My Scumbag System - Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Ascension is for Suckers Who Play the Short Game
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 came 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 merge my past and present. The brute force of the yakuza enforcer with the hidden, supernatural power of this Hunter. Go big or go home.

“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 me immediately. A surge of raw, kinetic energy flooded my limbs, making my muscles feel like coiled springs ready to unleash. At the same time, a deep, thrumming well of magical power awakened in my core, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. I clenched my fist, and the very air around it seemed to crackle with potential.

I felt… complete. For the first time since waking up in this body, I felt like I was truly becoming something greater than either Kaelen or Satori had been.

Just as I was savoring the new power coursing through me, a notification flashed on my screen, accompanied by the smug, grinning chibi face of Apollo.

[Congratulations, Protagonist! You have successfully met the minimum requirements for ascension!]

[All Core Attributes have surpassed the C-Rank threshold. You may now advance to Level 2 at any time!]

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 become a genuine C-Rank contender.

But then I remembered 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 me 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 mentally 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 game.

Bartholomew had stopped eating his lettuce and was now staring at me 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 someday. 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 statement.

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 message 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 me 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 some 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 gleamed 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 something?” 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 some 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 time.”

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 commented 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 time is twenty-two minutes.”