Fresh from his bath, Ambrose sat cross-legged on his bed, a plush towel wrapped securely around his slender frame. Droplets of water still clung to his hair, occasionally falling onto the silk sheets beneath him. The afternoon sun streaming through the tall windows cast a warm glow across the room, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere as he concentrated on examining his status window:
[Name: Ambrose Rothschild]
[Level: 1]
[Species: Human]
[Physic: Weak Body (Can't increase physical stats in any way)]
[Title: Rothschild's Heir (+10 Charm), One who leapt through through Space & Time (Space-time Talent)]
[Talent: Observation, Space-time]
[Health: 100/100 (Tip: Can at least take a punch, from a five year old that is)]
[Strength: 0.1 (Average 5)]
[Stamina: 0.1 (Average 5)]
[Agility: 0.1 (Average 5)]
[Intelligence: 15+ (Average 5)]
[Stat Points: 100]
[Experience: 0/10]
[Overview: Your stats seem to have improved a little since last time but you're still trash. Seeing as you'll probably never awaken mana, I did you the favor of removing it from your stats panel. No need to thank me :)]
A slight frown creased his brow as he studied the translucent blue interface hovering before him. He had noticed some changes earlier in the bathhouse, but the presence of Sun Hualing had prevented him from conducting a thorough examination. Now, in the privacy of his chambers, he could finally analyze everything properly.
The first thing that caught his attention was the conspicuous absence of his mana stat. The system's sarcastic overview made it clear this wasn't an oversight – it had been deliberately removed due to his apparent inability to awaken magical power. Ambrose's lips twitched in mild annoyance at the system's mocking tone. The more he interacted with it, the more he suspected it possessed some form of consciousness, given its penchant for playful ridicule through its overview messages.
However, his irritation was balanced by a surge of relief as he noticed his health. The dramatic increase from a pitiful 1/1 to a respectable 100/100 indicated significant improvement in his physical condition. Yet, as he focused on the sensation of his body, an inexplicable intuition told him he'd reached a plateau. It was as if he could sense an invisible barrier, a ceiling that would prevent further improvement without some dramatic intervention. Unless something unexpected occurred, this would likely be his new baseline for the foreseeable future.
His other physical stats remained disappointingly unchanged – strength, stamina, and agility all hovering at a mere 0.1, far below the average of 5. But what truly captured his interest was the newly discovered skills section. There, he found something intriguing:
[Observer's Intuition](Intrinsic) - A natural talent that enhances the user's cognitive and sensory processing abilities, allowing for superior information gathering and analysis. This talent manifests differently in each individual, growing stronger with active use and training. (Subskills: [Heightened Perception](C), [Detail Retention](D), [Pattern Recognition](C), [Focus State](D))
The skill's description perfectly explained his enhanced sensory capabilities. As he pondered this, memories of his previous life surfaced – he had possessed exceptional perception then too, but nothing approaching his current supernatural awareness. The systematic nature of the skill, with its clearly defined subskills and rankings, marked it as something fundamentally different from his former abilities. It could be said that his former abilities were the teaser and this was the real deal.
Finally, Ambrose turned his attention to what he'd been unconsciously avoiding: the hundred stat points waiting to be allocated. While the number seemed substantial, the system's earlier overview had suggested that even distributing them equally would only elevate him to the level of a "one in ten genius" – merely slightly above average.
His fingers hovered over the interface as he contemplated his options, though in truth, there was no real choice to make. With his Weak Body Physique restricting physical improvement, intelligence was his only viable path forward.
Although he could probably increase the other stats after curing his Weak Body Physic, he didn't think it was worth it. If even someone like his father couldn't find the cure, he'd have to be invincible to find the cure which at that time, the few stats would be worthless
With a resigned sigh, Ambrose closed his eyes and channeled all hundred points into intelligence. Despite knowing it was his only option, watching such a substantial resource disappear into a single stat left him with a profound sense of waste. Who knew when he would next have the opportunity to gain stat points? Still, he consoled himself with the knowledge that in his current situation, intelligence might prove to be his most valuable asset.
…
No sooner had the last stat point been allocated than a cascade of system notifications began flooding Ambrose's consciousness. Each notification rang with crystal clarity, like bells chiming directly inside his mind:
[Ding! Your Intelligence has surpassed 20. You can now use mana]
[Ding! Due to lack of sufficient stamina you can't use mana (Tip: You need at least 1 stamina to use mana)]
[Ding! Your intelligence has surpassed 50. You can now use mental strength]
[Ding! Your intelligence has surpassed 100. Your mental strength has increased significantly]
[Ding! Your mental strength resonates greatly with your Observation and Space-time talent]
[Ding! Attempting to awaken the [ULTIMATE SKILL: MIND LORD]]
The notifications continued relentlessly, each one seeming to reverberate through his entire being. His eyes widened as he watched the system struggle with an awakening attempt:
[ERROR: Awakening failed]
[RETRYING...]
[FAILED x 10000]
[ERROR: Not enough stamina to awaken MIND LORD (Tip: You need at least 200 stamina to awaken [ULTIMATE SKILL: MIND LORD])]
Ambrose barely had time to process his disappointment before new notifications appeared:
[Ding: Your intelligence has surpassed 110. Awakening Space-time related skill]
[ERROR: Awakening failed due to lack of stamina]
[WARNING: Space-time talent attempts to use mental strength to awaken the skill forcefully (Tip: Using mental strength as a substitute for stamina is DANGEROUS and could cause irreversible damage)]
[The host should confirm the use of mental strength to forcefully awaken a Space-time related skill]
The stream of notifications suddenly halted as a massive interface materialized before him, hovering in the air like a translucent screen. Two buttons appeared: "Yes" glowing with an alluring blue light on one side, and "No" pulsing with a cautionary red on the other. The towel around his waist had loosened during his earlier convulsions, but Ambrose barely noticed, transfixed by the momentous choice before him.
Before he could even lift a finger to make his selection, new notifications began appearing with alarming urgency:
[Observation votes YES]
[Space-time votes YES]
[Due to majority vote. The awakening will begin...]
"Wait what?" Ambrose's cry of protest echoed through his chamber, but it was already too late. Pain exploded in his head like a supernova, exponentially more intense than the earlier memory merger. It felt as if someone had taken a white-hot needle and was systematically piercing every nerve in his brain. His vision blurred, then darkened at the edges as consciousness began slipping away.
Yet even as his body crumpled onto the silk sheets, the system continued its relentless process:
[ERROR: Not enough mental strength to fully awaken a Space-time related skill]
[Awakening an Observation related skill with time essence...]
[Ding! Awakened [UNIQUE SKILL: MATHEMATICIAN]]
In the final moments before darkness claimed him completely, Ambrose caught a glimpse of his newest acquisition:
[Mathematician](Unique) - A rare talent that fundamentally alters the mind's processing capabilities, granting exceptional mental powers and analytical abilities that transcend normal human limitations. (Subskills: [Rational Mind](S), [Mental Fortress](A), [Perfect Recall](A), [Thought Acceleration](A), [Time Perception](B))
His consciousness faded just as he began to grasp the implications of this extraordinary skill. The last thing he felt was a curious sensation, as if his mind was being completely restructured, rewired into something far beyond ordinary human comprehension. Then, mercifully, everything went black.