The setting sun painted the path a brilliant red as Julian rushed back to his building. He couldn't understand why he wasn't allowed to stay in one of the huts within the garden.
Maybe because we're from another planet, he thought.
As he approached, he saw Nathan sitting on one of the thick roots in front of the entrance, staring at the horizon with a pensive expression.
"It's a beautiful sunset, isn't it?" Julian said as he came up beside him.
"Yes," Nathan replied with a frown, standing up. "I was wondering where my sister is. We were together when we were teleported, but she isn't here."
"Don't worry. She might just be in a different academy," Julian offered, trying to comfort him. Then, he changed the subject.
"How was work at the market? Mine was tedious but not hard. Maybe because it's the first day."
"They just made me haul things around for customers," Nathan said, his expression brightening. "But the things being sold there are amazing. There were weapons and strange instruments powers by mana instead of electricity. And they gave me some mana crystals too."
He showed Julian a familiar pouch.
Julian was curious, but he ended the conversation, saying he needed to rest early. He was more interested in figuring out how the system worked than chatting.
Nathan waved him off and remained outside, saying he'd wait for the others.
*****
Inside his room, Julian kicked off his shoes and summoned the system.
Name: Julian Cross
Core: Compressing
Talents: Mana Sight, Mana Tongue
Mana tongue must be why I can understand the language here.
He reached out to touch it—instinctively—only to have his hand pass through the floating screen. It shimmered faintly, like it existed halfway between a thought and reality. A real system. He had only dreamed of this. Now, the impossible was hovering before him.
The system had appeared when he absorbed mana from the crystal. He quickly took out the same white crystal and focused again.
He felt his arm itch as warmth filled his chest. However, the system did not change. He put the white crystal away and took out a red core.
Julian held it in his palm, curious if anything new would happen. He focused on it the same way he had with the crystal. A few minutes passed, and just as he was beginning to doubt, the core crumbled—and a prompt appeared:
New spell detected
Absorb spell Spark?
Yes/No
Julian blinked. So this is how it works.
He selected yes, and a new line appeared on his screen.
Name: Julian Cross
Core: Compressing
Talents: Mana Sight, Mana Tongue
Spells: Spark
He tried tapping on "Spark", but the system didn't expand with details. Still, the implications were clear.
He took out the green crystal and repeated the process. A moment later, a new skill was absorbed.
Name: Julian Cross
Core: Compressing
Talents: Mana Sight, Mana Tongue
Spells: Spark, Air push
He grinned.
Time for some tests.
He calmed down and tried activating Mana Sight. It activated with a thought. Lights suddenly filled his eyes. As his eyes adjusted, he saw countless glowing motes float through the air—some red like flickering embers, others blue like drops of melted ice. A few of them were even entering his chest. He tried to grasp them but they kept slipping away.
They are so beautiful.
A moment later, his head started to throb. Sweat trickled down his forehead as his vision blurred. He turned off the Mana Sight.
I think I'm out of mana.
He looked at the spent crystal in his palm, now nothing but sand. He sighed, realizing how quickly the mana had been used up. He decided to save the rest for now.
Chuckling to himself, he brushed the sand off the bed and laid down.
Watch out, everyone. Here comes the OP main character. That is… if nobody else has a system.
*****
Julian stood in a field of fire. Tilla plants were ablaze, and the ground beneath him melted into molten earth. His hands were on fire too. He screamed for help, but no one answered. As the flames climbed higher, he began to sink. The ground swallowed him inch by inch.
He couldn't breathe.
The heat scorched his lungs. Every breath felt like inhaling embers. His screams were lost in the roar of the flames. Around him, ghostly shapes writhed and melted, faces familiar yet twisted by fire. Was he dying?
*****
Julian woke with a start, sweat clinging to his back. Breathing hard, he sat up, shaking off the nightmare.
Was that because of the Mana Sight?
After cleaning up, he stepped outside to head to Garden 31. He found Nathan and Mark talking animatedly nearby.
"Julian!" Nathan called. "Come see this, we've got something to show you!"
He stretched out his hand and focused. A few seconds later, electric sparks danced across his fingers. Mark did the same. A small flame burst to life in his palm.
"We absorbed the beast cores," Nathan explained.
"So you got your spells?" Julian asked.
"Is that what they are?" Nathan replied, eyes wide.
It seems like they don't have the system, Julian thought.
"I think so."
"Try it!" Mark encouraged, showing him the flame again, this time making it larger and swirl around his hand.
"It's not difficult."
Julian held out his hand and tried to mimic them. He imagined fire gathering in his palm. Nothing happened.
Feeling awkward, he cleared his mind and tried again. This time, he pushed mana to his palm and a few sparks of fire appeared. This was his first skill.
"Yay! You did it!" Nathan cheered as Mark gave him a congratulatory pat.
His Spark was embarrassingly small compared to Mark's. Maybe they got different talents or skills - like fire manipulation.
"Keep it up and your brain'll feel like it's boiling," Mark joked, then glanced up. "Anyway, we should go. Don't want to be late."
"Yeah. See you later," Julian waved as they parted.
As Julian walked toward Garden 31, he summoned the system again.
Name: Julian Cross
Core: Compressing
Talents: Mana Sight, Mana Tongue
Spells: Spark, Air push
He focused on his hand again, this time guiding mana and activating Air push. A small burst of air stirred the nearby dirt.
Maybe if I keep practicing, my spells will level up.