Chapter 56: Attribute Allocation

Early the next morning, Satoru Aoki prepared breakfast for Sora. Seeing her still asleep, he chose not to disturb her, only leaving a note stating he was heading out for exercise before jogging along the chilly morning streets.

As he ran, Satoru glanced at his attribute panel and voiced a question to the system.

“System, if I were to invest all four attribute points into agility or strength, would there be any negative consequences?”

Satoru was not particularly learned, but he understood that the human body was a holistic organism, where every part affects the whole. He hadn’t allocated points directly out of concern for disrupting his body’s balance—even when the system awarded attribute points in the past, it always distributed them across several traits, never favoring one.

If his strength far exceeded his stamina, would he expend all his energy after just a few punches? If agility surpassed stamina, would explosive movements damage his muscle endurance? If his intellect soared too high, might his body fail to supply enough glucose and other elements, leading to weakness and dizziness with every thought?

These were the matters Satoru needed to consider.

[When allocating free attribute points to traits like strength or agility, there will be a minor increase in corresponding hidden attributes to maintain bodily balance. However, hidden attribute growth must be realized through exercise and proper nutrition; otherwise, excessive growth in a single trait will indeed result in imbalance. It is advised to increase attribute points gradually, allowing the body to adapt before further enhancement.]

So, hidden attribute growth essentially grants his body additional potential? That raises another question.

Before Satoru lay the four attributes awaiting allocation: strength 10, agility 12, intellect 14, stamina 8.

Clearly, his intellect was far ahead—only six points from the twenty-point breakthrough, the threshold for surpassing human limits and earning a system reward. Judging by the reward he received upon reaching twenty points in charisma, crossing that threshold meant a qualitative leap, unlocking special attribute effects.

If intellect reached twenty, would he gain abilities such as perfect memory, rapid comprehension, or even bullet-time-like effects?

Satoru was excited, but...

“System, if I want to raise intellect to twenty, what attributes must I maintain to ensure physical balance?”

[Stamina must reach at least thirteen points.]

Stamina is undoubtedly the most crucial factor. Satoru felt he was beginning to understand.

“Is my body currently unbalanced?” he asked the vital question.

[It is recommended to raise stamina to ten points before enhancing other attributes.]

Just as he suspected!

Satoru smiled faintly. “Then I’ll increase stamina to ten points, and allocate the remaining two points—one to strength, one to agility.”

If the body is a machine, then stamina is its power supply. Intellect, strength, and agility all require stamina to function; if stamina can’t support their consumption, the body becomes imbalanced and cannot fully utilize its attributes.

No wonder he always exhausted his strength within a minute—the gap between stamina and other traits was simply too great! Despite recent diligent training, progress felt negligible. This was because his stamina was insufficient; his other attributes were nearly at their limits—any further increase would disrupt balance.

He chose to add points to strength and agility as well, believing they should work in tandem. Having strength without agility would make him a muscle-bound brute, which was useless—he had no intention of becoming a weightlifting champion at some Guinness Night.

Satoru finally understood: to grow stronger, all three physical attributes must advance together, with intellect taking the lead to ensure he could wield his power. This was the correct way to allocate points.

If some reckless fool obtained the system and dumped ten points into strength, they'd be immensely strong but lacking in intellect—unable to even hold a spoon steady or break chopsticks with every meal. Such a person would be useless; would you dare get into a fight, knowing a single punch could kill someone and send you fleeing for your life?

Satoru silently praised his own wisdom.

[Strength: 11 (10 is average for an adult, rated by overall muscle power.)]
[Agility: 13 (10 is average for an adult, rated by coordination, explosive force, etc.)]
[Intellect: 14 (10 is average for an adult, rated by memory, logic, learning ability, and other cognitive skills; note, this score does not equate to IQ or EQ.)]
[Stamina: 10 (10 is average for an adult, rated by muscle endurance and physical resilience.)]

Gazing at his now much more harmonious attribute panel, Satoru relished the tingling sensation in his muscles brought on by his growth, letting out a satisfied groan.

“You, system—why not just allocate my points directly? Instead, you give me free attribute points! Are you trying to sabotage me, hoping I mess up and collapse from imbalance?”

Buoyed by his good mood, Satoru bantered with the system.

[Previously, points were distributed directly because all your attributes were low. To ensure you gained sufficient combat ability quickly and to prevent the odd host from prioritizing stamina and intellect, necessary measures were taken.]
[Now, you’re no longer a novice; it’s time you learned to take charge of your own life.]

The system’s words always felt half mocking, half approving. Yet, it made sense—had he received free points upon entering this world, he might have focused on stamina and intellect. Back then, his mindset was to avoid trouble, steer clear of conflict, and resolve issues through discussion or even at the police station—very much the approach of a mature adult.

But now, things had changed.

“You’re the odd one,” Satoru muttered, retorting, “Being smart and tough is the key to survival. Only children solve problems with their fists—adults need it all!”

[Delinquent youth—just charge ahead!]

The system’s remark earned a dismissive snort from Satoru. “Brutes end up battered and bruised.”

Yet, recalling the miserable beating he took from the Ishihara brothers, and the way he frightened the three delinquent girls who bullied Sora nearly into wetting themselves, Satoru couldn’t help but think—it really was exhilarating! Speaking with fists was, in fact, incredibly satisfying.

Perhaps the system felt he had finally grown up, forcibly resisting the urge to pop up with a “Well done!” message, and fell silent.

Satoru, feeling a bit embarrassed, refrained from calling on the system again and jogged to the Matsuyama Martial Arts Club, brimming with energy and ready for training.