Three Months Later...

Was it best to feel the warmth of being alive? This was the experience Raymond always wanted to treasure and might have been the most beautiful thing that ever existed in his life.

His life on Earth stopped when he was 12, but another life continued at 12 as well. Even if problems were presented to him in the future, he at least had some clues on how to fix and overcome them.

What Raymond needed to learn then was how to use mana. Indeed, even though he was still unawakened, he had a chance to feel the mana.

Back in history, there were cases where unawakened people were able to feel the mana. They were called prodigies, not only because of their ability to feel the mana but also because they were able to open a status card without being awakened.

What was it? Well, it was only a normal status card. It showed people's progress and what appeared there if an unawakened person were able to open it. Well, only their stats.

People with these kinds of abilities were always one step ahead of others. They might have a stronger body or good mana circulation. Nonetheless, MPs were not present, which was why Raymond was aware of his advantages.

His goal was to become a prodigy, and he didn't need a card to open his status; he only wanted to have a prompt notification from the system.

This way, he would not only be prepared for the future but also become crucial to the village, solidifying his status within.

"Preparation at its finest, indeed," he mumbled to himself.

***

3 months later...

"Hey, Raymond! Arthur's outside!" called Raymond's older sister, Rebecca.

Raymond instinctively raised his eyebrow at Rebecca's call, pausing his handwashing to hurry to the front door with a bright smile.

"Coming!" he yelled with enthusiasm.

Rebecca scoffed at Raymond's excitement, accustomed to his daily routine of heading outside with friends. Every day, it was the same—Raymond's friends would gather near the riverside at the small hill.

As Raymond reached the door, he found Arthur waiting with a smile.

"Oh, Arthur! Let's go!" Raymond exclaimed.

Arthur turned towards Raymond, nodding before setting off, with Raymond following closely behind. They reached the small hill, crowned by a towering tree, where two other kids awaited them—a girl and a boy.

"Have you two been waiting long?" Arthur asked his twin, Anna.

"Yes, we've been here since earlier," Anna replied calmly.

"A knight should never be late, Raymond," came an assertive voice from the other kid, Sefreid.

Raymond simply scoffed at Sefreid's words and playfully lowered his head.

"My apologies, Captain. I lost track of time. I assure you, it won't happen again," Raymond said with a hint of jest.

Sefreid awkwardly scratched his nape before responding, "No worries. If you promise not to repeat it, I suppose I can forgive you this once."

Raymond grinned and nodded, then threw his arm around Sefreid's shoulder in a mock gesture.

"What? Are you out of your mind? You think I'd accept you as my captain? I'm just messing with you, you goof," Raymond retorted with a teasing tone, followed by laughter.

"Ugh! Raymond, you're impossible! Let me go! That hurts, you idiot," Sefreid protested.

Anna and Arthur chuckled at the antics of Raymond and Sefreid, a routine they played out almost daily. They often pretended to be knights, spouting ranks and battle cries.

Despite the recurring play, it never seemed to tire them out. Each time, Raymond had a story ready to share afterward.

After their game, the four friends gathered in a square, listening intently as Raymond began his story.

"Back on Earth, there were weapons that were impossible to evade. They soared through the air at incredible speeds. But what about this new weapon? Oh, wait, this one doesn't fly; it's the bullet that does the flying," Raymond said, his tone filled with intrigue.

T

The other three pondered for a moment, trying to guess what this mysterious weapon could be.

In this realm, a plethora of weapons and tools existed for combat. However, knowledge about certain weapons was restricted, ensuring that commoners didn't delve into forbidden weaponry.

Teaching about these forbidden weapons to commoners was considered taboo. However, Raymond was discussing concepts from Earth, not native to Arcana.

"A bullet? What's that? Is it like a ball?" Anna inquired.

Raymond made a "ting" sound and nodded in Anna's direction.

"It can resemble a ball, but not quite. More like a sphere. However, bullets come in various shapes. Some are pointy," Raymond demonstrated different bullet shapes with his hand.

Despite his explanation, confusion clouded their faces instead of clarity.

"I can't quite picture it, Raymond," Arthur admitted.

"Yeah, what the heck, man? You're not making it any clearer!"

Raymond sighed in frustration. "Forget it! They're called 'guns.' When you use them, they fire bullets at incredible speeds, producing a loud bang sound. Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Raymond mimicked the thunderous noise of gunfire. The trio flinched at the sudden sound, then burst into laughter, shaking off the surprise.

Anna playfully pushed Raymond's shoulder, and Arthur gave him a light kick. Meanwhile, Sefreid joined in with laughter, not participating in the physical antics.

"What was that, Raymond?" Anna asked, her voice tinged with excitement.

"That was the sound of a gunshot. It's so loud it can make you jump out of your skin," Raymond explained, a grin lighting up his face and his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"That was a gunshot?" Sefreid questioned, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Again? I just said it was a gunshot!" Raymond replied with mock exasperation.

***

Raymond sat in a meditative pose, focusing on his breath as he attempted to sense the mana around him. Despite his efforts, he struggled to increase his MP using this method.

Nevertheless, he persisted because he recalled from his memories that this was how he raised his MP after awakening. If he could achieve it post-awakening, it wasn't impossible pre-awakening.

The odds were against him, but he pressed on. Fortunately, luck favored him, granting him success, albeit on a smaller scale.

---

Name: Raymond (Commoner)

Lv: Unawakened (Commoner)

Stats: Locked (Commoner)

Talent: Unawakened (Commoner)

Skill: Unwakened (Commoner)

Hidden Stats:

HP: Undetermined

MP: 2/2 (Primary)

STR: Undetermined

SPD: Undetermined

INT: Undetermined (Connected with MP)

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