The plaza erupted into quiet murmurs the moment Kael finished speaking.
Two A-rank skills.
Even among nobility, that was rare—but not unheard of. Even now, someone somewhere must possess two or maybe more A-rank core stones. They would simply reach high mastery over one skill, crush another core stone, and repeat. After all, reaching high mastery over two skills at the same time was extremely difficult, Kael thought.
Emperor Aldric's eyes lingered on Kael for a fraction longer than necessary.
"Excellent," the Emperor said at last. "Sword Master… and an area-type spell. A balanced awakening."
But inwardly, he was happy. This will slow his growth rate. Kael's abnormal growth already brought concerns. Some great families didn't want the Ravenor family to soar too high, and they had already begun scheming. This could bring danger to my daughter, he thought. This was good.
Darian exhaled slowly, as though he'd been holding his breath since Kael stepped forward.
"Just as expected of my son," he said, resting a firm hand on Kael's shoulder. "An A-rank sword skill… and an A-rank spell to complement it."
His thoughts mirrored the Emperor's. Though he was proud of Kael's genius, he didn't want more assassins targeting his son. Yes, assassins were still after him, and he was doing his best to stop them and find the mastermind—but after losing one hand, he was no longer as strong as before. Perhaps only sixty percent of his prime remained.
And yet, he was relieved. Two A-rank skills meant slower mastery growth. The higher the rank, the harder it was to raise mastery. It will take time for Kael.
Selara covered her mouth, eyes shimmering.
Her thoughts were different.
Kael had been a genius for as long as she could remember. She believed he could master them as fast as his growth allowed—while enemies breathe a sigh of relief. Thinking he will take time.
"Thank the gods," she whispered. "Kael…"
Good, Kael thought. They believe it. And they're happy.
The reason he lied was simple—there was no device in this world that could view another person's status panel. There was something similar, but only heroes survived after touching it. Because of that, no one forced others to use it just to learn their skills.
The Emperor raised a hand, and the murmurs died instantly.
Kael bowed his head at the correct angle—not too deep, not too shallow. The perfect bow of a noble child.
Inside, his thoughts were anything but calm.
I've crossed the first line. From here on, every step matters.
The ceremony concluded shortly after. Formalities were exchanged, blessings offered, and the Emperor departed as suddenly as he had arrived. Only once the imperial carriage vanished beyond the gates did the tension truly ease.
Seraphina stayed behind, as she wished, and promised her father she would visit often.
Or so it seemed.
Kael felt it the moment he turned away.
Eyes.
Too many eyes.
They were studying him.
Two A-rank skills at ten years old. How far will he go? Will he surpass his father? Will he still be a genius?
He could practically hear their thoughts just by looking at them.
The last thought lingered longer than the others.
As expected.
At first, he hadn't wanted to crush another core stone. But when his eyes landed on four skills instead of one, he understood—his growth rate was the same as a hero's. His nature was like theirs.
Seraphina walked beside him as they returned to the manor, her steps light, her expression thoughtful.
"You sure?" she asked quietly, not looking at him.
Kael didn't react outwardly.
"What makes you say that?" he asked.
She smiled faintly.
"I thought you wouldn't crush a stone before reachin Knight Rank," she said. "For someone who just awakened two A-rank skills, it'll take a long time."
Kael glanced at her.
Thoughtful, As always.
"Disappointed isn't the right word," he replied. "I wanted a challenge."
Even he himself didn't believe that.
Seraphina hummed, clearly unconvinced, but she didn't push. She believed he will tell someday.
But she didn't know how deep this goes.
Once inside the manor, Kael was ushered away almost immediately. Servants led him down familiar halls, past polished stone and silent guards, until they reached his room.
"Rest well, Young Master," one said.
The door closed.
He clicked the lock.
Silence.
Kael didn't move for several seconds.
Then—
He exhaled.
Finally.
The moment he was alone, the blue screen appeared again, floating softly before his eyes.
Name: Kael Ravenor
Age: 10
Race: Human
Mana Affinity: Water / Darkness
Mana Capacity: 18,000 + 170,000
────────────────────────────────
Four skills stared back at him.
No—five.
But his focus went to his mana.
Mana Capacity: 18,000 + 170,000
He stared at it for a long moment and muttered, "I don't think I'll ever be short on mana."
In his mind, this was the same as the skills—proof of his earthly origin.
Kael focused, then shifted his gaze to the skills.
Slot 3: Corrupting Gaze (S-Rank)
Slot 4: The Grand Mirror of Total Reflection (S+ Rank)
Slot 5: Black Sun (A-Rank)
Even now, his heart pounded just looking at them.
S+ rank.
In the novel, S-rank skills belonged only to heroes. Entire wars had been fought by them for skills like these.
S+ rank… didn't officially exist.
I think I'm the only one with a skill of this rank.
If this becomes known, I won't live long enough to turn eleven.
He raised a hand slowly.
"Status," he whispered.
The screen shifted.
> System Note:
Mastery growth accelerated due to soul integration variance.
Soul integration variance…
So it really is because of my origin.
Kael clenched his fist.
Heroes summoned from another world had always been different. The novel mentioned it repeatedly—abnormal growth, abnormal compatibility, abnormal mana capacity.
But I wasn't summoned. I was reborn.
He dismissed the screen and sat on the edge of his bed, elbow on his knee.
Think, Kael.
The Mirror.
That skill alone changed everything.
If it truly reflected the original effect—not a copy—then…
A curse meant to rot him would return to the caster.
A fatal strike would rebound with the same force, tracing its origin and striking back.
And he wouldn't even need to notice.
An ultimate counterattack.
A king-killing skill.
No wonder it was S+ rank.
Kael stood and walked toward the reinforced training space hidden behind the castle. He placed his hand against the sigil, and the stone slid aside silently.
The room beyond was bare stone, etched with mana-reinforcing steel and spells.
Perfect.
He took a breath.
"Black Sun," he whispered.
The skill responded.
Mana surged violently into his palm. It compressed, folded in on itself, light bending unnaturally as a sphere no larger than a bean formed above his hand.
It wasn't black—it simply devoured all color.
Kael checked his system.
Mana Capacity: 18,000 + 170,000
Mana Capacity: 17,910 + 170,000
It consumed 90 mana at one percent mastery.
That meant at full mastery, it would consume 9,000 mana.
Half of the mana this world had given him.
He released it immediately.
The miniature sun collapsed inward—
—and vanished.
No explosion.
No sound.
Only crushing pressure, and a room suddenly stripped of light.
The spells on the walls flickered.
Kael staggered back.
"…So that's one percent," he muttered.
Even suppressed, it warped the room.
That's terrifying.
He laughed softly—then stopped himself.
No. Control yourself.
Next—
He lifted his gaze toward the stone wall and focused.
Corrupting Gaze.
His eyes glowed a deeper purple than usual.
Nothing happened.
Then he focused on the spellwork etched into the wall.
Mana patterns revealed themselves—threads of energy pulsing faintly through stone and steel alike. His vision tunneled, pressure building behind his eyes.
Then—
He felt it.
An invisible pull.
Kael broke the spell instantly, gasping.
"…So it works even without a target," he murmured. "But it's dangerous. If someone sees this, and ... "
He understood immediately.
Overuse could damage his mind.
That explained the mastery.
Satisfied—for now—Kael turned his attention to the final skill.
The Mirror.
He couldn't properly test it here.
Even experimenting with it felt wrong.
But knowledge was power.
Kael closed his eyes.
"The Grand Mirror of Total Reflection."
The world shifted.
Something unfolded around him—black stone, circular, four centimeters thick. At his will, it shifted shape—oval, rectangular.
I can change its form…
He reshaped it into a shield and placed it on the floor.
He picked up a small stone—one left behind by Black Sun's usage—and threw it.
The moment it struck the mirror-shield, it rebounded with identical force—
—straight back into his face.
"Ouch!"
He rubbed his forehead and dismissed the skill immediately.
Silence returned.
That's enough testing for today.
He sealed the room and returned to his bedroom, lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling.
Good.
Very good. Then
A knock came at the door.
"Kael?" Selara's voice. "May I come in?"
Kael sat up.
"Yes, Mother."
She entered quietly, closing the door behind her. Her expression was gentle—but her eyes searched his face.
"You didn't lie to us," she said softly, sitting beside him. "Did you?"
Kael met her gaze.
"I awakened what I said," he replied carefully. "Sword Master… and Black Sun."
Selara studied him, then smiled.
"That's enough for me," she said, brushing his hair. "You don't need to carry more than that."
Kael relaxed—just a little.
Thank you, Mother.
They spoke quietly for a while.
When she left, night had fully fallen.
Kael closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, training would begin in earnest.
Soon, the Demon Lands.
Soon, S-rank core stones.
And someday—
Summoning.
If heroes are brought from another world, he thought, then I must be strong enough to stand above them.
Above kings.
Above emperors.
Above heroes.
His lips curved into a faint smile in the darkness.
Let the world believe I awakened two A-rank skills.
By the time the truth surfaces—
It will already be too late.