The dim glow of a single desk lamp flickered within the confines of Renji's tiny studio apartment, casting long shadows across the walls adorned with unfinished canvases. Streaks of vibrant colors clashed and blended in chaotic harmony—testaments to years of relentless dedication.

Renji's hand trembled as he put the final stroke on the enormous painting before him—a masterpiece depicting a vast, mystical kingdom nestled between towering mountains and radiant skies. A world born from his mind, a realm untouched by doubt and rejection.

He leaned back, exhaustion weighing heavily on his body. His breath came in slow, measured gasps as he muttered to himself.

"It's done… Finally… after all these years…" His voice was hoarse, but there was a strange emptiness in it. "But… will anyone even care? Will they even look at it? Will they even see what I see?"

His fingers twitched, gripping the brush tightly. "I've poured everything into this. Every sleepless night, every damn rejection, every moment of doubt… I put it all here. If this isn't enough, then what the hell is?"

His eyelids grew heavier. His body, drained from days without rest, began to shut down.

"… I just… need a moment…" His voice barely made it past his lips.

Darkness swallowed him before he could finish his thought.

A soft breeze caressed Renji's face. The scent of fresh earth and distant rain filled his lungs. His fingers twitched against the cold, smooth stone beneath him.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Above him stretched a vast sky—lit by a luminous moon and endless stars, brighter and more vivid than anything he had ever seen before. He blinked, confused.

"What… the hell…?" His voice cracked as he pushed himself up.

He looked around. Towering ruins encircled him, adorned with grand murals of warriors, mages, and mythical creatures. The air hummed with an unseen energy.

"Where am I? This… this isn't my apartment. This isn't even my world."

A faint ripple disturbed the surface of a nearby water puddle. Renji stumbled to it and gazed into his reflection. A stranger stared back.

His face was younger, his body leaner. His clothes were no longer the paint-stained attire of a struggling artist but elegant robes embroidered with intricate symbols that shimmered faintly under the moonlight.

"This… this isn't me. I mean, it is, but… not how I was. Did I… get reincarnated? Is this a dream? No, it feels too real."

A flicker of movement caught his attention.

Before him floated a strange, ancient grimoire, its pages blank yet pulsing with an ethereal glow.

As his fingers brushed against its cover, colors exploded across the pages like ink spreading through water. Then, a voice echoed in his mind—calm yet commanding.

"Welcome, Painter Magician. The world awaits your creations."

A jolt of energy coursed through him. Images flooded his mind—visions of an ancient civilization where artists wielded brushes not for mere expression, but for creation itself. Murals that breathed life. Warriors stepping out of painted realms. A world shaped by artistry.

The vision shifted.

A massive battlefield unfolded before him, painted onto the very sky. The Art Magi stood atop grand murals, their brushes moving like blades, bringing forth mighty warriors and colossal beasts from painted landscapes. A mage painted a phoenix, and from the wall, fire burst forth, taking form as a living creature. A swordsman crafted an army with a single stroke, their painted forms stepping onto the battlefield, swords gleaming.

Then, a different scene.

The Art Magi's temples were burning. Dark figures struck down creators where they stood. Their paintings twisted, corrupted by an unseen force. A betrayal. A war. The Art Magi had vanished, their magic erased from history.

The voice of an unseen figure whispered through the vision.

"Our power was too great. They feared us, and so they destroyed us. But art is eternal. And so are those who dare to create."

Renji gasped as the vision shattered.

The grimoire pulsed once more. A blank canvas of pure white light materialized before him.

"A true artist creates not from power, but from will. Show me your heart."

Renji swallowed. His heart pounded. "What… does that even mean? What the hell am I supposed to do?"

A low growl interrupted his thoughts.

From the shadows, a monstrous figure emerged—a Shadow Wolf, its body shifting and writhing like ink in water. Its eyes locked onto Renji, hunger burning within.

His breath caught. "Oh, shit—!"

He had no weapons. No spells. Nothing.

The wolf lunged.

"No—! No, no, no, nonononono!"

Instinct took over. Renji lifted his brush—his only tool—and swiped mid-air.

A crude, frantic sketch of a sword materialized in the space before him, shimmering with raw energy.

"Please work. Please work. Please—"

The wolf pounced. Desperate, Renji grabbed the painted blade.

It solidified in his grasp.

"Holy shit—!"

Eyes wide with disbelief, he swung.

The ink-formed blade met the beast's charge. With a single strike, the Shadow Wolf dispersed into splashes of black ink, vanishing into the ruins.

Silence fell.

Renji stood there, chest heaving, his trembling fingers still gripping the impossible sword.

"That… that actually happened. I… I fought. I won? I didn't die?" His breath was ragged, his body shaking. "This isn't just a dream… is it?"

His knees buckled, and he collapsed. His fingers loosened, and the painted sword dissolved into the air.

The grimoire flipped open, ink swirling to form a single phrase in bold, elegant writing:

"You have taken your first step. Now, paint your legend."

Renji's lips parted in a weak laugh, his head spinning. "Legend? Me? I can barely hold my own against one monster. What the hell did I just get myself into?"

His body ached, his energy spent, but despite the exhaustion, a strange exhilaration coursed through him.

This wasn't just magic.

This was creation itself.

And he was no longer just an artist.

He was the last Painter Magician.

Renji sat on the cold stone floor of the ruins, his breathing still unsteady. His fingers trembled as he traced the worn surface beneath him, the lingering sensation of the battle with the Shadow Wolf still fresh in his mind.

"This is real…" he muttered to himself. "This magic… this power… it's real. I—I'm really a Painter Magician."

His gaze shifted toward the grimoire floating nearby, its pages still glowing faintly. A painter whose brush could shape reality—that was the power he now held. He had spent years perfecting his craft, desperately hoping for recognition, and now the universe itself had answered in the most impossible way.

"But… what do I do now?" he wondered aloud. "I have no allies. No resources. I don't even know where the hell I am. And this magic… how do I even control it?"

His stomach twisted at the thought. The world was vast, unknown, and undoubtedly dangerous. Was he truly alone? Was there anyone left who remembered the Art Magi?

Suddenly, a soft chime echoed in his ears.

Renji flinched as an ink-like screen materialized before him, rippling as if drawn in liquid strokes. The glowing black canvas shifted, revealing strange symbols that quickly morphed into readable text.

"What the—?!"

His eyes widened as he leaned forward, trying to process what he was seeing.

[STATUS SCREEN]

Name: Renji Kurosawa

Age: 25

Race: Human

Level: 1

Class: Painter Magician

Titles: Last of the Art Magi, The Awakening Brush

Health Points (HP): 120/120

Magic Points (MP): 300/300

Strength: 8

Agility: 10

Endurance: 12

Mana: 50

Luck: 20

Charm: 15

Normal Skills:

Artistic Precision – Enhances drawing accuracy, speed, and detail, making it easier to create refined and powerful artwork.

Canvas Barrier – Creates a temporary barrier of ink that can block physical and magical attacks. Durability depends on the quality of the drawing.

Ability Skills:

Sketch Manifestation – Allows Renji to bring simple sketches to life temporarily. The more detailed the drawing, the longer and stronger it lasts.

Ink Blade – Forms a weapon from ink, solidifying it for combat. The weapon's durability depends on the quality of the sketch.

Illustrated Familiar – Creates a living creature from a drawn image, acting as an ally. More detailed and complex sketches require greater magic power.

Magic Skills:

Color of Life – Infuses ink creations with additional strength, durability, and realism. Advanced use can grant intelligence and independence to sketches.

Aether Ink – Allows Renji's ink-based creations to absorb and interact with elemental magic, making them more versatile in combat.

Living Sketch – Temporarily animates paintings, allowing them to move and act independently within a limited area.

Unique Skills:

Brushstorm – Releases a flurry of ink-based projectiles that home in on enemies. Can be enhanced with elemental pigments.

Masterpiece Creation (Locked) – A legendary skill that allows the creation of a permanent, independent being or object with a single brushstroke. Currently inaccessible.

Weapons:

Arcane Brush (Basic) – A magical brush capable of channeling mana.

Items:

Painter's Grimoire (Bound) – A book linked to Renji's soul, containing the lost knowledge of the Art Magi.

Renji's mouth went dry as he scanned the text. "I… have a status screen? Like in a game?"

His heart pounded. He had seen systems like this in RPGs before, but to actually have one appear before his eyes…

"Titles? Stats? Weapons? I… I even have unique abilities? And locked ones at that?" His hands curled into fists. "Holy crap… I wasn't just given magic—I was given a whole damn system to go with it!"

Excitement mixed with anxiety as he reread his class. Painter Magician.

"This confirms it. My power isn't just random magic—it's an entire lost discipline. And if I really am the last Art Magi… then does that mean no one else can do what I do?" His mind raced, struggling to grasp the implications.

"If that's true, then this magic… it's rare. Valuable. And if history has taught me anything, that means people will either want to use me… or erase me."

A chill ran down his spine. He was alone in an unknown world with abilities no one else had. He needed to be careful. But at the same time… he needed to understand his power.

His fingers twitched, eager to test what he could do. He glanced at the Arcane Brush resting beside him. A thought sparked in his mind.

"First things first… let's see just how much I can really create."