Seven years.
Seven years had passed since the day the fate of Stonedale hung by a thread and the life of Seito Kagami was broken in half. Seven years, now gleaming like copper in his close-cropped chestnut hair and reflecting a cold clarity in his dark oak-colored eyes. At twelve, he was no longer a child. His shoulders had broadened, his movements had acquired a sparse, practiced precision, and the shadow of habitual restraint had settled in the corners of his mouth.
He stood at the edge of the Quarry of Seven Circles—a giant bowl biting into the foot of the mountain. Stone for buildings had once been mined here, but now the quarry was abandoned and served as a kind of training camp and a place of solitude. Seven ledges, seven concentric terraces descended to the bottom, where a pool of rainwater lay dark.
It was here, away from prying eyes, that Seito spent most of his time. Here, the System could rage without attracting attention.
`Status.`
The interface responded instantly, unfolding in his consciousness in clear, concise lines.
[STATUS: Seito Kagami]
[Level: 17]
[Condition: Slightly Fatigued. Mana Reserves Restored.]
[True Name: ———]
---
[Strength: 24]
[Dexterity: 31]
[Endurance: 28]
[Intelligence: 15*]
[Wisdom: 14*]
[Willpower: 41*]
[Luck: 1.0]
---
[Mana: 87/87]
[Magic Affinity: Universal (Low Density, High Purity)]
[Magic Perception: 35]
---
[Skills: ...]
[Unique Abilities: Emergency Mode, Internal Focus (Lvl. 5)]
Two years of relentless, daily training. Two years of completing the System's tasks, which grew increasingly difficult and dangerous. `Bring the snow leopard pelt from the Northern Peak.` `Spend the night in the Mire of Whispering Shadows.` `Maintain a magic sphere in a stable state for one hour.`
He completed them. He grew. His parameters were now on par with an experienced adult fighter, and his `Willpower` and `Magic Perception` were off the charts. But progress was slowing. Each level required more and more experience, and the System's tasks increasingly forced him to balance on the edge of life and death.
The village had changed over the years, too. After the goblin attack, Stonedale ceased to be just a peaceful settlement. Orric, the honorary elder, and Kenshi, who had become his right hand, had organized a permanent guard. Every week, all teenagers and adult men underwent basic combat training. They learned to hold formation, to handle a spear and a bow. Seito participated in these trainings, carefully hiding his true abilities, playing the role of merely a capable and diligent youth.
His relationship with the community was... complicated. Formally, they were grateful to him. The title `Defender of Stonedale` gave him unofficial authority. But gratitude was mixed with fear and misunderstanding. People saw him disappearing into the quarry for days on end, sometimes returning with bruises and abrasions. They whispered about how he once `"emitted a light that burned the goblin."` He was one of them, but an outsider. A white crow who was respected but avoided.
Alvin, his old tormentor, had only solidified his dislike. He had become a skilled archer, the best among the youth, and his half-elf blood gave him undeniable advantages in accuracy. He watched Seito's `"pointless digging in the rocks"` with scorn, considering it an eccentricity.
His parents... his parents saw the changes in their son. Ayame still looked at him with anxiety, each time healing his new scrapes and silently bringing him double portions of food. She felt his burden, his obsession, but couldn't understand the reasons. Kenshi, however, had accepted his choice. He saw in his son not a child, but a person who had chosen his own path. Their conversations became rare, but filled with silent understanding.
`System, today's task,` Seito commanded mentally.
The window updated.
[Daily Task: `Trial of Flesh and Spirit`]
[Objective: Ascend from the bottom of the quarry to the top circle and back using only magical enhancement. Touching the walls and ledges is forbidden.]
[Reward: +0.5 to Endurance, +100 EXP, random bonus to mana control.]
Seito smirked. Business as usual. The System constantly devised new, sophisticated ways for him to torture himself. He descended to the bottom of the quarry, to the black water. He took a deep breath, activating the skill `Internal Focus`.
The mana inside him responded with an obedient hum. He wasn't just accumulating it—he was learning to control it with jeweler's precision. He imagined a compressed spring under his soles.
`Let's go.`
He pushed off. Not with his legs, but with pure willpower, ejecting a concentrated clot of mana to a point beneath his soles. A dull thud sounded, and his body, like a stone shot from a sling, shot upward.
This wasn't flight. It was controlled falling in the opposite direction. His task was to stretch the impulse, make it powerful enough to reach the next ledge, and controlled enough not to smash against the rock.
First circle. Second. His mana was rapidly depleting. His breathing became even and deep, his body—collected and light. He was pure consciousness, controlling a vessel of flesh and bone. The wind whistled in his ears, the rocks flashed before his eyes.
On the fifth circle, he felt a familiar dizziness—a sign of exhaustion. Less than half his mana remained. But giving up wasn't in his nature. He clenched his will into a fist and squeezed a few more drops of power from his reservoir.
Seventh circle. The top. His feet touched the ground at the very summit, and he almost collapsed from exhaustion. Without a break—the return journey. Now he had to dampen the inertia, create impulses directed downward but preventing him from crashing.
It was a thousand times harder. His clothes were soaked with sweat, a fog stood in his eyes. He watched as the `Mana` number approached zero.
Three meters from the bottom, his supply finally ran out.
He plummeted down like a stone, towards the sharp rocks and black water.
There was no thought. Only instinct, honed by thousands of falls. He tucked his body, flipped in the air, and landed on his feet, rolling over his shoulder to dissipate the remaining speed. The impact with the ground sent pain through his entire body, but his bones remained intact.
He lay on his back, breathing heavily, staring at the narrow strip of sky above the quarry. His heart pounded, beating the rhythm of his victory.
[Task Completed.]
[Reward Received.]
[Hidden Bonus Discovered: `Mana Efficiency` increased by 1%.]
A small victory. Another grain in his collection. He got up, dusted himself off, and trudged towards the quarry exit. Ahead lay the village, a warm dinner, caring but uncomprehending looks. And a quiet, lonely room where he could open his status again and plan his next day's push for power.
He walked, feeling the weight on his shoulders—not a physical one, but the burden of expectations, fears, and the oath he had sworn to himself. He was not a hero. He was an ascetic on the path to power. And this path, like the quarry, consisted of seven circles. And he had only just begun to climb them.