Seito walked along the path leading home, the echo of Alvin's hiss ringing in his head: "...stay away from me, upstart." Those words, even though spoken by a child, stung deeper than he had expected. They were a reminder: no matter what power he possessed, in the eyes of others he would always be the "carpenter's son," a village boy who shouldn't stand out.
He was five years old. Five years in this world, and he was still constrained not only by his body but also by the labels slapped onto him. The System gave him strength, but it did not give him recognition. Magic Affinity remained an empty, mocking line.
But today, something had changed. The clash with Alvin, that flash of envy, made him acutely aware of his place. And he didn't like that place. He didn't want to be someone who was humiliated because of his origin. He didn't want to hide his power.
He wanted his power to be obvious. Legitimate. The kind that would make any, even the most poisonous, envy retreat. And in this world, that kind of power was magic.
Entering the house, he went straight to his small room and sat on the straw mat, crossing his legs. He closed his eyes, shutting out all external sounds—the sound of his father's axe outside, his mother's humming in the kitchen. He turned inward, to the now-familiar interface of the System.
He didn't look at his status or quests. He mentally rushed toward that one, most important mystery—the line "Magic Affinity: ———". He stared into that void, pouring all his will, all his desperation, all his determination into his gaze.
"What do I need to do?" he asked the System, the world, himself. "What must I do for you to unlock? I'm doing everything I can! I grow stronger every day! Give me a sign! Give me direction!"
He sat like that, motionless, for one minute, then another. His "Will," almost reaching the mark of 10, was strained to the limit. He felt his own consciousness pushing against an invisible wall, against that very seal that hid his true nature.
And the wall shuddered.
Not like it had in the gorge—with pain and an explosion of energy. This time, it was like a quiet click, like a key turning in a complex lock. The System responded not with a voice or a red screen, but with pure, clear knowledge that simply appeared in his mind.
He *felt*. He felt that magic was not something external. It wasn't a force to be taken from outside. It was potential, slumbering within him. That very "Soul Capacity" he had increased through meditation. That very "Will" he had pushed to exhaustion. They were the key.
Magic was his own internal energy, his will, made manifest.
At that same moment, the System responded with its familiar pop-up window, but this time it wasn't blue or red, but a deep, violet-gold color.
[New Quest: "Birth of a Spark"]
[Objective: Awaken the internal source of mana and focus it into your palm.]
[Reward: Determination of Magic Affinity, unlocking of the "Mana" parameter, skill "Internal Focus".]
Seito's heart beat faster. This was the chance. Not an attempt to force an answer from the System, but a real, genuine quest leading to the goal.
Without wasting a second, he closed his eyes again. This time, he wasn't trying to "feel" the magic around him. He was looking for it within. He recalled the feeling when he activated "Emergency Mode"—how energy erupted from the deepest parts of his being. He searched for that source.
At first, there was nothing. Only silence and darkness behind his closed eyelids. But he didn't give up. His "Concentration" was high. His "Will" was unyielding. He breathed deeply and evenly, and with each breath, he imagined drawing in not air, but the very potential, the very possibility of a miracle.
And then he felt it. Deep, deep inside, in the very core of his being, he sensed a tiny, warm point. It was like that point of cold fury that had saved his life in the forest, but now it was warm and calm. This was his internal reservoir. His source of mana.
The task now was to focus it. To draw a thread of energy from this source and channel it through his arm, into his palm.
It proved incredibly difficult. The energy was stubborn, it wanted to spread throughout his body, to dissipate. It was like a wild river that needed to be forced to flow through a narrow channel. He used all his will, all his concentration. He imagined a tube, a conduit through which this golden energy flowed.
Drop by drop. Spark by spark.
His body trembled from the strain. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He felt a headache like none he'd ever had, even after the most exhausting training. This was training of the spirit.
And then, he felt a slight tingling in the center of his right palm. It grew stronger, warmer.
He opened his eyes.
On his palm, just above the center, danced a tiny spark. It was no larger than a pinhead, flickering with a dim golden light and living its own life—fading, then flaring up again. A barely perceptible warmth emanated from it.
He had done it.
[Quest "Birth of a Spark" completed!]
[Congratulations! You have awakened your internal mana source!]
[Determining Magic Affinity…]
[Magic Affinity: Universal (Low Density)]
[Parameter unlocked: Mana. Current value: 5/5.]
[Skill acquired: "Internal Focus" (Lvl. 1).]
[Reward: +100 experience.]
Seito couldn't tear his eyes away from that tiny spark. It was the most beautiful, the most amazing sight he had ever seen. He had created it. From nothing. By the force of his will and his spirit.
"Universal…" he whispered to himself, reading the description. "Low Density."
It meant he could, theoretically, learn any magic. But his reserve of power was extremely small. These five points of mana would be enough for little more than lighting this spark. But it was a start. The most important thing—the door was open.
He concentrated and tried to increase the flow. The spark flared a little brighter, consuming his mana. He watched the "Mana" number in his status crawl downward: 4… 3… 2…
When it reached 1, the spark went out. He felt drained, as if after hours of running. But his heart felt light and celebratory.
He looked at his palm again. Now there was nothing there. But he knew. He knew he was capable of more. That he just needed to grow this parameter. Train it, like he trained his muscles.
He lay on his back and laughed. A quiet, happy laugh that no one heard but him. He hadn't just gained access to magic. He had proven to himself that nothing was impossible. That even the tightest door would open if you battered it persistently.
Plans were already forming in his head. He needed to find a way to train his mana. Maybe by constantly maintaining this spark? Or trying to create it in his other hand? He needed to study how it recovered.
He left the room with such a radiant face that his mother stopped and smiled at him.
"Seito, sweetie, why are you so happy? Did you have a good dream?"
"Yes, Mom," he replied, and it was the pure truth. "A very good dream."
He went to the window and looked outside. The world hadn't changed. But he had changed. He was no longer just a child with a secret. He had become a mage. A beginner, with tiny power, but a mage nonetheless.
And he knew this was only the beginning. Soon, he would be able to do more than just create sparks. He would be able to perform real magic. And then no one, not even the most arrogant half-elf, would dare to look down on him.
He clenched his fist, feeling the new power slumbering within him. Power that belonged only to him. His true name was still hidden. But now he had a key to another great mystery. And he was determined to use it to its fullest.