Tilda hadn't slept well for the past three days. Her only son was between life and death, and she was terrified for him. Despite all her husband's efforts to comfort her, she couldn't help but feel anxious every time she thought about Déon.
Déon had always been a lively boy, but everything changed after his awakening ceremony at the age of five. Born without any attribute, he was rejected by the children his age and became the target of mockery.
As a mother, she had to give her son all the support she could to prevent him from falling into depression. Her husband, Nox, had also done his best — even becoming the village chief so that he could better protect his family.
However, both of them knew their protection had its limits. If Déon didn't make an effort to surpass himself and rise above his condition, it would be difficult for him to endure the responsibilities of adult life awaiting him after the age of sixteen.
That morning, as usual over the past three days, Tilda was busy with some chores when she heard noises coming from the room where Déon was. Scenes of her son waking up were already playing in her mind, and without hesitation, she rushed toward his room.
She opened the door hastily — and there he was, standing right in front of her. Seeing him alive and looking well made all the tension she had accumulated over the past few days vanish instantly. With tears welling up in her eyes, she ran to him and threw her arms around him as tightly as she could.
At that moment, Déon didn't even realize when he had said "Mom." The word had come out so naturally, it was almost frightening.
"Déon! Are you okay? Does anything hurt? What on earth happened?"
He was bombarded with questions from his mother. Overwhelmed, the only thing he managed to say was that he was fine — just to reassure her.
"Can you walk? Don't push yourself," she said, helping him up from the floor.
"Uh… Mom… It's fine. I can walk by myself," he replied, following her toward the dining room where his father was waiting.
At first, Patrick was hesitant, but after feeling Tilda's warmth and seeing the concern on her face, he decided to treat this new family as the one he never had.
He couldn't tell them he wasn't really their son — he had no idea what consequences that might bring. Better to stay cautious. He couldn't replace Déon, but he had decided to do everything in his power to make them proud — in memory of the real Déon.
Meanwhile, Tilda had already noticed some drastic changes in her son. Even with his own parents, Déon used to be extremely shy. Most of the time, he only nodded instead of speaking. It was rare for him to talk, yet now he had a full conversation with her. She was happy and proud, but also deeply curious about what had caused such a change.
"Honey! Déon's awake!" Tilda shouted as she and her son arrived at the dining room.
At that moment, Déon was too busy admiring the house's architecture and layout to notice they had already entered the room.
"So, you're awake?" came Nox's rough voice, pulling Déon back to reality.
"Yes, Father," he replied softly. He felt so small in front of the man and didn't know how to act around such a figure.
After sitting down and eating breakfast, Nox asked how he had ended up half-dead at the foot of the mountain. Referring to his memories, Déon explained how he had overheard Theo's conversation and eventually fell off the mountain because of a landslide…
"Déon, I've always told you not to take the easy path. There's no shortcut to becoming strong. A hero's inheritance? Don't you know that heroic relics choose their own wielders?"
"Yes…" he mumbled, not knowing how to respond.
"Honey, that's enough. He understands. He just woke up — stop being so harsh. What matters is that he's safe."
Nox nodded, agreeing with his wife's words, before leaving the house. He too had noticed the small changes in Déon.
After he left, Tilda gave her son a few instructions before heading to work. She possessed healing powers and worked at the village hospital.
Ding...!
[Your Intelligence has increased by +20.]
A notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.
He was confused. His intelligence had increased… yet he hadn't done anything special. Maybe it was because he carried the knowledge of another world?
Silence filled the room. Curious, he wanted to see what the so-called status window looked like. So he said, "Status Window."
And as if by magic, the window appeared before him.
---
[Name:] Déon
[Race:] Human
[Rank:] F
[Experience Points:] 0 / 100
[Strength:] 5
[Agility:] 4
[Mana:] 10
[Endurance:] 5
[State:] Normal
[Intelligence:] 10 + 20
[Luck:] 10
[Attributes:] Neutral (None)
[Skill Tree:] Innate Skill
1 - [Sense Enhancement (19.5%)] — Rank E
[Title:] —
[Profession/Class:] Mage
---
"Damn, my stats are pathetic," he thought, glancing at his attributes and skills.
"Hmmm… No attributes, and this skill... Looks like I've got some work to do. Let's at least try it out."
He activated Sense Enhancement. Maybe it was because he'd never had any power before, but even being able to enhance his senses a little felt amazing.
"Whoa… I can hear from that far? Even my eyes — it feels like they can zoom in! This is weird… almost like a spying ability. Still, nothing out of the ordinary."
Seeing 19.5% next to the skill, Déon wondered what would happen when it reached 100%. But for now, he needed to gather as much information as possible about this world and start planning ahead — because he already dreamed big.
After showering, Déon put on a loose outfit and grabbed a small bag. He was heading to the village library — the fastest way to learn the rules of this new world and gain knowledge.
Once fully ready, he took a deep breath and stepped outside.
"Wow…"
The scenery was breathtaking. It was the first time he truly saw this another world with his own eyes. Strange birds flew high in the sky; the houses looked medieval; he could see fields, farms, a forest, and mountains in the distance. Everything amazed him — he looked like a child seeing magic for the first time.
After a few minutes of admiring the view, Déon carefully closed the door behind him and walked toward the library.
Many eyes followed him along the way. Some people whispered among themselves — he could have heard them by using his skill, but he wasn't that curious. Their surprised faces already betrayed their thoughts. He simply greeted the elders he passed.
After about ten minutes of walking, he reached the library. The building wasn't too big or too small, but it looked a bit abandoned. Entering the place, he saw the librarian sitting at her desk, reading a book.
From afar, she appeared to be a mature woman, well-preserved, with a neat face. Over her right eye rested a golden monocle that made her look like a woman full of wisdom.
As he approached, Déon straightened his posture to appear more presentable.
"Good morning, ma'am," he said, glancing at the book in her hands.
"Well, who do we have here? Déon? What brings you here?" she asked, eyeing him closely. "Did your mother send you?"
"Uh… No, I came to read a few books," he replied with a small smile.
The librarian, Mrs. Jeanne, was a fallen noble who, due to certain circumstances, had settled in this village. The library was hers. As a noble, she possessed an impressive number of books covering many topics. Since she opened the library, she could count on her fingers how many people visited each month — and among the few regular visitors, not a single child.
Does he even know how to read? she wondered, watching the boy turn his head left and right. Most commoner children couldn't read — true education was a privilege reserved for nobles.
But then again, she thought, he's Tilda's child. It wouldn't be that surprising if he could.
She began explaining the rules of the library to him.
After browsing the shelves for books on geography, history, botany, and zoology, Déon started reading them. It was his first time seeing these kinds of characters, but he deciphered them easily. Patrick and Déon were now one and the same — even their knowledge had fused.
From her desk, Mrs. Jeanne watched the boy, smiling as she saw him so absorbed in his books.
"Seeing him read so earnestly like that brings back memories," she thought, gazing blankly into the distance.