Kael was discharged, but the atmosphere at home remained marked by humiliation. He had saved his children, but the social stigma still clung to them.
That night, Eryx spoke softly, with a silent sadness.
—Dad... the gym teacher asked if you had gone back to being a laborer yet. He asked if you were still a "mana-less one."
Kael felt the blow. Not to his ribs, but to his dignity. He had broken the laws of the universe, but the condemnation still pursued his offspring.
Aria spoke with a practical voice, but the fear was palpable. —Kael, you haven't gone to the construction site. It's been three days. If we lose that salary...
Kael got up from the table. He couldn't go back to carrying bricks only for his children to carry his shame. The only alternative was the world of mana.
In the storage room, the Status Panel showed Mana: —. The power was there, but he lacked the manual.
«The misery continues because my ignorance is my new weakness. For my family, I have to steal the knowledge that was denied to me. It is the only way.»
That was the final impulse. Kael went to the library, seeking the knowledge the elite took for granted.
In the Public Library, Kael sat with the heavy volume: Fundamentals of Mana Control and the Primary Elements.
Kael devoured the theory. He found the Affinity Law, the golden rule of the world:
"Mana is a flow. You can only tame the element you are governed by lineage or natural affinity. Forcing a non-affine element will cause a painful and irreversible rupture of the mana channels."
He read about incompatible people and the mortal risk of overloading. He understood that his lineage had to be the only exception that allowed him to at least try to use an element.
While he read about the Affinities, the screen suspended on the wall of the Advanced Magic sector came to life. A reporter's energetic voice sounded: "Crushing victory in the sector! The Rogers family, with their heir Aidan Rogers, has closed the dangerous B-73 portal... the Absolute Ice lineage is, once again, the backbone of Arcadia Prime."
Kael saw the pride on the young hunter's face and felt a pang of sadness and resignation at their luck.
—They inherited the law. I had to fight against it —Kael murmured. He focused on the section of his unique affinity, Lightning.
—Fast. That's the only quality I always had on the construction site: the speed to avoid the blow. Now, that speed is called Thunder —he whispered.
Kael closed the book. He left the library.
«I can't wait. This power is uncontrollable and a threat. If the curious Guilds locate me, they will force me to use it.»
The urgency prevailed. Kael detoured, looking for a forgotten training zone. He closed his eyes and sought calm concentration. The tingling turned into an intense current in his arms.
—It's real —he whispered. He concentrated the energy. A blue light whip sprang from his hands. The Lightning shot out, instantly carbonizing a tree trunk.
Kael staggered. His arms felt numb and heavy. He needed a conductor.
Hours later, Kael bought the industrial tempered steel chain at the hardware store.
When he arrived home, Aria looked at him suspiciously.
—Another repair? —she asked.
—Yes —Kael lied.
—Just don't hurt yourself, okay? —she pleaded tenderly.
Kael nodded. He went into the storage room. Kael divided the chain into two unequal sections. The longer one would serve as a whip for long-range attacks. The shorter one, he firmly wrapped around his right fist, creating an improvised gauntlet. That way, he could channel the Thunder for close-combat punches without burning his hand. «No, Aria. I won't hurt myself anymore. And they won't hurt us anymore.»
The next morning, Kael got up before the sun came up. The financial urgency had become unbearable. He opened his cell phone and dialed the Public Portal, "Level E – Low Risk."
Kael arrived at the containment hangar. Eyes scanned him with audacity. The portal inspector gave him the pass.
He crossed the black oval.
The air hit him, humid and thick. He was in a primeval forest, covered in a low mist. Kael moved slowly, adrenaline rising.
[Environment Status: Low-level zone. Stable mana activity.]
The system emitted an alert. The whisper of broken branches behind a root outcrop stopped Kael.
[Entity Detected: Gralk – Level 3]
Kael felt a chill of alarm when he saw the notification. The Gralk was a creature four times bigger than a dog.
Gralk – Level 3
Vitality: 15
Strength: 13
Endurance: 14
Dexterity: 12
Mana: 1
«The stats are superior to those of an average man. It's real. I have to do this right.»
—Well, there you are... —Kael whispered, feeling his hands sweat.
The Gralk growled, jumping toward Kael. Kael felt a peak of icy panic. The Infinite Mana flowed without restriction to the chain.
The impact was cataclysmic: the creature was hit by the Thunder, instantly carbonizing.
Kael stood still. —I put too much... —he murmured.
[You have defeated a Gralk – 50 XP]
[Obtained: Gralk Hide x1, Mana Crystal [Low] x1]
Kael took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. The goal was clear: earn money.
During the next hour, Kael moved with brutal efficiency. He alternated the crackling whip to maintain distance with the Gralks and the electric punch imbued in the chain on his hand. With every hit, and every time the system announced a level up, Kael noticed a crucial detail: the dead weight of the chains on his arms became noticeably lighter.
[You have defeated 20 Gralks]
[You have reached level 6]
When it was all over, Kael collapsed.
Kael - Status Panel
Level: 6
Vitality (VIT): 12 (+2)
Strength (STR): 11 (+1)
Endurance (END): 11 (+1)
Dexterity (DEX): 11 (+1)
Mana (MNA): -
Stat Points to Assign: 5
—I don't feel drained... or exhausted. Just... alive.
Kael felt the temperature change upon leaving the portal. The artificial light of the hangar was a welcome contrast. «It must be at least 10 in the morning. I stayed much longer than planned. Aria is going to kill me with worry.»
He handed over his backpack with the collected crystals and materials. The attendant weighed them and analyzed the system data.
—Good day for a novice. Total valuation of low-grade mana crystals and Gralk hides —said the attendant. Total: $378 clean dollars.
Kael took the money, his eyes shining. —Not bad —he murmured. He had earned, in just one hour, a third of what a month of sweat on the construction site used to cost him.
(What Kael didn't know was that the value of the Gralk was low. A normal novice with his limited mana and weaponry could barely handle two Gralks in a row and could never face twenty in such a short time; his power made him a destructive anomaly).
He left the enclosure. In the darkness, a figure with white hair watched him with a slight, calculating smile.
His lineage had awakened, and someone else had taken note.