Kael went past the two iron-reinforced doors to get to the training ground.

The bunker was impressive. But what he saw was even more complex. It wasn’t just rooms, a kitchen, or an armory.

It was a small forest. Trees, small peaks, and even something that looked like a river from a distance.

Kael stood on top of a cliff, feeling like he was 100 m (328 feet) in the air. The sky above him spread out, showcasing its beauty. It felt close enough to touch, yet utterly real at the same time.

How is this possible? Don’t tell me magic is capable of doing something like this. It’s terrifying.

The feeling was so surreal that he had to glance back to make sure the door he’d come from was still there. And, of course, it was—the same hallway appeared unchanged from a distance, too.

Where the hell is the woman Miria was talking about? Do I need to go down there?

Kael took a look down and felt that any sloppy movement would kill him faster than a car crashing into him could. He looked around for a way down. To his right, he spotted a stairway leading straight to the forest.

That is a lot of effort to reach the training ground. Do they all use this staircase, or do they have a faster way to get down?

He started his descent into the mysterious forest ahead. It felt surreal as the breeze brushed through his hair. If he hadn’t just come through that door, he wouldn’t be able to tell that this place was artificially made.

It took him about 8 minutes to reach the forest, a vast area with trees and grass but no animals in sight. Ahead of him, a small trail led to the middle of the forest.

After a brief 2-minute walk, he arrived at his destination, a massive circular clearing in the heart of the woodland. Vyra sat in a comfortable-looking chair at the center, engrossed in a book.

“Hi,” Kael greeted her just outside the circle.

The woman closed her book and threw it as it began to float. Her violet piercing eyes shifted to his.

“I’m amazed you’re still intact after Elin dragged you to her dungeon.”

“Honestly, I’m just as shocked as you are.”

“Endeavors of the past, meaningless now. I’m just glad you are here and well.” She stood up from her chair and began walking toward him. “From what I can see, you have mana already, don’t you?”

“Yes, apparently so.” She then placed her hands on her chin, shifting her head to the right. Still staring at him.

“Are you able to tell me how much mana you have?” Hmmm, I just learned it; how would I be able to tell her? Oh, I remember. I have the system. How do I use it, perhaps this…]

Kael looked at his side and tried to visualize the text he had seen before appearing. And so it did, same as before. The screen congratulated him on his ability to use mana unchanged.

He raised his finger and tried to touch the notification, which closed once touched.

—–

Name: Kael

AGE: 18

SEX: MALE

LEVEL: 1

SUMMONED BY: Miria Razenbahr

Status – Inventory – Socials

—–

I don’t have a lot of information, available here. Maybe If i click in this status section.

—–

NAME: Kael Sinclair

AGE: 18

SEX: MALE

LEVEL: 1

HP: 100/100

MANA: 100/100

EXP: 10/300

CLASS: Unknown.

—–

Oh there it is. I have a total of 100 MANA and 100 HP. “I have-“

As Kael shifted to Vyra, he found the woman inches from his face, intently studying his status window. When he tried to close it, she seized his hand, her eyes fixed on the same spot, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Dammit, that’s bad!

“No, I still can’t see it.” She can’t see it? Maybe I should play stupid.

“See what?”

“I’m been asking myself the same thing for months. But you did the same motion Miria does from time to time. I suspected you had access to the same type of magic she had. But just like hers, I can’t see it.”

That Miria has it? So I was right.

“So can you tell me already how much mana you have?” Kael was a bit surprised that she knew about it, perhaps that she had a system as well, but he couldn’t see hers.

“I have 100 mana; you mentioned Miria had it. Can you use this magic too?”

“Nope. But I’ve seen her use the same hand gestures. She’s never shown me the actual magic, but she tells me it’s a way to get information. Apparently, it helps her know exactly how much mana she has.”

Kael scowled, realizing Vyra had just pulled a fast one on him.

Well, I’m glad that it served at least to confirm my suspicions.

Vyra smirked, clearly pleased with herself. “Haha, yeah. I tried the same thing with Elin, but she didn’t seem to know. I’ve asked Miria to explain more, but she refuses. You seem pretty unaware of how things work around here, so I took my chance.”

“Can you do me a favor and not tell Miria about it?”

“You want to keep secrets? Fine by me. I’m more suspicious of Miria than I’d ever be of you.”

“Suspicious of Miria? How so?” She might be trying to test me. There’s no way she would mention something like that just after we met.

Vyra circled around Kael, softly dragging her fingers along his shoulder. “I’ve been working with her for some time, and I just think something is off. But I can’t put a finger on it myself.”

“What do you think is wrong?”

“All I know is that she’s hiding something from me. She is too safe around me; if I inquire about things, she does her best to avoid my questions.”

“I still don’t get it.”

Vyra’s sight fixed beyond Kael. “We held off our training for far too long.”

The violet-eyed woman stepped back a bit and raised her index finger. “So tell me, Kael. Are you able to see this?”

What does she want me to see? Her finger?

“Yeah, you just raised your finger. I can clearly see that.”

Vyra rolled her eyes and frowned. “Not that. I thought you could see it.”

“Eh—what exactly should I be looking for?”

“When you were with Elin. Did you see anything out of the ordinary?”

Out of the ordinary. Other than her being so strange, I don’t think so. Wait.

Kael exclaimed, “I remember looking at a strange blue line.”

Vyra placed her finger on her face and started tapping her face with it.

“You’ve seen it, so why can’t you see it again?” She glanced up for a few seconds before looking at Kael. “Come here.”

He walked closer to her, looking up to see what she was looking at, but there was nothing. Just the blue sky and its usual clouds. Hard to imagine he was 150 meters inside a basement.

When he looked at her, something caught him by surprise.

She had inserted the same finger inside his mouth. He immediately went to grab her hand, but they stopped moving before he reached her arm. An overwhelming feeling of apprehension crossed his head.

He didn’t understand her small gesture. Still, he could guess that his body was reacting strangely. Completely immobile, yet he felt more sensitive than ever. He could feel each bit of the breeze passing by.

Kael tried to bite her finger, but his mouth wouldn’t budge. Vyra pulled her finger away, revealing a small line of unknown gas mixed with his saliva.

“Can you see it now?”

After hearing her words, a sensation of relief moved across his body.

“Y-yes, I can.”

“Good. You are raw at the moment; all I did was apply mana through my fingers to your mouth.”

So that’s what Elin did yesterday; that explains a lot.

“And what’s the solution?” he asked.

“The solution is that you need to train under stress,” Vyra replied. “For that, I’m going to output my mana into you. While you try to hold your breath.”

She flashed a grin that immediately made Kael wary of what she was planning.

If it’s like what Elin did yesterday, I should be fine; at least I know she isn’t going to kill me.

“Are you going to do the same as Elin?” Kael asked as he opened his system. He only had to hide from Miria. But from the corner of his eye, he noticed Vyra snapping her fingers.

“Oh, sorry, I was checking something.” He told her, sharing his sight between the system and her.

“Take your sweet time. I merely wanted to check if you were still paying attention.” She replied with a smirk. “When you are ready. I shall begin the process.”

“Alright. Give me a few seconds.” He turned then to the system exploring what he hadn’t seen yet. Perhaps he could get a lead to how this magic worked. Unfortunately he didn’t find anything on the subject but the tab called SOCIALS got his attention.

He clicked it, then another window opened.

SOCIALS

Relationships. | Relationships Info.

This shows your current relationship status with others. It only counts with people you know, whose names you’re familiar with, and who are aware your existence.

Miria. 3 out of 100 – Level 1

Vyra. 1 out of 100 – Level 1

Elin. 10 out of 100 – Level 1

Karin. = 0 out of 100 – Level 0

That’s strange. Why is Elin has so many points, is it because of last night? Strange, do I like her the most?

Kael proceeded to click in “Relationships Info.”

Relationship Info.

How does the relationship system works?

This system has minimal impact on you personally. It mainly affects how you interact with others in your social circle. The more points someone earns with you, the more you’ll naturally tend to favor them. If you disagree with their actions, but they have a strong enough relationship with you, their influence can override your control.

BE CAREFUL: Others can change your relationship status without your consent.

As Kael reached the end of the sentence… He felt his heart drop.

“You are wasting too much time.” Vyra’s said with her same smirk.

Damn, why can’t things be simple?