Aidan groaned as he felt someone shaking him awake again. Cracking his eyes open, he saw that the room was still dark. The early morning light barely filtered through the small window, casting faint shadows on the floor.
“Get up, Aidan,” a familiar voice urged. Aidan opened his eyes to see Kaelira. Her tone was softer than Eryndor’s but still insistent.
Aidan blinked, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. Every muscle protested as he sat up, the aches and pains from the previous day’s training session still fresh. “What time is it?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
“Early,” Kaelira replied with a slight smile. “You have training with Eryndor soon, but the Elder wants to see you before then. It’s important.”
Groaning again, Aidan swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, wincing as his feet touched the cold floor. He quickly pulled on his clothes, trying to ignore the stiffness in his limbs. Kaelira watched him, her amber eyes filled with a mixture of concern and amusement.
“You really need to take better care of yourself,” she said, her tail flicking playfully behind her. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer.”
“Feels like it, too,” Aidan muttered, but he couldn’t help but smile a little in return. Despite the early hour and the pain, something felt comforting about Kaelira’s presence was something Aidan couldn’t quite figure out.
“Come on,” she said, gesturing for him to follow. “The Elder doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Aidan followed her out of the room and into the dimly lit hallway. The village was still quiet, the only sounds of their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. They went through the winding corridors until they reached a large wooden door.
Kaelira knocked softly, and a deep voice from within called, “Enter.”
She pushed the door open and ushered Aidan inside. The room was spacious and filled with the scent of burning herbs. The Elder sat behind a large, ornate desk, her eyes sharp and piercing as they studied Aidan.
“Good morning, Aidan, we meet again,” the Elder said, her voice calm but commanding. “Please, have a seat.”
Aidan nodded and took the chair opposite the Elder, his muscles protesting the movement. He still felt stiff and sore in places from the training he had done yesterday. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Aidan noticed that Kaelira had remained by the door.
“I observed your progress yesterday,” the Elder began, drawing Aidan’s attention back to her as she leant forward slightly. “You’ve shown resilience and determination, qualities crucial for what lies ahead. However, we still need to uncover many things about your abilities.”
Aidan swallowed, his mind racing with questions. “What do you mean?”
The Elder’s gaze was steady as she watched his expressions. “Your magic, your potential—we need to understand it fully. And to do that, we must delve deeper into your training and your connection to this world.”
Aidan felt a surge of anxiety mixed with curiosity. “That sounds daunting. How do we start?”
The Elder smiled a hint of mystery in his eyes. “With guidance, patience, and a willingness to face the unknown. But first, you need to rest and recover. Your training with Eryndor is only the beginning. It may seem hard now, but we must get you up to scratch. Whatever you were doing before you came here, it clearly was far too easy of a life. You seem to lack any abilities to survive, your fitness is worse than expected, and we won’t even start on your world knowledge.”
Aidan nodded, his thoughts swirling with the Elder’s words. They thought his life on Earth had been easy. He knew not to tell them he wasn’t from here, but he hadn’t expected them to call his life easy. Aidan grumbled. He didn’t know much and needed to learn everything he could about this world.
He had been quite fit back on Earth. He worked out often, pushing himself when needed. How would they know that this world seemed to have some crazy level that was expected in order to survive? He knew that the Elder was only speaking on things as she saw them. But for now, he figured, all he could do was trust in the process and prepare for whatever came next.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, not meeting the Elder’s eyes as he struggled to control his anger at her words. “I’ll do my best.”
The Elder inclined his head. “I know you will, Aidan. Now, go with Kaelira. She’ll help you with the next steps. We will push you. Tell her what magic you have, and she will help you grow.”
Aidan stood, feeling the weight of the Elder’s gaze on his shoulders. This wasn’t what he had signed up for. So far, his time in this world had been one struggle after another. First had been the bear. Then, the stupid gate guard and the adventurer’s guide. This seemed to be one never-ending trial of pain and punishment.
Aidan grumbled to himself as he followed Kaelira out of the room. He couldn’t help but wonder what new challenges awaited him. What new hell they might put him through? As Kaelira led him back through the village, the early morning light grew stronger with each step. The day was just beginning, and with it, a new day of pain from Eryndor.
Aidan sighed. He hoped that Eryndor might show him some mercy. But he knew that was not going to happen. The old Elf seemed to get some kind of enjoyment from his training practices.
As Kaelira stopped in front of the training field, she turned and looked at Aidan. “I know it seems hard now, and everyone expects you to do all this without complaint. But if you ever need to talk or need help, please come and find me,” Kaelira said, her face struggling to hide her concern. “Not all of us are as secretive as the Elder or as brutal as Eryndor.”
Aidan grunted in reply, feeling a flicker of warmth at her words. But as he saw Eryndor waiting for him, that warmth quickly faded, replaced by the steely resolve to face whatever came next.
Kaelira watched him go, a shiver causing her to gasp. She shook her head and looked up at the sky as the sun’s rays lightened it. “I hope you know what you are doing, Tanithil. We don’t want to turn this one against us as well,” she whispered, her voice tinged with fear. “Goddess knows how powerful he might become if he is anything like his brother.”
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Aidan’s morning after the meeting was spent doing the same physical exercises as the previous day. Every muscle burned, every joint ached, but he pushed through, driven by a mix of determination and the fear of falling behind. He didn’t want to think of what Eryndor would do if he told the old elf he was done.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Eryndor finally called an end to the physical training. Aidan was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. He was happy they had skipped the sword practice this time.
Eryndor grumbled that he was to meet Kaelira for his magical lessons. Aidan nodded; he was surprised that she would teach him as he made his way to the edge of the training field, where he saw Kaelira waiting for him, her expression shifting from her usual playful demeanour to something more serious.
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“Ready to begin?” she asked, her voice holding an edge of anticipation.
Aidan nodded, still catching his breath. “Yeah, let’s do this.”
Kaelira led him to a quieter part of the training grounds, where the air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the soft rustle of leaves. She gestured for him to sit on a stone bench under the shade of a large tree.
“Alright, Aidan. It’s time for us to focus on your magic. What abilities do you have?” Kaelira asked, her amber eyes studying him intently.
Aidan hesitated before speaking. “I have two abilities. Arcane Strike and Mage Armor.”
Kaelira’s brow furrowed slightly. “Explain them to me,” she said, her tone tinged with confusion.
Aidan took a deep breath. “Arcane Strike empowers my next melee attack with magical energy, dealing bonus damage based on my intelligence. It does a base damage of 18 points plus bonus damage calculated at 2x my intelligence. It costs 9 mana points. Mage Armor conjures a protective barrier of magical energy around me, increasing my armour class and providing resistance to incoming attacks. It gives me a base magical protection of 15 points plus bonus magical protection of 2x my wisdom. It costs 12 mana points per 60 seconds.”
Kaelira’s tail flicked behind her as she processed this information. Her playful demeanour seemed to wane, replaced by a look of concern. “Is that all?” she asked.
Aidan nodded, feeling a bit defensive. “Yeah, that’s all.”
Kaelira’s brow furrowed further. “Are you sure that’s everything? No other abilities or magical affinities?”
Aidan felt a spark of irritation. “Yes, I’m sure. Why would I lie about what I can do? It wouldn’t benefit anyone.”
Kaelira sighed, her confusion turning to annoyance. “I need to speak with someone about this. Wait here.”
Without another word, she turned and left, her mood clearly shifting from playful to concerned. Aidan watched her go, anger simmering just below the surface. He muttered under his breath, “I swear it seems that everyone’s hiding something from me.”
Frustrated, Aidan walked off, letting his feet guide him aimlessly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being kept in the dark, that everyone around him knew more about his situation than he did. His thoughts were a jumble of confusion and anger as he went to the river’s edge, the place that had become a sort of refuge for him.
As he approached, he noticed a girl sitting by the water, her feet dangling in the stream. She looked up and giggled as he drew closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Hey,” Aidan called out, his curiosity piqued. “Who are you?”
The girl just giggled again, not answering his question. Instead, she asked, “Why do you look so grumpy?”
Aidan sighed, sitting down a few feet away from her. “I’m just tired of all the secrets. Everyone seems to know more about me than I do.”
The girl tilted her head, her smile never fading. “Nothing is ever the way it seems; everyone always has some hidden agenda. Why don’t you just open up your Status card.”
Aidan blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”
The girl giggled once more and stood up, brushing off her dress. “You’ll see. Just open your Status card.”
“Ok…” Muttered Aidan. “I swear I seem to attract the crazies.”
“Hey.” Said the girl with a sulk. “I am not crazy. You try being locked away for thousands of years.”
“Wait, what.” Said Aidan in confusion, “Locked away?”
The girl let out a sigh. “Just open your Status card.”
“Ok. Ok. But I want answers after this.” Replied Aidan as he brought up his Status window. “Ok, Now what.”
“Say Menu open.” Stated the girl. Her joking demeanour was gone.
“Menu Open.” Said Aidan. He failed to see how this would help him. Just as he was about to tell the girl this was a waste of time, he received a message.
‘Sub-Admin menu open. Compiling available menus. Please wait.’
‘Sub menu compiling complete. Please wait for the system update… Complete. The sub-admin user now has access to more options. Please see the system admin for instructions on how to use the new menu.”
“Wait. What. How. Who.” Spluttered Aidan as he turned to look at her. Before Aidan could ask anything else, the girl vanished in a flash of light, leaving him alone by the river. He stared at the spot where she had been, his mind racing.
“What the hell is this menu? Where the. Where did she go? No one just ups and vanishes.” Aidan muttered to himself, feeling more confused than ever. But her words stuck with him. Could it be possible? He decided he had nothing to lose by trying.
He took a deep breath and focused as he reviewed the new menu options. Aidan’s eyes widened in shock. “No way…”
He began to scroll through the options, realizing just how much he didn’t understand about this world. For the first time in days, he felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could find the answers he was looking for.
‘Magic Menu. Please select from the magic tree.’
‘Protection Magic, Elemental attack magic, Transformation magic, Necromancy/ Healing magic, Illusion magic, Enchantment magic, Divination magic, Summoning magic.’
“Huh, Wow. that’s… That’s quite a list.” Said Aidan as he read through the list. “How does this work? Does everyone have access to this menu? Let’s see what this can do.”
‘Elemental attack magic.’
‘Please select an element attack from the list below. Fire, Ice, Water, Earth, Lightning, Wind.’
Aidan laughed as he read the options. “Ha. Whoever designed this didn’t have much of an understanding that there are only four elements.” Shaking his head at the craziness of the list, He pointed to fire and mentally selected it.
‘Warning. You only have access to first-order spells at this time. Level up to unlock more options.’
‘Options available. One. Firebolt.’
‘FireBolt (Fire)(First order): Unleashes a bolt of fire that burns enemies and ignites flammable objects.’
“First order? I’m not sure what that means, but I guess you have to learn the magic to see the requirements for use.” Said Aidan as he read through the spell. “Wonder what the cost is to learn.”
‘Do you want to learn Firebolt? Cost one AP point.’
“Seems it’s not too hard to learn.” Said Aidan as he selected the yes option.
‘User has now learnt Firebolt.’
‘FireBolt (Fire)(First order): Unleashes a bolt of fire that burns enemies and ignites flammable objects. The initial burst of fire deals 25 points of damage to the target. If the target is ignitable, there is a 50% chance that the target will catch fire, suffering an additional 5 points of damage per second for 5 seconds. Mana Cost: 15 points. Range: 30 feet. Cooldown: 10 seconds.’
“Yes. This is what I’m talking about,” shouted Aidan as he pumped his fist. “Finally, something I can use to fight with. Hmm, 15 mana though, that’s kind of steep if you ask me.”
With a shrug, Aidan raised his hand, pointing it at a tree beside him. “[Fire Bolt],” he intoned, feeling the familiar surge of energy coursing through his arm. A ball of fire shot out from his hand, smashing into the tree with a loud crack.
The fireball hit the tree squarely, and flames immediately began to lick up the trunk, consuming the bark and branches with alarming speed. The tree was engulfed in a brilliant blaze, the fire spreading quickly to the leaves scattered on the ground. The dry foliage caught fire, the flames crackling and spreading outwards in a widening circle.
Aidan stared in awe at the destructive power of his spell. The fire roared, the heat intense and palpable even from where he stood. Smoke began to rise, and the air filled with the acrid smell of burning wood and leaves.
“Whoa,” Aidan whispered, taking a step back. He hadn’t expected the fire to spread so rapidly. Panic began to creep in as the flames grew larger, threatening to turn the entire area into an inferno. The heat poured off the burning tree as sweat began to run down Aidan’s back.
He looked around, hoping to find something to extinguish the flames, but nothing was in sight. The fire continued to rage, the tree now a towering pillar of fire and the ground beneath it a smouldering carpet of burning leaves.
As the reality of the situation sank in, Aidan’s initial excitement turned to dread. He realized he had to do something before the fire escalated. But what? His training with Eryndor hadn’t covered putting out fires, and his limited magical repertoire didn’t include water-based spells.
“Think. Think.” Cursed Aidan as he was forced to take a step back from the flames. The heat was becoming unbearable as more of the ground caught on fire.
Just as he was about to run for help, he remembered something one of the anime shows he watched had said about focusing the magic and controlling its effects. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. He focused on the flames, imagining them shrinking, the fire dissipating into harmless embers.
“Come on,” he muttered to himself, concentrating hard. “You can do this.”
Sweat trickled down his forehead as he strained to control the fire. “Come on!” He screamed.
Just as he felt like he was going to pass out, the flames began to waver, their intensity diminishing slightly. Encouraged, Aidan redoubled his efforts, pouring all his will into quelling the fire. Slowly, the blaze died down. The once-raging inferno is now reduced to a smouldering, manageable fire.
Aidan sighed in relief, though his heart was still pounding. He had managed to prevent a disaster, but it was a harsh reminder of the power he wielded and the responsibility that came with it.
As he stood there, catching his breath, The fire dying down before finally going out, he couldn’t help but feel a mixture of exhilaration and fear. A wave of fatigue rolled over him as he slumped to the ground.
The last thing Aidan heard was a panicky shout as someone roughly grabbed his shoulders, dragging him away from the remains of the fire.