Consciousness returned to Seito slowly, through a thick fog of pain and exhaustion. The first thing he sensed was a familiar smell—the scent of dried herbs and ointments mixed with the sweetish smoke of smoldering coals. He was in Tobas's hut.
He tried to move, and a dull, gut-wrenching weakness shot through his entire body in response. He felt utterly empty, like a dried-out husk.
"Don't move, boy," a calm, tired voice came from above him. The healer. "You burned yourself to a cinder. It happens when the untrained try to jump above their weight."
Seito slowly opened his eyes. Tobas was sitting on a stool beside his bed, his wrinkled face serious.
"Father?.. Mother?.." Seito whispered, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar.
"Alive and well, thanks to you," the old man shook his head, and his eyes held something between admiration and reproach. "Everyone's alive. There are losses, but minimal. Two wounded, one seriously, but I'll pull him through. The goblins retreated. The village held."
Relief, sharp and all-consuming, washed over Seito in a wave. He closed his eyes, feeling quiet, involuntary tears roll down them. He couldn't have borne losing them. He couldn't.
"Your outburst…" Tobas continued, lowering his voice. "That wasn't just a gift awakening. That was will. Pure, undiluted will, embodied in power. I've never seen anything like it." He paused, studying the boy's face. "Orric and the elders want to speak with you. And with your parents. The village… the village is in your debt. But it is also afraid."
Seito understood. They had seen what he was capable of. And now they didn't know what to do with it. A blessing or a curse.
There was a knock on the door, and Kenshi and Ayame entered. His father's face was stern, but an unquenchable spark of pride burned in his eyes. Ayame rushed to her son, hugged him, sobbing and laughing at the same time.
"You almost died!" she lamented. "You were supposed to stay at home!"
"He saved us, woman," Kenshi said quietly but firmly. "He saved you. He acted like a man."
There was no reproach in his voice toward his wife. Only acceptance. Acceptance that his son was no longer just a child.
While his parents spoke with Tobas, Seito mentally called up his status. He almost gasped.
His "Will" and "Magic Perception" parameters had jumped several points at once. Probably a reaction to the extreme situation and that final, desperate release of power. But the main thing—he had received a notification.
[Experience gained for participating in repelling a settlement attack, neutralizing a threat, and saving allies.]
[Level increased! Current level: 3.]
[Level increased! Current level: 4.]
[+10 stat points to distribute.]
[Title gained: «Defender of Stonedale» (Slight increase in authority among village residents, slight increase in damage against goblins).]
He had risen two levels at once. And the system wasn't limited to dry numbers. After the level-up message, the interface went dark for a moment, then shone with a new, solemn light. The letters appearing before him weren't rendered in a font but seemed engraved from pure light.
[Congratulations. The beginning is passed.]
[The Path of Power is open.]
That was it. No further explanations, no hints. But those two lines contained the entire meaning. His childhood, his first timid steps, his fear and misunderstanding—all of it was behind him. Now the real journey began. A path awaiting not just training and quests, but real battles, real losses, and real power.
He lay there, staring at the ceiling, images flashing through his mind. The dirty concrete of the workshop. The cold of the forest soil. The face of a goblin twisted with malice. And over it all—the warm, love-filled faces of his parents.
He didn't want to lose this. Never.
He mentally allocated all the points. Not into "Strength" or "Dexterity." He put everything into "Will," "Magic Perception," and a new parameter—"Mana." His mana pool increased from a pitiful 5 to 25 units. It was still small, but it was no longer a stream; it was a small river.
When his parents left, promising to return in the evening, he was alone. He propped himself up on an elbow, overcoming the weakness, and looked out the window. The village was healing its wounds. Men were repairing the palisade, women were bringing food and water to the guards at their posts. Everyone's faces were serious, matured. Even the children weren't running around but sat quietly by the houses.
The illusion of safety was shattered. Everyone understood—their world was fragile. And to protect it, they had to become stronger.
Seito understood this better than any of them. He clenched his fist. His hand trembled from weakness, but his will was firm as diamond.
"I make a vow to myself," he said mentally, looking at his trembling fingers. "I will not repeat the mistakes of my past life. I will not be weak. I will not be helpless. I will not allow anyone—not humans, not monsters, not fate—to take from me those I love. I will not allow anyone to deprive me of the right to live."
He looked at the line of his true name, still empty, still crossed out.
"I will become so strong that I will take my name back myself. And someday… someday, those who dared to raise a hand against me, be it in this world or that one, will regret it."
There was no malice in his voice. Only a cold, unshakable resolve. The resolve of a man who had passed through death and found the strength not to break, but to become better. Stronger.
The Path of Power was open. And Seito Kagami took his first, real step on it. Not as a frightened child, but as a warrior who had sworn an oath.
[End of Volume One: Reincarnation of a Mechanic]