First Glimpse of the System

Warm sunlight filtered through the curtains, signaling the start of a new day. Kaelan slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the remnants of sleep. The peaceful atmosphere of the morning contrasted sharply with the intensity of his secret training session the previous night, but he welcomed the gentle calm.

As Kaelan got ready and entered the living room, he saw his parents talking quietly near the table, their voices hushed yet animated. Curious, he approached quietly, ears tuned carefully to their conversation.

"Did you hear the news from the neighbors?" Elena was saying to Lorian, her tone filled with excitement. "Their son, Ethan, had his Awakening Ceremony yesterday. He awakened a B-grade talent and unlocked his first skill immediately."

Lorian nodded thoughtfully, sipping his morning tea. "Impressive. Ethan was always promising, but to unlock a skill right away is quite remarkable. He'll advance rapidly with a head start like that."

Kaelan pretended to fiddle idly with his breakfast, absorbing their conversation carefully. The mention of a skill caught his interest immediately. This was the first clear reference he had overheard about the system's structured elements—something he'd only vaguely understood until now.

"Mom," Kaelan said, feigning innocent curiosity, "what's a skill?"

Elena smiled gently, taking a seat beside him. "Oh, Kaelan. When you turn nine and have your Awakening Ceremony, you'll officially awaken a talent and maybe a special trait. If you're fortunate, you might unlock unique abilities called skills. They're like special powers that grow stronger as you gain levels."

"Levels?" Kaelan repeated, prompting her subtly for more details.

Lorian chuckled, ruffling Kaelan's hair affectionately. "Levels represent your growth as you get stronger, Kael. When you defeat mana beasts or complete training, the system grants experience points. Accumulate enough, and you'll level up, becoming stronger and unlocking new skills at certain milestones."

Kaelan nodded thoughtfully, maintaining his innocent mask. "Did you have an Awakening Ceremony, Dad?"

Lorian laughed heartily. "Of course! Your mother and I both did. Most people awaken modest talents, but those who awaken high-grade talents have better chances to unlock powerful skills. That's why Ethan's B-grade talent is exciting news—he might even be able to enter a good intermediate academy."

Kaelan absorbed the new information carefully, quietly piecing it together with his observations. Now the structured system began making clearer sense—talents, skills, levels, and traits formed a coherent progression path he could clearly follow.

"Intermediate academy?" Kaelan asked innocently.

Lorian smiled warmly. "After you spend three years at a junior academy like Luminis, you'll take another test at age twelve. Those who do well enough can then enter elite academies like Astraeus."

Elena nodded in agreement. "That's why the Awakening Ceremony is so important, Kaelan. It decides your future path."

Kaelan smiled back, hiding the quiet determination rising within him. He already suspected, based on his intuitive ease with mana, that he was talented, but without the official measurement, he remained cautiously optimistic rather than certain.

"So that's how this world's magic is organized," he thought silently. "Talents graded at awakening, traits granting special skills, and levels guiding growth. Such clear structure will let me precisely measure my progress."

As breakfast ended, Elena gently encouraged him to play outside. Kaelan eagerly agreed, stepping into their peaceful garden filled with blooming flowers and neatly trimmed bushes.

In private, Kaelan began reflecting deeply on what he'd just learned. He sat beneath the shade of a large tree, gently extending his senses outward. Today, he chose to experiment more cautiously, focusing again on his recent elemental discoveries.

Carefully, he connected to the earth mana beneath him. Earth mana was dense, stable, and unmoving—a stark contrast to the airy, playful currents he'd explored before. He pressed his small hand gently against the soil, feeling the rich, steady energy beneath. Encouraging it slowly, the earth mana responded, gently lifting a tiny pebble from the ground, causing it to hover a few inches above his palm.

A small smile of satisfaction appeared on Kaelan's face. He carefully returned the pebble to the ground, pleased by this subtle success. Each elemental exploration expanded his confidence in mana control further.

Suddenly, Kaelan noticed voices approaching nearby. Quickly retracting his mana, he pretended to be innocently playing, calmly stacking small stones together in a childlike game.

Two neighbors passed by, talking excitedly about Ethan's recent awakening.

"Did you hear? Ethan has already leveled up twice since yesterday. His family must be so proud!"

"I know! With his new trait skill, he might become one of the strongest in town someday. Perhaps even enter Astraeus if he's fortunate!"

Kaelan silently processed their conversation, genuinely intrigued by the system's leveling mechanism and skill growth. Each conversation he overheard deepened his understanding and sharpened his curiosity about his own potential.

"If children like Ethan can advance rapidly with a B-grade talent," Kaelan thought, intrigued, "then my intuitive ease and depth of mana control probably place me far beyond average expectations. But I'll only know for certain after my Awakening Ceremony."

Returning to his innocent play, Kaelan resolved quietly to intensify his secret training even further. Now armed with a clearer understanding of how structured magic functioned, he felt ready to precisely measure his growth and carefully manage his future power reveal.

As evening approached and Kaelan prepared to return inside, he glanced up at the sky thoughtfully. The structured system he'd just learned about offered clear pathways toward power and growth, perfectly aligning with his meticulous, strategic approach to training.

"Soon, my talent will be officially measured," Kaelan thought determinedly. "Until then, I'll keep preparing quietly. Whatever the outcome, I'll be ready."

With quiet resolve, Kaelan stepped back into the warm embrace of his home, the evening sky now painted in gentle shades of orange and violet. The subtle yet significant discoveries made today had quietly deepened the roots of his ambition—carefully guiding him toward the future he desired.