He forced a smile on his face and turned to the others.
" Guys, what scores are you getting on your attributes?"
The hall had turned unnaturally quiet for a while now as everyone inspected their status windows, but despite that he had to call out a second time to grab their attention due to how focused they were.
"Hmm?" Diane raised her head, her furrowed brows slowly loosening up. "Both my strength and physique are a five, my agility is a ten, my intelligence and perception are both at eighteen, while my balance and coordination is a nineteen".
'Hehehe'
He raised an eyebrow at the others, " What about you guys?"
Justin adjusted his glasses with a finger while still glancing at his front, obviously still reading his status window.
"Mine aren't that impressive," he said. "Apart from my intelligence being at twenty, and my perception being at thirty, the others are just at eight, " he gave an innocent shrug. " Honestly compared to yours I find myself a bit lacking"
The corner of Dean's eyes twitched, 'That cheeky bastard, where did he learn to be so narcissistic, surely it doesn't come from home, whoever the bastard is he must pay... yes he has to pay for corrupting my little bro'
"Bwahaha," Richard laughed uproariously. "As expected of you wussies, now witness the stats of a real man, " he raised his head arrogantly. " Both my strength and physique are at twenty, hahaha how's that for a real man, even balance and stuff is at fifteen ... as for the other two... who needs then anyways, all a real man needs are strength and muscles, let your fist do the talking".
" Pfft, " Justin smirked. " I bet you ten grand those stats are a zero".
" Fuck off weakling, " Richard was furious. "It's a one, moron. How's that, pretty smart right. Bet you didn't see that one coming did ya".
There was a sudden pause as everyone exchanged gazes, then...
" Pfft!"
"Hahaha!"
Dean shook his head, "It's not like anyone ever accused you of possessing brains".
" Hahaha, " Justin clutched his stomach with a hand, barely remaining standing. "Just look at his face - ahahaha - the pride... dear God ... I can't... I can't... hahaha... "
" Why you little, " Richard clenched his fists, his teeth gritted and his face twisted in anger. "Get over here! Wait till I get my hands on you..."
"Hahaha, dumbass".
Dean shook his head with an amused expression.
"Shea... why aren't you saying anything?"
Ever since they had arrived wherever this place was, Shea outgoing and domineering personality had been subdued.
It made him uncomfortable seeing her so weak and shy, she was like a totally different person from the menace who had made life so difficult for him back on earth.
Dean frowned, it was obvious she was scared. Her hand was trembling in his and all of a sudden she seemed so small.
Dean swallowed, then he managed to force out a smile, "It's okay, I'm here".
"Big brother..."
Her eyes brightened a bit and then she nodded.
"My stats are a bit..." she quivered.
"It's okay, go on," he smiled. "What's wrong with your stats?"
" It's not wrong per say, " she frowned looking genuinely confused. "I'd say it's weird, at least compared to you guys".
" Hmm?" now he was truly curious. " How so"
" This..."
" It's alright".
"M-my strength and physique are both at three, while my agility is a five and my balance and coordination is also a five, but... "
" Hmm? " Dean pondered, those stats weren't surprising, in fact they were just what you would expect from someone of her stature. "What about your intelligence and perception?"
"It says here," she paused for a while. " They are both at fifty".
"... "
"... "
"... "
"... "
Shea turned towards him, her eyebrows trembling innocently, " Big brother, am I alright?"
"F-fifty?... damnit and I thought mine was impressive," Justin sighed.
" That should be impossible right... right?" Richard scratched his head.
" Hmm... " Dean pondered.
Although not as freakish as his, Shea's stats truly seemed abnormal. Earlier, he had already deduced the average stats a normal person should possess, this was a deduction he had pieced together through a well of experience in similar scenarios - light novels, animes and mangas.
If he was correct, the average man had a cap of ten on each of his stats, and only those exceptional could raise it past their limits... without outside influence.
But that might not be the case for them, he had noticed the existence of EXP from the status window, which meant that each and every one of them could easily push those limits apart through grinding.
This was why Shea's stats were astonishing, the initial stats assessment was a clear reflection of their inherent prowess. Richard was a swole muscle freak hence his high STR and PHY but poor value in other areas, Justin was still developing into a male adult which was why his STR and PHY were below average but he made up for it in other areas.
Meanwhile, Diane's and Shea's poor STR and PHY stats could thus be attributed to their gender.
So it was obvious to see that despite possessing some poor stats in some areas one would also possess an aspect of two where they flourished, but Shea... her INT and PER stats - which were her best points - were overly astonishing.
You might have even called her overpowered...
'If it weren't for me, ' he smirked.
His original fears had been laid to rest, he had now confirmed it, he now knew with absolute certainty that...
' I am an absolute genius '
A wide shit-eating grin nearly split his face in two.
"Hahaha..."
"..."
"Um... is he okay?" Richard distanced himself a bit.
"Just ignore him," Justin shook his head. "He's just..."
He trailed off, his status window taking his attention once more.
"Fascinating... truly fascinating.... the idea that just a single screen could sum me up in my entirety..." he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "... truly fascinating... "
Richard blinked, " Um... are you okay?"
He received no answer from the creep.
" But, big brother, " Shea's hand carefully prodded his. " What about yours? "
At that all their ears perked up, and they closed the distance.
"I want to know too babe".
"Yeah tell us, big bro," Justin nodded. "What are your stats, and your affinity too".
Their eyes brightened as they looked at him expectantly.
" Hahaha, " he smirked, his stupid grin growing impossibly wider. "If I must, I guess I have no choice but to unveil the stats of a great be - "
" And your affinity too, " Richard chipped in. " Whatever that is, mine is... metal? "
'Huh?! ' Dean's face froze.
" Metal... " he mumbled.
' Wait! ' He shook visibly as a startling but horrifying thought flashed in his mind.
"Babe?"
"Ice," she nodded.
"Ice..." he mused, his stupid grin already halved.
He stiffly turned towards his little brother.
"Jus?"
"Hmm...." Justin didn't immediately answer, his fingers massaged his jaw as he focused on what was obviously his status window.
"Hmm..."
"Just spit it out already," Dean hissed.
"Alright, alright, " he raised his hands innocently. " It's darkness... "
GASP
" Darkness! "
" And... " he revealed a wide face splitting, shit-eating grin that nearly split his whole face in two, not much unlike a certain someone earlier.
Dean suddenly felt goosebumps as a terrible premonition gripped him.