Vince laid on a thin straw mattress in a small stone house at the edge of the village, staring at the wooden beams above him.
His breathing was shallow, his body was small, frail, and painfully aware of itself in a way that unsettled him even now.
Memories that he could not forget lingered at the edge of consciousness, another life, another world, ending in betrayal and blood.
He remembered dying.
And he remembered waking up screaming in this body, mana pressing against him from every direction like an ocean rejecting a foreign object.
Now, at six years old, his fate had been decided.
He was Sparkless.
The Awakening Ceremony had been brief.
He could vividly remember everything that transpired. The whole of Hale family had gathered together for the awakening ceremony, a crystal orb, used for generations to measure mana sensitivity, had flared brightly for every child before him. Colors danced within it as mana responded eagerly to their touch.
Soul force was one of the most important thing that a mage needed, after all without soul force mages couldn't cast powerful spell. The minimum requirement for a mage soul force upon awakening was 150, if you awaken and you have a soul force of over 250, you will be regarded as a genius.
Then the next most important was a mage talent, talents are classified into, yellow, green, blue, purple, violet, black and the legendary gold. It was said that only the legendary Marvin Robinson has managed to have a gold talent, in the whole of azure dragon continent, he was humanity sovereign.
Even if you awaken as a purple talent mage you will be regarded as a genius.
The next was a mage affinity, this was also very important as this would also determine the fate of the mage. Magic affinities where divided into, basic magic, advanced magic, concept magic, and artificial magic.
Under basic magic where elementals, such as, fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, ice. These where the most common types of magic affinity mages normally awakened with. It was also possible for a mage to awaken more than one affinity, and they where treated different from a single affinity mage.
Then there are advanced affinities like: Light, Dark, Gravity, Metal, Blood, and Void. Mages who awakened with this kind of affinities where genius, they where treated different on a whole level totally. And they where very rare to see. In a back water place like Eldoria they could be counted, they where indeed rare.
Concept affinities or concept mages where rare, maybe only in Eldoria, under concept magic we have Death, Space, Time, Soul, Curse, summoner.
Mages who could control Death magic, Space magic, Time magic, Soul magic, Curse magic and summon magic, where known as descendants, some called them fallen immortals while some called them god's child. They held immense power and where regarded highly in the society.
Then there is artificial magic such as Runes, Arrays, Artifacts. These group of mages usually have low talent or sometimes they have huge soul force but don't have any affinity, so they use runes arrays and artifacts to amplifier there magic. They where also sought after, because they where useful in group battles and wars.
"Wow, that is Vincent hale, his so cool, I heard he is the only son of the third elder"
"No wonder, he is different, I wonder what his talent will be like".
Vincent was indeed the only child of the third elder one of the pillars of the Hale clan. He doted his son very much and everyone was aware of it.
Vincent walked step by step until he got to the platform. Bone age 6 years, soul force 195, talent grade blue, magic affinity ice. The examiner was surprise by the result he was seeing, he smiled upon seeing this.
The third elder couldn't hide his smile either, although he tried hiding it, he just couldn't.
"What am I seeing, blue grade talent and ice affinity, hmm, with a soul force of 195"
Very soon everyone was talking about him, Vincent raised his head proudly as he appeared superior to others. He was happy because having a blue grade talent will allow him to cultivate three times faster than someone with a yellow grade talent.
Vince stayed at a corner silently observing everything that was happening, he was astonished by what he saw, he was finding it had to believe anything about this magic world, but as he continued watching everything he began to understand the importance of talent, soul force and magic affinity.
The test went on, for a very long time until the number of people gradually lessened.
What shocked everyone was the fact that a double affinity appeared. Lara Hale the daughter of the first daughter actually had a double affinity the Lightening and Wind affinity which the first ancestor of the Hale family had.
Vincent glory dimmed in comparison. Other elders started congratulating him, some where even thinking of marriage proposal, not only where they twin affinities but her soul force was 220, with a purple grade talent.
In the history of the Hale family lineage, only the first ancestor was able to awaken a violet grade talent. So why won't they want to be tied to the first elder.
The test went on, and there was another surprise, someone from the branch family actually had a blue grade talent with a twin magic affinity fire and ice, with a soul force of 200. The pathraich immediately gave an order for him to be recruited into the main family.
Then it was only two people that remained which where Chris Hale and Vince Hale. Chris Hale was the child of the Hale clan current pathraich. His father had a high expectations for him as he would be the future pathraich.
He walked majestically to the platform not caring for anyone else, he was handsome and had this superior air surrounding him despite being a six year old.
Not long after there where gasps as the whole crowd erupted in chaos.
"Did I just see that right, triple magic affinity"
"Someone should wake me up"
"Soul force of 265"
"And a violet grade talent for that matter, truly a prodigy".
Yes, he awakened a violet grade talent, soul force of 260 and a triple magic affinity of lightning, wind and earth. You could say he was balanced, from his attack power to his defense to his evasion, he was truly balanced.
"Good, good, good" that was only what the pathraich could say at the moment, he couldn't even believe what his eyes where seeing.
"Congratulations pathraich, you have really brought in a genius" laughed the second elder.
"Our Hale clan is bound to rise, the god's is truly helping us" another said while touching his over grown beards.
Finally everyone settled down, and it was finally Vince turn, he could feel numerous eyes on him, he felt like running away, he knew he didn't have a talent in magic, so he was extremely nervous as he didn't know what to do.
Gradually he ascended the platform. He looked at the clan members, pathraich, elders and his parents who where looking at him with a complicated gaze, he knew everyone was expecting something from him, after all his father was Aron Hale, someone acclaimed to be a genius, his father was one of the clan protector, and his family has produced mages.
So everyone thought it's only normal for his son to be a genius. After all a lion cannot born a goat.
But when it was finally his turn, the orb had remained dull, no glow, no reaction, no acknowledgment.
The silence that followed had been louder than any insult.
The pathraich frowned, pressed the orb against the boy's chest again, and tried once more.
Nothing happened.
A murmur had rippled through the crowd.
Confusion first, then discomfort, then disdain followed, everyone avoided him like he was a plaque.
The verdict had been delivered in a flat, disinterested tone.
"Sparkless."
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"Poor Vince boy."
"Completely useless."
"How shameful."
That single word had severed his future, and brought him family shame, he was bound to be a laughing stock and object of mockery. Some people looked at him with a gaze of pity, some smiled at him coldly and some sneered and cursed at him, he felt a feeling of hopelessness before it disappeared quickly just at it came.
Vince returned from the aptitude ceremony with mud on his boots and silence in his heart.
The town square had already emptied, but the humiliation followed him all the way home. Every step along the narrow village road felt heavier than the last. Children ran ahead laughing, showing off glowing wristbands the examiner had given them as proof of their magical promise.
He had received nothing, not even pity.
His mother walked beside him, trying to hold his hand. He gently pulled away. She pretended not to notice.
Slowly, he woke up from his thoughts and clenched his down.
"What are he supposed to do now?"
The boy's fingers tightened
In this world, children were investments. A child who awakened could be apprenticed, sponsored, or sent to an academy. Even a low-tier mage could elevate an entire family's status. A Sparkless child, however, offered nothing.
Worse, they consumed resources.
But was he truly hopeless?, off course not, he had a system, which could bring him to the apex of the world.
He decided to check his status in the system after regaining control of his emotions. The moment he thought of status screen, a blue holographic screen materialized in front of him.
[Name: Vince Hale]
[Race: Human]
[Origin: Reincarnated Soul]
[Age: 6]
[Realm: Sparkless (No Mana Awakening)]
[Talent Grade: Zero]
[Soul force: 10]
[Magic affinity: none]
[Mana Channels: Dormant]
[Mana Core: Not Formed]
[Cultivation Path: Locked]
[ATTRIBUTES]
[Strength: 5 (Below Average)]
[Endurance: 10 (Abnormally High for Age)]
[Agility: 6]
[Perception: 18 (Enhanced)]
[Willpower: 15 (Critical Abnormality Detected)].
He shook his head, no wonder his body was frail, he was to weak, he remembered his past life, he was a hitman, he was one of the most feared hitman, but now look at his condition, strength was 5, what was he going to do with that, he thought.
He could understand his perception and willpower been high, it was because of who he was in his past life. A hitman, naturally suppose to have a high perception, and make it one of his innate skills or habit, that was why his perception and willpower where high for his age.
Just as he was in his thought, the screen shifted.
[First System Quest Generated]
First System Quest?, he couldn't help but become excited, finally, he has always waited for this moment for six years, and today the goddess of luck decided to smile at him.
[Quest: Lay the Foundation]
[What is being a mage without having a strong body, after all it is one of the secret to attain godhood]
[Objective: Survive in a Mana dense World Without Mana]
[Condition: Strengthen the body to resist ambient mana pressure]
[Task: Physical Conditioning – Basic Survival Training]
[Duration: 30 Days]
[Failure Penalty: System Suppression / Remain a Sparkless forever]
Vince breath hitched, no reward was listed, only the consequence.
This was not a gift, it was a demand, it was torture, how was he going to do this.
Brutal Childhood Training, the System did not care that he was six, all it cared about was the result.
"Hmm, system you said, a strong body is one of the secret to attain godhood, can you explain".
[No comment]
"What do you mean by no comment, can't you just explain it for me."
[Focus on the task, you aren't strong enough to know].
Vince really felt like beating the system.
The following morning, pain became routine.
[Task Initiated: Body Conditioning – Phase One]
[Instruction: Run until muscular failure.]
[Minimum Requirement: 3 kilometers.]
Three kilometers might not have seemed impossible in his past life, however in this body, it was torture.
Vince ran along the dirt paths outside the village, lungs burning, legs screaming in protest. Mana pressed against his skin constantly, invisible weight crushing down with every step.
He fell before the first kilometer.
[Warning: Insufficient Effort Detected]
He stood up again, he fell again.
By the time he completed the distance, he was vomiting bile into the grass, vision swimming, limbs trembling uncontrollably.
There was no praise.
Only the next instruction.
[Task Updated: Strength Conditioning]
"Heartless" he thought.
[Instruction 2: 500 bodyweight squats]
[Time Limit: Before sunset]
Eldoria was not a large province. Secrets did not stay hidden long, especially ones that made people uncomfortable.
By the time Vince failed in his awakening ceremony, whispers followed him like shadows.
"That's him."
"The Sparkless."
"The one mana won't touch."
Parents pulled their children closer when he passed. Not always out of hatred, sometimes out of fear. Mana anomalies were dangerous.
Everyone knew that, and Vince was an anomaly.
He watched other children awaken mana one by one.
The process was always the same.
A sudden fever.
A few hours of delirium.
Then light.
Mana surged around them, drawn into newly opened channels. Their bodies glowed faintly, veins pulsing with power. Afterwards, they were different, stronger, faster, sharper.
Celebrations followed, then feasts, and blessings.
Vince watched from a distance every time.
Villagers stared as he collapsed again and again in the dirt,some laughed, some shook their heads. His parents tried to stop him but he refused, his mother could dmm not watch.
Zero Talent Humiliation
By the end of the first week, rumors spread.
"The Sparkless kid's gone mad."
"He's trying to train like a mage."
"He thinks effort can replace mana."
Children mocked him openly now. They gathered to watch him struggle through his System-imposed routines, push-ups, breath control, standing still under mana rich currents until his skin blistered.
A boy who had recently awakened fire magic sneered at him one afternoon.
"Why do you bother?" the mage-child asked, flames flickering harmlessly in his palm. "You'll never cultivate."
Vince did not respond, he couldn't.
His jaw was clenched too tightly around the pain.
System Tasks Continue
That night, as he lay shaking on his mattress, muscles torn and nerves screaming, the interface appeared again.
[Daily Task Completed]
[Preparing reward]
[Soul force: 10 > 50]
[Magic affinity: none]
[Mana Channels: 3]
[Mana Core: baby stage]
[Cultivation Path: Locked]
[ATTRIBUTES]
[Strength: 5 > 7 (Below Average)]
[Endurance: 10 > 12 (Abnormally High for Age)]
[Agility: 6 > 8]
[Perception: 18 (Enhanced)]
[Willpower: 15 (Critical Abnormality Detected)].
He noticed some changes been made to his body, he could feel it, those miniscule changes. He was surprised when his soul force increased from ten to fifty, he also noticed his mana channels has opened and his magic core has started forming, he wanted to scream out too badly but managed to compose himself.
Then his attributes also increased from strength to Agility. Finally he will soon become a proper mage, "hahaha" he laughed like a madman.
For the first time since awakening in this world, the boy understood something fundamental.
Magic cultivation was not the only path to power.
It was simply the path the world had chosen.
And he had never been one to accept the world's judgment.
As the System quietly prepared the next task, the boy stared into the darkness, eyes empty of tears.
This world worshipped mana.
He would survive without it.
No matter the cost.
[System quest]
[Explore holy sentinel ruins].