The Diamond Extra

In this world, there existed a phenomenon known as Enlightenment. It was one of the most fundamental requirements—if not the first step—toward becoming a true hero. Enlightenment occurred when someone broke through their personal limits, experiencing a moment of clarity that transformed how they viewed their abilities and the world around them.

All active-duty heroes had experienced it. Most cadets, however, hadn't. Enlightenment required years of experience, intense training, and a moment of extreme self-awareness. Still, there were rare exceptions—like Saul Mayne and Louis Hall. Both had reportedly achieved Enlightenment at 15 and 17, respectively.

Through Enlightenment, one could perceive their own talents—known as Gifts—alongside their skills, stats, and affinities. This personalized awareness was called the Status Window, but it was visible only to its owner. In special cases, however, the medium used to display this information could vary.

For some, it was their eyes. For others, a sword or artifact. For me? It was... a laptop.

"...Is this it?" I muttered.

According to the system's design, this laptop acted as the medium for my Enlightenment. A rare variant. My instincts buzzed with excitement, but I forced myself to stay focused. I pressed the Enter key, and a cascade of windows filled the screen.

---

[Linking Complete.]

[Paul Wayne's old stats have been erased. Transferring new configuration...]

[All stats reset. You've earned 11 free points.]

---

> [Paul Wayne – SP: 64]

▷ Variable Stats: Strength: 1.2

Stamina: 1.3

Speed: 1.5

Perception: 2

Vitality: 1.3

Magic Power: 1

▷ Innate Stats: Intelligence: 4.105/10

Perseverance: 5.010/10

Luck: 6.330/10

Charm: 4.135/10

---

[Points: 10 – Will expire if unused within a few days.]

---

"Reset, huh?" I murmured.

My eyes lingered on the phrase. Reset didn't just mean I was starting over. It meant my stats had been recalibrated—and that the question mark blocking my system before had vanished. Still, I didn't panic. The 10 bonus points were compensation for the downgrade.

"Ten points... should I dump them into Magic Power?"

That would raise it to 11, putting me above the average magician cadet. But that idea quickly died. Being a mage wasn't just about having high Magic Power. It required advanced spellwork, deep theoretical knowledge, and painful training regimens. Not to mention, it demanded high Intelligence and Perseverance—both invariable stats.

"Scratch that. I'm not trying to melt my brain."

My eyes wandered down.

> ▷ Gift: ??? ▷ Arts: ??? ??? ??? ▷ Supplement: Setting Chart

"...What's with the question marks?"

> ▷ ??? — Will unlock when the Main Quest is completed.

Another wall. I had no idea what the Main Quest was or how to complete it. It could take weeks. Months. Years. I clenched my jaw.

"Alright. Let's go one step at a time. Focus on what I can control."

That meant stats and Gifts.

I clicked into the Gift creation tab. I had one free chance to create a Gift worth 10,000 SP—something that would normally take years to earn.

Gifts were like natural-born talents, but supercharged. They came in five major categories: weapon-based, physical, elemental, magical, and nature-related. Some people even had two.

For example, Saul Mayne had awakened the weapon-class Gift Sword God. That alone placed him under the world's protection. His sword could slice water. No exaggeration.

The impact of a Gift couldn't be understated. It was the difference between average and exceptional. Simplicity and functionality were key.

My first idea:

> ▷ Gift: Getting Stronger Every Day [Null Attribute] Every day, all stats increase by 0.1.

"Not bad."

365 days would give me +36.5 in every stat. I submitted it.

---

[Novice Bonus activated. Attempting to create a Gift worth 10,000 SP...]

[Error: Gift exceeds 10,000 SP. Quality will be reduced.]

> ▷ Modified Result: All stats increase by 0.0015 every 24 hours.

"Rejected."

That would take forever. I'd be a grandpa before I saw real growth.

Next.

> ▷ Gift: Master Sharpshooter [Null Attribute] Grants proficiency in all ranged weapons.

I hit enter.

---

[Novice Bonus activated. Gift creation successful.]

[Reward: Two Bonus Perks Granted.]

1. Miles Eyes

2. Bullet Sense

---

> ▷ Master Sharpshooter [High-Grade Rank] [Static]

— Unmatched mastery of all long-range weapons.

— Miles Eyes: View targets at great distance. Predict their movement with high accuracy. Increases perception and speed.

— Bullet Sense: Once per 24 hours, you may enter a temporary state of accelerated perception and reaction for 3 minutes.

"Not bad..."

It sounded a bit like a character I read on a novel 's old Bullet Time ability, but distinct. More refined. Still, I wanted more.

I edited it.

---

> ▷ Master Sharpshooter [Evolving Gift – Grade EX] [Current: Low-Grade]

EXP: 0%

— Increases with use and familiarity. Can grow infinitely.

— Miles Eyes: Long-distance vision and slight movement prediction.

— Bullet Sense During combat, once per day, enter bullet perception mode for 3 minutes.

---

The rank dropped, and the skills weakened—but in exchange, it became an evolving Gift. That was much better in the long run.

Next? Stats.

I had 10 precious points left. Variable stats only—but what if…

"I convert points into System point (SP) and spend them on innate stats?"

"Innate Stats," huh? Those were the ones that defined your core self. Intelligence, Perseverance, Luck, and Charm—qualities you couldn't easily grind or boost. They only grew with life, choices, or fate. That's what made them so powerful. And so hard to change.

It was risky, but worth a shot. I already had 64 System point (SP). I tried raising my Perseverance stat.

Diamond training levels are very hard so that would be good.

---

[64 System Point (SP) consumed. Perseverance increased randomly: 5.010 → 5.060.]

"It worked!"

Excited, I converted my 10 points into 10,000 SP and chose to invest in the most broken stat—Luck.

Luck controlled everything. Training bonuses. Drop rates. Critical strikes. Even real-world events.

---

[SP spent: 9000. Luck raised to 9.1/10.]

[Mysterious luck effects triggered: +0.01, +0.05, +0.03… Final Luck: 9.100]

---

With my remaining 1000 SP, I boosted Perseverance to 7.2.

A big leap.

But just as I was about to celebrate—

---

[System Error: Innate stats may no longer be modified using SP.]

"What?"

An invisible force had patched the exploit. Maybe the world itself was pushing back.

"Tch."

Annoying—but fair. I'd already pushed my limits far enough, "Yelling wouldn't change anything. I already got what I wanted."

I shut the laptop and grinned. And the floating system window faded with a soft flicker."

Let's see what these stats are really worth."