In front of Kyle, translucent floating words appeared. He had heard of them before—or rather, how could he not have? He knew these words well.
"The Status Window!!"
The Status Window was something every Chosen possessed. It appeared before them, outlining their strength, level, and abilities. It could be considered a mirror to one's power and potential.
Name: Kyle Eiran
Core Stage: Spark
Level: Formation (0/100)
Element: Darkness
Traits: {Reaper's Harvest} {Mana Sensitivity}
Abilities: {Shaping} {Destruction}
Weapons: {Sword 468}
From an outsider's view, all they'd see was a dumbstruck child standing with his mouth agape. Kyle was so stunned that he forgot to even close his mouth.
"A-Am I dreaming?!"
'No... I'm not dreaming. This is real—it's the Status Window. My name is right there.'
Kyle was overwhelmed by a storm of mixed emotions. The sorrow of losing his parents still gripped his heart, but being Chosen filled him with a spark of joy. Had this happened days earlier, he would've been ecstatic.
"I guess I should examine the rest."
The first section showed his name, stage, and level—standard. No need to dwell there.
'Darkness… from what I know, the most common elements are fire, water, air, and earth. Darkness isn't among them. It's one of the rare elements—those that appear only in one person every generation. Less than 1%, they say. Even within the same element, manifestations differ: some fire burns red, others blue, some manifest as lightning or magma.'
Traits often reflected a person's experiences or talents. They could awaken naturally or as a result of circumstances. Early traits were usually tied closely to a person's innate gifts.
'{Reaper's Harvest}: Absorbs a portion of mana from those you kill, provided they have a mana core.'
"Whoa. That's amazing... though it sounds kind of grim," Kyle muttered, making a disgusted face.
'Worst-case scenario? I might have to kill an ally to absorb their mana in a desperate fight.'
'{Mana Sensitivity}: Your control over mana and ability to sense it are superior to others.'
"From what I know, the biggest weakness of Spark-stage users is their poor mana control and slow regeneration. All my traits boost those weaknesses. Hehe, what luck."
He chuckled mischievously, continuing to read with growing interest.
'Abilities... these are how one expresses their element. A fire user, for example, could cover their body in flames if their ability enhances them—or launch fire blasts or use fire to refine metals.'
'{Shaping}: Allows you to mold mana into various forms based on your element—Darkness.'
"What? Molding mana? It's not for enhancement or projection?"
Kyle frowned. There was only one way to understand it—test it.
He stood up straight and began focusing on his surroundings. He felt the ground beneath him, the scent of the forest, the rustling of leaves, the taste of dried tears on his lips. All his senses worked—but there was something new. Like a sixth sense.
He felt something invisible touching everything. It flowed into his body like a network. He couldn't see, hear, or smell it—but it was there. As if a barrier had been lifted.
Clearing his mind, he focused his thoughts on shaping mana into a staff. Mana from around him began to gather in his hand. It slowly took form, and moments later, a staff emerged—completely devoid of color. One might call it black, but in truth, it was pure elemental darkness.
"This... is better than I expected—but harder than I imagined. The staff is basic, something I managed because it's simple. I doubt I could shape a sword properly without training... and shields or tools? No way. And it's not permanent either—it keeps draining mana..."
A terrible thought hit him.
He focused harder, increasing the size of the staff—and unfortunately, he was right.
"Damn it... The larger or more complex the shape, the more mana it drains. I guess that's fair. Nothing lasts forever, and the cost of big, intricate shapes should be higher than simple ones."
'I'll need a lot of training...'
{Destruction}: Requirements not met.
Kyle froze. "I've studied this stuff and never seen anything like that... what the hell does that mean?"
'Destruction... what does—'
Suddenly, memories of the old woman flashed in his mind. Her voice echoed: "Heir of Ruin..."
'No way... could this ability be connected to her? Could this be inherited?!'
Inheritance abilities were passed from those who possessed unique powers that could be transferred upon reaching a certain stage. It meant that woman wasn't ordinary. And if the ability had conditions—she was someone truly extraordinary.
"I'll leave this for now. I'll investigate it later."
Weapons: {Sword 468}
Weapon Grade: Enhanced Sword
Weapon Abilities: Channel mana and apply elemental enhancement.
When Kyle looked at the sword, he felt something stir inside. It was his father's weapon—he had told him about it, about how he used it in the war. That explained the number. Each sword was given a number based on the soldier it belonged to.
Kyle kept staring at the sword, studying it carefully. Then, he sat down on the ground... and finally lay back on the earth, gazing up at the sky and the stars, his mind full of questions.
What do I do now...?