Chapter 4 – Status Panel
"Skills… proficiency… attributes… levels… and these so-called 'specializations.'"
"So basically, these are the core elements of my golden finger? The foundation that'll decide whether I live or die in this world?"
The night sky shimmered above him, stars scattered like frost across the heavens.
A waning moon hung high, its pale light spilling over the rippling surface of the river.
Mist drifted like silver smoke across the water.
Podrick sat on a rock behind a thicket by the riverbank, his feet soaking in the cool current.
Bathed in moonlight and starlight, he savored the rare peace of having a moment to himself.
As he enjoyed the cool air brushing against his face, he focused on the glowing interface hovering before his eyes — something only he could see.
To be honest, the [Life Online System] looked pathetically simple — like an old text-based game that barely took up a few megabytes.
The only thing that felt remotely "real" about it was this panel that appeared whenever he willed it to.
Yet, this humble panel — and its few sparse menus — together formed the mysterious [Life Online System].
A strange, minimalist gift… and his one lifeline in the deadly world of A Song of Ice and Fire.
As for the rest?
He — Calvin, now living as Podrick Payne — was certain of two things:
The system was real.
And the transmigration was real.
"What a goddamn joke of a life," he muttered bitterly.
He picked up a small stone and tossed it toward a nearby patch of bushes, from where giggles and the unmistakable sounds of intimate recreation had been drifting all night.
A curse came back in response.
"System."
At his word, the translucent panel blinked open again, scrolling with neat lines of text — the familiar black characters floating against the night.
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[Life Online System – May you climb to the peak of life!]
"Every trace you leave behind will shape the story of your life."
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[Character Information]
Name: Podrick Payne
Age: 12
Level: Lv.5 (112 / 150 EXP)
Status: Noble – Squire
Unassigned Attribute Points: 4
Strength: 3 +
Agility: 4 +
Constitution: 4 (+0.8) +
Intelligence: 8 +
Perception: 5 +
Charisma: 7 (Special Attribute – Cannot be increased manually)
Luck: 8 → 9 (Special Attribute – Cannot be increased manually)
Current State: Alert, Slightly Fatigued
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[Talent]
Gifted Anomaly:
Your abilities differ subtly — and powerfully — from others.
This is your unique gift, the core of your potential. You may draw strength from it… or perhaps, find a way to awaken it in others.
Note: Geniuses often bloom in strange places. Use this gift more often — or, if you dare, test it upon someone else.
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[Specialization]
Tenacity:
Your constitution has been permanently enhanced by 20%.
You gain resistance to pain, illness, fatigue, poison, death effects, curses, and magic — and a small chance to completely negate such harm.
Note: Your body and spirit are as unyielding as iron. The only thing that can defeat you now… might just be the author's pen.
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[Skills]
Animal Handling Lv.1 (Proficiency 17 / 100)
You can more easily earn the trust of animals.
Note: If charm doesn't work… maybe try brute strength.
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Podrick grinned faintly as he read through the text.
"Good. Spirited, aren't we?"
He let out a soft chuckle.
"Looks like the future might not be so hopeless after all."
The silver river murmured at his feet.
Somewhere in the distance, campfires flickered like dying stars, and the war drums of the Lannisters echoed faintly through the night.
For the first time since waking in this brutal world, Podrick Payne felt the faintest spark of confidence stir in his chest.
Everything displayed on the panel was now before him.
Podrick skimmed through it from top to bottom, then nodded with quiet satisfaction.
After a full day of trial and error, he'd finally gotten a decent grasp on how his so-called "system" actually worked.
First — the basics: each time he leveled up, he earned one free attribute point.
Simple enough. Nothing mysterious there.
As for experience points, he'd more or less figured out how they scaled.
If his calculations were correct, the experience required to reach the next level was equal to the previous total, plus ten times the current level.
For example—
Level 1 → 2 required just 10 EXP.
Level 2 → 3 required 10 + (2 × 10) = 30 EXP.
Level 3 → 4 required 30 + (3 × 10) = 60 EXP.
Level 4 → 5 required 60 + (4 × 10) = 100 EXP.
And so on — an ever-growing arithmetic climb.
Now that he was Level 5, reaching Level 6 would require 100 + (5 × 10) = 150 EXP.
As for that sudden 200 EXP he'd gained earlier… that had been just enough to fill the progress bars for his first four levels — resulting in four rapid level-ups and four free attribute points.
In short, leveling up was crucial.
But that raised a bigger question —
Where exactly did experience come from?
After a day of careful observation, Podrick had his answer.
It came from… living.
Just like the line written at the top of the interface:
["Every trace you leave behind will shape the story of your life."]
That was the core mechanic of the [Life Online System].
To gain experience, he had to live his life — to act, to think, to feel, to grow.
Basically… he had to experience life itself.
For example: feeding horses, brushing them, shoveling manure — all the stable chores he'd done today had earned him a total of 12 EXP.
These small points had appeared randomly throughout the day, triggered after each completed task.
But there was also that one-time 100 EXP reward he'd received earlier — that one was special.
It had come from the moment he unlocked a new skill: [Animal Handling].
It had all started with Lord Kevan Lannister's mare — a proud, temperamental beast that had nearly kicked him to death.
Desperate to avoid dying so soon after transmigrating, Podrick had calmed her down with soft words and careful gestures.
And then, the system chimed in:
[You've shown genuine empathy toward the creature before you and successfully soothed its fear, preventing it from attacking.]
[Congratulations! You've earned the trust of "the horse."]
[You've gained insight into life and learned the skill: [Animal Handling].]
[Experience +100 EXP.]
As for what terrified the poor mare so much?
That was, of course, thanks to the mountain clansmen's brilliant idea of loudly sharpening their axes right beside the stables.
Podrick sighed.
"So… to grow stronger through this 'Life Online System,' I have to keep trying new things — not just slack off."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"More precisely… I have to experience life."
"If I want to grow faster, I need to take every task seriously — treat it as a chance to learn or comprehend something. That's how I'll unlock skills, or even special insights, and earn real experience."
"Not just waste time on trivial chores all day for a few pity points."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"And those skills — even the specializations — make me stronger. Like [Tenacity]. That one's already boosted my endurance by twenty percent."
"Which means… it's time to test my theory."
A spark of excitement flickered in his eyes as he turned to glance back toward the distant campfires.
"I can't access much right now," he murmured, "but… a simple test should do."
The corner of his mouth curved upward.
He waved a hand, and the glowing numbers on his panel shifted.
The four unassigned points dropped to zero.
[Strength: 3 → 5]
[Agility: 4 → 5]
[Constitution: 4 → 5 (+1)]
As the update confirmed, a faint warmth coursed through his limbs — subtle but unmistakable.
His muscles tightened, his breathing steadied, and for the first time since waking up in this brutal world, Podrick Payne felt a tangible sense of control over his own fate.
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