A blue light flashed before Scias's eyes, followed by a series of symbols in unknown language. Yet somehow, their meaning translated clearly in his mind:
[System Notice:
Level 1 → Level 3]
Scias blinked rapidly, his hand instinctively reaching toward the text before it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"What in the..." he whispered, momentarily forgetting the pain of his wounds.
The cracking of a branch somewhere in the undergrowth yanked him back to reality. This wasn't the place to contemplate mysterious floating messages. The scent of blood—his and the rabbit's—and the sound of fighting might draw other predators.
Scias grabbed the splintered end of his spear where the blade-like stone tip remained intact. The rest was unsalvageable. With a quick motion, he hoisted the dead rabbit creature over his shoulder, wincing as the movement pulled at his wounds.
Blood kept leaking from his wounds, but the cuts weren't deep enough to be life-threatening. Still, infection remained a risk in this unfamiliar environment.
He moved quickly but cautiously through the dense foliage, constantly scanning for threats. Every shadow seemed to conceal potential danger, every rustle a new predator tracking him. The weight of the rabbit grew heavier with each step, but Scias refused to abandon his prize.
The journey back felt endless, each landmark taking too long to appear. Only when the trees began to thin and the familiar contours of his territory emerged did Scias allow himself to relax slightly.
He paused at the forest boundary, turning to look back at the denser woods. Nothing pursued him, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being observed. With one final glance, he crossed into the relative safety of his known territory.
Once outside of the forest, Scias stopped and lowered the rabbit to the ground. His chest heaved with exertion, sweat mingling with blood on his skin.
"System notice," he said aloud, testing the unfamiliar words.
The words tasted strange on his tongue. He had no concept of levels nor system. However, as soon as he spoke the words 'System Notice', a new text appeared in the same unknown yet readable language.
[System information
Name: Scias Tenebre
Race: Human???
Age: 17
Level: 3
Affinity: Non-Elemental
Class: Not Available (Reach level 10 to awaken a class.)
Skills: Not Available (Becomes available after awakening.)
Abilities: Not Available (Becomes available after awakening.)]
The text hung before Scias's eyes like a physical object, yet when he reached out to touch it, his fingers passed through the shimmering letters. He blinked hard, but the information remained suspended in his vision.
"System..." he murmured, and instantly the text vanished.
"Hmm." Scias stood there, bleeding from his wounds, the dead rabbit creature at his feet, contemplating the bizarre occurrence.
"System," he said again, and the same information reappeared.
This time he read it silently, his brows furrowing deeper with each line. Level? He remembered the earlier message about advancing from level one to three. Was killing that creature responsible? Affinity? Class? Awakening? None of it made any sense. The mysterious question marks beside "Human" troubled him most of all.
'Whatever this is, it seems to respond to voice commands,' he thought, considering his next move.
"What is System?" Scias asked experimentally.
The previous information disappeared, replaced by new text:
[System is an integral part of the world of Ostea. All people can access System. System guides people on their individual path and helps to reach their maximum potential.
System monitors progress, tracks advancement, and provides information about abilities, skills, and achievements.]
Scias's heart raced. Ostea. That was the name that had echoed in his mind during his transition between worlds. This confirmed he truly had crossed between realms.
"Who am I?" he asked, testing the limits of this strange phenomenon.
[Name: Scias Tenebre]
'That's not what I meant,' Scias thought.
'And what's with that last name? Tenebre?' he pondered, bewildered.
After a while he moved on from his last name being slightly different.
"What is a level?" he asked, deciding to focus on practical information.
[Levels represent advancement in power and capability. Each being in Ostea has a level. Advancement occurs through accumulation of experience, primarily gained through combat, training, discovery and quests.
Before awakening, the only way for you to advance is to kill monsters.
Your recent advancement from Level 1 to Level 3 occurred due to defeating a Water Hare.]
"Water Hare," Scias glanced at the blue rabbit creature. "So that's what you are."
His wounds throbbed, reminding him of more immediate concerns. The fascination of this discovery would have to wait until after he'd treated his injuries.
"System" Scias said to make the message disappear and it did.
With effort, he hoisted the Water Hare back onto his shoulder.
As he made his way toward his cave, Scias's mind spun with implications. This System was clearly some kind of magical construct interwoven with this world. It monitored and measured progress in ways his former world never could.
His lips curved into a slight smile despite his pain. For months, he had been experimenting blindly with magic, making discoveries through trial and error. Now he knew there was a structure to it all—a path forward.
Scias staggered into his cave, carefully lowering the Water Hare to the ground before collapsing against the wall. His chest burned with every breath, blood still seeping from the wounds.
First things first. He peeled off his torn leather garments, exposing three parallel gashes across his chest. None penetrated deeply, but they required immediate attention. Working methodically, he cleaned the wounds with hot water, then applied medicinal plants he'd discovered during his months of exploration.
The bitter-smelling paste stung fiercely
Only when he finished addressing his wound did he allow himself a moment of weakness, slumping against the wall with closed eyes.
After resting briefly, Scias turned his attention to the Water Hare.
The creature's meat would feed him for days, and its unusual blue pelt might prove useful.
As he worked to skin and dress the kill, he made an unusual find—a small blue gem embedded inside the creature.
'This must be what allowed it to use magic,' Scias thought after looking at it for a while and then went back to dressing it.
Once the meat was properly stored and the pelt stretched to dry, Scias settled cross-legged by his fire. The dancing flames illuminated his thoughtful expression as he gazed into their depths, thinking about the System.
"System," he commanded.
The familiar translucent text appeared before his eyes, displaying his basic information. Now, with a moment of peace, he could properly investigate this phenomenon.
"What is affinity?"
[Affinity represents a being's natural connection to specific magical elements for using spells.
Affinities can include water, fire, earth, wind and other. Most individuals possess a single affinity, though rare cases of multiple affinities exist.
An affinity grants enhanced power and control over spells of its element, while making spells of other elements more difficult to master.
Note: Your Non-Elemental affinity provides equal capacity for all elemental types, with neither advantages nor disadvantages. Best for learning spells without any elemental affinity. This is an extremely rare affinity.]
Scias's eyebrows rose. "So I have a non-elemental affinity..." he mused, recalling his experiments with various elements over the past months.
Unlike the fighting creatures he'd observed, which seemed specialized in their spells, he had developed proficiency in multiple elements without difficulty.
'That explains why I've managed to progress in all elements at roughly the same rate,' Scias thought. 'No wonder I never felt particularly drawn to any specific element—I have equal affinity for all.' A small smile played across his lips as he considered the advantages this would provide.
"What is a class?" he asked next.
[A class is a profession or specialization that determines an individual's development path. Accessible to humanoid races only.
Upon reaching level 10, individuals undergo awakening, where they select a class from options suited to their abilities, experiences, and affinities. Classes influence available skills, abilities, and growth potential. Some classes are common, others rare or even unique. The chosen class significantly impacts future development.]
Scias nodded thoughtfully. This resembled the specialization paths in military careers back in Eswua, though far more formalized and apparently magical in nature.
As High Commander, he had climbed through ranks that determined his responsibilities and authority.
'A profession that sets one's path,' he considered. 'I wonder what options might be available to someone like me—a transplant from another world with military experience and non-elemental affinity.'
"What is awakening?"
[Awakening occurs when an individual reaches level 10. During awakening, one chooses a class from available options determined by previous actions, abilities, and affinities. This choice is permanent and fundamentally transforms the individual, opening access to class-specific skills and abilities. Awakening is considered a significant life milestone in Ostean society.]
This gave Scias pause. A permanent, life-altering choice at level 10—and he was already at level 3 after a single encounter. The implications were both exciting and concerning.
'Seven more levels until I make a decision that will shape my entire future in this world,' he thought.
"What are skills?" he asked, proceeding methodically through the list.
[This information becomes available after awakening.]
Scias frowned slightly. Information restrictions seemed counterproductive, but perhaps the System had reasons for withholding details until they became relevant.
"What are abilities?"
[This information becomes available after awakening.]
More post-awakening information.
Scias leaned back, processing everything he'd learned.
The System was evidently designed to guide advancement through a structured progression path.
First, reach level 10. Then, choose a class during awakening, which would unlock new possibilities through skills and abilities.
'Non-Elemental affinity,' he thought. 'Extremely rare?'
He gazed at his reflection in a small pool of water he kept near his bedding. Scarlet eyes stared back at him from a face that still sometimes felt like a stranger's.
If his affinity was rare, would that make his class options equally unusual? Would that draw unwanted attention in a world where he still knew so little about the social structures and potential dangers?
Scias tossed another small branch onto his fire, watching sparks spiral upward.
'Seven more levels,' he thought. 'I need to be carefull about this.'
Scias glanced at the blue pelt of the Water Hare stretching nearby. His first monster kill had advanced him two levels at once. Hunting more creatures like it might accelerate his progress, but rushing blindly without any knowledge and information seemed foolish.
"Do you respond only to voice commands?" Scias tested.
A new text appeared in front of him.
[Do you wish to switch from voice control to thought control?
Yes/No]
"Yes," Scias answered.
Now he thought about closing the System and all the text in front of him disappeared.
To test it, Scias thought about opening the information about levels and a familiar text appeared, now without the information about his level advancement.
[Levels represent advancement in power and capability. Each being in Ostea has a level. Advancement occurs through accumulation of experience, primarily gained through combat, training, discovery and quests.
Before awakening, the only way for you to advance is to kill monsters.]
'Monsters,' Scias thought.
Nothing happened.
'Monsters must be creatures with that gem that was inside the Water Hare,' he thought.
To make the text disappear, Scias had to only think about it.
'Good, it disappeared.'
Now, he tried to think about System without the intention of having the text appear.
Nothing happened.
'Good.'
Having the text appear unwantedly could create problems. Like this, thought control seems much better than voice control.