a short blade. He was not lacking melee options; what he lacked was the ability to survive.

Quickstep was useful, but it was not his first priority.

Stone Skin could absorb 30 damage.

He had 80 HP. That shield was equivalent to increasing his effective health by nearly forty percent.

It looked good, but its 20-second cooldown was too long.

Detect had a low mana cost, but its range was only 15 meters and it lasted just 3 seconds. It was somewhat lackluster.

Finally, there was Healing.

It restored 40 HP, had a 12-second cooldown, and cost 20 mana.

His total mana was currently 33, and his mana regeneration rate was 2.2 per second.

Casting Healing once cost 20 mana and restored 40 HP.

And 20 mana could naturally recover in about nine seconds.

In other words, as long as he could hold out for a dozen or so seconds in battle, it was like getting a small health potion for free every 12 seconds.

Sustained combat capability was life itself.

And Healing could save him money on potions.

He only had five basic health recovery potions. Once they were gone, he would have to pay for more himself.

But he only had 3,000 yuan in his pocket.

Of course, the most crucial thing was that he had the [Soul Snatch] cheat.

If he killed a monster, he might be able to snatch a decent combat skill.

Therefore, as long as he survived the early stage and got himself a couple of combat skills, he would take off immediately.

Having thought it through, the choice was simple.

"I choose Healing."

Hearing his answer, the woman raised her eyes and looked him over.

"Healing?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Most newcomers choose Heavy Strike or Fireball."

"I'm sure."

Gan Ming did not explain his reasons.

"You can't change it after choosing."

The woman gave the customary reminder, her tone carrying a hint of, Don't regret this later.

Gan Ming nodded.

Only then did the woman say nothing further. She took a thin booklet from the ring on her hand.

Two words were written on the cover... Healing.

"A skill book. Learn it directly once you have it."

Gan Ming accepted the skill book.

The instant his fingers touched the cover, a panel popped up before him.

[Do you wish to learn the skill: Healing?]

[Yes/No]

"Yes."

Buzz!

A faint warm current spread from his fingertips, flowed up his arm and across his shoulder, then finally sank into his body.

The skill book in his hand instantly dissolved into specks of light.

At the same time, another line of information appeared on the panel.

[Skill learned: Healing (Level 1)]

Gan Ming turned his palm upward and tried to summon that power. A faint green glow rose from the center of his right palm. Then he clenched his right hand, and the glow vanished instantly. The feeling of controlling it so freely was as though he had long since mastered the skill.

"Alright, sign here."

The woman pushed a confirmation form toward him. It listed all the supplies he had received today.

Iron Short Blade ×1, Crude Defensive Gear Set ×1, Basic Health Recovery Potion ×5, Basic Mana Recovery Potion ×5, Living Allowance: 3,000 yuan, Basic Skill "Healing" ×1, Storage Ring (50 cubic meters) ×1.

When Gan Ming saw "Crude Defensive Gear Set," he glanced again at the wooden sign and could only obediently sign his name.

The woman tore off the receipt copy and handed it to him, then collected the remaining copies.

Then she brushed her right hand over the ring on her index finger.

Snap.

A thin booklet with only a few pages was tossed onto the counter.

Six words were printed on its cover: Beginner Route Guide.

"This is the attribute point allocation guide distributed by the center. Take it back and study it carefully."

"Everything in there is advice on attribute allocation that people before you learned with their lives. Allocate your points reasonably according to your own situation. If you add them wrong, there's no medicine for regret."

"Alright, thank you." Gan Ming took the booklet.

"Also, make sure you count and store everything in the ring." The woman pointed to the wooden sign at the edge of the counter. "Once it leaves this window, we take no responsibility."

After saying that, she sat back down and reached for the plate of sunflower seeds.

Gan Ming put the ring on the middle finger of his right hand and casually tossed the receipt into it.

He brought up the equipment interface, selected the short blade and leather armor, and tapped [Equip].

A short blade immediately appeared at his waist, its sheath pressed close against his side.

At the same time, a layer of brownish-gray leather armor appeared over his clothes, fitting him comfortably.

Three seconds later, the short blade and leather armor both disappeared.

Gan Ming looked down and found himself still wearing the same old clothes, as if he had not equipped anything at all.

But he could feel that something was there.

This was the equipment system for the Awakened.

Weapons and armor only became visible in combat or when actively summoned. At other times, they remained hidden automatically.

No one walking down the street would know that you had a blade at your waist or armor on your body.

Gan Ming picked up his temporary ID card, put it into the ring, and turned to leave.

After returning to the first-floor hall, Gan Ming found a plastic row seat at random and sat down.

He opened the booklet and began studying it.

The first page was titled [Basic Attribute Description].

Strength affected the base bonus to physical damage, determined the carrying capacity limit, and was also the basic equipment requirement for most defensive gear.

Agility determined the accuracy of ranged attacks and the dodge rate.

Endurance was the thickness of one's health bar and provided basic resistance to all elements.

Intelligence was tied to mana and increased mana potency.

Spirit increased mana recovery speed and improved resistance to mental control skills.

He was already familiar with this basic information. Back in the lower district, he had often heard passersby chatting about such things.

He flipped to the next page.

[Allocation Recommendations and Core Principles of Attribute Point Investment].

These lines were red, bold, and enlarged.

After all, point allocation concerned one's future development path.

They corresponded respectively to physical melee combat, ranged combat, spellcasting, defensive tanking, and support.

Whichever path one wanted to take, attribute points had to be concentrated on the corresponding stat.

The guide explained it clearly.

When equipping gear of the corresponding archetype, if 80% of one's attribute points were concentrated in a single attribute, it would activate the "Extreme Allocation Trait" hidden within the equipment.

If one spread points evenly in a balanced playstyle, there would also be full-value balancing benefits such as Perfect Balance to make up for defenses.

Specific data could be found at the association center.

This was mid-to-late-stage planning.

To enjoy the benefits early, one had to decide on a direction from the beginning.

Gan Ming continued reading.

He found another line of bold red text.

"To all newly Awakened: Whether you wish to become a melee fighter or a support, among the first 195 attribute points gained before reaching Level 40, the most worthwhile attribute to invest in is [Strength]."

What followed was a lengthy explanation for beginners.

In a data-driven world, equipment had hard numerical thresholds.

Those without enough carrying capacity could not even equip their gear.

"Only those who can stand their ground can deal damage."

"All Awakened must reserve at least 60 freely allocatable attribute points during the early and middle stages and assign them to Strength in order to meet the equipment requirements for basic defensive gear!"

The end of the section also mentioned the extremely expensive Runeword.

Runeword upgrades were transformative, but their activation requirements were equally outrageous. They required multiple complex attribute values to meet their standards.

After reading the guide, Gan Ming had gained a clear understanding of attribute allocation.

In short, Strength was tied to equipment and formed the foundation of growth.

And his only means of attack right now was that broken blade.

Prioritizing physical attack power to ensure survival suited him perfectly.

As for which specialization route he would eventually take, Gan Ming felt no burden to plan that far ahead.

He had the [Soul Snatch] talent in hand.

Whatever skill he snatched, he could transform into whatever role it suited.

If he snatched a spell critical-hit modifier someday, he could immediately become a melee mage.

If he got Advanced Stealth someday, he could turn into a shadow assassin on the spot.

Paths were made by walking them. He would wait until resources were in hand before making any choices.

Only by surviving would he qualify to play with traits.

Gan Ming put the booklet back into his ring, got up, and walked toward the center's main entrance.

When he left the Awakened Affairs Management Center, it was not yet ten o'clock.

He took out the business card and guild card the assessment officer had given him, wondering whether he should go take a look.

What the assessment officer had said made sense.

But sense was one thing. He still decided to visit the Awakened Association first.

Once he understood the growth process for the Awakened, he could decide which guild to join without being led around by the nose.

Gan Ming put both cards into his ring and walked along the street to the nearest bus stop.

The stop was not large: a long bench, an electronic signboard, and seven or eight people standing around in scattered groups.

When Gan Ming walked in, no one paid him any attention.

But five seconds later, a middle-aged man carrying a briefcase suddenly frowned.

He looked around, and his gaze eventually settled on Gan Ming.

Then he moved several steps farther away.

Right afterward.

A young woman standing to Gan Ming's left also pinched her nose and walked toward the other end of the stop.

As she left, she even turned back and glared at Gan Ming.

Gan Ming knew that look all too well.

Back in the lower district, he would occasionally run errands and deliver goods near the border of the proper districts.

Every time he entered a proper district, passersby looked at him that way.

Disgusted. Repulsed.

It was like seeing a bag of foul-smelling trash on the roadside.

You would instinctively think it was dirty and did not belong there.