The lecture on skills was scheduled late in the evening, so I decided to check out my new skill book. The competition was after tomorrow, so I only had a day to prepare for it.

Back in my mansion in one of the common training rooms, I sat cross-legged with the skill book in my lap. The skill book stood out among the old, mundane books in the repository I was getting familiar with. For one, the cover was adorned with fractals pulsating with mana, a mesmerizing sight that hinted at its mystical nature, and I couldn't identify anything else just by observing it.

I ran my fingers over the intricate patterns, feeling a slight tingle as if the book itself was alive. The sensation was thrilling, sending a wave of goosebumps down my arms. Haha, Damn. My first skill book. The novelty of the moment struck me that I was ever so close to learning proper magic.

Opening it resulted in mana within it surging, and I felt a sudden, forceful pull as if the book was trying to siphon my own mana. Startled, I sent a faint thread of my mana into the book. Immediately, a name appeared in my mind:

Book of the Chrono Spatial Relations by Rosette Alderbane

I was sure, almost ninety percent, that this was not a standard skill book. The thought sent a jolt of understanding as I contemplated what the Vice Chancellor wanted from me. Is this a topic of research? Did the old monster want me to carry on the subject left by this Rosette Alderbane?

The language used in the book was unlike anything I had encountered before. It was intricate, almost poetic, and initially, I struggled to comprehend its meaning. My frustration mounted as I deciphered the complex script, feeling exasperation at the author's brilliance. Rosette Alderbane's mind must have been a labyrinth of arcane knowledge, but she was the worst of the write to explain concepts.

I leaned closer, my brow furrowing in concentration, the first flowery section was on Spatial Perception, for example, which seemed to boil down to the ability to see with multiple eyes—a concept that sounded deceptively simple but hinted at profound complexity. My eyes strained as I tried to wrap my mind around the concept, my breath shallow as I followed the words left by Rosette Alderbane.

The effort felt like mental gymnastics, each sentence a puzzle to unravel.

As I continued reading, I noticed the mana within me beginning to move in a specific pattern, guided by the book. The sensation was unsettling, like discovering your hands moving on its own. This was magic on a level I had never experienced before, and it both thrilled and unnerved me. Could someone else also control the mana inside me? And I realized that it was a stupid question. It's only a matter of being strong.

After skimming through the first chapter, I attempted to read the second, only to find it mysteriously locked. Frustrated, I found that a significant portion of the book was dedicated to the first chapter alone, its purpose was still unclear to me.

As soon as I completed the first chapter, the mana stopped moving, and I watched as the unseen rhythm was broken. I don't know what that was, but I guessed that the skill book was simulating the way the mana had to move to activate the skills.

While I came out of my meditation, a new message flashed in the interface.

Myriad Languages of the World Lvl 1 => Lvl 2.

What? I didn't even realize the skill had been activated. It became clear that this skill was enhancing my ability to decipher the book’s elaborate language. I leaned back, running a hand through my hair, and let out a sigh of relief mixed with amazement.

Whatever it was doing, it looked like I was going to understand the skill book quite fast. The progress was unexpected but welcome, at least there was some use for my legendary skill.

Despite this progress, I quickly discovered that the book was not meant for instant consumption. It was a chore to read and meticulously follow the mana patterns— a task that explained why the repository allowed students to borrow it. I shifted in my seat, feeling the mana following the pattern. I was disappointed to see a lack of reaction on my part, but I was waiting for any changes as I got more skilled.

The text was written not in any conventional language but in a manner that required a mage to interpret its mana-infused script, and I was sure that the only reason I was easily able to understand must be related to my legendary skills and my attunement to Space. I rubbed my chin as I could see the reason why many mages' goals are to attune their mana.

Of course, I felt cheated, recognizing that although the book catered to both my attunements, the initial skill seemed solely related to Space. I groaned inwardly, realizing that mastering all three skills would be a lengthy endeavor.

The Vice Chancellor’s scheming smile flashed in my mind, and I cursed the old man’s cunning. Another hook that the Chancellor fished. Damned old people…

After spending a few hours, and moving the mana in the patterns, I felt a sixth sense developing at the edge of my mind.

I began to sense a new awareness developing at the edge of my mind—a nascent sixth sense that hinted at the static stilted area around him. As far as I could sense, there was only a static in my mind without any effect. I moved my hand up and down, and the static result changed.

My eyes widened as I tested this newfound ability, noticing subtle shifts in the environment around me. It took a while for my mind to understand how those changes in my arm reflected back into the spatial perception skill I was learning.

It was slow, but I felt good about the progress.

— — — — —

Private Tutoring Session 2451: Skills and its Intercracies - Kaelan Firebrand, 2nd Year. Red Pillar - Valorians

Time - 1.5 Hrs. Cost - 70 Credits.

Regretfully there was no one teaching from the seniors of third and fourth years. And there was not any class specifically for Obsidians.

I waited for Kaelan to appear in one of the enclosed open spaces of the Academy's Lecture Hall Complex. This unique room had no roof, only high stone walls that surrounded the area, allowing the evening sky to be fully visible above. The warm hues of sunset cast a golden glow across the space, and the first stars were beginning to twinkle.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I stood near one of the walls, the cool evening air brushing against my skin. The ground was covered with neatly arranged paving stones, and a few benches were scattered around for seating. A minute past the scheduled time, the door in the far wall opened, and a young man in his late teens stepped in.

Kaelan Firebrand was not the typical Valorian I imagined. He had a lean, almost frail physique, with fiery red hair and intense brown eyes. He wore simple brown leather clothes, practical and worn from use, with a silver pendant in the shape of a flame hanging around his neck.

Kaelan walked over and nodded in greeting. "You must be my student for this session. I'm Kaelan Firebrand."

I nodded back. "Yes, that's me. Nova." I was still irked by not having a last name, but it was what it was.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kaelan got straight to the point. "Do you know anything about Skills?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, this is my first time."

"Alright then, we'll start with the basics. How do mages fight? We don't fight like knights and non-mages. Every attack from a mage is infused with mana, making it much deadlier than ordinary strikes. But that’s just the foundation," Kaelan explained calmly.

"A mage can channel mana in specific ways to attack in a particular way and manipulate their surroundings. To achieve this, mages use two types of mana casting: Spells and Skills."

With a thoughtful expression, he continued, "Spells are techniques that utilize the mana in your body or weapon. They are free-form and lack efficient direction. Skills, on the other hand, are efficient versions of spells that a mage might learn after repeated practice."

Kaelan raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, a small flame appeared, hovering above his palm. "Let me give you an example. This is a simple spell. Now watch closely."

His using a fire spell was in my expectation with his last name and the pendant hanging.

He repeated the motion, but this time the flame grew larger and more intense, its heat palpable even from a distance. He threw the fire high into the air, where it exploded, much to my surprise.

The wind from the explosion blew back my hair. I could feel the heat radiating from that simple technique as a bead of sweat fell down my cheek. I couldn't tell if it was a spell or a skill; it didn't seem much different to me.

He gestured a hint of pride in his voice. "Using the mana properly, I could transform it into flames. This particular Spell is the basic Combust, which makes my fire explode in a flash. There are ways to easily change the mana used in constructing a spell."

Suddenly, flames engulfed his hands. I was shocked by the display, but Kaelan remained undisturbed. He continued with a calm demeanor, "See, my mana transformed into flames, but it is undirected, without motive. Watch as I use a Skill to give it a purpose."

Crazy Valorians! Almost gave me a heart attack with the sudden smoldering flames. Instead of getting larger, the fire shrank but grew deeper in red. Finally, it stopped until it looked like Kaelan was wearing a pair of bright, swollen red gloves. I could see the flames waving and flickering on the surface of the gloves.

"This is the skill Flaming Fists. A Skill meant for attacks."

A boulder appeared out of nowhere next to Kaelan. He slammed his fist straight into it. I watched in surprise as the rock melted against the fierce heat of Kaelan's fist.

He glanced at me, noticing my reaction. "These Skills seem far deadlier because they are efficient. To change Flaming Fists would require far more concentration and mana, but you have effects that normally have a lower mana cost than a spell."

"We just name them differently because of how efficient they are?" That didn’t make any sense; they were just more efficient forms of spells. They should have just called them Perfect Spells or something.

Kaelan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "That's a frequent question among commoners, but we are in an Academy. While Spells and Skills are ways to use mana and might seem similar, the spells you learn are created by people. Skills, however, are granted by the Way of the World."

That was new. While I was unsure what this Way of the World was, if it granted skills, then it was related to the system interface I kept seeing. Was that the name of the system people use?

"What is the Way of the World?" I asked, eager to understand what people knew about the screen I kept seeing.

Kaelan's expression grew serious as he explained. "There are many names for it, but the Academy calls it the Way of the World. It's the system or entity that grants Skills and Levels. We don't know exactly what it is or its purposes, but it gives you an interface where you can see your status details."

If skills were granted by an external force rather than created, it raised questions about control and access. Who or what controlled the Way of the World? And how did it decide who received which skills? Hopefully, it was no one.

"What is an interface?" I asked the next question. Although I knew what it was, there might be other knowledge I could glean from his information.

Kaelan lifted his hand, revealing a translucent screen in the air. "It's like your status details. When you first got your armband, you should have seen golden words flashing as they gave you details, right?"

This was my first time knowing that you could share your details this easily. There was even an image of Kaelan with his name and race. He was level 32, and there were blurry lines. Observing his interface, I noticed it was detailed, yet many parts were obscured, possibly due to privacy or security measures for his skills.

Kaelan continued after he lowered his hand. "You can't observe your interface directly. You need a status measuring slate. The interface is similar to what was shown with your armband when you first put it on."

The knowledge that people can't easily access their system was worrying. Did it mean I was special? Or was it a result of my transmigration? Both reasons were not good for my future life. Either I'm special or in trouble—or both. Definitely both.

Pointing at the red armband adorned on his left hand, he continued. "The academy condensed the status measuring slate to replicate the Interface, and the armband was the result. But it works only on the academy grounds, one of the inventions of the founder of the Academy. Moving on, let's get back to the main focus of the lecture: Skills and the Way of the World."

"Spells are versatile while Skills are efficient. But getting a Skill is hard. It takes hours and days of practice to gain a single skill. Skills typically start at level one, and as you progress through use, you can evolve it down various paths. You could keep the same path and specialize, or combine skills with it, both have their advantages. This usually leads to a skill’s improved grade. Most are generally ranked, but it goes up from there. Next is uncommon, then rare, then epic, then legendary."

This was a familiar concept I had seen in video games. Which begged the question. Why was it so familiar? Even more questions. My first thought was that it might be the invention of a previous transmigrator like me, but now it seems different. The Way of the World. Was that also the works of some transmigrator, or was it the normal progression of a long lost advanced civilization of this world?

Though there were inconsistencies in the academy's operational system, like the armband's additional functions and the messenger-type communication hubs. That was also something similar to what a transmigrator might achieve.

"The fact that anyone has a rare ranked skill is very impressive. Having an epic skill is a sign of a generational genius, and having a legendary skill is, well, the stuff of legends," Kaelan continued.

I thought about the unique and legendary skills I have and realized their worth. My unique skill was already exposed to the Vice Chancellor, but it would be good to hide my legendary skill.

There wasn't much more noteworthy other than the most common way to get skills, which all boiled down to a single word dreaded by all students — Practice.