Rosh wakes up with his head spinning, trying to recall what happened the night before. The images of the strange window flashing before his eyes, the skills, the stats—they swirl in his mind like fragments of a dream.
"Was it real? Or just some strange hallucination brought on by fatigue?"
Sitting up in bed, he stares at his hands, still trying to piece it all together. "It couldn't have been real, could it?"
To test it, he hesitantly thinks of the window—just like he did before. He waits for a moment, holding his breath.
And then, just like last night, it appears.
[Status Window]
His heart skips a beat. "So it's real…" he mutters under his breath, eyes wide. His fingers hover in the air as he scrolls through the list of stats and skills: Necromancy, Gravebound, Dominion, Insight. There's no denying it anymore—this is no dream.
He lets out a slow breath, trying to keep calm. He goes through each skill, trying to figure out their use. Necromancy, obviously connected to the awakening from a few days ago.
"The other two, Gravebound and Dominion—both seem tied to the use of summons, which means i can't really test them yet." He mutters.
"But Insight... It's different. It isn't reliant on any external factor like the others. It seems to enhance understanding of magic."
Rosh remembers what the instructor taught in the last class about magic: In order to use abilities effectively, you must first be able to sense and control your mana.
"Let's try it then, I'll use insight... But how do I use it? Do I just think if using it."
he closes his eyes and focuses, following the instructor's instructions. Feel the mana within. Control it. But there's hesitation. The last time he tried to sense his mana, the pain was almost unbearable. "What if it happens again?"
He steels his nerves. Sitting cross-legged, he closes his eyes and reaches inward. The room grows quiet.
After a few minutes of focus, he feels it—a soft, flowing energy within his body. It's subtle, just out of reach, but he can sense it.
And then, just as quickly, the feeling slips away. His concentration falters, and the mana fades from his awareness. He opens his eyes, frustrated. I was so close.
He remembers the instructor's words—how crucial it is to be able to control one's mana. He tries again, determined not to give up.
This time, it takes him less time to feel it again, but once more, his focus breaks and the connection is lost.
"Sighs, this is going to take much more practice than I thought."
Getting up, he readies himself to leave for the institute, still deep in thought. "What even is this status window? Are these skills permanent? Should I rely on them, or will they disappear one day?" The questions flood his mind, lingering as he walks.
Before he knows it, he's arrived at the institute. Other students are already seated when he enters, but Rosh barely notices them as he finds his seat. His thoughts are still wrapped around the strange powers he's discovered.
The instructor walks in, her voice breaking his internal monologue. "We will continue from where we left off yesterday. Our focus remains on mana sensing and control." She briefly recaps the importance of understanding one's mana, reminding them that mastery of magic starts from within.
Rosh closes his eyes along with the rest of the class, ready to start the exercise. This time, he's more prepared.
"What? already" it feels easier to sense the mana inside him, more natural. The energy moves in gentle currents around his chest, and he finds it easier to keep track of its movements.
"Is this because of Insight?" he wonders, recalling the skill's description. He decides to test it, focusing without the skill first. It takes him a bit of effort, but he manages to feel his mana again. Then, he activates Insight. Immediately, it's like a veil is lifted. His senses sharpen, and the mana becomes even clearer, easier to track.
A small smile forms on his lips. This is definitely working.
As the exercise continues, his focus still falters occasionally, but each time he regains control quicker than before. It's a gradual improvement, but noticeable. Now that he can sense the mana more consistently, Rosh decides to take it a step further. What if I can move it?
He concentrates on his hand, willing the mana to flow there. But as he focuses, he realizes something—though he can sense the mana, it won't budge. It keeps flowing in its usual cycle, refusing to obey his will. He tries again, more determined this time, but the result is the same. The energy continues to move around his chest, oblivious to his attempts to redirect it.
Minutes pass, and his frustration grows. He grits his teeth, pushing himself harder, but all he gets in return is exhaustion. His head throbs, and he feels the fatigue set in. Finally, he opens his eyes, feeling defeated.
He glances around and notices the other students still deep in their exercises. A twinge of envy hits him. They're still going. I must be behind… they must have better mana control, more energy. He sighs, assuming he's the only one struggling.
What he doesn't realize is that most of the other students still can't sense their mana at all. They're just sitting there, trying to grasp even the faintest sensation while Rosh has already made more progress than them thanks to his Insight. But he has no idea.
Eventually, the instructor calls for the class to end. Everyone opens their eyes, and Rosh instinctively brings up the status window.
[Status Window]
To his surprise, his skill levels have increased. Insight has jumped to level 3, which he expected. But then he sees it—Necromancy has also leveled up, going from 1 to 2. He stares at it in disbelief. He hadn't even used necromancy, so why did it level up?
His mana stat has also increased, now sitting at 210 when it was 200 before. Confusion takes over. How did necromancy level up? The only thing that changed during the exercise was his ability to sense his mana.
The thought lingers as he closes the window. There's something deeper going on here, something about these skills that's connected to his mana. He's only just begun to unlock the surface of it all.
And with that, he heads to next class, having more questions in his mind.