I was exhausted. Completely worn out. I lay face down on the dusty ground of Tarnis, just outside The Broken Horn, with the corpse of the Armorsaurus beside me like a grotesque trophy. I ignored the murmurs of villagers and adventurers passing around me—some astonished, others whispering about the "madman with golden eyes." Everything hurt: my arms from dragging that beast, my legs from walking from the cave, my chest from the blows that Will couldn't fully absorb. I just wanted to sleep, close my eyes, and let the world disappear for a while.
After handing the Armorsaurus over to the guild, Lira—still trembling and avoiding my gaze—gave me the reward: 45 gold coins. Subtracting the 10 for the monthly fee, I was left with 35 in the bag. Wow, just 10 coins more than for the Black Spider. I'd risked my life for a miserable increase. As I lay there, face against the ground and the taste of dirt in my mouth, an idea crossed my mind. I asked mentally, barely with strength:
—Raphael, is there any kind of mental training or something like that? I'm sick of my body always being the one to suffer.
[Mental training is viable. Meditation can strengthen your energy core and improve your control over Aura and Will. Alternatively, reading books or processing complex information accelerates your cognitive development. Thanks to the thought acceleration I grant you, you can absorb large amounts of data in a short time. A book on magic or strategy could increase your combat efficiency by 15% in a single session. Choose what you prefer.]
I lifted my head off the ground, spitting out some dirt as I processed his words. Meditation sounded good, but reading a book… that was something I could do right now. I stood up with a groan, brushing the dust from my torn tunic, and looked around. The market stalls were closing, adventurers were returning to the tavern, and then I saw it: a stone building on the other side of the square, with a faded sign that read "Tarnis Library." Perfect.
I walked over, limping slightly but with a spark of curiosity keeping me moving. Upon entering, my eyes widened. The library was huge, much more than I expected for a village like this. The ceiling was high, supported by wooden beams carved with patterns of leaves and runes. The walls were lined with bookshelves that reached up to the ceiling, packed with leather-bound books, rolled-up scrolls, and dusty tomes that looked untouched for years. Light streamed through narrow stained-glass windows, casting green and golden hues across the polished stone floor. In the center, a long table was surrounded by cushioned chairs, and a chandelier with unlit candles hung above it. The air smelled of old paper and wax, and a cozy silence filled the place, broken only by the creak of my boots.
—This… this is incredible —I murmured, slowly turning to take in every detail—. Who would've thought Tarnis had something like this?
[Probably a legacy of a forgotten scholar or an eccentric noble. Find a useful book. I suggest something on basic magic or combat tactics. Your current ignorance is an obstacle.]
I smiled at Raphael's comment and walked toward the shelves, with the 35 coins jingling in my pouch and a new goal in mind. If my body was at its limit, at least I could strengthen my mind.
I followed Raphael's instructions and approached the shelves, looking for something useful. I ended up taking more books than I intended: a thick tome with brown leather covers titled Fundamentals of Magic, another thinner one called Survival Tactics for Adventurers, and a third, dusty and with worn golden letters, Principles of Internal Resistance. They weren't "a few"; they were a bunch. My arms trembled slightly under the weight as I carried them to the central table, dropping them with a dull thud that echoed in the silence of the library.
I sat down, opened the first book—Fundamentals of Magic—and began to read. The words were dense, full of terms like "magicule flow" and "energetic resonance," but before I could process a full page, Raphael intervened.
[Go to the next page. I can process the information for you. Don't stop.]
I frowned but obeyed, flipping through the pages quickly as the letters became a blur. The headache started almost immediately, a slight pinch at the temples that grew with each page turned.
[I'm regulating the information flow. Your mind isn't used to thought acceleration at this level. The pain is temporary. Continue.]
—Great, now my head hurts too —I muttered, but kept flipping pages. The words barely registered in my conscious mind; I trusted Raphael to store them somewhere in a corner of my brain. I was halfway through Survival Tactics when something caught my attention. My gaze drifted from the pages to a corner of the library, ignoring Raphael's words buzzing in my head.
It was a family. A mother with brown hair tied in a bun, a father with a short beard and tired expression, and a small child, no older than six, sitting between them. They were sharing a book, something with colorful illustrations. The mother pointed at a page and whispered something, making the child laugh, while the father smiled and wrapped an arm around them both. It was a simple, warm scene, and something in my chest tightened at the sight.
I let out a long, silent sigh, letting my hands rest on the open book in front of me. Memories of my past life—a gray office, lonely nights, no family waiting for me—crept into my mind like a distant echo. I kept turning the pages, but my gaze was lost.
[Your pace has slowed. What is your emotional state? I detect a variation in your breathing.]
I didn't answer. My jaw clenched slightly, and I kept turning the pages, though now it was more a mechanical act than a conscious one. The headache was still there, but it was secondary. I didn't want to talk about this, not with Raphael, not now. I just wanted to finish and move on.
[Silence recorded. Continue reading. The information is already being processed. Your nostalgia does not alter the data.]
I nodded weakly, not looking at her even though I knew she wasn't physically there. I turned another page, forcing myself to focus on the words, even though my mind kept wandering to that family in the corner.
Several more minutes passed, and I finally finished "reading" the three books. I closed the last one, Principles of Internal Resistance, with a sharp thud and blinked, confused by how quickly everything had gone. The pages were a blur in my memory, but I felt a kind of weight in my mind, as if the information was there, waiting to be unraveled.
—"How did I finish so fast?" —I muttered quietly, rubbing my temples where the headache still throbbed faintly.
[Thought acceleration. I processed the content at a speed 10 times greater than your normal capacity. The books contain basic but useful knowledge: magicule control, combat strategies, and mental resistance principles. If you need more, there are other titles in this library that could complement your progress. I suggest Theory of Magical Resonance and Anatomy of Common Beasts.]
I sighed, but didn't argue. Raphael was right; if I was going to survive in this world, I needed more than brute strength. I stood up from the chair, my legs numb from sitting for so long, and walked back to the shelves. I found the books he mentioned—Theory of Magical Resonance, a blue tome with silver edges, and Anatomy of Common Beasts, a smaller book with rough illustrations on the cover—and brought them to the table. Same process again: open the book, flip through the pages quickly while Raphael processed everything, and feel my head fill with data I barely understood in the moment.
The day faded without me noticing. The light coming through the stained-glass windows shifted from a soft gold to a deep orange, and then to the dimness of dusk. I kept reading—or rather, Raphael kept reading for me—flipping pages until the headache became constant, a dull hum that made me grit my teeth. When I finished the last book, Anatomy of Common Beasts, I closed it and leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling of carved beams.
—"This hurts more than fighting the Armorsaurus," —I muttered, massaging my temples.
[Temporary pain. The data is already integrated: you know how to identify weak points in beasts like Black Spiders and Armorsauruses, and you have a basic understanding of how magicules interact with the environment. Your control over Aura could improve by 8% with practice, and Willpower will withstand 5% more damage before collapsing. The effort is worth it.]
—"I guess it is," —I said, stretching with a crack of joints—. "I feel like I know new things, but my head is about to explode. How long have we been here?"
[Approximately 5 hours. Nightfall came 20 minutes ago. Your mental capacity has reached its limit for today. Rest or risk severe fatigue.]
I looked around. The library was nearly empty now; the family I had seen earlier was gone, and only a couple of hunched figures remained in the corners, reading by oil lamp light. The headache was annoying but bearable, and a sense of accomplishment filled me. I knew new things—how to stab a monster better, how to channel magicules if I ever managed it. It was one step closer to becoming more than just a desperate rookie.
—"Alright, Raphael. Let's get some rest. But tomorrow… tomorrow we're going back to the guild," —I said, standing up with a sigh and grabbing my coin pouch, which still jingled with the remaining 35 gold coins.
[Acceptable decision. Your body and mind will be grateful. Head to the inn.]
I left the library, my head buzzing but fuller than ever, ready to sleep and face whatever came next.
...
....
.....
.....
I walked through the darkness of the night, with the cool air of Tarnis brushing against my face and the sound of my boots echoing on the damp cobblestones. The city was quiet, the oil lamp lights flickering in the windows, and the sky was covered with clouds that hid the stars. Then, Raphael spoke, breaking the silence in my head.
[Warning: Aura and Will are activated simultaneously. Your magical energy consumption is unnecessary at this moment.]
I stopped in my tracks, letting out a dry laugh that echoed down the empty street.
—Relax, Raphael. I'm just training my control. If I'm going to get better, I need to practice, right? —I said, letting the pressure of Aura remain, a slight hum I felt on my skin, while Willpower dampened the fatigue I still carried from the day.
A moment passed before he responded, longer than it usually took. His voice came out dry, almost curt.
[Acceptable exercise. Your initiative to control your abilities is… adequate. Continue if you wish.]
I laughed again, surprised by his tone.
—Adequate? That's almost a compliment coming from you. You're spoiling me, Raphael —I joked, resuming my pace with a smile.
I kept walking, but little by little I left Tarnis's center behind. The cobbled streets gave way to dirt paths, the houses became more sparse, and the murmur of the city faded. I was in the outskirts now, where the lights were replaced by the dense darkness of the surrounding forest. Raphael spoke again, his voice firmer.
[Warning: You are moving away from Tarnis. Beast activity increases at night in these areas. Return to the inn.]
I didn't reply. My feet kept moving, as if they had a will of their own, carrying me past the edge of the town and into the forest. Darkness closed in around me, the tall trees blocking any trace of moonlight. Several minutes passed, and the terrain grew rougher, with roots and branches crunching under my boots. I didn't know why I kept walking; maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe the need to prove something, but I didn't stop.
Raphael's voice momentarily distracted me as I moved through the gloom.
[Your magical reserve is depleting. Continuous use of Aura and Will has reduced your levels to 28%. Deactivate one or both abilities or risk collapse.]
I said nothing. My eyes were fixed ahead, though I could barely see more than a few feet in the total darkness. I kept walking, ignoring the warning, letting the hum of Aura and the calm of Willpower keep me going. Hours passed, or at least it felt like they did. Time became blurry, and my mind was fogged, caught between exhaustion and a strange determination.
I didn't know where I was. The forest had shifted into something wilder, older. The trees were gigantic, their trunks covered in thick moss and vines hanging like curtains. The ground was filled with rotting leaves and muddy puddles that splashed under my feet. A smell of damp earth filled the air, mixed with something sourer, like decaying flesh. There were no sounds—not birds, not wind, just an oppressive silence that made every step echo in my head. The darkness was so dense it seemed to swallow the light of my very existence.
I was like a zombie. My legs moved on inertia, my body swaying slightly with each step. The dagger hung at my belt, useless in this trance, and my new clothes were splattered with mud and torn by branches. I felt no fear, no fatigue, nothing; I just kept going, lost in a place I didn't recognize, with a mind as empty as the forest around me.
...
Raphael's voice echoed in my head, cutting through the oppressive silence of the forest like an invisible blade.
[I detected an abrupt change in your soul. Something is altering your internal state. Respond.]
I said nothing. My feet kept moving, splashing through the mud, stumbling over roots hidden in the darkness. My mind was blank, a void that swallowed any coherent thought. A few more minutes passed, and Raphael spoke again, with a more insistent yet still controlled tone.
[I'm going to deactivate Aura and Will. Your magical reserve is at 9%, and your body won't withstand more. Prepare yourself.]
I kept walking, aimlessly, without stopping. The trees rose like misshapen shadows around me, and the humid air clung to my skin. I couldn't feel the activated abilities, but I couldn't feel anything else either. Minutes later, Raphael spoke again, her usual neutrality tinged with slight tension.
[You are preventing the deactivation of the abilities. Your subconscious will is keeping them active. This is unsustainable. Respond.]
Silence. I had no words, no energy to form them. My body moved on inertia, an automaton lost in the night. Raphael insisted, her voice firmer this time.
[I will be forced to deactivate them manually if you do not cooperate. Final warning.]
I didn't respond. My legs trembled, and suddenly, the ground came up too fast. I fell to my knees first, then face-first, my face sinking into the cold mud. The impact didn't hurt; I was too tired to feel anything. My breathing was slow, uneven, and the weight of exhaustion crushed me against the earth.
[Your soul is collapsing. The overload of magicules, the prolonged use of abilities, and your mental state are fracturing it. If you don't rest, the damage will be irreversible.]
I closed my eyes, the fatigue pulling at me like a current I couldn't resist. The mud stuck to my cheek, but I didn't care. I just wanted to sleep, to disappear into the darkness that surrounded me. Then, Raphael's voice changed. It was softer, kinder than I had ever heard it, almost human.
[Rest. Everything will be fine under my supervision. I will investigate this abrupt change in your soul. I won't let you collapse. Sleep.]
I didn't respond, I couldn't. My eyelids sealed shut, and the world faded into absolute silence. The forest, the abilities, the pain… all vanished. Only Raphael's promise remained, echoing faintly as I sank into unconsciousness.