บท 9: Hope | Status Screen
Harry's legs felt like they were made of lead as he trudged alongside the others.
It had been at least an hour since they had managed to escape the monsters on the rock face. They had been moving steadily, taking short rests whenever they could, but everyone was starting to show signs of fatigue. The weight of the situation, combined with the exhaustion of their ordeal, was beginning to take its toll.
Ahead of him, he could see Mr. Thompson, his arm still wrapped in a makeshift sling, grimacing with each step but pushing forward with unwavering determination.
The teacher with glasses, whom Harry had helped earlier, was now leaning heavily on Ms. Reed. Her face was etched with worry, her breaths coming in short, labored gasps. It seems like they were close, considering they were a woman and a man.
Beside him, Harry noticed the girls in their group slowing down considerably. They were clearly exhausted, their steps sluggish and unsteady. One of them stumbled, and Mr. Avery quickly reached out to steady her. He was clearly tired as well, but he tried to put on a brave face, offering words of encouragement.
"We're almost there," Mr. Avery said, his voice hoarse but steady. "Just a little bit further."
They all knew he was trying to keep everyone's spirits up, but Harry could tell that the whole group was on the verge of collapse.
Their lips were dry and cracked, a clear sign of dehydration, and Harry's own stomach growled loudly, reminding him that they hadn't eaten since morning.
'This whole thing just needed to happen before lunch; just our luck.' Harry cursed inwardly.
Then he cast a glance back over his shoulder, scanning the path behind them. They had been lucky so far; they hadn't encountered any more of the creatures since their escape, but he knew they couldn't rely on luck forever.
The Endwalkers and the smaller creatures had shown they were capable of coordinating an ambush, and Harry was sure they wouldn't give up that easily. He was also sure the ones they met weren't the only monsters here.
As they reached a small clearing, Harry saw the faint outline of a medium-sized circular base or town in the distance.
They had spotted it from the rock soon after their escape, and it had given them a sense of direction, a destination to aim for. But now that they were closer, Harry couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that was creeping up on him.
Harry's mind began to race, drawing on all the knowledge he had accumulated from countless hours spent reading comics, web novels, and watching anime. In situations like this, it was never as easy as just finding a safe place. There were always traps, ambushes, or some kind of twist that made everything even more dangerous.
'Even if we manage to get there,' he thought, 'there's no guarantee that place is safe. What if it's already been overrun by monsters? Or worse, what if it's a trap set by the system or whatever is behind this whole thing?' He glanced around at the others, who were all too focused on putting one foot in front of the other to notice his concern.
Harry knew he needed to keep his head in the game. If things were really playing out like some twisted version of the games and stories he loved, then they would have to be ready for anything. He decided to check his status window again, something he had figured out how to do not long after his conversation with Mr. Thompson.
At first, he had tried all sorts of phrases, muttering under his breath as he walked. "Open sesame," "Status," "Open Status," "Status Open," and so on. It had taken several tries, each attempt growing more frustrated than the last, but eventually, he had found the right words.
"Show Status!" he said in his mind, and the status window appeared before him, hovering in his line of sight like a holographic display. He had been so excited that he had nearly tripped over his own feet. A small message had popped up at the same time, adding to his elation.
[You have learned how to open your Status Window.]
[You have gained 1 AP.]
[Your Intelligence has increased by 1.]
Harry had felt a swell of pride at the notification. It wasn't much, but it was something. It proved that he was on the right track, that he could figure things out in this strange new world. And if intelligence points were being handed out for things like that, maybe he wasn't as clueless as he had thought.
Now, as he opened his status window again, he took a moment to look over his stats. His heart pounded with anticipation as the familiar blue screen appeared before him.
---
[Status Window]
Name: Harry Parker
Health and Stamina:
• HP: 12/15
• SP: 7/15
• AP: 7
Core Attributes:
• Agility: 8.3
• Intelligence: 9
---
Harry quickly scanned through his status screen. His eyes lingered on the numbers under his health and stamina, trying to make sense of them.
HP: 12/15
SP: 7/15
He frowned. He had a rough idea that HP stood for health points and SP for stamina points, but he had no real understanding of how they worked. Did they measure his actual physical condition? Or were they some abstract representation of his overall endurance and vitality? And how did they regenerate? Did he need to rest, eat, or drink? Was there some kind of magic involved, given the bizarre situation they found themselves in?
As he pondered, Harry realized his current stamina was lower than his health. His SP was less than half full, while his HP was only a few points short of maximum. That made sense, he supposed; they had been walking for a long time, and the stress and effort of escaping those monsters would have drained his stamina.
But if his health was still relatively high, did that mean he hadn't been seriously injured during their escape? Or was it possible that HP wasn't solely about physical injury? Could it also include mental fatigue or emotional stress? He shook his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the questions. He knew he'd have to figure it out eventually, but right now, he needed to focus on their immediate survival.
Harry shifted his gaze to the core attributes, noting the two entries listed.
Agility: 8.3
Intelligence: 9
Why were only his Agility and Intelligence showing? He knew there had to be more to it. In every game and story he'd read, there were always multiple attributes—Strength, Endurance, Wisdom, Luck, and so on. But here, he only had two.
He thought back to the messages he had received from the system. Both his Agility and Intelligence had increased at some point—his Agility from that desperate sprint up the rock face and his Intelligence when he figured out how to open his status window.
Could it be that the system only displayed the attributes that had been modified or revealed in some way?
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