"Good morning Laself, how was my room?" I yawned as I got out of the storage shed. Now that there's someone else to take over fixing the table for me every morning, I don't have to wake up early.

  "It's nice." The older girl smiled, she looked at the closed door of the storage shed and for a second, guilt crossed her face. She pointed at the shed, "I can sleep there if you want?"

  "No, it's fine." What was she even talking about? This is for the best! If I slept in my room last night I wouldn't have been able to experiment with scrolls like I did. "You can take it, believe me when I say that I don't really mind."

  "Rontress." Mom's voice broke through our conversation and went straight for my drowsiness. Her tone caused me to become alert in the same way a deer would when it senses a tiger. "Why did you bring a bucket into the shed last night?"

  Oh. She noticed that? Damn.

  "Making food." Hah! How's that for lying?..

  From my mother's expression though, I knew that she didn't buy it. Not one bit. Too bad then because she won't be able to pry the truth off of me, I faced Laself and glossed over the expectant look my mother is giving me. "We have a lot things to do later Laself so be ready, and thanks for taking over my job every morning."

  "Fixing the table is the least I can do." Laself shook her head, her tone partially cracked. "I'll help out more if I can."

  "Mom probably has something for you to do then." I pointed at the person in question before opening the door to my new room. "As for me, I'm going to Wardcruncha, I wanna talk to him about something."

  Or multiple things rather, since I have two dozen scrolls waiting for him. They weren't functional thanks to the materials I made them with but I'm sure Wardcruncha will be able to appreciate them. A for (A)ffort and all that.

  None of them responded so I took that as permission for me to leave. Although I'd begrudgingly do it, I will follow Laself's orders if she tells me to stay and eat first, there's no point in me trying everything I can to make her part of our family if I don't treat her like a big sister.

  After I stuffed my scrolls in my pack, I left for the pier and looked around for Wardcruncha.

  When I found him, the old man was sitting by the edge of the platform, fishing rod in hand and looking eagerly into the moving waters. I didn't know he liked to fish.

  "You like to fish?" My mouth moved before I could think about what to say and you know what? That's as good a topic as any. "Don't you only catch anlaks around here?"

  "I'm not doing it to eat." For sport, then? Huh. What a weirdo. You'd think that in a world that's full of starving people he'd know that fishing for sport is considered taboo. Wardcruncha's face twisted like he knew what I was thinking and he sighed. "Come, I don't know what you're doing here so you need to tell me. Isn't it too early for us to leave?"

  "That's because I told you all that we'd leave late." Which yeah, I did. This is how I wanted things to go after what happened yesterday. Everyone needed some time to think, Laself especially.

  "I guess you did." Wardcruncha chuckled. "So what brings you here little Rontress?"

  "I'm done studying the book you gave me." The old man's happy go lucky attitude turned into shock for a single second then he laughed. Why? I dunno. Does he think I'm joking? "I'm serious."

  "Okay, fine." Wardcruncha nodded along, his mirth clear in his voice. He genuinely thinks I'm joking? "Good job then."

  "I want you to review the scrolls that I wrote down last night." And just like that, he suddenly looked interested. Does he think I wouldn't be able to learn runes this quickly? I can understand why since it's complicated and an entirely new alphabet but come on, it's just another coding language to me so of course I'd learn it easily.

  "Show them."

  Nodding, I stepped forward and opened my bag. Wardcruncha reached out and took one scroll, unfurling it, his eyes tracking the papyrus for a second before he shook his head.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  "I didn't expect this." Wardcruncha sighed. He looked at me, his expression complicated. "Well, I guess it is slightly expected given everything I've seen from you so far... I shouldn't have underestimated you."

  "Thanks?" Who gives a shit about that? Quit apologizing and just tell me what to do next. I want my class! "Well? Where's the class that you promised?"

  "Ah. That." Wardcruncha nodded. "I've been scouting out the forest and I think I found the perfect place where you can get it."

  Now, in any other circumstance I would act sane and say no to this but since this is Wardcruncha and I trust him, I decided to nod. What's the harm, after all? "Okay, tell me what you want me to do."

  "Nothing. I've already set up the ritual site and it just so happens to be perfectly aligned to the leyline running through the swamp." Wardcruncha ushered me to follow him and I fell a step behind him. "Do you know what magical awakening means?"

  Magical awakening? What a weird way to make small talk... Okay, but seriously why does that sound so familiar? Have I seen it in the game before?

  "I'm not sure." And I really didn't. "It sounds familiar but I don't think I know what it is."

  "That's normal, I doubt a kid your age would know about the heavily guarded secret that top mages have kept for centuries." And the old man in front of me does? Look, I had an inkling that Wardcruncha is actually a mage when he decided to help me but he's apparently top tier?!

  What? How the hell did he end up here?

  Misery Swamp is called that way for a goddamn reason!

  The leyline? Definitely the leyline.

  Well, since he's not telling me his secret I'm not gonna pry but it's still shocking that this guy is apparently a powerful mage that knows secret knowledge about magic. I wonder if he can help me with my future problem?

  "Magical awakening is when a person attunes their senses to magic." Wardcruncha continued explaining like he didn't just drop a bomb on me. "When this ritual finishes, you will be able to see the world the same way elf inhumans do, just without all the drawbacks that come with it."

  Right, elf inhumans. Never encountered one ever since I reincarnated but I know they're out there, they act as the replacement for fantasy elves since the real ones are uh... A bit insane? I guess? I don't think they can even be called elves really.

  Honestly I was one of the few people who got shocked when I fought a "real" elf for the first time in Firelight Chronicles. I'm also part of the group who got excited when the update to add them was announced.

  Wardcruncha continued explaining what magical awakening is to me on our way to... Wherever it is he wanted to take me. It's in the deeper parts of the swamp, possibly even close to the territories of the Monster Crayfishes.

  From what I learned, magical awakening really is just being able to see mana. I'll know the path that the energy takes, be able to study it more accurately, and even make efficient runes because of it. On top of that, I'll be able to see the leyline on the ground.

  Fascinating stuff, and apparently getting to that state is painless... For a small moment before my mind starts to burn as mana pushes itself into my brain.

  "We're here." Wardcruncha stopped walking.

  And what the old man meant by "here" is actually one of the Swamp Mender's many cottages. Huh, I didn't expect to see one of these so early.

  Partially disturbed, I gave the building a critical eye, it looked just like the ones in the game, uncannily so: the cottage is this large dome made of wood growing out of the ground, it's covered in moss, vines, and various plant life. The stone pathway that leads to the entrance is faded but it's visible. Somewhat.

  "One of the mender's cottages, right?" I turned to Wardcruncha, he nodded. "I thought she was just a myth." A complete and utter lie. I've long since planned to search for these things and find her legacy. "She's real?"

  "She's as real as the monster under your bed, which is to say, she existed but not anymore." Wardcruncha looked apathetic, so he hadn't met her then? "Go inside and sit in the center of the magical circle I drew, do you know how to read the runic language?"

  "Yep." I confirmed.

  "Good, there's a series of runes there you can read aloud before the ritual starts." Okay? How does that work? "After that you should be able to cast your very first spell, you'd get your class then."

  "Right." Guess this is where I die? Or maybe not. Wardcruncha wouldn't kill me. Probably. "Is it a good class?"

  "The best."

  I inhaled. If he says that then great, guess it's one of the best classes I can get. It better be worth it though.

  My feet carried me into the cottage and once I passed the entrance, I took a moment to look around.

  The interior is the same as always its always been, there is a fully built kitchen, a cauldron on top of a hearth at the center of the room, a general lack of windows as well as a nonexistent bed. Very similar to the ones in the game. But this world isn't a game now is it?

  Did the mender have OCD?

  Why am I thinking about that?

  I shook my head and walked to the center of the magic circle. A moment passes after I sit down, and then another before I pick up the paper and read the runes, it just says "activate" in Pricorian.

  Nothing happened.

  When I finally let my guard down, that was when excruciating pain assaulted me, enough that I whited out and just stopped thinking.