"Are you ready to witness the master Mage in action!?" I grinned as we reached our small garden.
It wasn't much — just a tiny patch of green with a few chairs and a table, boxed in by wooden fencing. The grass was patchy, the chairs a little worn, but to me it had always felt like a private sanctuary.
And now? Now it was about to witness magic.
I inhaled slowly, nerves fluttering in my stomach. I didn't want to burn down the neighborhood on my first day as an Awakened. Better safe than sorry.
I called up the spell info again.
[F-Rank - Fireball]
Mastery: 0.00%
Mana Cost: 10 Mana
Cooldown: 2 seconds
Range: 20 Meters
Base Damage: 50 → 56 (+6 from Spell Power)
Alright, I thought. Range of 20 meters — if I shoot it straight up, should be fine.
I glanced at my parents and sister. All three were watching with wide eyes and bated breath.
I smiled. Here we go.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my right hand toward the sky.
"Fireball!"
Technically, you didn't need to speak the spell aloud, but it was common for beginners to do so — it helped focus the mind and guide the flow of Mana.
I felt it instantly — the Mana inside me surged toward my hand, warm and vibrant. Sparks flickered around my palm as a ball of crimson flame condensed out of thin air.
The fireball hovered for a heartbeat, then shot upward, leaving a glowing trail behind. It soared high into the sky before fading harmlessly into the air.
"WOOOOOW! BROTHER IS A REAL MAGE!" Alice shouted, practically jumping up and down.
I couldn't stop the grin that stretched across my face. My chest puffed out proudly at her reaction.
It's real, I thought. I'm really doing this.
The sense of wonder settled over me. This was the first step of my journey — the very beginning of what I hoped would become something far greater.
I turned to my family, still smiling. "I need a moment to myself. I want to test something."
Mom nodded knowingly and ushered Dad and Alice back inside.
As the door clicked shut, I exhaled and faced the garden again.
Now it was time to test my Talent.
[Mana: 140 / 150]
Alright — 14 more Fireballs to go.
I smirked and rolled my shoulders. This part would be… interesting.
Without hesitation, I began firing. Every two seconds, I channeled the spell.
Fireball!
Fireball!
Fireball!
One after another, the crimson spheres shot skyward, each leaving a faint trail of heat in the cool afternoon air.
Soon sweat beaded on my forehead, but I pressed on. My Mana ticked lower and lower.
10 Mana left.
I wiped my brow. This is the part they warn about…
Exhausting your Mana could cause fainting — a well-known risk. But if my Talent worked as described, it would be worth it.
I inhaled sharply. "Fireball!"
The last orb launched upward — and everything went black.
[Mana exhaustion Detected]
[Mana Overflow Activated]
[+1 Mana, +1 Spell Power]
I awoke groggily on the grass, head pounding like a drum.
Oof… headache central.
But I was smiling. No — grinning. The System message had been clear. It worked.
I checked my stats.
[Mana 19 / 160]
Looks like I was out for about 7–8 minutes.
A thought struck me.
What if I do it again? Can I trigger Mana Overflow twice?
The idea was too tempting to ignore.
I waited until my Mana ticked up to 20 — just enough for two more Fireballs.
"Fireball!"
"Fireball!"
Blackness claimed me once again.
I came to with an even worse headache this time.
Ugh… okay, that was worse…
I quickly pulled up my System, eager to see the result.
[SYSTEM PAGE - ETHAN VALE]
Class: Mage
Talent: Mana Overflow
Class Rank: F
HP: 110 / 110
STA: 110 / 110
Stamina Regen: 110 Stamina / Hour
Mana: 20 / 160
Mana Regen: 160 Mana / Hour
STR: 11
VIT: 11
AGI: 11
STA: 11
Mana: 15 → 16
Spell Power: 12 → 13
Spells: 1 / 6
Spell Memory:
F-Rank - Fireball
Mastery: 0.00% → 0.17%
Mana Cost: 10 Mana
Cooldown: 2 seconds
Range: 20 Meters
Base Damage: 50 → 56.5 (+6.5 from spellpower)
Wait… no change in Mana or Spell Power, other than from the first exhaustion.
It clicked. Ah — probably only triggers if your Mana fully refills first.
I couldn't help but chuckle, even through the headache. Well, I'll need to test that properly next.
At least my Fireball Mastery was slowly climbing. 0.01% per cast — slow, but steady.
If I kept this up every day, it would eventually reach E-Rank. That was the beauty of this world — progress through effort.
An hour later, my Mana was fully restored again.
I stretched and rolled my shoulders. Round two — let's go.
[110 / 160]
[80 / 160]
[50 / 160]
[20 / 160]
[10 / 160]
"Guess I'll find out in ten minutes," I muttered, firing my last Fireball before the inevitable blackness returned.
[DING]
[Mana exhaustion Detected]
[Mana Overflow Activated]
[+1 Mana, +1 Spell Power]
I awoke, still lying in the grass, but grinning from ear to ear.
Mana: 16 → 17
Spell Power: 13 → 14
F-Rank - Fireball
Mastery: 0.17% → 0.33%
Guess there's no cheating the System after all, I mused. You really do have to fully refill first.
But this wasn't discouraging. Quite the opposite — it was exciting. Every cycle of exhaustion brought tangible gains. I had a path forward. One I could grind daily.
But one thing was clear — I couldn't keep passing out in our family's garden. Firing spells in public, even in a private yard, was technically illegal without proper clearance. I'd gotten lucky today.
I need to buy a Training Pass for the city's Awakened Training Hall, I resolved. It's the only safe way to keep grinding Mana Overflow.
My excitement dimmed slightly.
I just hope I have enough money saved up for it. Otherwise… heading straight into a Dungeon without proper training isn't exactly my idea of a good time.
I stared at the sky for a moment longer, determination building in my chest.
One step at a time. Tomorrow, I'll begin grinding for real.