The morning air was fresh with excitement. For the first time, Arin and Lyra were dressed neatly, their small bags slung across their shoulders. Mira knelt down, adjusting Arin's collar.
"Be good, Arin," she said softly, smiling. "Make friends and listen to your teachers."
Beside them, Elara was fixing Lyra's ribbon while Kieran laughed lightly. "You'll both do great," he said warmly.
Hand in hand, Arin and Lyra walked into the preschool classroom. It was bright and colorful, filled with small tables, books, and toys. Children of their age sat nervously, some clinging to parents, others already running around noisily.
Arin felt Lyra squeeze his hand tightly. "Don't leave me," she whispered.
"Never," Arin said firmly. He scanned the room with sharp eyes, and the Observation skill stirred immediately, analyzing movements, expressions, and little habits.
Ding!
[Skill Proficiency Increased]
Skill: Observation (Mastery) – 3%
A few minutes later, a cheerful boy ran up to them. His hair was messy, and his grin was wide. "Hi! I'm Kai! Do you want to play blocks with me?"
Lyra blinked, looking at Arin. Arin smiled and nodded. "I'm Arin. This is Lyra. Sure, let's play."
Kai grabbed their hands without hesitation and dragged them toward a pile of colorful blocks. The three quickly began building towers, laughing as they competed to see who could make theirs the tallest.
As they played, Arin quietly activated his Observation (Mastery: Eyes of Talent). Above Kai, glowing letters appeared.
[Detected Talent]
Name: Kai
Age: 3
Talent: Physical Vitality (Common) – Strong natural stamina and energy. Excels in physical play and athletic growth.
Arin's eyes flickered. So Kai has natural strength and stamina. No wonder he's so energetic.
The teacher soon gathered the children into a circle. They sang songs, learned simple words, and played games. Arin's system worked nonstop in the background as he quietly observed every single child—watching how they moved, spoke, reacted, and even the way their eyes shifted.
Each child revealed something unique. Some had artistic talents, others had sharp memory, while a few had rare gifts that stood out.
By the time the class ended, Arin's head buzzed. He had scanned nearly thirty children, carefully analyzing every detail. But when he checked his system notifications, his heart sank.
Ding!
[Skill Proficiency Increased]
Skill: Observation (Mastery) – 5%
That was all.
Arin blinked in disbelief. "Only five percent…? After watching a whole classroom?" he muttered under his breath.
The system's voice answered coldly in his mind:
"Mastery proficiency grows at an extremely slow rate. Each stage beyond Advanced demands exponentially more effort. True mastery cannot be rushed."
Arin clenched his small fists. So even with this system, there's no shortcut. I'll need patience and persistence if I want to push Observation further.
When class ended, Kai bounced happily between Arin and Lyra. "Let's walk home together! We can play more after school."
Arin smiled faintly, nodding. He had gained not just knowledge of others' talents today, but also a new companion.
Looking at Lyra and Kai, he thought, Maybe this is what I was missing in my first life. Not just skills and effort… but friends who walk with me.
As they left the preschool, the golden glow of sunset bathed the street. Arin's Observation remained active, faintly shimmering in his vision. He knew it would take time, maybe years, to push it further.
But this was fine. He wasn't in a hurry.
He had restarted his life. And this time, he was going to live it step by step—slow, steady, and unshakable.