'Heh, I'm the MC.'
Arthur smiled faintly at the thought as he stepped out of the library. From a distance, his mother called out to him, and beside her stood an old woman he didn't recognize.
"Arthur, come here!"
He ran over at once. His mother nodded, beaming, and gestured toward the woman beside her.
"This is Mathilda Zakiem, an elder of the Magic Academy of the Kasadin Kingdom. She's a close friend of mine—and she's here to test your talent. If you qualify, you'll be allowed to enroll when you turn thirteen."
Mathilda crouched and held out a glowing crystal orb. "Here, little one. Place your hand on the crystal so we can assess your attributes."
Arthur nodded and pressed his palm to the surface. Instantly, a dazzling cascade of colors appeared.
White, red, black, green, brown, gray, faint green, faint blue and white, mint green, shimmering white, black with white specks… and even black-grey.
[Light, fire, dark, water, wood, earth, metal, wind, lightning, crystal, time, space, chaos]
In the world of Eden, only ten main attributes were commonly known: light, fire, dark, water, wood, earth, metal, wind, lightning, and space. Due to the Great Catastrophe in the past, most knowledge of rarer attributes was lost.
Mathilda and Elma stared at the crystal in disbelief.
At first, Mathilda thought the orb was broken. But after testing it herself, she realized the truth—Arthur wasn't just talented. He was a miracle.
"A new king… is born!" she exclaimed, trembling with excitement.
Elma immediately called everyone to witness the sight. The moment they saw the lights swirling inside the crystal, they erupted into cheers. The birth of a king-level talent was something to celebrate—and fear.
As the commotion died down, Arthur's father, Amy, leaned in beside him.
"Arthur, since you're a genius, we'll begin attribute training when you turn twelve, okay? Papa will help you."
Arthur nodded, still stunned. But joy burned inside him.
'I really am the MC.'
"Papa, look!" he shouted and pointed to the sky. A flurry of elemental lights emerged from his fingertip.
It was showy—but he couldn't help it. Back on Earth, all he did was read novels. Now, for the first time, he felt alive.
Everyone stared in awe and dread. Then Arthur noticed his father sigh quietly.
"Son, I know you're excited. But you must hide this. If the wrong people find out… it could bring disaster."
Arthur nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Papa."
Still, he had a plan. By revealing his powers early, he avoided suspicion if he chose to hide his strength later. His greatest secret would remain just that—a secret.
Amy and Mathilda went aside to discuss Arthur's future. They agreed the boy needed protection, especially once he entered the Magic Academy. To shield him, they would change his surname to "Zakiem" and present him as Mathilda's personal disciple. She gladly agreed—training a genius was every master's dream.
Later, a feast was held to celebrate Arthur's awakening. When the chefs and servants finished preparations, everyone gathered in the hall.
Amy raised her glass and smiled warmly.
"We are here to celebrate my son, Arthur Kasadin, and his incredible gift. May his future be bright. For Arthur! For his success! Cheers!"
"For Arthur!"
"For Arthur's success!"
The voices rang out together as the feast began. Laughter echoed, food flowed freely, and the atmosphere sparkled with joy.
But Arthur couldn't stay up for long. His mother sent him to bed early, though his mind remained restless.
Lying on his back, he whispered, "Blu… is there anything you didn't tell me?"
Blu's voice replied smoothly in his mind. "Hmm, yes. But you'll need to reach a certain level first."
"What is it?"
"It's called a Treasure Hunt!" she answered smugly.
"Really?"
"Nope. Just wanted to see your face. Hehe."
Arthur groaned. "Blu…"
She chuckled. "It's actually called Gatherer. You unlock it at level 3. It'll let you gain more XP and CP by collecting valuable items. The rarer the item, the better the reward."
"So how do I get XP if I can't gather yet?"
"Were you transmigrated or transported last time?" Blu asked.
Arthur hesitated. "Transmigrated."
"Then here's the deal. In transmigration—whether trial, normal, medium, hard, or hell mode—you gain small amounts of XP and CP by tapping into valuable things. Just like when you shrank that cube. Use your mind."
She paused, then continued.
"But when you're transported—like last time—you get bigger rewards. You can steal, fight, even kill. Everything counts for points."
Arthur gulped. "So… you're saying transmigration gives less, but is safer?"
"Exactly. Want to try again?" Blu asked with a mischievous grin in her voice. "Let's choose Trial Mode. Find the pros and cons yourself."
Arthur nodded. "Let's do it."
Snap.
The world around him faded to black.