As the tide of euphoria slowly ebbed, it left behind a scalding shore and a blueprint desperately in need of planning.
Luke forced himself to calm down.
Like a precision scanner, his gaze locked back onto the translucent, floating system interface.
[Strength]: 3
[Constitution]: 4
[Intelligence]: 1
[Spirit]: 1
And the tempting line below: [Free Attribute Points]: 3.
Where should he assign them?
Strength?
It would make him stronger, whether for hauling cargo or…
swinging a watermelon knife.
Constitution?
That seemed tied to endurance, recovery, and overall vitality.
For his current battered body and chronic sub-health state, it might work wonders.
Intelligence?
Spirit?
Those leaned toward the “magic” or “mystic” side, which remained unclear for now.
He hardly hesitated.
His bloody encounter in the other world and the physical weakness of his body on Blue Star served as a blaring alarm.
Staying alive—living healthy and resiliently—was the foundation for all future adventures and capital accumulation.
He never wanted to repeat the experience of being beaten half to death and relying on sheer madness and luck to pull off a counterkill.
“Constitution,” he whispered, focusing his mind.
Almost the second he made his choice, the “3” beside [Free Attribute Points] blurred before dropping to zero.
Meanwhile, the [Constitution] stat ticked up from “4” to “7.”
The transformation was instant.
It started as a gentle warmth quietly spreading from his chest, rapidly coursing into every limb and bone.
Not the feverish heat of an illness, but like soaking in a hot spring at the perfect temperature.
Every cell let out a sigh of relief.
Right after came an irresistible, overwhelming wave of exhaustion and drowsiness.
The sleepiness hit so hard and so naturally, as if his body were forcing a shutdown to undergo a long-overdue, complete repair and reboot.
Luke barely had time to let out a woozy yawn before his eyelids shut like lead weights.
He forced his feet forward, operating purely on instinct to reach the bedside.
He collapsed face-first onto the mattress without even taking off his shoes.
The moment his head hit the pillow, his consciousness sank into the deepest, darkest sleep.
That night brought no nightmares, no tossing and turning from pain, and none of the light, restless dreams common among overworked modern youth.
He slept like a stone dropped into the deep ocean—peaceful, quiet, completely unbothered.
Until sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, dyeing the room in a warm golden hue.
Luke opened his eyes naturally.
There was none of his usual morning grogginess or urge to snooze.
A crystal-clear lucidity filled his mind.
His breathing was deep and strong, his chest broad.
His heartbeat was steady and powerful, thumping with vibrant life.
His limbs stretched out effortlessly, feeling as if they held inexhaustible energy…
He let out a long, full-body stretch that almost gave him a cramp.
His joints popped in a soft, satisfying succession, like a machine starved of oil finally receiving a dose of premium lubricant.
“Awesome!” he blurted out, his voice crisp and resonant.
He flipped out of bed with light, fluid grace, entirely free of the agonizing stiffness that had racked his body for the past few days.
He practically bounded into the bathroom, desperate to relieve his bladder after a full night’s buildup.
A stream that lasted over a full minute, dark yellow and slightly green…
When he routinely looked up into the mirror to begin his morning routine, he froze as if struck by a paralysis spell.
The person in the mirror…
who was that?
The face was both familiar and strange.
His skin was no longer the dull, sallow tone he remembered.
It carried a healthy, refined luster, as if years of accumulated urban haze and late-night exhaustion had been wiped clean overnight.
The dark circles and puffiness under his eyes were completely gone, leaving them strikingly bright and lively.
The dark purple bruises on his cheeks from his recent fight had vanished without a trace, leaving his skin smooth.
His crooked nose had straightened out, and his split lips were completely healed.
Even the front tooth that had been knocked out had regrown at some point, white, neat, and good as new.
In disbelief, he leaned close to the mirror for a closer look.
He touched his cheeks; the skin felt firm and elastic.
He pressed on his ribs, shoulders, and back…
Where clubs had beaten him raw, pressing down now met only firm muscle, without a hint of residual soreness.
He even tried a few deep stretches and waist twists—agile, effortless, without the slightest restriction!
What about his nearsightedness?
He whipped his head toward the blurry outlines of distant buildings outside the window…
Clear!
He could even make out the patterns on the clothes hanging to dry on the opposite balcony!
Tinnitus?
He tilted his head to listen: only the faint chirping of morning birds and the calls from the breakfast stall downstairs.
That persistent, faint buzzing brought on by late nights and chronic stress had completely vanished!
He looked down at his body.
The slight belly bulge caused by a sedentary lifestyle and irregular meals had flattened out, leaving the faint outline of abs.
The lines of his arms and thighs looked leaner and firmer, too.
Was his skin…
a shade lighter as well?
Luke was completely baffled.
He fumbled off his underwear and turned on the shower.
As warm water washed over him, he used the steam and stream to inspect himself even more thoroughly.
Yes, it wasn’t a hallucination.
The young man in the mirror was well-proportioned and upright, with clear skin and smooth, natural muscle tone, radiating youthful vitality.
The listlessness and dullness brought on by chronic sub-health and stress were gone from his face.
Sharp features, a straight bridge of the nose, and a confident curve to his lips that had never been there before.
And his hairline?
He brushed back his bangs.
His once-hopeless M-shaped hairline had actually moved forward!
“This…”
Luke shut off the shower, dried off haphazardly, wrapped a towel around his waist, and stepped up to the mirror again, practically pressing his face against the glass.
The guy in the mirror had bright eyes, a clean aura, and even a hint of…
handsome refinement.
Not a delicate, effeminate look, but a bright, healthy, vibrant masculinity.
“Heh-heh-heh…”
A giddy, uncontrollable laugh choked out of his throat, brimming with sheer delight and disbelief.
He pointed at his reflection, his shoulders shaking as he laughed.
“Is this really me?
Did I just turn on max beauty filter plus a full head-swap?!”
He recalled his middle school days when he was considered quite handsome, before schoolwork, jobs, and stress reduced him to a frail, sickly shut-in.
But now, compared to his present self, even his best-filtered middle-school photos would pale in comparison!
“My damn hairline is even back…
Daniel Wu?
Louis Koo?
They’d have to step aside if they saw me!”
“Me outshining them?”
Stroking his chin, he made faces at the mirror, completely drunk on the vanity and satisfaction of this miraculous transformation.
Only after a long while did he cool down from his wild vanity.
Looks like he had grown taller, too!
The power of the system…
was insane.
Just 3 points in Constitution brought about such a total transformation!
It wasn’t just healing his injuries; it was an upgrade to his very life form!
He brought up the system interface again.
Constitution: 7.
Other attributes unchanged.
Free Attribute Points: 0.
“Looks like attribute points must be used carefully, but the results…
are beyond imagination.”
Luke’s eyes blazed with excitement.
With his body returned to peak condition, his language barrier shattered, and the system as his ultimate trump card…
He stared out the window, his gaze piercing through the concrete jungle toward Westeros—a land overflowing with equal parts danger and opportunity.
Last time, he was a desperate fugitive, a survivor relying on luck and madness.
Next time…
Luke clenched his fists, feeling the surging strength in his body and his prime condition.
A cold, confident smirk curled up his lips.