The old man stepped out from the shadows.
His presence alone made the air feel heavier.
I immediately straightened, my muscles tense. Every instinct screamed that this man was dangerous—far more than the Grey Fang Wolf.
He glanced at the corpse on the ground, then back at me.
"You killed it," he said calmly.
It wasn't a question.
"Yes," I replied, forcing my voice to stay steady.
He studied me in silence. His sharp eyes seemed to pierce through my body, as if he were trying to see something hidden beneath my skin.
"A twelve-year-old," he murmured. "With no weapon."
I said nothing.
Sometimes, silence was safer than lies.
He waved his hand.
The dead wolf suddenly turned into grey smoke and vanished.
My pupils shrank.
"Don't be surprised," he said. "It was a low-grade mana beast."
Mana.
So this world really was different.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Arin."
"And your talent?"
I hesitated.
"…None."
For the first time, his expression changed.
"No talent?" he repeated slowly.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
"Hahaha… interesting."
I frowned.
What was funny about being talentless?
"Come here," he said, turning his back. "I want to see something."
I approached cautiously.
He placed two fingers on my forehead.
A cold sensation rushed through my body.
My vision flashed white.
For a moment, I thought the system would react.
But it stayed silent.
The old man pulled back, his eyes glowing faintly.
"…Impossible," he whispered.
He looked at me again, this time with seriousness.
"You have no talent," he said. "And yet, your body absorbs growth as if it were breathing."
My heart skipped a beat.
Did he sense the system?
I stayed calm.
"I just train," I replied.
He stared at me for a long second… then nodded.
"Very well. Secrets are a form of strength too."
He turned toward the forest path.
"I am heading to the nearest city," he said. "There is an academy there."
An academy.
My breath tightened.
"That place," he continued, "is where monsters are made into warriors."
He glanced back at me.
"Come with me."
[New Quest Triggered.]
Quest: Enter the Academy
Reward: System Function Expansion
The blue screen appeared in front of my eyes.
My decision was already made.
"I'll go," I said.
The old man smiled faintly.
"Good."
As we walked into the forest together, I felt it clearly.
My quiet life was over.