My Scumbag System - Chapter 140

Chapter 140: Morning Math is a Scumbag’s Worst Enemy
I woke to the soft chime of my alarm, the darkness of my room still complete save for the blinking numbers on my clock. Five-thirty in the morning. The sound faded after a few seconds, leaving me staring at the ceiling, feeling clearheaded despite the minimal sleep.

This was the [MYSTICISM] passive at work—after a night of little rest, I should have been dragging myself out of bed. Instead, I felt like a machine calibrated to peak performance, ready to take on the day.

Next to me, Natalia was another story entirely.

She’d sprawled across most of the bed during the night, one leg thrown over mine, her purple hair a tangled mess across my chest and her pillow. Her mouth hung slightly open, a small line of drool connecting her to the sheet.

I placed a hand on her bare shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. “Time to get up, Princess. Big day today.”

She responded with a groan that sounded more animal than human, burying her face deeper into the pillow.

“We have to be at the ferry terminal in three hours,” I said, shaking her more firmly. “Get up.”

“Five more centuries,” she mumbled into the fabric, not even bothering to open her eyes.

I slid out from under her leg and stood, stretching my arms above my head. The movement seemed to finally register with her that her human pillow was gone. With extreme reluctance, she sat up, the sheet falling away to reveal her naked torso. She stretched, then immediately winced, her hand going to her lower back.

“Oh god,” she muttered, her face contorting in discomfort as she shifted. “I feel like I got hit by a truck.”

I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at my lips. This was the first time we’d been together since I’d acquired the [ONE SIZE FITS ALL] trait, and the difference was… noticeable.

“This is all your fault,” she said, glaring up at me through her tangled hair. “I got maybe an hour of sleep. How am I supposed to perform at my peak when I can barely walk?”

I leaned against my dresser, crossing my arms over my chest. “I seem to recall telling you not to blame me if you were too tired to perform well today.” I shrugged. “But you promised you wouldn’t.”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. I added, “Besides, you’re always stronger when you’re angry.”

That was the breaking point. She snatched a pillow from beside her and hurled it at my head with a furious hiss. I dodged it easily, laughing as it thumped against the wall.

“Fuck you, Satori,” she spat, climbing out of bed with as much dignity as she could muster, which wasn’t much given her nakedness and obvious soreness.

“Again? I don’t think we have time—”

She grabbed her clothes from the floor and stormed out of my room without another word, slamming the door behind her. A few seconds later, I heard her bedroom door slam as well, followed by the sound of her shower starting.

I chuckled to myself, shaking my head. On my nightstand, Bartholomew was munching placidly on a piece of lettuce I’d left out last night in his terrarium. His eyestalks were pointed directly at me, giving the distinct impression of judgment.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I told him, pointing a finger at his shell. “It’s complicated.”

Bartholomew continued chewing, unimpressed.

“Take it from me, Bartholomew. Stay single. It’s less paperwork.”

The snail offered no response, just continued his assault on the lettuce leaf.

I turned away from my judgmental pet and moved to the center of my room. The pre-dawn darkness felt appropriate for what I was about to do—a final preparation before the spotlight of the exam.

“Alright, Nel,” I said to the empty room. “Time to maximize the investment.”

The familiar blue interface materialized before me, displaying my status screen in glowing letters.

SATORI NAKANO

Level: 1 | Title: KOGH, TSP | Class: None | Schema Points: 135

ATTRIBUTES:

Strength: D-341 Endurance: D-367

Dexterity: D-265 [+150] Magic: F-180

Agility: D-287

I stared at the SP counter. One hundred and thirty-five points. Not a fortune, but enough to make a difference if spent wisely.

The temptation to gamble it in the Gacha tugged at me—one more pull before the exam, maybe grab something game-changing. A mental image of Apollo’s smug face flashed through my mind, and I dismissed the thought immediately.

I focused my will, and the SP counter began to decrease rapidly. The points dissolved into a stream of golden light that coalesced into a new number: 3,375 Attribute Points. The direct conversion rate of 1 SP to 25 AP still felt like a good deal, especially with what I was about to do.

I sat on the edge of my bed, the blue glow of the interface painting my face as I leaned forward. This was the moment that mattered—the final allocation before the exam. Every point needed to count.

First things first: evening out the baseline. I needed all stats at the D-Rank cap.

Strength: 341 → 399 (+58 AP)

Endurance: 367 → 399 (+32 AP)

Dexterity: 265 → 399 (+134 AP)

Agility: 287 → 399 (+112 AP)

Magic: 180 → 399 (+219 AP)

I watched with satisfaction as each attribute filled to its maximum D-Rank value, the bars all glowing a completed gold. That left me with 2,820 AP remaining.

Foundation is solid. All stats maxed for D-Rank. Now for the real decision. Where do I specialize?

A cool, feminine voice suddenly echoed in my mind, making me stiffen.

[Message from the Administrator: Nel] – A word of caution, Protagonist. Do not mistake the metrics of the System for the metrics of this world. A Level 1 with a ‘D-Rank’ in Strength is not equivalent to a licensed D-Rank Hunter.

I frowned. What’s that supposed to mean?

The System’s attribute ranks are internal measurements of your potential and growth curve. Your current raw physical output, even with maxed D-stats, is comparable to a high F-Rank Hunter at best. True parity with this world’s ranking system won’t begin until you reach Level 2, at which point your base stats will allow you to compete at a high C-Rank or even a low B-Rank level.

Well, shit. That was a sobering piece of information. I’d been thinking my current stats represented actual Hunter ranks. This changed my calculations significantly.

“So what you’re saying is, even with all my stats maxed out at D-Rank, I’m still basically a glorified F-Rank physically compared to actual Hunters?”

Correct. The scaling will align once you Level Up. For now, think of yourself as having exceptional potential rather than exceptional current capability. This is why strategy and ability use will be critical for your exam performance.

That put things in perspective. I couldn’t just brute-force my way through the exam; I needed to be smart, to leverage what skills and advantages I had.

I stared at the remaining pool of 2,820 AP. The costs for upgrading beyond D-Rank were steep—it would take 3 AP per point to push a stat into C-Rank territory. That meant I effectively had 940 points to distribute among my five attributes.

I needed to specialize. But in what?

I could dump everything into Strength and Endurance. Become an unstoppable tank, overwhelm opponents with raw power. The Luka approach—simple, direct, effective. With both stats pushed to 713, I’d still be at a disadvantage against real Hunters, but I’d at least be able to take hits and dish out damage.

Or I could focus on Dexterity and Agility. Become a blur, untouchable, relying on speed and my skills like [SEVER] and [INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE POINTS] to win. A glass cannon approach—I wouldn’t be able to take many hits, but if they couldn’t hit me in the first place…

Or… Magic. My weakest stat. But all my active abilities—[EMBER], [SEVER]—scaled with Magic. With my Magic pushed to C-Rank, I’d have a significant boost to my combat options.

The water shut off in Natalia’s bathroom. I didn’t have much time left to decide.

Think, Kaelen. What would serve you best? This isn’t the streets of Tokyo where raw strength and intimidation win. This is a different game entirely. These are Hunters—people with supernatural abilities and years of training.

What did I know about the exam? It would test combat ability, sure, but also strategy, adaptability, team dynamics.

Team dynamics. That was the key. I wouldn’t be fighting alone. I’d have Natalia—my Ice Queen—at my side. Her telekinesis and newly imbued [ICE SPIKE] ability made her a mobile artillery platform, especially with that Cryo-Lich Ring. What would complement her skills best?

If she was our ranged artillery, then I needed to be…

My finger hovered over the status screen, ready to make the choice that would define my debut at New Vein Academy. I had to get this right. There would be no second chances, no do-overs. This was it.

What kind of king do I want to be?