[Aethel, Nefta Village - The Whispering Woods]
I stood there in the dappled sunlight of the Whispering Woods, staring at the glowing blue screen that had reappeared before my eyes.
The words on the screen sent a jolt of excitement through me.
[The Following Gifts Have Awakened: Essence of Magic (EOM), Essence of God's Gift (EOGG), Divine Eyes of Convergence (DEOC)]
Woah... seriously? I thought, barely able to contain my excitement.
I hadn't realized that what I was seeing during my fight with the wolvens were the actual powers I had inherited from my family.
The System's voice continued, calm and reassuring.
[These Gifts are inherent to your bloodline. You are fully capable of using them, but with limitations due to your age and current level of development.]
[The Information on these Gifts will be provided.]
The screen flickered, and the first gift's details filled my vision:
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[Gift 1: Divine Eyes of Convergence (LV. 1)]
These eyes possess the extraordinary ability to perceive the natural flow of mana, allowing you to discern the origin and trajectory of an opponent's attack, as well as its speed and intended target. But they offer more than just a glimpse into the world of mana; you can also read the reserves, sharpness, and potency of a person's mana.
Moreover, these eyes will allow the user to cast special techniques, as well as perceive the colours of emotion, granting insights into the thoughts and feelings of others.
This also comes with accelerated mana recovery, allowing them to replenish energy reserves more quickly.
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I blinked, trying to absorb all this information.
It was like having x-ray vision for magic!
No wonder I could see those weird lines and colours during the fight.
The screen shifted again, revealing the next gift:
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[Gift 2: Essence of Magic (LV. 1)]
This ability enables the user to utilize and control their magic at its absolute peak, regardless of their physical or mental state. The impact and force of their magic are amplified to a level where the damage and destructive power are doubled when compared to that of a High-Grade Mage or High-Grade Swordsman.
By granting the highest possible proficiency in mana manipulation, the user can maximize the output of their attacks and techniques, achieving unprecedented levels of power and efficiency.
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A grin spread across my face. Double the power of a High-Grade Mage?
That's insane! I might be just a kid, but with this kind of power, I could be unstoppable.
The final gift flickered onto the screen:
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[Gift 3: Essence of God's Gift (LV. 1)]
The user is endowed with an incredibly durable body, capable of withstanding powerful, potentially lethal attacks. Their body possesses high-grade mana sharpness and potency, granting exceptional resilience and power.
Additionally, they possess immense physical strength. However, this impressive physique comes at a cost: their mana reserves are average at best, comparable to those of a typical mage.
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"Whoa,"
I whispered, my eyes widening.
A super-tough body and super strength?
This was like something out of a comic book!
Though the bit about average mana reserves was a bit of a bummer.
I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by the sheer potential within me. The world in this novel was filled with danger, but now... now I had a chance to be a part of it.
To witness the rise of the hero, Kaelan, and the challenges he would face.
Surely, I'd be good enough to enter Aethel Academy now, right?
Eh... but that won't be for a while.
And to my knowledge, I know next to nothing about manifesting mana since it seems to happen on a whim.
For now, I should just head back and act like a normal child. It's not like I can go around punching trees and screaming "I have the power!"
I quickly dusted the dirt off me and took a few steps towards the village, eager to show my mother my new abilities.
But then, a strange thing happened.
WHOOOOOSH!!!!
A gust of wind slammed into me, nearly knocking me off my feet.
It wasn't the gentle breeze that had been rustling the leaves moments ago; this was a forceful push as if the wind itself was telling me to turn back.
"It's kind of windy today, isn't it?"
I muttered to myself, trying to brush it off as a random gust.
WHOOOOOSH!!!!
"...turn back..."
But as I continued towards the village, the wind grew stronger, buffeting me from the side and pushing me back towards the woods.
"Alright, alright!" I shouted, throwing my hands up in mock surrender.
"I don't know what this wind is about, but it's definitely trying to tell me something."
This was seriously weird.
I'd never seen anything like it before.
What could be out there that the wind was so desperate to keep me away from?
The wind seemed to calm down a bit.
It swirled around me, guiding me down a narrow path that I hadn't noticed before.
Intrigued, I decided to follow the wind's lead.
After all, it couldn't be any worse than a pack of hungry wolvens, right?
The path led me deeper into the Whispering Woods, twisting and turning through the trees.
The sunlight faded, replaced by the dappled shadows of the dense canopy.
The air grew cooler, and the sounds of the forest seemed to amplify, each rustle of the leaves.
But the wind remained my constant companion, guiding me through the maze of trees and underbrush.
Eventually, it led me to a small clearing, a hidden oasis of tranquility amidst the wild forest.
A crystal-clear pond shimmered in the centre of the clearing, its surface reflecting the sunlight through the leaves.
And just beyond the pond, beneath the shade of a gnarled oak tree, sat a figure.
They were about my size, their body cloaked in a brown hooded robe that concealed their features.
I wondered why someone would be out here in such a place, so I decided to walk forward to find out.
"Hello?" I called out for them across the river.
The figure turned their head slowly, with their face hidden in the shadows of their hood.
But even from a distance, I could sense their gaze upon me, like a gentle breeze brushing against my skin.
The wind had led me here for a reason.
But what that reason was, I had yet to discover.