At one end of a well-lit hallway, a white-haired boy stood, staring at a bluish semi-translucent screen. His ruby-red eyes sparkled with excitement. The screen was filled with numerous icons, each with pixelated diagrams that moved within a three-frame animation.
One icon, however, stood out above the rest. Unlike the others, its words were written in gold. 'Sage,' it read
The pixelated representation of the class depicted a man dressed in a jet-black flowing coat,. A sword was strapped to his side, with the corresponding hand resting on the hilt. His other hand was raised to his chest, where a golden magic circle floated above it. The figure's entire body was shrouded in a golden veil of yellow aura.
Arthur's eyes narrowed on the screen as he noticed something peculiar.
"It's smiling," he muttered under his breath.
Indeed, the pixelated man wore a calm smile, drawing Arthur's attention. At that moment, he decided that this was his destined class. He took a deep breath, letting the realization sink in.
"Alright," he said, with a smirk, "let's get this over with."
He tapped the Sage icon. Almost instantly, the entire hallway flickered out of existence, leaving him momentarily disoriented. His feet found no stable footing as the scene around him shifted to an unfamiliar setting.
Arthur found himself standing in the middle of an empty town square, the silence almost unsettling. The square had various passages leading to it, with buildings surrounding it. These structures appeared old, yet they held together, their wooden frames still standing firm.
The sandy streets and worn-out stone structures made the place looks like a village.
While taking in the strange new environment, Arthur glanced down and realized that his attire had changed. Now, he wore an outfit resembling the one from the pixelated icon, though more refined and detailed. His jet-black coat fluttered slightly in the breeze, and the sword at his side felt natural, as if it belonged there.
Suddenly, a screen appeared before him, its semi-transparent surface displaying several skills:
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<[Skills]> (Temporary)
<[Mana Regulation Lv. 1]> (Active Skill)
Allows the user to manipulate ambient mana within their body.
<[Sage Instinct]> (Passive Skill)
Grants heightened perception and awareness in a limited radius to the user
<[Wordless Casting]> (Passive Skill)
Grants quick spellcasting without the need for incantations
<[Divine Aura]> (Active Skill)
Surrounds the user with divine presence.
<[Mana Bolt]> (Active Skill)
Fires a concentrated bolt of mana towards a target.
<[Sword Arts]> (Passive Skill)
Improves proficiency and precision when handling a sword.
<[Appraisal]> (Active Skill)
Gives a detailed explanation of a target.
<[Mana Slash]> (Active Skill)
Releases a condensed wave of mama in the first of a slash.
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As soon as the message appeared, a flood of knowledge rushed into Arthur's mind. The understanding of how to use these skills was forcibly etched into his brain, causing a sharp, painful migraine.
"Ugh... isn't this a bit much for just one class?" Arthur muttered, wincing from the headache. "But I guess that's what you'd expect from a class like this."
'The Sage class is really powerful huh. Only a handful of people in history have ever attained this.'
As he processed the information, another screen popped up in front of him, like a notification.
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[Quests]
• Protect the town
• Stop the Goblin stampede and defeat the Goblin King
______
"Protect the town..." he muttered as his eyes scanned the area.
'I guess this must be the town... but where are the enemies?'
His monologue was abruptly interrupted by the deafening roar of a horn. It's echoes resounding in the distance.
Arthur darted towards the town gate, the source of the sound. His sharp eyes caught sight of a large horde of goblins rushing towards the town from about a few kilometers away.
From what he could tell, there were at least a hundred goblins in the stampede.
Goblins were humanoid beasts with thick green skin. From his studies in the Sylvia library, he knew that while goblins were generally weak as individuals, they became far more dangerous when in groups. And in a stampede such as this one, they became a serious threat.
"I have to act fast... but this looks dangerous," Arthur whispered to himself. "I could fail the trial intentionally and retake the class awakening next year... but I might lose this class forever."
In rare cases, failing an awakening test meant the candidate would never be able to attain that class again. This was especially true for divine classes, where the stakes were much higher.
"And besides,..." Arthur declared, a spark of determination in his voice, "running away isn't my thing anymore."
The loud screeching of the goblins snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Alright, what do I have?"
'Status Open,'
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Name: Arthur Sylvia
Age: 10
Class: Sage (Temporary)
HP: 220/220
MP: 300/300
Strength: 25
Agility: 23
Intelligence: 29
Dexterity: 19
Endurance: 20
Vitality: 17
_______
"I should be strong enough for this... now let's try out the new skills"
The knowledge of how to activate the skill surfaced in his mind as if it had always been there. With deliberate focus, he extended his senses inward, feeling the mana flowing within him.
Oddly enough, he detected the swirling energy inside his core and began manipulating it without a word. His Wordless Casting allowed him to shape the energy effortlessly, forming a small, glowing orb of mana just above his palm.
He concentrated for a moment longer before launching the ball out toward the approaching horde. The bolt struck one goblin squarely in the head and detonated on impact, sending a shockwave through the surrounding area. Three more goblins were caught in the blast, collapsing as their charred bodies hit the ground.
"So this is what magic feels like!"
"But..."
Arthur stared at his palm, his breath catching in his throat. The weight of taking a life settled on him, butslowly, that guilt was overshadowed by his resolve deep within him, the will to grow stronger.
A new system notification appeared in front of him:
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<[Notice!!!]>
<[You have gained ??? XP points.]>
<[Rewards will be accumulated until the class change is completed.]>
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Arthur allowed himself a small smile. "My first magic spell... a guy could get used to this." He remarked.
He kept firing more Mana Bolts as the horde advanced. However, overtime, the goblins drew too close, without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword and, ran out of the town in an attempt to face the monsters.
'Stay calm, Arthur. Stay calm.'
Since his quest was to protect the town, he activated Divine Aura skill, the glowing energy surrounding him was pure energy that was lethal to all monsters, at the same time, alerted them to it. It worked, successfully attracting the attention of the mindless monsters.
After distancing the battle from the town, he spun quickly and fired another spell.
"Mana Bolt!" he shouted, the explosion taking out another group of goblins. However, despite the success of his magic, the goblins soon closed in on him. It was time to use his sword skills.
The skill 'Sword arts Proficiency' allowed his body to move with elegant precision. Every strike was fluid, every thrust calculated. His blade moved as if guided by years of practice, slicing through the goblins as though they were mere paper. His innate talent combined with his training made him a natural in battle.
However, the goblins' numbers began to overwhelm him. He sustained multiple cuts and bruises as the relentless swarm pressed in, his blood staining the sandy ground beneath him.
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[Notice!!]
HP: 150/220
MP: 197/300
____
In a matter of minutes, Arthur's health had dropped below 70%, and it was still falling, as the system's notifications relentlessly flashing before his eyes.
Just when he thought he could hold his own, a goblin appeared in his blind spot, thrusting its weapon deep into his side.
"Damn it!" Arthur cursed as his health dropped drastically.
The sharp pain seared through Arthur's side as he staggered back, gripping the wound with one hand while the other clutched his sword tightly. His health bar blinked red in the corner of his vision.
He could feel his muscles screaming from the pain as his heart rate intensified.
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[Notice!!!]
HP: 120/215
____
With his eyes bloodshot, his breathing grew ragged and his mind felt distant, proving just how close he was to collapsing.
Arthur glanced at the goblin that had ambushed him. It grinned menacingly, it's jagged blade adorned with his blood. The rest of the horde continued to close in, showing no signs of relenting.
He clenched his teeth as the pain from his side threatened to swallow him whole.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
'I can't go down like this…. Not a chance!...'
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, he steelled his resolve and tried calming his mind. Eventually, he could feel the mana swirling through his body responding once again.
'Focus, Arthur,' he told himself, his mind sharpening on instinct as a calming sensation settled over him. The world around him seemed to slow, his senses becoming acutely aware of every detail.
'Is this... Sage Instinct?' he thought.
'Impressive, I can feel it all... The sounds, each step, their intent to kill, everything...' he thought, taking steady, measured breaths. "Now, the one who hit me..."
He spun quickly on his heel, his sword cutting through the air with precise speed and fluidity. The blade met the goblin's neck, severing it in one clean motion. The monster's eyes went wide with shock before its head fell to the ground.
Panting heavily, Arthur wiped the blood from his blade.
"Who's next?" he muttered under his breath, his ruby eyes narrowing the field as he scanned the incoming goblins. His body was screaming in pain, but he couldn't afford to stop now.
"Mana Bolt!" He roared as he poured a quarter of his total mana into the spell.
With a loud resounding boom, he took out the last of the goblins. But even at that, he never showed a hint of relief.
"It's not over yet." He muttered as he rested his weight on his sword struck to the ground. "Come on out... Goblin King"
Suddenly, as if reactimg to Arthur, the ground beneath him began to rumble. He narrowed his eyes as a massive figure emerged, towering over the mountain of corpses—a Goblin King. Its grotesque form loomed large—dark green skin writhing with bulging muscles along with it's menacing eyes distinguished this monstrosity from the rest. In one hand, it carried a gigantic iron mace that looked like it could crush a man with a single blow.
Arthur's eyes widened.
"So, this is the boss," he whispered, feeling the weight of its presence. 'If I don't take that thing out, I'll lose this trial for sure.'
The Goblin King let out a deafening roar, causing the air around it to ripple with raw power. In that moment Arthur began his attack.
He raised his left hand, feeling the mana flowing through him. Wordless Casting kicked in as he instinctively formed another Mana Bolt in his palm.
"Let's see how you handle this!" he shouted, launching the bolt directly at the Goblin King.
The bolt of mana shot through the air, colliding with the Goblin King's chest. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outwards, knocking several nearby goblins off their feet. The Goblin King staggered back, but it remained standing, barely phased by the attack.
Arthur's eyes narrowed. 'Damn, it's tougher than I thought.' soon after, Arthur experienced a splitting headache as his mana reserves fell below half.
With a swift motion, the Goblin King raised its mace and swung it down towards Arthur. He barely had time to react, throwing himself to the side to avoid being crushed as the Goblin King grunted.
The ground where he had just stood exploded into a cloud of dust as the mace impacted the earth, leaving a deep crater in its wake. Arthur coughed as the dust filled his lungs, but he quickly regained his footing.
"I have to end this now," Arthur muttered, the urgency clear in his voice.
He gripped his sword tighter as his sword arts came into play once more. With a deep breath, Arthur dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and the Goblin King.
The massive creature roared in fury, swinging its mace again in a wide arc. But this time, Arthur was ready. He slid underneath the attack, his movements fluid and precise, his heightened instincts guiding him. As he rose from the slide, thrusting his sword into the Goblin King's side, the blade sinking deep into its flesh.
The Goblin King bellowed in pain, staggering backward as blood poured from the wound. Arthur's blade remained embedded in its side, but the creature wasn't done yet.
It raised its mace again, slower this time, clearly weakened by the injury. Arthur yanked his sword free and stepped back, narrowly avoiding the downward swing by a hair's breath. The mace hit the ground with a resounding thud, kicking up more dust.
Breathing heavily, Arthur wiped the sweat from his brow.
"I just need... one more hit…" he muttered under his heavy breaths
As the Goblin King struggled to stay upright, Arthur knew this was his last chance. His body was barely holding together, but he had to end it now. He gripped his sword tightly, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
'I have to put everything into this,' he thought, his vision swimming from blood loss. "Alright Goblin King! No holding back!"
Focusing every last ounce of his remaining mana. He could feel the energy surging from deep within, coursing through his body and into the blade.
"Now, Mana!..."
The sword began to glow, first a faint blue, then brighter and brighter until the light was blinding. The air around him crackled with raw magical energy.
The Goblin King let out a guttural growl, raising its mace for one final, desperate attack. But Arthur was faster. He poured everything he had into this one skill, knowing he couldn't afford to lose.
"...SLASH!!!" He roared.
With a roar of his own, he swung his sword downward in a powerful arc. The blade sliced through the air, releasing a massive, shimmering wave of mana. The wave tore through the distance between Arthur and the Goblin King in an instant, too fast and powerful for the massive creature to react.
The skill hit its mark, striking the Goblin King square in the chest. The sheer force of the impact sent a shockwave through the square, shattering the ground beneath it. The Goblin King let out a final, pained roar as the energy from the slash slashed through its body with a violent burst of light.
*Huff...Huff...Huff*
"Did I... Win?"
The towering figure of the Goblin King collapsed to the ground, with a loud thud.
Arthur stood there, panting heavily, his sword still glowing faintly from the skill. His body trembled with every drop of mana drained from him. His vision blurred as exhaustion and blood loss finally caught up with him.
Just as he was about to collapse, another screen appeared before him, this one glowing brighter than all the others.
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<[Congratulations!]>
[Quest]-Completed
• Protect the town
• Stop the Goblin Stampede and Defeat the Goblin King
•••
<[Congratulations, you are now a 'Sage' ]>
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Due to his exhaustion, Arthur finally collapsed to the ground
He let out a small, tired laugh as he glanced at the notifications
"I- I did it…" his voice trailing off from the fatigue and his eyes bloodshot as he finally succumbed to unconsciousness.