The sky hung heavy with gloom, and the land rose and fell in restless waves.
Chirp!
Flocks of birds cut across the sky, returning to their nests in graceful arcs, leaving the creatures of the earth watching in silent awe and envy.
Zhang Wei turned his gaze away from the wide, expensive window. He sat on his large bed, three soft pillows stacked neatly beside him.
In the corner of the room, a crystal pulsed faintly with light — a gift from his father, Viscount Vale, the day he awakened.
"Finally… a moment to clear my thoughts."
He had been so busy that he hadn't even had time to examine the system's updates.
Drawing a deep breath, he fixed his eyes on the void before him.
Slowly, a shimmering screen unfolded before Zhang Wei, floating in the air like a window to another reality.
Ding!
[Status Window]
Name: Zhang Wei / Ethan Vale
Age: 14
Techniques/Skills: Intermediate Swordsmanship (2/10) [+], Language Expert
Magic Affinities: Wind (Weak), Earth (Weak)
Points: 0 (Points may be used to enhance skills, magic, and knowledge.)
He scanned the window, his eyes pausing on the affinities.
Wind and Earth, huh…? Not bad, but not what I wanted. Fire or water would've been cooler. Stronger. More destructive.
Still, affinities weren't boundaries. Any element could be learned—though at greater cost, longer training, and rarer resources. Only by mastering an affinity could one gain twice the result with half the effort.
Then his gaze slid downward, stopping at the single line at the bottom.
[Points: 0] [?]
"What's this?"
The icon pulsed. With a thought, he pressed it.
Ding!
[Points]
Use: May be spent to enhance learned skills.
Acquisition: Gained through Missions, Events, or by collecting Magical Items.
"Missions…? Events…?" His eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, the window flickered. Lines of blue light stitched across the air.
[Goal Detected]
Detecting possible Missions/Events…
Searching…
…Searching…
Event Found!
His pulse quickened as the words reshaped into something new.
[Mission: Road to Extraordinary Strength]
Type: One-time
Difficulty: Hard
Objective: Pass the Entry Test of Crimson University
Rewards: 2 Points, Random Skill/Technique
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Before he could react, another panel bloomed into existence.
[Mission: Sole Journey]
Type: Consecutive
Difficulty: Extreme
Objective: Advance to the next Major Realm within one year
Rewards: 100 Points, Random Trait, All Skills & Techniques +1 Layer
"Will you rise as a blazing sun… or fade as a fleeting star?"
Zhang Wei's chest tightened, his blood surging with heat.
"This…!"
Blazing sun?... A shooting star?...
Something about this word made him feel passionate.
But just as he was feeling it, he noticed something in the corner—something that made him gasp.
He stared at the panel in disbelief.
"Only 2 points? Why? Isn't this too little?
Then why is the difficulty set to hard?"
Zhang Wei frowned. Something about this felt unfair… even pitiful.
"Wait… maybe every single point is actually valuable?"
That thought made his heart tighten. His gaze shifted toward the skill section—specifically, Intermediate Swordsmanship.
"…Let me try."
He focused on it.
{Intermediate Swordsmanship (2/10)+}
A prompt flashed.
{Upgrade conditions not met!}
{Upgrading with points requires 5 points!}
{One condition half-met detected.}
{ (4/10) Defeat 10 opponents of similar strength with at least 70% personal contribution }
==>
{Upgrading with points requires 4.5 points!}
"Huh?" Zhang Wei blinked.
"So… completing conditions lowers the cost?"
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Even just 5 points could save me from tons of trouble… I really need to find more of these fast."
Zhang Wei finally understood how precious these points were. He immediately began thinking of ways to get more of them, and fast.
His mind started racing. Missions… events… there had to be more ways.
Then his eyes caught a line on the prompt.
Collecting magical items can earn points.
"Magical items?" Zhang Wei looked around the room. His gaze landed on something faintly glowing in the corner—a crystal.
His father's gift.
Memories stirred.
.....
Viscount Vale sat in his armchair, hands gripping the armrests as he leaned forward. His sharp eyes studied the tiny rocks floating above his son's palm, revolving slowly like a miniature solar system.
The mana was weak—so weak it might not even leave a bruise if used offensively. But still, his heart trembled. It didn't matter. What mattered was that his son had finally awakened. And not just that—he had done it before the age of fifteen!
That was enough to step beyond the ranks of commoners. Even though he only barely reached the noble threshold, it was still an achievement worth recognition.
Vale had secretly tested his son many times before—presenting him with objects brimming with mana. Each time, there was no reaction. That was why he had long assumed Ethan was untalented, doomed to awaken late, if ever.
But today, his assumptions were shattered.
"Was it luck? Inspiration?" he muttered under his breath. Outwardly, however, he remained calm, his stern aura pressing down on the room.
At last, he spoke aloud. "As expected of my son. Awakening before fifteen… you are worthy of the Vale name."
To make up for his past neglect, he decided to give Ethan a gift. He placed a crystal on the table, its glow dim but steady.
"This is a medium-quality magic crystal," he explained. "It releases mana and improves the surrounding energy, making it easier to sense and absorb."
He looked at Ethan firmly. "Use it well and practice hard. Maybe, one day, you'll even qualify for Crimson University."
.....
Back in the present.
Zhang Wei picked up the glowing crystal.
"Can this be considered a magical item?"
The moment his fingers touched it—
Ding!
[Magical item detected!]
[Item: Magic Crystal]
[Quality: Medium]
[Introduction: A moderately sized crystal containing pure mana. Can be absorbed for cultivation and other purposes.]
[Can be converted into points!]
[Do you want to convert? (Yes/No)]
"It can be converted?!" Zhang Wei's eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he clicked Yes.
What use was the crystal to him otherwise? Absorb it manually with his trash talent? He couldn't afford to waste time. The tester from Crimson University wouldn't wait for him.
Besides, once he got stronger, acquiring something like this would be far easier. He couldn't let his pride or stubbornness block the bigger picture.
Ding!
[Converting…]
[Conversion complete!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 2 points!]
The crystal vanished from his hand, dissolving into countless glowing motes that floated away like fireflies in the night.
"Where did it go…?"
He tilted his head but quickly shook it off. What mattered was that the panel now showed two more points..
A smile tugged at his lips. For the first time in a long while, confidence filled his chest. It reminded him of the thrill he felt when he won his first prize back in that editing contest—when the world finally acknowledged him.
"This… this feels just like playing a game again."
He leaned back, stretching.
Now the question was… how should he spend these points?
Before he could decide, his eyes caught something outside.
The gloomy sky had parted, and a beam of moonlight spilled across the land. Zhang Wei lifted his head, silver light glinting in his eyes.
"...It's already late."
Yawning slightly, he stretched. "I'll continue tomorrow. No way I'm losing sleep over this. The points won't run away."
With that thought, he closed the panel, leaving the rest for tomorrow.