Darkness envelops me still, but I have grown used to its comfortable embrace. Each day—or however time passes here—my awareness becomes sharper, my body a step less fragile. The gentle thrum of Mother's heartbeat remains the constant backdrop of my world. In this watery realm, I keep to a quiet routine: cycling mana through my forming limbs, nudging my developing muscles to grow stronger, and occasionally reaching out to sense the ambient energies flickering beyond.
Yet something is shifting. A tension hums along the outer walls of my womb-like sanctuary—faint but persistent. It's reminiscent of a storm rumbling far on the horizon: not here yet, but heralded by subtle changes in the air. My senses, though still limited, pick up stray mana spikes that stray close to Mother's body. Perhaps she's interacting with a local mage or being tested for a normal pregnancy check by a midwife who can channel mild diagnostic spells. Each time I detect that presence, my spark of mana flickers, as if to greet a passing visitor.
I am no idle passenger, though. Since the strange manifestation of the Status Window—that luminous interface I glimpsed in my mind a short while ago—I have redoubled my efforts to train. I can feel my unborn muscles coil with a bit more solidity each time I guide Earth-aspected energy into them. When I swirl Fire and Water in measured synergy, a subtle warmth spreads through me, nudging my constitution further. If I push too hard, an immediate wave of fatigue reminds me of my precarious state; my body is still forming, and I must respect its limits.
Curiosity makes me call forth that Status Window once more, purely through thought. A ripple of mana drifts across my mind's eye, and the now-familiar golden text appears.
Status Window
ID: ???
Talent: SSS-grade
Core Grade: Unawakened
Special Physique: Omni Element Physique
Level: 1
Strength: 1
Intelligence: 10
Spirit: 8
Agility: 1
Constitution: 2
Attribute Points: 0
Skills: None
No immediate changes from last time. A pang of impatience stirs me—part of me wants to see these numbers soar as they once did in my past life. But I quell that thought, reminding myself that raw patience is as crucial as power. My bones and flesh are still new; pushing them too far would risk harming both me and Mother.
When I dismiss the panel, I sense a faint swirl of unresolved mana around my fingers—if these tiny, curled hands can even be called fingers in the conventional sense. Carefully, I focus inward, imagining the shape of Mana Sense, a fundamental skill I once taught novices in my old life as Aerion. I have been practicing a rudimentary version of it for weeks, scanning the ambient environment for fluctuations. Perhaps if I refine it further, the System itself may recognize it as a legitimate skill.
I close my embryonic eyelids—though it makes little difference in the dark—and channel a slow, steady breath. Technically, I do not breathe air here, but the mental discipline is the same. I let the mana spark in my chest expand outward, forming a bubble of awareness. My senses sharpen. Faint vibrations from beyond the womb become pulses, each with its own signature. Mother's heartbeat thrums strongest. Then I catch echoes of an external presence: quiet footsteps, the hush of a voice. A wisp of Fire-aspected energy passes overhead—maybe a lantern or a small heating rune someone has used. I hold that awareness in place, letting the pattern solidify in my mind.
A flicker of warmth crosses my core. It feels like recognition. The intangible hum in my mind intensifies—and then:
∗SYSTEM NOTIFICATION∗
New Skill Unlocked: [Mana Sense (Novice)]
For a moment, a surge of elation floods me. It's a small triumph, but in this tight cradle, every success feels monumental. My Mana Sense is now officially acknowledged. I open the Status Window again, eager to see the update.
Status Window
ID: ???
Talent: SSS-grade
Core Grade: Unawakened
Special Physique: Omni Element Physique
Level: 1
Strength: 1
Intelligence: 10
Spirit: 8
Agility: 1
Constitution: 2
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Attribute Points: 0
Skills:
Mana Sense (Novice, Lv.1)
A smile tugs at my lips in the darkness. For all my memory and knowledge, seeing a skill listed by the System tickles me in a new way—like a formal recognition that I have taken the first step on this lifelong road. I silently promise myself not to be careless with skill acquisitions. I recall the concept of Skill Dissonance from my old life's library scrolls. Though I believe this new body's gifts protect me from meltdown, caution is wise. If I am truly immune, it is a secret best kept hidden until I understand the realm's politics better.
Slowly, I let my senses expand. Now that Mana Sense is recognized at a System level, the clarity is sharper. I can almost feel the contours of Mother's womb, note the minute changes in her mood or movement. Sometimes, her emotions flutter through the tether of mana we share. When she's calm and laughing, the pulses of her heart lighten, the ambient mana brightens. When she's worried or exhausted, the flow dims. I wonder if she has any inkling that the child within her is already well on the way to harnessing advanced magic. Likely not.
Time slips by as I refine my new skill. With each practice, the intangible bubble of perception widens. I sense slight temperature differences in the fluid around me, the swirl of ambient air outside, and even a distant hum of what might be runic energy used for cooking or heating in the home. The blacksmith father I have yet to meet in person—my father—probably forges metal in a separate workshop. Could that be the sharp tang of Fire mana I detect, spiking in brief intervals? I let my imagination conjure the scene: a sturdy man stoking the forge, hammering metal with a practiced hand. The idea warms me. Perhaps one day, I'll learn the synergy of metalworking and runes from him.
As I'm lost in thought, a mild cramp tugs at my forming muscles—a reminder I have been channeling too much. Gently, I pull back the mana bubble, letting it shrink to a comfortable radius. Overextension is no stranger to me. Even as a Grand Magus in my past life, I faced backlash more than once for straining spells beyond safe limits.
I cradle that flicker of Fire mana at my core, coaxing a mild warmth through my arms and legs to ease the ache. The swirl of elements is almost second nature now. Earth to stabilize, Water to soothe, Fire to vitalize, Air to keep the flow balanced. The cyclical pattern has become my personal method of gentle cultivation. I suspect it's accelerating my growth in small increments, enough that the System might soon note another attribute improvement.
Sure enough, after a slow cycle of elemental synergy, a gentle chime resonates in my mind:
∗SYSTEM NOTIFICATION∗
Through consistent practice, your body refines itself further.
Strength has increased by +1.
A sudden flush of vigor courses through my tiny limbs. It's subtle, but I feel less weak, more anchored. Another small victory. Eager to confirm, I reopen the status panel:
Status Window
ID: ???
Talent: SSS-grade
Core Grade: Unawakened
Special Physique: Omni Element Physique
Level: 1
Strength: 2
Intelligence: 10
Spirit: 8
Agility: 1
Constitution: 2
Attribute Points: 0
Skills:
Mana Sense (Novice, Lv.1)
Strength 2, Constitution 2. They remain paltry by any normal standard, but the improvement is real. For a developing fetus, it's quite momentous. My spirit soars. I close the panel and let the new energy settle through me like a slow, steady drumbeat.
All around me, the watery hush returns, but I can't help savoring the progress. A faint voice—muffled through layers of flesh and fluid—breaks the stillness. It's my mother, speaking softly to someone. I can't parse the words, but her tone is bright, tinged with excitement. My perception picks up the resonance of mild Water-affinity mana, as if the person with her is performing a gentle check. A wave of reassurance floods the womb, an unspoken conclusion that everything is normal. Part of me wonders how they'd react if they realized I'm not only "normal" but quietly forging magical ability far beyond my peers' eventual level.
As the hours drift on, I drift in and out of a meditative state, occasionally lulled by Mother's movements. A fleeting dream teases me: images of towering spires, swirling gear-driven contraptions, and an old memory from my past life—the battered walls of the Ebon Spire under siege by demonic forces. My heart twinges at the recollection, though it's softened now by the innocence of this new form. That cataclysmic battle feels worlds away, yet I remain haunted by the notion that such darkness still lurks in Aurelia's shadows. If my rebirth has a purpose, it might be to keep those nightmares from returning.
Eventually, I gather my focus for another round of training. This time, I mold Mana Sense outward more boldly. I want to see—hear, feel—the immediate environment more acutely. My newly minted skill pulses to life. I detect the faint swirl of Fire mana (perhaps from the blacksmith's forge) and a gentle tingle of Earth from the building's stone foundation. My mother's presence washes over me like a warm current, and beyond that… a flicker of something else, just at the edge of my range. Anxiety? Alarm?
My chest tightens. The womb's walls contract slightly, as if Mother tenses up. The swirl of her mana grows abrupt, a staccato. Voices—muffled but urgent—sound outside. My mind reels with half-imagined dangers: a wild beast encroaching on the village? A traveling bandit crossing paths with them? Or perhaps a routine scare, like a horse spooked by sudden thunder?
I wait, coiled in quiet vigilance. The tension outside builds for a moment, then recedes. If there was danger, it passes quickly. The hush that follows feels taut, lingering. My mother's heart eventually slows to a more relaxed beat, though an undercurrent of unease remains. I can't help a protective surge within me, wanting to reassure her. But I'm still so small, so reliant on her. All I can do is send a gentle pulse of elemental warmth through the cord that binds us, a silent, unconscious lullaby that might soothe her just a bit.
Moments like this remind me of my vow: to protect her, and whoever else I hold dear in this new life. In my previous existence, I lost people I cared about—my sister, my friends, so many lives claimed by the final campaign against the Abyss. Not this time. This second chance is a gift I won't waste.
Breathing deep with my intangible lungs, I let that vow settle into my forming bones. My Mana Sense quiets, returning to a low hum. The hush of the womb reasserts itself, a calm lull after the brief spike of alarm. Outside, footsteps recede, conversations quiet. It seems the scare is over.
I continue my slow, methodical training. Fire. Water. Earth. Air. Cycle after cycle, maintaining balance, coaxing my body along. The swirl is becoming second nature, an extension of my will. Every minute improvement is another step toward the day I'll stand on my own two feet, eyes open to the world. My mind flickers with excitement—how will it feel to breathe fresh air, to see the sky?
But for now, the cradle of darkness is my domain. With a content sigh, I let fatigue lead me into rest. My final thought is filled with gratitude for the progress I've made: Mana Sense recognized by the System, an increase in Strength, and my unwavering resolution to guard my mother from any threat. Even in these confined walls, I can shape the foundation for a destiny far grander than this quiet beginning.
And so, with the calm pulse of Mother's heart lulling me to near-sleep, I vow yet again: no matter what storms wait in Aurelia beyond, I will be ready. For there is power stirring within me—an Omni Element Physique, an unborn grand magus's will—and the System acknowledges my rising steps. One day, the world will, too.