"Looks like you're a Blue Mage."
Lancer leaned back in the chair, staring at the glowing blue on the scroll. "So... what does being a Blue Mage mean, exactly?"
Livia waved her hand dismissively. "Not much. There are plenty of them around."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Should I be... disappointed?"
Livia didn't seem to hear him, her expression suddenly shifting to something wistful. "Now, if it had been Silver Mage... that would have been amazing."
"Silver Mage?" Lancer asked, his curiosity piqued.
Before Livia could answer, Selene cut in, rolling her eyes. "Stop being delusional, Livia."
Lancer frowned. "Why? What's so special about it?"
Selene glanced at him, then sighed as if humoring a child. "Silver is the rarest magic type. There's hardly anyone alive with it. Anyone who has it is instantly famous across the world."
"Exactly," Livia agreed, clasping her hands together like she was imagining some grand adventure. "It's legendary!"
Lancer couldn't help but smirk at their contrasting reactions. "Well, sorry to disappoint."
Livia snapped out of her reverie and waved her hand again. "It's fine. You're not done yet, anyway." She flipped the scroll over and slid it toward him. "Now, read this."
Lancer stared at the scroll, his stomach sinking. The letters on it were completely unfamiliar—strange, intricate symbols he couldn't even begin to understand. "Uh... about that—"
[Conditions met for magic activation.]
The sudden voice in his head made him freeze. His heart skipped a beat as it continued:
[Skill acquired: Otherworlder's Blessing.]
Lancer's eyes widened as the symbols on the scroll shimmered. Before his very eyes, they rearranged themselves, morphing into English words.
"What the...?" he muttered under his breath, staring as the text glowed briefly before vanishing altogether.
Both Selene and Livia noticed his reaction. "What's wrong?" Selene asked, her tone cautious.
Lancer hesitated, his mind racing. "It's... nothing," he said quickly. "I could read it. It just... disappeared."
Livia narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but shrugged. "Well, that's normal. The scroll's only meant to be used once. Guess you're officially a Blue Mage now. Congratulations or whatever."
Lancer nodded slowly, still reeling from the sudden interruption in his mind.
As they stepped out of the guild, Selene turned to Lancer with a casual shrug. "You can come back in two days for your card. That way, no one will bother you at the gates anymore."
Lancer nodded, trying to process everything. "Got it."
Livia, still behind the counter, rolled up the scroll and glanced at them. "Don't forget, two days."
As they walked back into the bustling streets, Selene suddenly stopped and turned to him. "You remember how to get back to the house, right?"
Lancer blinked, caught off guard. "Uh..."
"Good," Selene interrupted, not waiting for an actual answer. Before he could say anything else, she darted off, weaving effortlessly through the crowd until she was completely out of sight.
Lancer sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Great. Now I'm going to get lost."
He started walking in what he hoped was the right direction, his mind still swirling with thoughts. Otherworlder's Blessing. What did that even mean?
As if on cue, the voice spoke again, its calm tone cutting through his thoughts.
[Otherworlder's Blessing is a unique set of abilities designed to help individuals from other worlds adapt quickly to their new environment. For example, it has been active in the background, automatically translating this world's language for you.]
Lancer stopped in his tracks. "Wait... you've been translating everything this whole time?"
[Correct.]
His head spun. He hadn't even realized how natural the conversations felt, despite the foreign letters on signs and documents. "Okay, that's... helpful, I guess. What else can you do?"
[Would you like to access your personal information?]
Lancer hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, sure."
In an instant, a translucent blue screen appeared in front of him, hovering in the air.
NAME: LANCER DOT
LVL: 1
TYPE: MATHEMATICS
MAG: 100
"Mathematics?" Lancer muttered, staring at the word. "What does that mean?"
The moment he asked, his vision shifted. The world around him seemed to blur and then sharpen, focusing on the cart parked ahead of him. He saw it as though it were a 3D model on a computer screen, every detail of its structure illuminated.
[Successfully acquired skill: Architect's Touch.]
The voice returned, its tone even and calm.
[This skill allows you to analyze the structure of any object. It can also be useful in combat, enabling you to identify weak points.]
Lancer blinked as his vision returned to normal. His thoughts raced back to the manticore he'd encountered the day before, and a chill ran down his spine. "So that's what it was," he murmured. "Weak points..."
Lancer stopped dead in his tracks as a cold realization hit him: he had no idea where he was.
He spun around, scanning the unfamiliar streets, but none of the buildings looked familiar. "Great," he muttered, anxiety creeping in. He tried to remember if he had passed any landmarks, but nothing came to mind. His heart began to race.
Just as he was on the verge of panicking, the calm voice of the system interrupted.
[You appear to be lost. A derivative skill of Architect's Touch can assist if you are willing to use your mana.]
Lancer blinked, momentarily distracted. "A derivative skill? Sure, I'll try anything at this point. Do it."
[Confirmed. Acquiring skill: Ariadne's String.]
He watched as the world around him shifted again. In the same glowing, 3D style as before, a shimmering thread of light materialized on the ground, weaving through the streets and leading in a straight path toward the chief's house.
Lancer let out a relieved sigh, but the feeling was short-lived. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he stumbled. His knees wobbled, and he had to steady himself against a nearby wall.
"What the hell was that?" he gasped, glancing at the blue screen still floating in his vision. His MAG stat now read 20.
The realization struck him like a brick. "That... took 80 points?"
[Correct.]
His stomach twisted at the implications. "What happens if my magic stat hits zero?"
[If your magic reaches zero, the result will either be unconsciousness or death, depending on your physical and mental condition at the time.]
Lancer froze, sweat forming on his brow. "Death?! That's insane! I have to be careful with this stuff..."
He stared at the glowing path leading back to the house, his stomach still churning. But as much as he wanted to collapse into bed, another thought nagged at him. His bag.
"I dropped it when I was running from the manticore," he muttered, clenching his fists. "I need that back."
He didn't know how he would manage it, but the thought of losing his belongings—his only real connection to Earth—made his chest tighten. It was clear he had to go back for it, no matter how dangerous it might be.