Chapter 23: Chapter 22: West Territory (3)
If Daniel could control his face, his eyes would have widened and his mouth would have dropped open in shock at that moment. A virtual window floated before his eyes.
[The "Agility" attribute increases by three points.]
The only thought in Daniel's mind at that moment was:
'Never. I will never test my luck again in my life... Damn... This thing sucked the soul out of me.'
Serafina still looked at him in shock. Her gaze shifted from Daniel to the nearby corpse of a 'Blood Bush'. The girl was trying to digest what had happened and come to her senses. Clearly, this was not part of her plans. Serafina never believed in coincidence or luck, so she had no doubt that Daniel's points were significantly negative.
Her lips quivered; she was trying to say something but couldn't.
"Five minutes should have passed," Daniel calmly said, abruptly standing up. Serafina looked at him in confusion and then weakly nodded.
Inside and out, Daniel remained calm. The extra points definitely increased his chances of survival, but he also didn't forget the feeling of desire, which could hit 80% at any moment. He already had a slight headache, and at 80%, Daniel presumed the headache would intensify manifold.
Even so, Daniel couldn't help but be thrilled. Especially when considering his 'Geta' which give him a +10% to agility, his agility attribute had reached fifteen points. Only one point less than his 'mastery'—which certainly delighted him. But now, it was vital to get to a water source and somehow escape the Western Territory to find a Safe Zone.
"Have you activated your skill?"
"Yes," Serafina responded with a somber expression, following Daniel.
"How long until we reach the water source?"
"Twenty minutes," Serafina responded, her face a blank slate.
"Do you wish to die?" Daniel asked, his tone icy.
"I harbor no such intentions," Serafina's face quickly shifted to irritation. Silence ensued. Serafina and Daniel continued to walk.
Daniel calmly chopped down all the plants in his path. And Serafina walked along, slightly pensive and dissatisfied. Daniel decided to break the silence again."
"The first time I saw you at the institute..." Daniel began. Seraphina slightly raised an eyebrow in surprise and stared at his back.
"...you immediately struck me as a strong and resilient woman. 'People like her probably always strive for victory,' that's what I thought then. I usually notice such things. You know... people often pay attention to what they lack... I always envied people like you."
Seraphina gave him a bewildered look.
"You always move forward, never give up, fight to the end... Although I never understood, and still don't quite understand, what's the point of struggling when the end for everyone will be the same. Eventually, someone will fail, and someone else will rise to the top, and that someone definitely won't be me. What's the point of trying when so much is out of my control: genetics, status, talent, the core? Am I responsible for this?"
Seraphina scowled.
"Everything is predetermined, so what's the point? It's easier to just somehow exist in this world and not care about what happens. That's better than trying to survive in it. So I thought..."
Daniel paused for a second, his face calm. Seraphina looked at him, puzzled.
"What you're saying... I don't particularly comprehend why you've chosen to share this now," Seraphina inquired skeptically, "I trust there is some point to your narrative and that it isn't idle chatter meant to somehow elevate my morale."
"There is no particular point and I'm not trying to boost your spirit. I just wanted to say that I was wrong," Daniel said.
"Hm?" Seraphina was mildly surprised.
"I was wrong to think that many things are out of my hands. On this island, I've fully felt the difference between luck and my own efforts. Luck and my own efforts are actually one and the same. I create it myself. But for that, I need to act, think, and fight to the end. Only then will luck come to me."
"In other words, you're implying that you believe I'm not exerting sufficient effort," said Seraphina.
"I'm not trying to imply anything. I'm saying outright that I was also wrong about you," Daniel stated.
Seraphina's eyebrows twisted in displeasure.
"My impression of you was mistaken. I thought you were a strong person who wants to survive at all costs. In reality, you're a weak girl who gives up immediately just because a guy she recently met decided to use points at his own discretion," Daniel calmly said, visibly shocking Seraphina.
"G-gives up? Do you seriously think I'd just fold because of that?!" Seraphina was indignant. Daniel didn't even turn to look at her, "Your irrational act has significantly disrupted my plans. I approach matters rationally and am currently attempting to mentally calculate all possible scenarios that might elevate our chances of survival by even one percent. Because, as of now, our chances of survival are zero percent."
"I believe you may be overestimating the impact of my actions," Daniel responded. "After all, you have no initial baseline for my abilities. Perhaps I was already lacking in many aspects, or perhaps my attributes were so high that this action will have no effect on me. You also can't be sure whether they went up or down, and by how much. Who knows? Maybe I lost a point in something that doesn't matter."
"Your approximate attributes could already be inferred, simply based on your successful defeat of the four Mountain Monkeys. From that moment on, it was evident that your stats were at least average. Your battle with the Blood Bushes only confirmed it. As for the gamble you took, I am indeed calculating all possible outcomes. Perhaps you were fortunate enough to lose something trivial, like willpower or luck. But even one additional point can greatly affect your performance. Every attribute carries its own weight and potential consequence. None of the attributes should be underestimated. Each has its unique value. If you've lost a point in 'luck,' for example, a monster might strike you not in the leg, but in a more vital organ."
"I'd rather not get stabbed at all," Daniel flatly responded.
"The point is, because you obviously can't tell me which of your attributes have changed, I have to consider all potential outcomes," Serafina continued. "That's not easy, given the unpredictable nature of the lake we're heading to. If something happens that neither of us expects and one of your reduced attributes comes into play, you could die first, and then I would. While you might presently think that nothing substantial has occurred, your body may not keep pace with your mind in the heat of battle, due to your reliance on previous attribute levels. This holds true for both decreased and increased attributes."
At that point, Seraphina's words finally hit home with Daniel.
"Are you trying to say that increasing attributes is also bad?"
"Obviously. The likelihood is almost zero, but if you get either an increase or a decrease in an attribute by one point twice, consider yourself lucky. If it's more than that, it's not good. Increase, decrease — it makes no difference. The system deliberately gives us exactly one point when leveling up. This is clearly done so that it's easier for us to adjust to the new changes in our bodies. If the system increased attributes by two or more points, it would simply be more difficult for us to adapt to the changes."
"I see. So, I really did do something stupid," Daniel said calmly. Serafina raised an eyebrow in surprise, and her expression softened slightly.
"I'm glad you at least admit it. However, it won't help us in the current situation. If you have something that could increase our chances of survival, you'd better say it now."
Daniel suddenly stopped.
"Hm?" Serafina questioned, staring at his back.
Suddenly, Daniel took off his 'geta' (traditional Japanese footwear) and handed them to her.
"What does this mean?"
"If you don't return them later, you'll become my enemy," Daniel said in a cold tone. Serafina tilted her head in confusion.
"Why do I need them? You clearly need them more; you're a swordsman, and I only engage in close combat when absolutely necessary."
Daniel continued to remain silent and stared at Serafina while holding the 'geta' in his hands. Serafina sighed. She extended her hand and touched the 'geta'.
[Does player Daniel Gray wish to transfer the item 'Geta' to Serafina Wayne?]
"Yes," Daniel said indifferently, screaming with dissatisfaction inside him.
The 'geta' quickly materialized on Serafina's feet. First, she looked at the item description impassively, and then with slight surprise.
"Ten percent increase in agility? Stealth? This is a very valuable item indeed. Could it be that you've transferred this to me because your 'agility' attribute has increased by several points?"
"Who knows," Daniel answered indifferently.
For the first time, Daniel managed to outwit his system and condition. His condition forbade him from revealing his status or even providing hints, but if his intent was neither to hint nor reveal his status, then he was free to act as he pleased.
When he transferred the 'geta' to Serafina, he had no intention of revealing his attributes; he did it solely to increase their chances of survival. Serafina's agility will also increase by 10%, and his agility will decrease by one, which may help him adapt more easily to the two increased agility points.
Although, of course, Daniel gave her his beloved 'geta' reluctantly. He was already accustomed to wearing them, and more importantly, deep down, Daniel was a possessive egoist. Therefore, Daniel had no desire whatsoever to give them to her. His words about her becoming his enemy if she doesn't return them were serious. If she leaves him no choice, he is prepared to fight her.
The somber expression on Serafina's face slightly brightened.
"Very well. At least now our chances of survival are greater than zero percent."
Daniel nodded and continued walking. Serafina followed him with a thoughtful expression.
"Say what you will about yourself, but you too are quite a strong individual, Daniel Grey."
"Hm?" Daniel wondered to himself.
"My grandfather often recites a particular saying: 'In the ocean of human imperfection, mistakes are but mere droplets that vanish into its depths. Yet those who dare to lift these droplets into the light, scrutinize them and transform them into pearls, are indeed great souls."
"Wise old man," Daniel calmly remarked.
"Indeed. However, he's not that old," Seraphina frowned, "Nonetheless, I agree with him and believe that individuals capable of rectifying their mistakes are deserving of my respect. Therefore, do not belittle yourself, Daniel Grey; you are a man of worth." Silence once again enveloped them for a moment.
A moment of silence fell between them once more.
"Ah, remembered," Daniel suddenly broke the silence.
"Hm?"
"Besides what I've already said, when I first met you, I also thought..."
Seraphina slightly raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Damn, she's got a great ass,"Daniel said with a straight face.
This time, Seraphina stared at Daniel's back, astonished.
"Obviously, you couldn't just hold your tongue. You had to make my prior compliments dust."
"Obviously," Daniel echoed her words. Because he kept glancing around and focusing on what was ahead, he missed the slight smirk that crossed Seraphina's face. She immediately suppressed it, and her expression turned serious again.
"Brace yourself. We're nearly there."
"I see," Daniel nodded as they stepped out of the tropical forest and towards a massive body of water.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Lord_GaGa
Lord_GaGa Ugh, I hate it! Hate it! Hate this chapter! And not even the content itself! Don't care if someone finds it boring. I've always loved chatty chapters where the characters get fleshed out more. I like this chapter!
What I don't like is the damn translation! This chapter took me forever to translate from my native language to English! Like, no chapter has taken me this long before! And it's all 'cause of freakin' Serafina, who just has to use fancy words. In my own language, I get what she's saying, but in English, I'm like, 'What?' 'What did she just say?' So it took a lot of time to make this even remotely readable. Don't know if I succeeded, but I tried, I really did.
Okay, thanks for your attention. Good luck to everyone, and see ya!
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