Today was the day of my and Seraphina's Awakening Ceremony.
Just as he had promised, the Emperor arrived on time, bringing with him two core stones. We watched Seraphina awaken first. One of her skills was exactly the same as in the novel, while the second one… that was new. The novel barely mentioned her abilities in detail, so I hadn't known what to expect.
Two B-rank skills.
Not bad at all.
With this, she could take care of herself. Still, it wasn't enough to help me in the future—not with the path I intended to walk. I planned to hunt S-rank core stones, the ones I still remembered from the novel. Most of them were located deep within the Demon Lands, so I couldn't take them all in one swoop.
I had already mapped some of their locations. Just in case my memory failed me later, I made sure to engrave them into my plans. After my awakening, my first priority would be to retrieve those core stones. Then, through constant training, I would raise my mastery and success rate with them.
As I watched Seraphina finish her awakening, my thoughts slowly drifted toward my own core stone.
If I crushed it…
I would gain two A-rank skills.
With that level of power, I would be able to obtain one S-rank and two A-rank core stones hidden near the border between the Ravenor Duchy and the Demon Lands.
While I was lost in my thoughts, Seraphina finished describing her skills to the Emperor and my parents. One by one, their gazes shifted—until every eye in the plaza was on me.
I knew exactly what they were waiting for.
With a calm breath, I stepped forward toward the box that held my core stone. I reached inside and lifted it.
The moment my fingers touched the stone, a transparent blue screen appeared before my eyes, floating silently in the air.
In my previous world, we would have called this a system or status screen.
Name: Kael Ravenor
Age: 10
Race: Human
Mana Affinity: Water / Darkness
Mana Capacity: 18,000 + 170,000
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SKILL SLOTS
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Slot 1: SWORD MASTER (A-Rank / Offensive / Sword) (1%)
Grants the wielder an instinctive understanding of any sword. Gives superhuman abilities equal to ten men. Every swing flows naturally, combining precision, speed, and power. Strikes can cut through A-rank or lower defenses, including armor, barriers, and magic.
Slot 2: RIPPLE SLASH (B-Rank / Offensive) (1%)
The sword's strike extends with a surge of water mana, forming a flowing wave of thin water that can cut through everything B-rank and under. When chained with Sword Master techniques, the strikes become more lethal and can damage A-rank and lower.
Slot 3: CORRUPTING GAZE (S-Rank / Offensive / Eye) (1%)
The user's gaze drains a portion of the target's mana while instilling fear and paralysis. Anyone with a mana capacity under 100,000 can become a puppet, fully controlled by the user. Their actions, spells, and abilities are dictated entirely by the wielder's will, leaving them powerless to resist. Stronger enemies feel intense fear and partial paralysis, though they cannot be fully controlled. As the skill mastery increases, it becomes more efficient at manipulating enemies' actions and draining mana.
Slot 4: The Grand Mirror of Total Reflection (S+ Rank / Defensive) (1%)
The user can create a perfect mirror that reflects anything thrown at it—not just a copy, but the original effect sent directly back to its source. The only way to bypass it is to attack with something higher than S+ rank. If the user is cursed, the mirror reflects the curse back to the caster directly, without the user's notice. Other effects will become visible after reaching 50% mastery and fully manifest at 100%.
Slot 5: Empty
Slot 6: Empty
Slot 7: Empty
Slot 8: Empty
Slot 9: Empty
Slot 10: Empty
Kael's jaw dropped as he stared at the status screen. Even in his wildest imagination, he had never expected this—four skills in total, with one ranked S+ and another at S-rank.
After touching the core stone and crushing it, only five seconds had passed. Yet in those brief moments, countless questions flooded his mind—questions he wasn't even sure he could answer himself.
How did I end up with three additional skills in my system instead of only Sword Master?
His thoughts raced.
Could it be because my soul came from another world? Heroes who were summoned here usually awakened three or four skills upon arrival. Perhaps this was the same case. He had awakened four skills as well—one belonging to this world, and the others… inherited from another.
The realization hit him hard. This meant he was an anomaly—but he had known from the first day he was born into this world that he was an anomaly.
Thinking about this, he looked back at his status screen, searching for information about the A-rank core stone's skill.
Name: Kael Ravenor
Age: 10
Race: Human
Mana Affinity: Water / Darkness
Mana Capacity: 18,000 + 170,000
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SKILL SLOTS
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Slot 1: SWORD MASTER (A-Rank / Offensive / Sword) (1%)
Slot 2: RIPPLE SLASH (B-Rank / Offensive) (1%)
Slot 3: CORRUPTING GAZE (S-Rank / Offensive / Eye) (1%)
Slot 4: The Grand Mirror of Total Reflection (S+ Rank / Defensive) (1%)
Slot 5: Black Sun (A-Rank / Active / Offensive) (1%)
The user condenses pure darkness into a miniature sun that devours light and mana within its radius. Upon release, the Black Sun collapses inward before erupting in a silent detonation, dealing massive damage to all enemies caught within the area. After detonation, the battlefield is left under an Eclipse Zone, where vision is heavily impaired, mana regeneration is reduced, and darkness-based abilities are enhanced. The power and duration of Black Sun scale with the user's mana and affinity with darkness.
Slot 6: Empty
Slot 7: Empty
Slot 8: Empty
Slot 9: Empty
Slot 10: Empty
As Kael was reading through his skill descriptions, a sense of impatience began to settle in. Noticing this, Selara spoke up in a worried tone.
"Kael…?"
Everyone had been saying that Kael would surely awaken an A-rank skill. But she knew better. Other people's words had no effect on the outcome of an awakening. What truly mattered was potential—and luck.
Even though Kael could already obtain an A-rank skill by crushing the core stone, if he awakened two A-rank skills, he would become someone no one could refute.
That was the hope in a mother's heart.
Nothing more.
Huh.
Kael looked at her before he could finish reading.
Oh… there are people here, he thought, realizing he had completely forgotten about them while focusing on his skills. Now, what should I say to them?
He took a deep breath.
Okay… I'll say I've awakened two A-rank skills, he decided. Ten years old, having two A-rank skills… that's enough to attract attention. I've already drawn eyes, so there's no need to worry. But if I announce even one S-rank skill, every faction will surely try to kill me somehow. Right now, the pinnacle of this world is A-rank skills—if someone has S-rank, it breaks the balance.
If only they knew what I truly have… if only they knew…
Then Darian and Emperor Aldric both turned to Kael, excitement shining in their eyes, even though their faces betrayed nothing.
"What is it, Kael?" Emperor Aldric asked.
"Tell me, son," Darian added.
Kael answered them with a smile.
"One is Sword Master, an A-rank skill like my father's, and the other is called Black Sun, an A-rank skill that deals area damage."
Now I need to tell them about my skills. After this conversation, I'll be able to study them thoroughly and understand each one better, Kael thought. Maybe some time later.