*** Fifty days since arriving in Luminosa ***

"Again!" Sir Roland's scarred face showed no emotion as he watched us train. The head knight's presence always added intensity to our spars—his critical eye missed nothing.

I faced two noble initiates. One favored Fire Mana, his strikes explosive and aggressive, while the other's Earth Mana made him unnaturally sturdy. Like me, they both used Mana Boost to enhance their movements, though each element provided different advantages.

They attacked in perfect sync—the result of years of training together. The Fire user's practice sword came at me wreathed in a subtle heat haze while his partner struck low, his weapon leaving faint traces of brown energy. I channeled Air Mana through my body, feeling the familiar lightness it brought.

The Fire Initiate's overhead slash met empty air as I weaved aside, ducking under the Earth user's sweep in the same motion. My counter-strike caught Fire's shoulder before he could recover, sending him stumbling. Earth pressed his advantage, but his enhanced stability worked against him—by the time he shifted his stance to attack, my practice sword had already found his chest.

"Better," Sir Roland nodded. "But still too wasteful with your Mana, Clinton. You," he pointed at Fire, "your aggression leaves you open. And you," he addressed Earth, "stability is worthless without speed to match." He turned to where Lia waited. "Show them how it's done."

The next few minutes were a harsh reminder that I still had far to go. Lia's Water Mana made her movements flow like a river, each strike transitioning naturally into the next. I never even saw the final blow coming.

"You're improving quickly," she said softly as she helped me up, her hand lingering on mine just a moment longer than necessary. "For someone who couldn't even channel Mana two months ago."

After training, we took our usual walk through the castle gardens. I noticed some of the noble girls whispering and giggling as we passed, but Lia just rolled her eyes and walked closer to me. The magical flowers shifted from afternoon gold to evening purple when she suddenly stopped.

"Want to see something amazing?" she asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and glancing around to ensure we were alone. When I nodded, she held out her hands, standing close enough that I could catch the faint scent of water lilies—her favorite flowers from the training yard pond.

"You're controlling it directly," I breathed, recognizing what I was seeing. "Without spells or physical enhancement. You're a..."

"A Primalist," she finished proudly. "Or at least, I will be. That's why I haven't advanced to Tier 1 yet, even though I could have months ago. I've been practicing this instead."

She let the water dissipate. "Same day next week is my fifteenth birthday. If I succeed in advancing as a Primalist, I’ll be the youngest in a century." Her eyes sparkled with determination. "It's the greatest honor a cultivator can achieve—to shape elements with pure will rather than crude spells or physical might."

I watched her demonstrate the technique again, my heart racing. The way she controlled the water was exactly how I manipulated Air. I was a Primalist too, and apparently an extremely rare one at that. But something held me back from sharing this revelation.

"That's incredible," I said instead, already forming a plan. "I'm sure you'll succeed."

She beamed at the praise, her cheeks coloring slightly. "Thanks. You know, you're the only one I've shown this to." She looked away quickly, pretending to be interested in a nearby flower. "I just... feel like I can trust you."

As we walked back to the castle, my mind drifted to the future. As Initiates, we were limited to Basic Elements, but I knew that would change with advancement—I’d gain command over Lightning and Darkness, while Lia had mentioned possessing an affinity for Mirage as her second Element. The thought sparked something in me—a vision of us fighting side by side, combining our rare talents against the Demon Queen. Perhaps Lia would become more than just a training partner, but a true ally in my destined mission.

I pushed the idle speculation aside, focusing on my immediate promise. By her birthday, I would master enough control to show her she wasn't alone on this path. For now, though, I kept my secret close, looking forward to the surprise on her face when she realized what I truly was.

*** Current time ***

After making sure that I hadn't heard it wrong—the supposedly mind-controlled guys acted like nothing—I gave a questioning look to our blood-loving hypnotist.

"S-Sorry, it seems that the cartoon shook off my influence, and they just seem to be quietly eating so far..." Sergio admitted sheepishly. "I also can't use this power too often on the same targets."

"Don't brainwash us anymore, please!" the Latino with panda eyes suddenly blurted out. "We're really sorry about earlier. It's just... you know how it is on the streets..."

"Yeah, yeah!" the Asian guy, Kusogaki, chimed in enthusiastically. "No need for that hentai mind control stuff! Though if it was some cute girl with tentacles instead—ow!" He rubbed his head where the Black man had smacked him.

"What my idiotic friends are trying to say," the Black man said with as much dignity as one could muster while being completely bald and wearing basic novice clothes, "is that we appreciate everything you've done for us. The clothes, the food... nobody's ever treated us like actual people before."

"Even after we were so disrespectful to you," the Latino added quietly.

"So if you'll have us, Boss," Kusogaki said, his earlier joke forgotten, "we'd like to stick around. Be your underlings or whatever. You seem to know what you’re doing in this crazy place."

"Plus," the Black man grinned, "anyone who can instantly recover from that creepy chipmunk show must be worth following."

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

I looked at their earnest faces, then at Sergio, who just shrugged as if to say 'they seem genuine enough.'

"Hold on," I raised my hand to stop the gangsters' enthusiasm. "First, let me hear about everyone's evaluations. You said you got 500 points?" I asked the Black man.

"Name's Marcus, Boss. And yeah, 500 points. The System said something about 'showing leadership potential in street culture' before roasting me about my life choices."

"I got 800," the Latino said. "José Martinez. Most of it was apparently for my 'artistic sensibilities' because I used to teach kids graffiti art at the community center. The System called it 'constructive vandalism.'"

"And I'm actually Kusuo Gyakuran!" the Asian guy beamed. "But everyone calls me Kusogaki since middle school, so the name just stuck. Got 5,450 points!"

"What?" everyone at the table exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yeah! The System said something about how my streaming career and that one video where I rickrolled an entire e-sports tournament had 'significant cultural impact.' Plus, I apparently have the longest active streak in some mobile game. I've been logging in daily for seven years straight!"

"How about you two?" I turned to the vampire couple. "It seems it counts only Pre-Tutorial achievements, right?"

"Well," Alisa smiled, "I received 10,500 points. The System seemed impressed that I not only accepted supernatural beings existed but actively sought them out. It called it 'exceptional adaptability to paradigm shifts.' Plus, I know five languages, have a six-figure job, and I'm beautiful and just charming!"

"The System wasn't as impressed with my more than a century of existence," Sergio admitted. "Only 4,000 points for 'maintaining humanitarian principles despite inherent predatory nature.' Though it did dock points for, and I quote, 'excessive brooding and poor fashion choices.' It's not my fault that fashion changes every decade!"

As we discussed points and evaluations, a small figure approached our table. A girl, no older than thirteen, stood nervously at the edge of our group. Her clothes—a worn t-shirt several sizes too big and patched jeans—had seen better days. Despite her disheveled appearance, she had a striking kind of cuteness that seemed almost too perfect. Her hair, falling in uneven pigtails, shifted between different pastel colors in the restaurant's lighting. Her eyes were similarly difficult to pin down—sometimes appearing amber, sometimes violet, like light refracting through crystal.

"E-excuse me," she stammered, her eyes fixed on our plates rather than our faces. "Could you... maybe... if you have any leftovers..."

Marcus and José exchanged knowing looks—they'd probably seen plenty of street kids in similar situations. Kusogaki stopped mid-bite, his usual goofy expression turning serious. Alisa's nurturing instincts visibly kicked in, but Sergio held her back slightly, his vampire instincts perhaps sensing something off that he couldn't quite identify.

I studied the girl carefully. In this place, nothing was quite what it seemed. My Mana Sense detected something unusual about her, but it was like trying to grab smoke—the moment I tried to focus on it, it slipped away. Still, she seemed harmless enough, and if there was one thing I'd learned in Luminosa, it was that sometimes the best way to handle potential threats was to keep them close.

"What's your name, kid?" I asked, already gesturing to the waiter for another order.

"Which one?" she replied, blinking her eyes cutely. "I have many."

Her response drew a chuckle from our group. Kids and their imaginary games— even in a place like this, some things remained universal.

"How about you pick your favorite?" I suggested.

"Hmm..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, her ever-shifting pastel hair catching the light. "Today, I think I'll be Lucy!"

After we ordered her a proper meal, Lucy ate with surprising enthusiasm, though she remembered her manners between bites. Her eyes, changing colors like morning light through stained glass, sparkled with genuine joy at each new dish she tried.

"Thank you, mister," she said after finishing her meal. "Would you like to see a magic trick? As a thank you?"

Before I could respond, she pulled a deck of cards from her oversized shirt pocket. The cards were well-loved, their edges soft from frequent use, with the kind of shine that only comes from passing through many hands.

"Pick a card, any card!" she said with childish enthusiasm. "But don't show it to me!"

I humored her, drawing a card—the Jack of Hearts.

"Now, look at it carefully," she said with a bright smile. "Really focus on it. Think about why you chose this particular card."

"Now, shuffle it back into the deck," she said, holding out the stack. After I did so, she made an elaborate show of shuffling the cards herself, her small hands moving with the practiced flair of a street performer.

"Your card..." she tapped my head playfully and somehow pulled the Queen of Spades from behind my ear, "is riding high! Oh wait, that's not your card at all!" she giggled.

She spread the deck with a flourish. "Your card is..." she plucked out the Jake of Hearts, "taking a wild ride!" She spun the card between her fingers before presenting it with a theatrical bow.

When I looked up to thank her for the trick, she was already skipping away, humming the tune from Mr. Chuckles' cartoon. But with her doing it, the song didn't sound half as creepy.

"That was a neat trick," Kusogaki said admiringly. "Though I could've sworn her hair was a different color when she left..."

I stared at the two cards she'd shown me; they were just normal playing cards. Was it a hint? A coincidence? Was that girl somehow special, or was it Barry's shenanigans again? If that was a hint, it could mean Leah and Jimmy weren't at the same place, but what did it change for me? I'd need to help them both, anyway.

"What would a kid do here, anyway?" I pondered. "Is the System so cruel that it sends even kids to Tutorials?"

"Actually," Sergio interjected, setting down his drink, "from what locals told me, children get a special difficulty called 'Carefree.' No death, no violence, just..."

"Like an actual amusement park visit?" Alisa finished for him.

"Exactly. Most kids here are either descendants of those who failed their Tutorials and couldn't leave, or..." Sergio hesitated, glancing around, "those who chose to stay."

"Chose to stay?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "In this creepy place?"

"Some people apparently find it... appealing," Sergio said diplomatically. "Though after that cartoon show, I have to question their judgment. Not exactly the healthiest environment to raise children."

"Yeah," José muttered, absently shuffling the cards the girl had left behind. "Watching cute animals explode probably isn't great for kids' development."

"Still," Alisa added thoughtfully, "that girl seemed happy enough. Almost too happy, considering she was begging for food."

I pushed thoughts of the mysterious girl aside. There were more pressing matters to deal with—like figuring out how to survive in this twisted amusement park. With the vampire couple and the ex-gangsters looking at me expectantly, I knew I needed to get stronger, fast.

"Now, let's see the Booster Shop," I decided to check my options for the Temporary Points. And of course, the System had to screw me over here.

The Booster Shop is not available to you due to your special circumstances. As compensation, we will exchange your Temporary Points for debt reduction. We're so generous that we'll round up the points to reduce your debt by 100,000 points.

Thank you so much, you're so generous! I thought with a bitter smile.

If the System was truly interested in efficiency, it would let me keep more than 1% of my earnings. After all, if I could use those points to become stronger faster, I could take on more challenging missions with better rewards. A stronger tool earns more points—simple logic. But instead of allowing me to keep even 10% of my earnings to reinvest in my growth, it was content to take 99% for my debt and give me scraps. The System seemed more interested in watching me struggle than in optimizing its point collection.

Nothing unexpected here. In fact, I had a hunch about what the System wanted—for me to fail my Main Quest and become its slave. Then it would find plenty of fun ways to use me for its convenience. But, for better or worse, it still gave me fair chances here and there—and opened an entirely different path to power, which I was intent to take fully.

It was time to choose my first Archetype.