Rei and Kaela exchanged glances, then both looked back at Kia with a mix of understanding and amusement.
They simply nodded like teachers explaining something to a child who had missed the first few chapters.
Rei took the lead.
"It's called the status panel," she said. "Everyone has one. It's… well, most people say it's a gift from nature itself. No one really knows where it came from, but it's been part of this world for as long as written history goes back."
Kaela added, "Only you can see your own panel. You can't show it to anyone else unless you read it out loud."
Kia frowned. "So even if I tried to, like, point at it—"
"We wouldn't see a thing," Rei finished. "That's how it's always worked."
Kia nodded slowly, his eyes drifting back to the still-hovering panel in front of him. It really did feel like a game UI—neat, clean, and somehow intuitive.
"Let's break it down," Kaela said, slipping into a more informative tone. "Your class, for example—that determines the path you'll take in terms of growth, combat, and skills. But you don't get a class right away."
"You need to awaken," Rei explained. "To do that, you need a mana cultivation art. It teaches you how to sense and absorb mana. Then you learn skills—ideally, three skills that align with a recognized class. Only then do you get a chance to awaken and gain one."
"Mana cultivation art…" Kia muttered. "That's like… a manual or something?"
Kaela nodded. "Exactly. But they're rare and not cheap. Most people learn one from their family, the guild, or buy it from a certified master."
"And it's not just about getting a class," Rei added. "You use mana arts to grow stronger. To absorb mana from the world and temper your body, your mind, and your spirit. That's what raises your Rank."
"Rank?" Kia blinked.
Kaela took over again. "Everyone starts at Unranked. Then, through training and cultivation, you move up: Awakened, Adept, Commander, and so on. Each stage marks a major leap in power and opens new doors—like the ability to use stronger skills."
"And stats?" Kia asked, gesturing at the numbers beside Strength and Vitality.
"Those represent your physical and mental capabilities," Rei said. "Strength affects your power, vitality affects endurance, health and so on if it's related to your constitution. Focus usually governs mana capacity and control. Oh yes, mental capacity too."
Kia stared at his panel again. It all made a strange, eerie kind of sense. Like a game—but not.
A world where people cultivated using mana, gained stats and ranks, and had hidden status panels only they could see?
If this world had a level-up system, it'd be an RPG in everything but name.
Kaela nudged him lightly. "You're taking it well."
Kia let out a soft laugh. "I think my brain just gave up and decided to go with it."
Rei gave a small, understanding smile. "You'll catch up fast."
He looked at the two of them. Adventurers from another world. Magic and monsters. Stats, classes, and cultivation.
And now, somehow, he was part of it too.
Kia tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing in thought as he stared at the glowing panel.
He noticed it then.
The odd part.
[Focus: —]
There it was.
The stat labeled [Focus] wasn't zero. It was just… blank. Like something had erased it or the system didn't know what to put there.
It felt wrong. Like a placeholder that shouldn't exist. Like the system was still figuring out what to do with him.
But Kia said nothing.
He closed the panel with a blink, letting the glowing frame vanish from his vision.
He wasn't sure what that meant yet—and he wasn't about to bring it up until he did.
He focused on the next section: [Skills].
There was only one.
[Common Tongue – LV 5 (MAX)]
"…Huh," he muttered.
No wonder he could understand them. And speak fluently.
So the world really was built like a game.
Kia rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess this is something only heroes get?"
"What is?" Rei asked, glancing over curiously.
"The whole 'understanding you perfectly' thing. I mean, I'm pretty sure we don't speak the same language, but here we are. Talking."
Rei blinked, then chuckled softly. "That would be the 'Common Tongue' skill."
Kaela nodded beside her. "I read in the library somewhere that it was one of the hero perk. One of the only ones that's consistent."
"Well," Kia said, gesturing vaguely at his mouth, "it's working. Still weird to hear everyone speak in English, though."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "English?"
"Never mind," he said again, waving it off. "Just… hero stuff."
Kaela rolled her eyes. "You say that like it explains anything."
Kia turned to them curiously. "What about you two? What classes do you have?"
Kaela grinned and thumped her chest proudly. "Iron Fang. Not the flashiest, but you won't find many who hit harder in its tier."
Rei gave her a flat look. "You're bragging again."
"You're just jealous mine sounds cooler," Kaela shot back with a wink.
Kia chuckled, then looked at Rei. "And you?"
Rei hesitated for a beat before answering. "Seeker. It's a reconnaissance and magic-utility class."
Kia tilted his head. "So… like a scout mage?"
"More or less," she nodded. "It's not built for frontline combat, but it's essential for high-tier adventuring."
"Huh." He rubbed his chin. "I guess I thought classes would be more… I don't know, fancy. Like 'Sword Saint' or 'Archmage.'"
Kaela laughed. "Those are legendary-tier classes. You don't just pick them. They evolve from base classes after tons of effort. And luck."
Kia glanced between the two of them. "So… to awaken, you both had to use three skills, right? What kind?"
Kaela puffed up with a grin. "Simple stuff, really. I trained in [Iron Body], [Brute Fist], and [Charge]. All physical skills. The Iron Fang class builds off raw power and durability. Once I got good enough at using all three—and learned the basics of mana circulation—I awakened."
Kia turned to Rei, curious. "And you?"
"I trained [Mana Sense], [Thread of Detection], and [Quick Step]," she said. "The first lets me feel mana in the environment. The second is a long-range scouting skill. The third is… well, self-explanatory."
Kia raised both hands. "So, three skills and a mana art, then you get a class?"
Rei nodded. "That's the usual path. Of course, there are people who awaken with fewer skills, or through special events. But that's rare."
Kaela added, "Some push their limits and awaken after a life-threatening fight."
Kia rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "And the class… it gives you actual benefits?"
"Oh, yeah," Kaela said immediately. "Once you get a class, it's like your body and mana start aligning with it. You get passive boosts. Certain class-related skills grow faster. Sometimes, you even get a unique ability tied to your class."
Rei continued, "It's like your body remembers what it's meant to do. The more you fight, train, or grow in the way your class demands, the stronger you get."
Kia's brows furrowed with interest. "So what about you two specifically? What benefits did you get?"
Kaela's grin widened. "Where do I start? For one, after awakening as an Iron Fang, my Strength stat jumped like crazy. I gained passive resistance to blunt attacks and—get this—every time I charge, I build momentum that stacks with each step. If I don't stop, it's like being hit by a runaway boulder."
Kaela beamed. "It's not just stats. My body feels tougher. My muscles also know how to move better in a fight. I didn't have to train for it, it just clicked."
Kia turned to Rei expectantly.
She shrugged, more reserved. "Seeker isn't flashy, but it's subtle. My senses are sharper, especially during combat. I can perceive mana fluctuations from farther away, and my steps naturally make less sound. I even gained an innate ability called [Whisper Trace]."
"What's that do?"
"I can blend into low mana environments," she explained. "Not invisible, exactly, but it makes me extremely hard to notice if I don't want to be seen."
Kaela chimed in. "She once snuck past three goblin sentries and made them trip over each other. It was glorious."
Rei rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.
Kia scratched his head, trying to wrap his head around it all. "So, stats go up, your body improves, and you even get… traits or abilities just by having the class?"
"Exactly," Rei confirmed. "Think of it like a foundation. Without it, you can still grow, but it's slower. Cruder. With a class, you have direction. Focus. Every improvement builds toward something."
"And the more you work in sync with your class," Kaela added, "the more your power snowballs. Skills start evolving, too."
Kia blinked. "Wait. Evolving?"
"Yep," Kaela nodded. "Use a skill enough times, under the right conditions, and it might upgrade into something new. More powerful, more specialized. But only if your class supports it."
Rei nodded. "That's the synergy people chase. You can learn hundreds of skills, but if they don't align with your class, you're wasting time."
Rei narrowed her eyes slightly, head tilting. "Why are you asking all this, anyway?"