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So I have an hour to awaken a magic skill.
Which sounds cool and all until you realize I have no idea how magic works.
And, I have like the worst magic stat possible. I don't think I can even cast a fireball even if i knew how. Which I don't
"Hmmmm… maybe the system has tips." I blinked and pulled up the status.
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[SYSTEM MENU]
Status | Skills | Quests | Inventory | Shop | Affinities | Information*
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Huh. There was a little star on Information, like I'd unlocked something new. I clicked it.
|Leaderboard|* |3rd Examination|*
Let's check the leaderboard first. I tapped the glowing entry, and a flood of info spilled out:
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Rank #1: Leo Crest
Nickname: "Golden Ace"
Info: The guy who clapped for me. Beat the Warg without even drawing a weapon — just used pressure and presence.
Personality: Calm, charismatic, gives off a natural leader vibe.
Reputation: Scarily strong and unreadable. Like a boss character in disguise.
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Rank #2: Michael Flash
Nickname: "Thunderborn"
Info: Lightning magic expert. Took down the Warg in one precise strike.
Personality: Quiet, sharp, always alert.
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Rank #3: Lila Grey
Nickname: "Ash Witch"
Info: Fire magic prodigy. Burned the Warg to ash with one spell.
Personality: Cold, elegant, intimidating.
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Rank #4: Ben Harker
Nickname: "The Shield"
Info: Tank-type. Didn't attack — just endured. Warg exhausted itself trying.
Personality: Friendly off the field, immovable on it.
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Rank #5: Selene Vale
Nickname: "Moon Blade"
Info: Light-based sword magic. Graceful, deadly movements.
Personality: Calm, strategic, rarely speaks.
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Rank #6: Zeke Thorn
Nickname: "Iron Fist"
Info: Reinforcement magic and raw strength. Punched the Warg into a wall.
Personality: Loud, competitive, loves a fight.
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Rank #7: Aster
Nickname: "?"
Info: Ran around the Warg. Somehow survived. Confused everyone.
Personality: Sarcastic, self-deprecating, secretly smart.
Reputation: Wild card. No one knows how he got here.
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Rank #8: Nina Frost
Nickname: "Ice Fang"
Info: Froze the Warg mid-lunge and shattered it.
Personality: Sharp-tongued, clever.
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Rank #9: Felix Dawn
Nickname: "Wind Strider"
Info: Wind magic and agility. Outspeeded the Warg.
Personality: Chill, cocky.
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Rank #10: Mira Thorn
Nickname: "Echo Witch"
Info: Illusion and sound magic. Confused the Warg until it rammed into a wall.
Personality: Playful, mysterious.
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'Its talking like how i would write it if i knew them so is that like a jump into the future or something where i know each contender ... Weird '
But it will probably be useful
Still, probably useful. Assuming I don't die before that knowledge becomes relevant.
I backed out of the leaderboard and tapped on the other new tab — "3rd Examination."
More glowing text appeared:
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[3rd Examination – Magic Awakening]
Time Remaining: 53 minutes
Location: Designated Awakening Chambers
Objective: Awaken your first Magic Skill.
Warning: Failure to awaken any magic will result in disqualification.
Note: You may use provided mana stones, focus scrolls, or personal insight.
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Disqualification? Oh, awesome. No pressure.
I slumped back against the wall. Around me, other students were still recovering from the Warg trial — bruised, limping, or just staring into space like they'd seen the face of death.
I, meanwhile, was having a quiet existential crisis about fireballs.
"How the hell do I even start?" I muttered. "Hey system, want to throw me a bone? A tutorial? A Magic for Dummies PDF?"
No response.
Figures.
I glanced down at my palm, trying to feel something. Mana? Sparkles? The urge to chant in Latin?
Nothing.
Just sweaty hands and a rising tide of panic.
"Okay, let's think. I need to awaken a magic skill. That means I have to… resonate with my mana or something, right? Everyone else probably grew up learning this stuff. I had, like, a two-sentence tool tip and vibes."
A girl nearby raised her hand, and a small flame danced above her fingers.
I stared.
"I hate her," I whispered.
I checked my status screen again, hoping for divine intervention.
[Status – Aster]
Class: None
Magic Stat: 3
Affinity: [???]
Skills: None
Notable Titles: "Wildcard(?)"
Magic stat: 3. Literal garbage tier. Even the system looked confused with that triple question mark in my affinities.
I sighed. "Okay, okay. No magic knowledge, trash stats, and an hour to not die."
I stood up.
"Well, at least I've been in worse situations."
Pause.
"…Actually, no I haven't."
Hell yes, let's keep that momentum going. I'll continue right from where we left off—Aster standing up, about to face the ticking clock of magical doom.
I stood up.
"Well, at least I've been in worse situations."
Pause.
"…Actually, no I haven't."
The Awakening Chambers were just ahead—ten stone doorways carved into the arena wall, glowing faintly. One by one, students were going inside.
The guy in front of me walked in, then the door sealed behind him with a soft thud.
I shuffled forward. My heart was trying to stage a rebellion in my chest.
"Alright," I whispered. "Time to fake it till I accidentally explode something."
The stone door hissed open for me, and I stepped in.
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The room was small, circular, and lit with blue crystal sconces. A single pedestal sat in the center, holding a shimmering mana stone the size of a grapefruit. Ancient runes etched the floor, pulsing gently like a heartbeat.
As soon as I stepped inside, the door sealed shut behind me.
The system pinged.
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[Magic Awakening in Progress…]
Focus. Connect with your inner mana.
Failure to establish a link within 45 minutes will result in disqualification.
---
Oh yeah. Real relaxing.
I sat cross-legged in front of the mana stone. Took a deep breath. Tried to remember every fantasy novel I'd ever read.
"Okay. Mana. Mana mana mana. Flow through me, great sparkly juice of power."
Nothing happened.
I touched the mana stone. Warm. Tingly. My fingers buzzed a little.
That had to be good, right?
I closed my eyes, trying to… reach inside. Whatever that meant.
At first, nothing. Just the usual static of my thoughts:
I wonder if I can fake a seizure? What if I pretend to awaken a spell? Maybe I can convince them my magic is invisible—
Then—
Something flickered.
A flicker like a match struck in the dark.
My chest tightened. There. That sensation. Tiny, almost pathetic—but real. A thread of warmth, tugging from somewhere deep inside me.
I grabbed it with my mind—desperately—and yanked.
The mana surged up. Wild. Wrong.
The stone pulsed. The runes flared.
And then—
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[You have awakened a Magic Skill!]
Skill: Minor Spark (Unstable)
Description: A flickering, inconsistent manifestation of fire magic. Barely hot enough to light a candle. May backfire.
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Warning: This skill sucks.
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"I KNEW IT!" I shouted, throwing up my hands. "Fireballs are a lie!"
The rune circle fizzled slightly. I stared at the hovering system window, which was actively roasting me.
I concentrated and triggered the skill.
Spark.
A faint ember fizzled into existence above my finger… then immediately popped like a dying match.
"…Wow," I said. "Truly terrifying. I'm sure the Warg would've died laughing."
Another ping.
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[Skill Proficiency Increased: Minor Spark (Unstable) → Minor Spark (Mostly Still Unstable)]
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I blinked. "Wait, this thing… levels up?"
That tiny ember had barely existed, but it had responded.
Hope flickered.
And so did the spark.
I grinned. "Alright. You want me to awaken magic? I'll do it. One disappointing ember at a time."
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Alright, this is going to be fun. I'll continue naturally from where we left off, keeping Aster's sarcastic, unlucky vibe while adding that "mana drained" warning when he tries to use Minor Spark again. Here we go:
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I cupped my hands together like I was cradling some holy relic.
"Come on, little ember. Let's make Daddy proud."
I concentrated again. Harder this time. I could feel the thread of mana flickering inside me—fragile, barely holding together, like a half-burnt string.
Spark.
Another tiny ember sputtered out of my fingertip, hovered for a glorious half-second...
...and then dropped to the ground like a dead bug.
Pft.
I stared.
It hadn't even made it to the floor properly—it just plopped down onto my boot and rolled off like a piece of sad confetti.
Another system message popped up.
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[Warning: Mana drained.]
[Further reckless use of magic may result in mandatory Magic Detoxification.]
---
I stared at it.
Then back at my finger.
Then at the dead ember.
"Magic... detoxification?"
I squinted suspiciously at the message.
"What are they gonna do, shove a magical vacuum up my nose?"
I tried standing, but immediately wobbled. The room tilted slightly.
Oh.
Oh, this was what mana exhaustion felt like.
It was like staying up three nights straight while drinking only expired energy drinks and fighting raccoons for food.
I leaned heavily on the pedestal and muttered, "Great. I'm the first person in history to overdose on sparks."
The mana stone flickered warningly at me, probably judging me for being the weakest Awakening candidate in existence.
I wiped my hand down my face.
"Okay, okay. New plan. No more wasting mana like an idiot. One spark every five minutes. Maybe I can bluff my way out of this."
I sat back down, cross-legged, feeling like some kind of budget monk, and started meditating.
And by meditating, I mean closing my eyes and quietly panicking inside while pretending I was calm.
Tick.
Tock.
The minutes dragged by.
The system displayed a gentle timer in the corner of my vision: [30 minutes remaining]
Every time I peeked at the mana thread inside me, it twitched like a dying fish.
It wasn't replenishing fast.
If I pushed it again, I'd probably trigger another "Congratulations, you're being hospitalized" pop-up.
So.
I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
It was then—while I was absolutely not dozing off—that I heard something.
A voice. Faint. Through the mana stone itself.
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"—Huh? This one's weird. Did you see that?"
"Yeah. His mana pattern's... unstable. Like a frayed wire."
"Think he'll explode?"
"Hope not. I just cleaned this room yesterday."
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I jerked upright.
Who the hell was listening in?!
Was this whole thing being monitored?
I looked suspiciously at the mana stone.
It pulsed innocently. As if it wasn't a magical two-way radio for judgmental wizards.
I squinted harder.
"You better not be recording this," I whispered.
The stone pulsed again, almost mockingly.
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[Reminder: 25 minutes remaining.]
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"Right, right," I grumbled. "Focus."
If I couldn't spam magic, and my mana regeneration was absolute garbage, then there was only one real move left:
Get creative.
I had one ember.
One pathetic, flickering ember.
Maybe I couldn't shoot fireballs...
But maybe—just maybe—I could do something else.
I grinned, an idea forming in my tired, slightly mana-drunk brain.
"If I can't burn stuff," I said aloud, "maybe I can fake it."
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TO BE CONTINUED...