Kael sat silently, eyes fixed on the floating system screen before him.
His stats flickered gently in the air. Strength, agility, perception all hovering around average or even below. Barely acceptable.
Except one.
Mana: ??? (Locked)
His brows furrowed.
Why is it locked? And what does "???" even mean?
Then it clicked. He sifted through the memories from his old world when reading the book the core ranks, mana classifications.
Novice to God tier.
And yet… even the God-Tier level had a barely measurable limit.
His didn't.
The system wasn't hiding it. It couldn't measure it.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
"Great… I've got god-tier potential but locked tighter than a cursed vault."
Still, it lit a fire in his chest. If that power could one day be unleashed...
No. Not "if."
When.
But reality struck fast.
He had six months before the academy began.
And right now? His stats were trash.
He closed the screen, stood up, and started pacing. No more sitting around.
He changed into casual clothes black joggers, a hoodie, something light and left his room. As he passed the hallway, he stopped in front of a black door with silver trim.
His sister's room.
He hesitated.
Then again…
He opened it.
The room was pristine and cold. Not in temperature, but in feel like a person who'd trained themselves not to get attached to the comforts of home.
On her desk, a single envelope waited. Sealed with blue wax.
He opened it.
> "I told you not to come in here. But I knew you would anyway."
"This is a gift I was saving for when you entered the academy. But it seems I won't be home by then. Happy early Academy Gift."
Kael smiled faintly.
He flipped the note over.
A shimmering insignia was embedded into the back. His eyes widened.
A-Rank.
A sword.
A personalized, one-of-a-kind item blessed by certified mages and crafted by professionals. Meant to elevate beginners to elite levels of combat.
The real kind of legacy gift.
Kael held it in both hands.
"Thanks… sis."
And just like that, he took the first step forward.