In the pitch-black void, a speck of white light appeared.
The white light spun slowly.
If you traced its movement, it would form a continuous, ever-expanding spiral, resembling a coil of burning incense.
During this process, small, colorful specks of light emerged from the void's edge, merging into the spinning trajectory of the white light.
One circle… two circles… countless circles later, Ronan opened his eyes.
At that moment, Ronan felt unusually refreshed, as if he had just woken from the most restful sleep of his life. His mind was exceptionally clear, and his thoughts raced at incredible speed.
"Did it work?"
Ronan's lips moved slightly, his face betraying his excitement.
It had indeed worked.
He could now sense what was described in the Basic Meditation Manual—a lively, transparent stream of energy in his mind. Indescribable yet undeniably real.
That was spiritual energy.
Being able to sense spiritual energy proved that his first meditation session had been a success—he had officially begun his journey as a sorcerer.
"Thank you."
Ronan murmured with gratitude, gently running his hand over the carved letters on the bed frame.
This success owed much to that mysterious "soul" inscription. Ronan resolved to clean off the grime and dust accumulated in the carved letters the next day. He would read it every day, using it as a reminder and a source of encouragement.
Just as he was about to get out of bed to drink some water, Ronan suddenly felt something flash before his eyes—like a bug flying into his vision.
He blinked hard to get rid of it, but the light twisted before him, and a faint blue screen suddenly appeared.
[Name: Ronan Damien]
[Age: 16]
[Affinity: None]
[Power: Level 1 Sorcerer Apprentice (86%)]
[Skill: Basic Meditation (Entry Level 1/100)]
"…Huh?"
Ronan froze on the spot.
He wondered if he was hallucinating and rubbed his eyes hard, but the screen didn't budge.
A thought crossed his mind, and the screen disappeared instantly.
When he focused again, the screen reappeared.
After repeating this several times, he realized the screen was controlled by his mind.
"This… is like a game character panel?!"
Was this some kind of cheat ability that came with his transmigration, or was he living in an ultra-realistic game world?
Ronan thought it over and found the former theory more plausible—or at least more comforting.
Regardless of the truth, the outcome didn't matter. He couldn't return to his old world anyway. What mattered was how to use this new status panel to survive and thrive in this unfamiliar world.
Suppressing his shock and excitement, Ronan focused on analyzing the information on the panel.
"So… I have no elemental affinity."
According to the sorcerer knowledge left by his predecessor, having no elemental affinity meant he had no bonuses when practicing any specific branch of magic. On the other hand, it also meant he faced no obstacles in learning any particular element.
This wasn't exactly good news.
If Ronan had fire affinity, for example, it would be much easier for him to learn fire spells, and the power of those spells would be greatly enhanced.
Although learning other elemental spells would be harder and less effective, this shortcoming could be mitigated by carefully choosing a primary focus.
At Hoddam Sorcerer Academy, enrolling in any spellcasting class came with a free elemental affinity test. Unfortunately, Ronan's predecessor had spent all his magic stones on tuition and four foundational sorcery books. He couldn't afford to register for any spellcasting class afterward.
That was why Ronan hadn't learned his affinity until now.
He couldn't deny he was disappointed. But there was no way to restart; he could only accept it.
The Power section on the panel showed his current rank—Level 1 Sorcerer Apprentice—and the 86% indicated his progress within this level.
Reality struck Ronan once again. He had already spent nearly six months in Hoddam Sorcerer's Domain.
Even though he had no mentor and had to figure everything out on his own, his progress was painfully slow. After all this time meditating, his spiritual power was still far from reaching the standard for a Level 2 Sorcerer Apprentice. This could only mean one thing—his talent was thoroughly mediocre.
"I heard that talented sorcerer apprentices can reach Level 2 just a few weeks—or even days—after grasping meditation."
Ronan sighed bitterly. "Comparisons really can drive you crazy."
When he looked again at the small inscription on his bed frame, its words now felt dripping with irony.
"In the face of such an overwhelming difference in natural talent, can hard work really make a difference?"
Ronan asked himself with a self-mocking tone, his spirits inevitably sinking.
But then, as his eyes fell on the status panel again, a flicker of hope returned.
"Maybe… just maybe."
He continued examining the panel.
There wasn't much else to see.
His skill list was bare, showing only the Basic Meditation he had just mastered. Its proficiency was a pathetic 1/100.
No wonder he hadn't been able to access his predecessor's memories during earlier meditation attempts. It seemed everything had been wiped clean the moment he transmigrated.
"Forget it. It doesn't matter. I'll start over—from now on!"
"At least I'm a man with a cheat ability now. If I train hard enough, anything is possible!"
Ronan cheered himself up. Having just completed a successful meditation session, he felt energized and wasn't the least bit sleepy.
So, he decided to pull an all-nighter, lighting a lamp and diving into his remaining books while experimenting with his newly awakened golden finger.
Before he knew it, the soft glow of his firefly-lit lampshade dimmed, signaling the approach of dawn.
"Chirp, chirp—"
The morning light and birdsong roused the sleeping forest.
On an ancient oak tree, covered with vines and moss, a shabby wooden cabin stood. Its creaky door swung open with a groan.
A young man in a gray robe stepped out.
His figure was average, with slightly curly chestnut hair. His eyelids and cheeks looked puffy, giving him a soft, bloated appearance. Despite that, his spirits seemed high.
It was none other than Ronan, stepping out for fresh air after a night of study.
"Hah—"
He yawned and emptied a chamber pot he had filled over the course of the night down through the gaps in the oak tree's branches.
Then he went back inside, retrieved a smaller clay jar, and began collecting dew from the leaves.
In truth, Ronan wasn't particularly sleepy.
He had spent the whole night studying sorcery books. Whenever he felt tired, he would meditate for a while. Though meditation couldn't completely replace sleep, it left him in much better shape than a true all-nighter.
The only problem was…
Ronan couldn't shake the feeling of tightness in his chest. There was a dull, persistent ache.
His limbs also felt weak, and he nearly slipped off the tree while gathering dew.
He felt worse than he had the day before—noticeably more frail.
"Maybe it's because I haven't eaten all night…"
Or maybe…
Something was wrong with his body?!