Max sat cross legged on the magic carpet his eyes fixed on the ever-changing landscape below. Snow-covered peaks faded into sprawling jungles, dense and teeming with life, then gave way to rolling hills and then sun-baked deserts. The scenery shifted like a dream beautiful, but distant.
He'd been sitting there for half an hour, lost in thought. The whirlwind of recent events weighed heavily on him leaving his mother behind to learn magic, chasing a destiny that suddenly felt burdensome. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if it was even worth it.
"Why didn't we just teleport to Salador?"
Julius stood near the edge of the carpet, the wind tugging at his blue shirt. He glanced back over his shoulder, a questioning look in his eyes as he reached out telepathically to Headmaster Magnus.
The old man's gentle voice echoed in Julius's mind.
"Let him reflect. He needs to clear his thoughts to understand his path. If he rushes to the academy without a moment to gather himself, he'll be lost. Confusion can cloud judgment, and a clouded mind leads to mistakes. Give him time."
Julius sighed but nodded. "Directly to school, and he'd be thrown right into the fray again," he thought. "He needs this."
Max's eyes widened as a sharp, mechanical chime rang through his head.
[Ding! Concerned emotion detected!]
[Ding! +1 Magic Point]
"Huh?" Max startled, his body stiffening at the sudden sound. His gaze darted around wildly, scanning his surroundings for the source. The old man and the green-haired stranger ahead of him, however, remained completely unbothered, eyes locked forward as if nothing had happened.
Was that... in my head? His pulse quickened.
Then, in the space before him, something even stranger unfolded a translucent, glowing blue window materialized in the air. Max's breath hitched. The air around him thickened, warping as though reality itself had been altered.
His fingers twitched at his sides as he cautiously examined the ethereal display.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE - STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Maximus Stormhart / ???
Title: ???
Talent: SSS - Nonsensical Magician
Magic Power/MP: 1101/1101
HP: 100/100
Status: Cursed: Seven Mythical Curses
Chests:
Diamond Chest (1)
Gold Chest (1)
Skills: None
What the hell…? His mind reeled.
Cautiously, he extended a hand, fingertips hovering inches from the display. When he pressed forward, his fingers passed through like mist. No resistance, no texture. Just an illusion?
His brows furrowed as curiosity took hold. He rubbed his chin, staring intently at the information displayed.
A status window… like a storybook legend or a fairytale? But I've never heard of something like this before.
His gaze zeroed in on his name. Stormhart. The surname he had only just discovered.
It knows about that too… but what's with the question marks?
His eyes drifted downward. Titles? A bunch of question marks again. Of course. What title could he possibly have? He barely even knew what the term meant. Though… his mother had called the old man something before. What was it again? 'The Living Grimoire'?
Then, something else caught his eye.
Talent: Nonsensical Magician…? And SSS? Is that… good?
The word 'Magician' sent a jolt of excitement through his chest.
Does this mean I have a talent for magic? He nearly trembled at the thought, stars flickering in his eyes.
Magic Power/MP… He frowned, racking his brain.
Mother mentioned something like this before. But she called it 'Mana,' didn't she?
His eyes snapped back to the number.
Magic Power/MP: 1101/1101
Wait. That's the same number that appeared when I saw those glowing texts above their heads!
His breath hitched as realization dawned.
Is this… calculating how much magic I have?
A wave of fascination surged through him. He crossed his arms, nodding slowly, deep in thought. And then
[Ding! Worried emotion detected!]
[MP +1]
His eyes shot to the screen as the number shifted.
Magic Power/MP: 1102/1102
What just happened?
A creeping suspicion took root in his mind. He turned his head, glancing back at the old man and Julius. Just as he expected, both of them were looking at him now, expressions etched with subtle concern.
Just moments ago
'Is he really alright?' Julius asked the old man through telepathy, eyeing Max, who was waving his hands at thin air, scratching his head, and nodding to himself like a madman.
'I hope so,' the old man responded, studying the boy intently.
[Ding! Hope emotion detected!]
[+1 MP]
Magic Power/MP: 1103/1103
Max nearly jumped as the number on his screen climbed again. And not just that
A brief, glowing '+1' floated above both of their heads before vanishing into the ether.
His breath came shallow. They don't see it.
Neither Julius nor the old man reacted to the massive, glowing window hovering right in front of Max's face. Their gazes never landed on it, never flickered in recognition.
Not even the Living Grimoire can see this? But Mother said he's one of the strongest people in the world!
Julius stepped forward, concern laced in his voice. "Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?"
[Ding! Concerned emotion detected!]
[+1 MP]
Magic Power/MP: 1104/1104
Max swallowed hard. He could feel it now. A surge of something deep within him, electric and brimming with potential. This wasn't just a coincidence.
He didn't know what this was, whether it was magic, an illusion, or something far beyond his comprehension.
But he knew one thing for sure
This thing was reacting to emotions.
And if that was true… if this could actually make him stronger…
Then he needed to test it.
He needed to see how far this could go.
Suddenly, without a word, Max turned to the green-haired man and did something no one expected not even the old man.
Paak!
A sharp slap echoed through the air as Max struck the man's face, never breaking eye contact. The green-haired man blinked, his brow twitching in stunned disbelief.
"What…?" he muttered, rubbing his cheek, utterly baffled.
Max leaned forward slightly, watching intently, analyzing every twitch of the man's face, waiting anticipating.
It should be here… any second now… he thought, holding his breath.
[Ding! Speechlessness detected!]
[+3 MP]
Magic Power/MP: 1107/1107
Max exhaled sharply before bursting into wild laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
Julius paled. "He's lost his mind. Headmaster, you know healing magic, right? Do something!"
'I can cure physical wounds, but mental ones are not my forte,' the old man responded telepathically, his tone laced with reluctant concern. 'You do something.'
[Ding! Confusion detected!]
[+10 MP]
Magic Power/MP: 1117/1117
Max's laughter only grew louder as he saw the numbers jump. The sheer absurdity of it all thrilled him.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped his own face harder this time. A sharp sting spread across his cheek, but instead of wincing, he grinned.
The pain… was exhilarating.
---