Chapter 10 - "A Mother's Permission"
The morning sun peeked over the horizon as Eira woke up, feeling a surge of excitement. Today, she planned to visit her mother with a request, though her thoughts were already elsewhere.
"Haaah… I can't take it anymore. I'm signing in today! I'm tired of waiting," she muttered in frustration, her patience finally running thin. With renewed anticipation, she called out, "System, I want to claim my reward now."
[DING!]
[YOU HAVE EXTENDED YOUR ABILITY TO MANIPULATE TIME BY ONE MINUTE.]
[DING! YOU HAVE GAINED AN ADDITIONAL REWARD: COMPLETE ELEMENTAL RESISTANCE.]
[EXTREME COLD: Immune to freezing temperatures.]
[EXTREME HEAT: Protected from burns and heat exhaustion.]
[TORNADOES AND HIGH WINDS: Unaffected by strong winds or debris.]
[LIGHTNING: Resistant to lightning strikes.]
[EARTHQUAKES: Maintains balance and avoids falling debris.]
[WATER AND FLOODS: Resistant to drowning and swift currents.]
"Whaat… This… this is amazing!" Eira gasped, utterly surprised. Though it hadn't been a month, the rewards she received were more than she had hoped for. Eager to check her progress, she said, "Status."
[STATUS SCREEN]
NAME: Eira Nivara
AGE: 12
GENDER: Female
LEVEL: 5
HEIGHT: 4'5" (135 cm)
WEIGHT: 70 lbs (32 kg)
HAIR COLOR: Silver-white
EYE COLOR: Blue
SKIN TONE: Fair
BUILD: Petite and graceful
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STATS
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
STAMINA: 20/20 (Very Low)
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ATTRIBUTES
STRENGTH: 12
AGILITY: 15
INTELLIGENCE: 18
LUCK: 10
CHARM: 99 (MAX)
CONSTITUTION: 10
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PHYSIQUE
Elemental Fleetness: Enhanced speed on icy terrain; +2 Agility and MP regeneration during thunderstorms.
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BLOODLINE
Frostwarden Legacy (Awakened): Grants innate ice magic affinity and resilience to cold-based attacks.
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ABILITIES
TIME CONTROL (RARE): Manipulate time with extended duration (1 minute).
Effects: Pause, rewind, or fast-forward time for 1 minute.
Cooldown: 24 hours.
MP Cost: None.
Status: Unlocked.
COMPLETE ELEMENTAL RESISTANCE:
Extreme Cold: Immune to freezing temperatures.
Extreme Heat: Protected from burns and heat exhaustion.
Tornadoes and High Winds: Unaffected by strong winds or debris.
Lightning: Resistant to lightning strikes.
Earthquakes: Maintains balance and avoids falling debris.
Water and Floods: Resistant to drowning and swift currents.
CHARMING AURA: Naturally attracts positive attention due to maxed Charm stat.
QUICK THINKER: Enhanced decision-making due to high Intelligence.
FROST EMBRACE: Increases ice magic effectiveness by 10% and boosts HP recovery near ice.
THUNDEROUS PRESENCE: Heightens agility in stormy conditions, raising Agility by 5%.
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EQUIPMENT
WEAPON: None
ARMOR: None
ACCESSORY: Ring of Frost (+5 ICE magic affinity)
---
"Kyaa! Thank you, system… or rather, thank you, Universe Authority System!" Eira laughed to herself, her soft voice echoing happily in the room. Now feeling thrilled, she composed herself, remembering her plan to ask her mother for permission to go out with Lindy.
---
On the other side of the palace, Seraphina sat in her office, absentmindedly stamping documents. She found herself staring out the window, her mind wandering. "Why hasn't Eira visited me?" she murmured to herself. "It's lonely here without her rolling on the floor stubbornly… ever since she awakened, she's changed so much." Though her face remained calm, her heart ached slightly with the emptiness Eira had left in her daily life.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching, a familiar rhythm that brought a faint smile to her lips. Rising quickly, Seraphina went to the door, hoping her daughter would think it was merely a coincidence.
After a few minutes of walking, Eira arrived at her mother's office, feeling a bit nostalgic. She reached for the handle, but to her surprise, the door opened before she could even touch it. There stood her mother, her expression cool and unreadable.
"Ma… mom," Eira stammered, then quickly added, "Are you going out?"
"No, I was just looking for something I misplaced," Seraphina replied smoothly, glancing at Eira. "Come in. What do you need?"
Eira hesitated, shuffling her feet nervously. "I… I wanted to ask if I could go to the capital with Lindy. I've been feeling a bit bored staying here all the time," she admitted, her voice soft.
Seraphina raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Eira's sudden maturity. But to Eira, her mother's response sounded as cold as usual. "You want to go out?" she repeated, masking her surprise.
"Yes, Mom… please?" Eira replied earnestly. Seraphina couldn't help but notice that Eira wasn't whining or stamping her feet like she usually did. In fact, she seemed to have grown in ways Seraphina hadn't anticipated.
"Alright," Seraphina said after a moment, her calm tone hiding a hint of warmth. "Take Suzu with you, so you won't get into any trouble."
Eira's face brightened immediately. "Thank you, Mom!" She ran over to the nearest chair, jumping up onto it eagerly. Seraphina, understanding what was about to happen, walked over, gently placing her hand on Eira's hair.
With a happy sigh, Eira leaned forward, placing a small kiss on her mother's forehead, just as she had always done. The familiar affection filled Seraphina's heart with warmth, though she managed to keep her expression composed.
"Smooch!" Eira giggled, hopping off the chair afterward. "Thanks again, Mom! I'll go get ready now!" she said excitedly, giving a quick bow before dashing toward the door.
Seraphina watched as her daughter opened the heavy door and ran off, her heart feeling unexpectedly full.
---
Meanwhile, Eira hurried toward the kitchen, knowing she'd likely find Lindy there. Even though the palace was large, she had spent enough time wandering it as a child to know her way around.
She soon arrived at a bustling room filled with maids chatting together. "Um… is Lindy here?" Eira asked in her sweetest voice, immediately drawing the attention of the maids.
"Lady Eira! Welcome!" they all greeted in unison, giving her a warm smile. One of them nodded, volunteering to fetch Lindy.
A few minutes later, Lindy appeared, following the maid who had gone to call her. She spotted Eira and approached, smiling. "What's wrong, Lady Eira?"
"Hehe, I came to tell you that we're going to the capital together!" Eira announced, earning surprised looks from the maids nearby.