The morning sun rose high above the stone walls of Glodaria, casting golden rays across the bustling capital. Rey stretched and rubbed his eyes, still drowsy from sleep. As he stepped outside the inn, he noticed how lively the city was even at this early hour. Dozens of merchants hurriedly set up their stalls, hammering wooden frames together and arranging goods while shouting prices. The aroma of freshly baked bread and roasted meat drifted through the streets.
Rey whispered to himself, "I guess all of them are setting up early so they don't run out of space."
He walked with a calm pace, observing the lively sights until his eyes caught the signboard he had been searching for:
"Glodaria Adventurer Guild."
The guild hall stood tall and imposing, its cobblestone walls painted with strokes of green and red. It was far larger than the guild in Dormyouth, with arched windows and a carved emblem of a sword and shield above the main doors.
Rey reached for the handle and tried to open the door—only to find it locked. He let out a sigh. "Guess it's not open yet."
Not wanting to waste time, he turned and noticed the library nearby was already open. Curious, he walked inside.
"Back again, kid?" the same receptionist from before greeted warmly. "Looking for more books?"
Rey nodded, handing over two silver coins. "Yes, ma'am."
He collected several tomes, each labeled with symbols of different elements—fire, water, earth, lightning, wind. Settling into a corner seat, Rey flipped them open, whispering as he read.
"So this is the secret… Once the guild opens, I'll take a quest and test this magic myself."
Hours slipped by until the doors of the Adventurer Guild finally opened. Adventurers poured in, filling the air with chatter and excitement as they scrambled to the quest board.
The moment Rey entered, however, something strange happened.
From the second floor, Guild Master Morgan stiffened in his chair. His sharp instincts screamed danger. An overwhelming pressure washed over the guild hall—wild, oppressive, like dozens of beasts had stormed inside. He quickly stood, gripping the railing, his eyes darting downward.
"What… what the hell is that presence?!"
He rushed down the stairs, pushing past startled adventurers. But by the time he reached the ground floor, the pressure was gone—vanished like smoke. Rey, oblivious to what had just happened, was already leaving with a quest slip in hand.
Rey wandered into the wilderness outside the capital, his quest scroll clenched in his hand. It was simple: defeat a group of slimes and collect their crystals.
Soon enough, he spotted several of the gelatinous creatures bouncing near a stream. He exhaled, bracing himself.
"Alright… let's give this a try."
He stepped forward, opened his arms, and closed his eyes. His heart pounded. "Okay… fireball first. Concentrate."
The slimes noticed him and began to wobble closer. Suddenly, his mark—∞—glowed faintly on his arm. Particles of yellow flickered into existence, shifting, morphing into a swirling blue flame.
"—Fireball!" Rey shouted.
A blazing sphere of fire shot forward, striking a slime. The creature burned instantly, popping apart into nothing but smoke and a faintly glowing crystal.
Rey opened his eyes wide. "I did it! I actually used magic!"
Then his gaze narrowed. The fire left behind wasn't orange or red like in the books. It was a deep, cold blue flame.
"Huh? Why is it blue? I thought flames were supposed to be yellow or orange… Eh, no matter. Maybe it's normal."
He pressed on, testing one element after another. Water swirled from his palm, slicing through a slime. Rocks rose from the earth at his command. A gust of wind hurled another creature into the trees. Lightning crackled, bright and violent, finishing off the last one.
When it was done, Rey stood surrounded by scattered slime crystals, panting softly. "So far… I can use all five basic elements? How is that even possible?"
Later that day, Rey returned to the guild. He placed the slime crystals on the counter. The receptionist tallied them and handed him three silver coins.
At that very moment, Morgan felt it again. That same overwhelming pressure. His eyes snapped to the boy.
"It's him… That aura—it's surrounding him!"
From his perspective, Rey wasn't just a kid. His body shimmered with layers of different colors: red, blue, green, yellow, black—countless hues swirling around like living flames.
Morgan strode across the hall, his expression serious. "Hey, kid."
Rey looked up from his table, tilting his head. "Yes, sir?"
"Come with me. We need to talk."
Rey blinked in surprise but nodded. He followed the guild master upstairs, into a private office lined with maps, swords, and books.
"Sit down," Morgan said, closing the door firmly.
Rey obeyed.
Morgan studied him carefully. "First thing first… my name is Morgan. I'm the guild master here in Glodaria. And you are?"
"Rey, sir."
"Rey, huh?" Morgan leaned forward, folding his arms. "Tell me… do you even realize how powerful you are?"
Rey shook his head slowly.
Morgan frowned. "So you don't. Interesting. Because from where I stand, I can see it clear as day. You're surrounded by multiple elemental auras. Tell me honestly—did you already try using magic?"
Rey hesitated but nodded. "Yes. Earlier. I finished a slime quest using magic."
Morgan's voice hardened. "And how many elements did you use?"
"…Five. The basic ones."
Morgan's eyes widened in shock. He leaned back in his chair, stunned. "All five basic elements…? Impossible. Normal people can only use one, maybe two if they're rare talents."
He stared at Rey like he was staring at a legend. "Alright then. What's your number? Show me."
Rey froze. His stomach tightened. If I lie… he'll know.
"Don't hide it," Morgan said firmly. "Tell me the truth."
Rey exhaled shakily. "…Four hundred thousand."
Morgan narrowed his eyes. "No. That's a lie. Show me your mark."
Slowly, Rey rolled up his sleeve and placed his hand on the desk.
Morgan's eyes widened. Instead of a glowing number, he saw the strange ∞ symbol branded into Rey's arm. His breath caught.
"This… This isn't a number. It's more like… a mark. A symbol with no end."
Rey nodded faintly. "I don't know what it means. I've had this since birth."
Morgan sat in silence for a moment before asking, "Do you understand how it works at all?"
"A little."
"Explain."
Rey lowered his gaze. "When I'm in danger, it glows… and the mark of my opponent goes down rapidly. And once, when I was unconscious, my body… felt out of control. Like something else was moving for me."
Morgan frowned deeply, stroking his beard. "So it's not just a boost. It's something far beyond that. And your mana…" He squinted. "You should learn to hide it. If people see all those colors, you'll draw attention you don't want."
Rey leaned forward. "How can I hide it?"
"Simple. Imagine sucking something away—like pulling in the excess—and choose only one color to leave behind. Don't erase them all, or it'll look suspicious. Just mask the others."
Rey nodded, closing his eyes. He focused hard. One by one, the colorful auras disappeared until only a faint red glow remained.
Morgan clapped once. "Good. That's better."
He leaned back and sighed. "There's someone you need to meet. An old woman who lives in the eastern forest. She's traveled the world, gathering knowledge about ancient symbols and lost powers. If anyone knows about that mark of yours… it's her."
He pulled out a sealed letter and slid it across the desk.
"Take this. She'll know I sent you."
Rey accepted the letter, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you, Guild Master."
Morgan gave him a firm look. "Be careful, boy. Whatever that mark is… it's not ordinary. And others will come for it once they realize."
Rey clutched the letter tightly. "Then I'll just have to get stronger before they do."