Eventually, some warriors from the Adventurers Guild arrived and took care of the giant boars. However, by the time they arrived, most of the town was already destroyed, including Kyle's house.
"My house was destroyed?" Kyle said, shock evident on his face. As the weight of the situation settled in, he reminisced about all the memories he had in that place, both good and bad. As he seemed lost in thought, Aunt Jane suddenly said, "Kyle, why don't you stay with me here? There's enough room for you, and you could help out at the tavern and around the house. I could use the help. Besides, it's my way of thanking you for saving our lives."
"Thank you," Kyle replied gratefully.
"I'll clean up this mess and get you another plate," Aunt Jane said, leaving the room. Kyle suddenly remembered, "Ah, I forgot to close the system interface. Did she see it?" He wondered if she had noticed it, but since she hadn't mentioned anything, he figured she hadn't. "I'll just ask the system: is it possible for other people to see the system interface?"
{No, the system interface cannot be seen by anyone other than the host.}
"Okay, that's a relief. But I don't want to seem like some weirdo talking to myself."
{If the host wants, he can communicate with the system through his mind.}
"Oh, that's great! Well, that settles that. It's still a bit hard to believe, but I'm going to use the system to its fullest and get stronger—strong enough to carry my own weight, strong enough to leave this town."
"I'll check out the remaining parts of the system and finish the lecture on mana."
{Lecture One: Introduction to Mana. Current progress: 50%.}
"But I'll check out the quests first."
{Quests: Daily, Weekly, Monthly. Current quests available: 1 Daily.}
"Daily," he called out in a crisp voice.
{0/3 km Run, 0/100 Push-ups, 0/100 Sit-ups, 0/100 Squats; Time remaining: 12 Hours and 17 Minutes; Reward: 5 Attribute points, 50 EXP.}
"Ah, I knew it was going to be hard to level up, but I wasn't expecting this. At least I'll gain 5 attribute points once I finish the quest," Kyle thought. "I still have some time. I'll have some food and then complete the quest."
"Kyle, here's your food," Aunt Jane said, carrying a plate of porridge.
After finishing his meal, Kyle decided to complete the daily quest. He opened the system interface. "Let's see, what should I start with? I'll go for a run first."
As he stepped out of the house, he saw people rebuilding the destroyed houses. A feeling of sadness hung over the town. He put it all at the back of his mind and continued with the daily quest.
Two hours later:
{Daily Quest complete. You have received 50 EXP and 5 attribute points. Does the host wish to allocate his points now?}
"Yes."
{Attribute Points: 10.}
"I'll add two points to Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Intelligence."
{Two points have been added to Strength. [Strength: 12]}
{Two points have been added to Agility. [Agility: 12]}
{Two points have been added to Stamina. [Stamina: 12]}
{Two points have been added to Intelligence. [Intelligence: 17]}
{Error! Host cannot add points to Charm until he has achieved it.}
"I can't add points to my Charm stat until I achieve it. How am I supposed to do that?" Kyle wondered. "Well, that's a problem for later."
As Kyle finished the daily quest, he took a slow but deliberate walk toward his destroyed home. Upon arrival, he took a deep breath, taking in the scene. The place he used to call home was now filled with debris, remains of what it once was. As he took one last look at the house, he made a promise to himself: to never be weak, to work incredibly hard, and to never let anyone trample over him again.
He stood up from the ruins of the destroyed house and began the walk back to Aunt Jane's house. Once he arrived, he found her waiting for him, her face filled with worry.
"Kyle, where have you been? You had me worried."
"Actually, I was feeling a little cooped up, so I went out for some exercise."
"And since when have you ever exercised?" Aunt Jane asked, a hint of amusement mixed with concern.
"Ha ha, I decided to start because I need to get stronger."
"Actually, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. It's more of a confession."
"Hmmm, what's that?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Well, I can sense mana now. I don't know how it happened, but it happened."
"What? When did that happen?" she said, surprised.
"Ever since I woke up a while back."
"Really? That's great, Kyle! Which means you'll finally be able to use magic like others."
"So, do you know what affinity you have?"
"I do, but I would like for you to keep it a secret. I actually have a dual affinity for both light and fire," he said with an ecstatic smile.
"That's amazing, Kyle! I can't believe you actually awakened a rare element. I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks, Aunt Jane. But I've also made a decision. I'm going to attend the Golden Sierra Magic Academy. The entrance exam will be held in a couple of months, and I'll do my best to get in."
"The Golden Sierra Magic Academy is regarded as the best in the Kingdom of Truiteron, with almost every student that graduates from there becoming a great mage. It is the pinnacle of knowledge in the kingdom."
"Whatever decision you make, Kyle, I'll support it. I believe in you, and I know that one day you'll be a great mage."
"Thanks, Aunt Jane."
The sun had just begun to rise, casting its glow across the tranquil clearing, illuminating the house.
"87....88....89......99...100."
Ding
{You have completed the daily quest}
{You have received 5 attribute points}
{You have received 50 exp points}
{You have Leveled Up}
{Two points have been added to all attributes}
As the wave of notifications overcame Kyle, he couldn't help but smile, pleased with his progress. Today, he would continue the first lecture taught by the Mystic Mage. Sitting cross-legged behind Aunt Jane's house, he accessed his system, tuning in to the remainder of the lecture.
The image of the same man appeared on the screen before him—the Mystic Mage. "So, you've gotten a feel for mana. That's great. That means we can move on to the next step," the Mage said. "I mentioned that mana is the key to performing miracles known as magic. But how do we use magic, and what exactly is magic?"