As Neison awoke within the sterile confines of the mage clinic, the sharp scent of alchemical antiseptics lingering in the air, he found two figures stationed at his bedside. Caelum Valerion and Aric Dain stood there in silence—not anxious, not enraged, but unmistakably curious.
Caelum's silver eyes narrowed, his aristocratic composure barely concealing his suspicion.
Caelum Valerion: "You will explain yourself, commoner. Tell us how you achieved such extraordinary speed—and how you managed to replicate Aric's magical aptitude."
Aric stepped forward, agitation evident in the tension of his voice.
Aric Dain: "Yeah, Neison, you'd better start talking! The velocity you displayed—it rivaled my father's. That's a tier of mastery no commoner should ever be capable of reaching."
Neison parted his lips to respond, only to find himself speechless. It was not fear that silenced him, nor guilt. It was ignorance. He genuinely did not understand what had transpired within him during the fight with the monster. The surge of power, the blinding acceleration, the instinctive manipulation of energy—it had all felt both alien and intimately familiar.
With a faint shrug and a carefully composed expression, he offered the only defense available to him: denial.
Neison: "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Caelum and Aric pressed him relentlessly, their questions sharp and probing. Yet Neison's bewilderment was not feigned; it radiated from him with such authenticity that, eventually, even their suspicion began to waver. Reluctantly, they fell silent.
Then—without warning—a translucent interface materialized before Neison's eyes, suspended in midair like an ethereal projection visible to him alone.
Name: Neison
System Integrity: 100%
Physical Attributes: 25
Strength: 4Speed: 3Endurance: 4Reaction: 9Cognition: 6
Energy Capacity: 100
Stamina: 89%
Elemental Compatibility:
Fire: 0%Water: 0%Earth: 0%Lightning: 3%Wind: 0%Shadow: 0%Light: 0%Spatial: 0%Beast-Type: 0%Void: 0%
Active Element: None
Control Limit: 3%
Backlash Risk: 60%
A cold realization settled over him. This was no ordinary surge of adrenaline or hidden talent. This was a system—structured, calculated, and quantifiable. His extraordinary reaction speed suddenly made sense. His lightning affinity, though minuscule, hinted at the source of his unnatural acceleration.
And yet, clarity only deepened the mystery.
Why him?
As far as Neison knew, his parents were ordinary citizens—humble commoners devoid of any prestigious lineage or dormant bloodline. There had been no ancestral relics, no whispered prophecies, no signs of inherited greatness. Nothing that could account for a power of this magnitude.
The questions multiplied faster than the answers.
Suppressing the turmoil within his thoughts, Neison closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink back into the infirmary bed. For now, rest was prudent. When he awoke again, he would experiment—carefully, deliberately—to uncover the mechanics of this newfound ability.
But one truth lingered in the depths of his mind:
Whatever this power was… it had chosen him for a reason.