Chapter 141: Ascension is for Suckers Who Play the Short Ga
I stared at the remaining pool of 2,820 attribute points, my mind racing through the possibilities. The allocation would define my first steps at New Vein Academy. No pressure.
What was Kaelen Leone? A question I hadn’t asked myself in weeks. The answer ca quickly: A weapon. Fast enough to close distance, strong enough to end fights once I got there. Power and speed were my foundation.
What is Satori Nakano? A lie. A performance. But my true weapons were the ones they couldn’t see coming: Ember, Sever, my hidden abilities. My Aspects were my trump cards. Magic.
To be a king in this world, I couldn’t just be Kaelen in a new body. I needed to rge my past and present. The brute force of the yakuza enforcer with the hidden, supernatural power of this Hunter. Go big or go ho.
"Strength, Agility, and Magic," I whispered to the empty room. "That’s the trifecta. That’s the build of a ruler."
First, Strength and Agility. I watched the numbers climb rapidly from D-399, pushing past the C-Rank barrier and into B-Rank. The bars on my screen turned a solid, powerful green as they filled. I stopped both at exactly B-650. A perfect balance of speed and power.
Next, Magic—my ace in the hole. I poured the majority of my remaining points into it, watching the number skyrocket. D to C to B, and finally into the brilliant, blazing purple of A-Rank. I stopped at A-800. This would be my hidden weapon, the source of power that would make my abilities truly devastating.
The final 36 points went into Endurance, pushing it to a modest C-435.
Strength: B-650 | Endurance: C-435
Dexterity: D-399 [ 150] | Magic: A-800
Agility: B-650
The change hit
imdiately. A surge of raw, kinetic energy flooded my limbs, making my muscles feel like coiled springs ready to unleash. At the sa ti, a deep, thrumming well of magical power awakened in my core, pulsing in ti with my heartbeat. I clenched my fist, and the very air around it seed to crackle with potential.
I felt... complete. For the first ti since waking up in this body, I felt like I was truly becoming sothing greater than either Kaelen or Satori had been.
Just as I was savoring the new power coursing through , a notification flashed on my screen, accompanied by the smug, grinning chibi face of Apollo.
[Congratulations, Protagonist! You have successfully t the minimum requirents for ascension!]
[All Core Attributes have surpassed the C-Rank threshold. You may now advance to Level 2 at any ti!]
A new, brightly glowing button appeared on my status screen: [ASCEND TO LEVEL 2].
I stared at it, my finger hovering. This was it. This was the key to true power parity, just as Nel had explained. I could press it right now and beco a genuine C-Rank contender.
But then I rembered the other part of Nel’s explanation: Maximizing attributes before a Level Up yields vastly superior growth.
If I waited until all my stats were maxed before ascending... my growth would be exponential. The gap between
and others would widen with each level, turning into a chasm they could never hope to cross.
"Thanks, but no thanks," I said to the empty room. "I’m not ascending until every single one of these stats has an ’S’ next to it. Minimum."
I ntally dismissed the notification. The button faded but remained on my screen, a constant, tempting promise for the future. I had chosen the harder, longer path for a much greater reward. The path of a king who plays the long ga.
Bartholow had stopped eating his lettuce and was now staring at
with what I could only interpret as admiration. Or hunger. Hard to tell with snails.
"That’s right," I told him, straightening up. "Your owner’s going to be an S-Rank Hunter soday. Just you watch."
I turned to my closet and pulled out the NVA prospect uniform I’d been issued—a sharp, black, military-style outfit with subtle gold piping. I ran my fingers over the material, appreciating the quality. This wasn’t just clothing; it was armor. A statent.
The fabric slid over my new body with perfect ease, the tailoring accommodating my broader shoulders and more defined muscles. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see Satori the loser or Kaelen the enforcer. I saw a future king in his first suit of armor.
"Looking good, Satori," I muttered to my reflection, adjusting the collar. "Looking damn good."
I grabbed my bag, double-checking that I had everything. My phone buzzed with a ssage from Natalia: Car arriving in 10. Hurry your ass up.
Perfect timing.
I walked out into the hallway, the morning light streaming through the windows of our condo. The house was quiet—Luka and Kimiko had already left for work. That was probably for the best. Fewer questions, fewer goodbyes, fewer chances for Kimiko to give
one of those knowing looks that made my skin crawl.
Natalia was waiting in the living room, also in her uniform. The sharp lines of the black fabric contrasted beautifully with her purple hair, making her look like so kind of deadly assassin from a spy film. She’d added her own touches—a subtle purple belt, a silver pin on her collar. Her Cryo-Lich Ring glead on her finger, the pale blue gem pulsing with quiet power.
She looked up as I entered, her eyes widening slightly. Her gaze traveled from my face down to my boots, then back up again.
"Did you do sothing?" she asked, her head tilting. "You look... different."
I shrugged, giving her a half-smile. "Just ready to ace this exam."
She narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it, but let it drop. "You better be. I’ve been training too hard to get stuck with so loser squad because you decided to slack off."
"Have I ever let you down, Princess?"
She scoffed, but there was no real heat in it. "There’s always a first ti."
Our phones both buzzed simultaneously. The notification read: Your Valerius Luxury Transport has arrived.
We walked out together, the door locking automatically behind us. A sleek, black autonomous vehicle waited at the curb, its polished surface reflecting the morning sunlight. The doors hissed open as we approached, revealing a luxurious interior of cream leather and dark wood accents.
"Nice ride," Natalia comnted as we slid inside. "Definitely beats taking the maglev."
"One of the perks of having a B-Rank Hunter for a dad, I guess," I replied, settling into the seat. The leather was butter-soft against my hands.
The car’s AI spoke in a pleasant, gender-neutral voice: "Good morning, Mr. Nakano, Ms. Kuzmina. Where would you like to go today?"
"First stop, Asahi District," I said. "Pick up Emi Aoyama."
"Of course. Address has been located in your contacts. Estimated arrival ti is twenty-two minutes."
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