Veigar only stopped walking at sunrise.
He didn't know how much time had passed since the fight with the kidnappers — maybe four hours — but every step had become a curse. His legs burned. His breath was ragged. His body screamed for rest.
He'd started off fast, paranoid that someone would follow him. But after a while, the darkness of the forest slowed him down. Every broken twig sounded like footsteps. Every owl's cry made him jump.
"I'll have to postpone testing mana… No way I can relax in this cursed forest."
As if on cue, a sharp screech echoed through the trees. Veigar flinched.
"Fuck…"
The night eventually gave way to dawn. Pale golden rays pierced the dense canopy above, casting soft light over the forest floor. For the first time since fleeing Hillford, Veigar felt something unfamiliar: peace.
The fear didn't vanish, but it loosened its grip.
His mind began to slow. His thoughts stopped racing. The warmth of the sun brushing against his skin felt like a reset button on his soul.
Then… he saw it.
Tiny shimmering threads danced between the trees. Soft, flowing lines of energy — as if light itself had been woven into the world.
"The mana here is so much thicker than in the village…"
He blinked in awe.
No ritual. No breathing technique. No incantations. Just stillness.
He didn't need to summon mana — it welcomed him. Like it had been waiting.
"Maybe I should rest a bit. I need answers. And apparently, the system doesn't even work if I don't have mana."
Veigar sat beneath a towering tree, legs crossed, spine straight. He didn't chant, didn't focus on meridians, didn't visualize a core.
He just breathed.
And then…
[Good morning, Veigar. I see you defeated your enemies. Congratulations!]
"…Son of a b—!"
The peaceful harmony shattered. Rage shot through his veins like wildfire.
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE TALKED EARLIER?! YOU USELESS PIECE OF—"
[Would you like to claim your reward now?]
[Y/N]
Veigar clenched his teeth.
"…Aaaah… Sorry. Yes. I'd love to, hehe."
[User has unlocked the 'Status Panel'.]
He froze.
Then exploded.
"YEAHHH!!"
Veigar threw his arms up like he just won the lottery. Tears welled up in his eyes. He dropped to his knees in the grass and looked up at the sky like it owed him something.
"OPEN STATUS PANEL!"
[ User: Veigar ]
[ Constitution: 5 ]
[ Strength: 5 ]
[ Agility: 5 ]
[Intelligence: 10 ]
[ Mana: 6 ]
"…"
"…System, where are my skills?"
[You currently possess "Innate Talent for Mana" and "Language Comprehension."]
"And why the hell aren't they listed on my status panel?!"
[The system was designed for a Supreme Mage. If we listed every skill, it would require an average of 500 characters of text. If you'd like, I can list each skill one-by-one.]
"…You know what? Fine. Just give me the description of 'Innate Talent for Mana'."
[Innate Talent for Mana
Description: The user is a child of mana, able to perceive ambient mana visually, enter resonance with it without chants or focus techniques, and naturally draw it into themselves.]
"…Wait. You're telling me most people can't see mana? Like I'm seeing right now?"
[Only high-level mages or individuals blessed with rare bloodlines can visually perceive mana.]
"…System, not to be annoying but—where's my EXP bar?"
[This system was not designed to directly influence the user's progression. It exists to provide guidance and information—]
"Shut. The. Fuck. Up."
Veigar rubbed his eyes.
"I'm feeling like playing some weird indie RPG where the devs tried too hard to be unique. Why couldn't I get isekai'd into one of those popular grindfests where you just press 'Auto Battle' and level up forever…"
He groaned, then sighed.
But as the frustration faded, something new settled in his chest: clarity.
He stood up and looked around. The forest was still dense, still foreign — but no longer terrifying.
"Alright. First step: find shelter. Then, train. I need to get stronger as fast as possible. And maybe—just maybe—I'll figure out how to talk to this damn system without losing my mind."
He glanced back one last time, toward the distant smoke of Hillford.
"...Screw that village."
And with that, Veigar walked deeper into the forest — toward answers, toward power, and hopefully, toward a system update that came with an actual tutorial.