I pushed open the scuffed door to my apartment and stepped inside.
A single bare bulb swung overhead, casting yellowed light across the chipped coffee table and two folding chairs.
The air smelled of cold concrete and old carpet—small, quiet, and cheap, exactly the way I liked it.
Through the narrow window I could hear the city's distant bass: a subway train rattling underground, a siren's wail folding into the hum of traffic.
I locked the door, pressed my shoulder against it, and let out a long breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
"System," I whispered.
In an instant, a translucent panel of pale blue light unfolded before my eyes, each edge crisp as glass. No flicker, no lag. The header glowed:
[Absolute Player System]
[User: Alexander Cain]
Lines of data scrolled beneath:
Body: 1.0
Soul: 1.2
Mana: 1.5 / 1.5
I frowned at the numbers, lower than average but expected for a freshly awakened Player.
Most beginners hovered here unless they'd lived in mana-rich zones. Growth came from use, refinement, and surviving long enough to learn your strengths. Another window blinked into view:
[Unique Trait: ABSOLUTE SAGE]
Description: Greatly increases learning speed across all parameters.
Authority: QUALITY UPGRADE x1 (Active)
Greatly increases was vague. Systems never lied, but they seldom explained. I leaned forward, heart ticking faster.
On the battered desk sat a crystal—rose-tinted and jagged—still wrapped in plastic. I set it down and peeled back the wrapper.
The shard pulsed faintly; a soft click and the plastic dissolved into shimmering motes of light.
I picked up the spellbook. Its cover melted away, revealing pages etched not in ink but in vibrant, humming mana-script that glowed like living veins.
I closed my eyes and focused. The air around me thickened; I tasted iron on my tongue.
Shapes of raw energy spiraled through my mind, each glyph unfolding into pure understanding: how to draw mana, weave it, compress it into a single point, and unleash it.
My temples throbbed—then stilled. I opened my eyes to watch the book collapse into motes of light and vanish.
System text appeared:
[Spell acquired: Magic Bullet (F-Rank)]
[Mastery: 1/5]
I sat back, eyebrows raised. Fast, but within design. Now for the real test.
I crossed to my closet, retrieved three unopened tissue boxes—pastel pink with tiny white polka dots—and stacked them neatly against the far wall.
"Magic Bullet," I murmured.
A thin current of mana stirred within me. I drew it out, my fingers flexing to shape a pea-sized orb of compressed force.
It shimmered at my fingertip, then I let it fly.
The orb shot forward with a muted crack. The front box exploded inward—cardboard petals peeling back as though punched by an invisible gauntlet. The next two wobbled and fell.
I blinked. That was stronger than a normal level-one F-rank shot.
I reformed the mana, squeezing the orb tighter.
A second fire: thunk—clean hole through the box, the projectile splintering against the wall with a dull crack.
Heat blossomed in my chest—exhilaration and recognition.
On the display:
[Magic Bullet mastery increased]
[Mastery: 2/5]
I froze. Two in seconds. Level two usually demanded hours, dozens of failures, sweat-soaked practice.
I raised my hand again—another orb, another shot—and another. Each cast smoother, faster, leaving smaller dents in my mana reserves.
Minutes later, they could slice straight through the wall, barely slowing. Then:
[Magic Bullet mastery increased]
[Mastery: 3/5]
I lowered my hand, chest heaving. Dozens of hours—skipped. In minutes.
A laugh bubbled up, echoing off the concrete. "So that's how broken you are," I muttered, shaking my head.
I glanced at my system readout: Mana: 1.2 / 1.5. Only a slight drop.
Higher mastery slashed cost—already in one session. I flexed my fingers, pulse racing. "If this is Level 3," I whispered, "what does Level 5 look like?"
A siren wailed outside, the sound folding into my racing thoughts. I sank onto the edge of my bed, the screen hovering before me as my eyes gleamed.
This was only an F-rank spell, and I'd mastered it faster than I ever imagined.
I snatched up my phone, opened the Player Bureau website, and tapped "Register" on a solo dungeon slot for tomorrow morning.
No parties, no negotiations—just me, my new power, and a chance to build a name.
My heart hammered. Excitement flooded every vein. I could barely wait.