Luke opened his status screen, the familiar digital overlay filling his vision.
[Class: Combat Mage]
[Level: 8]
[Exp : 300/12,800 ]
[HP: 120 / 120]
[MP: 150 / 150]
[Stamina: 100 / 100]
[Strength: 10]
[Agility: 12]
[Endurance: 10]
[Intelligence: 16]
[Wisdom: 14]
[Luck: 7]
[Unallocated Skill points : 4 ]
[Unallocated Stat points : 14 ]
[Skills: Basic Martial Arts, Fire Fist, Fireball, Fire Kick, Flame Sweep, Heat Burst, Blazing Dash, Stone Spike, Stone Skin , Quake]
[Equipment: Arcane Catalyst Gloves (Basic), Combat Mage Coat (Basic), Mage's Boots (Basic)]
He stared at the unallocated stat points from leveling up. Normally, he would eagerly pump them in immediately, but with everything going on—Lycans, vampires, and now Selene and Michael—there was no time to waste. So he put it on hold until now he could do that. But now, it was time. No more waiting.
After getting totally overpowered by Selene, Luke figured it was time to pump up his strength—at least a little. Sure, getting pushed around by a woman once or twice might be fine, even funny, but he wasn't about to let that become a habit. As a guy, he wanted to make sure he could hold his own next time—no more getting dominated.
Not taking it too seriously, he thought, Better to be a little stronger now, so I don't end up on the losing side of the wrestling match every time.
Without wasting another second, he laid out his plan: four points straight into Strength to bulk up his physical power—the part of his stats that was clearly lagging behind. Then three points to Endurance to improve his stamina and durability, so he could take more hits without falling apart.
Next, four points went into Wisdom, boosting his magical power and awareness—that edge could make a real difference in a fight. Finally, he put three points into Intelligence, sharpening his spellcasting skills and tactical thinking.
Luck was a special stat—one you couldn't just pump points into like all the others. So, for now, it was stuck at seven. Otherwise, Luke admitted to himself, he'd probably dump every point on luck, just to be like those heroes in harem stories—the kind where women somehow fall into your lap without even trying, and life suddenly gets way more complicated (and way more interesting).
As he confirmed the allocation, Luke felt a noticeable shift in his body. His muscles tightened and strengthened. He could almost sense the difference. His strength felt like it had jumped by about fifty percent. He could definitely consider himself stronger than most human athletes by now.
His updated stats look like this:
[Class: Combat Mage]
[Level: 8]
[Exp : 300/12,800 ]
[HP: 156 / 156]
[MP: 190 / 190]
[Stamina: 127 / 127]
[Strength: 14]
[Agility: 12]
[Endurance: 13]
[Intelligence: 19]
[Wisdom: 18]
[Luck: 7]
[Unallocated Skill points: 4 ]
[Skills: Basic Martial Arts, Fire Fist, Fireball, Fire Kick, Flame Sweep, Heat Burst, Blazing Dash, Stone Spike, Stone Skin , Quake]
[Equipment: Arcane Catalyst Gloves (Basic), Combat Mage Coat (Basic), Mage's Boots (Basic)]
Then Luke opened the skill tree to take a closer look at his options.
[Fire (Basic skill tree unlocked)]
[Earth (60% basic skill tree unlocked)]
[Water (Not unlocked)]
[Air (Not unlocked)]
With only four skill points available, it was clear he couldn't fully unlock any new elemental skill tree just yet.
He could invest some points into Earth since it was already partially unlocked, but he knew that at the basic level, Earth magic focused mostly on defense — thick stone walls, enhanced armor, and steady shields — not exactly flashy or offensive. It wasn't the kind of power to rush into during a fight.
The four basic elements — Fire, Earth, Water, and Air — formed the foundation of the entire elemental magic system. Each had its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and mastering them took time and careful planning.
To unlock basic skills in any basic element, you needed at least five skill points invested in that tree. Intermediate skills required fifteen points, and the rare advanced skills demanded thirty points before they became accessible.
But the real depth came when you combined elements. Advanced levels unlocked new, hybrid elements by mixing two or more basic ones. This fusion system wasn't just for show — it created some of the most powerful and versatile magic in the game.
For example, if Luke fully upgraded his Fire skill tree to the advanced level while having the Earth basic tree unlocked, he could unlock the Lava attribute. This magic combined the raw heat of fire with the solid mass of earth, creating explosive molten rock attacks.
Though powerful, Lava magic tended to be close-range and focused mostly on raw destruction rather than finesse.
Similarly, if he managed to bring Water magic up to advanced and unlocked Air at the basic level, he could unlock the Ice attribute. Ice magic wasn't just about freezing enemies solid — it could create barriers for defense, slow down opponents to control the battlefield, and offer a wider range of tactical options.
The basic four elements alone weren't all that strong — even at their advanced levels, their power might be enough to flatten a small town at best. But the advanced elements, the hybrids, those were a different league entirely, capable of changing the course of battles and reshaping entire planets.
That was exactly why Luke had been saving his skill points. His goal was to fully unlock Ice Magic. Compared to Lava, which was all about raw force and destruction, Ice offered something different—an ability to control the battlefield, slow down enemies, and create barriers.
That kind of strategic flexibility suited his style better, especially as a combat mage who needed both offense and defense.
Of course, by accident, he'd already spent some points on Earth magic instead. But honestly, he didn't regret it. That Earth investment had actually saved his skin.
He hadn't chosen Water first because it mainly focused on healing and supporting magic. Starting with healing might have slowed him down. In a world where danger lurked around every corner, healing wouldn't be as useful as direct combat or control magic. It made more sense to survive the fight first before worrying about recovery.
For now, Luke decided to hold off on spending his remaining skill points. His experience told him patience was key—rushing into upgrades without a clear plan often led to wasted points and missed opportunities.
Besides, once he hit level 10, he would receive a special random box reward. This wasn't just any ordinary loot box—it could contain anything from extra skill points, powerful new equipment, or even the chance to unlock an entirely new skill tree, something rare and game-changing.
Plus, reaching level 10 marks the completion of the game's tutorial, which meant new features would unlock—like the companion module, allowing him to recruit allies, and the inventory system, offering better management of items and gear.
Waiting for the reward before making any big moves makes the most sense. Luke needed to keep his options open and adapt based on what the game handed him next.