This marked the sixth month since my birth. I had already explored everything within my reach concerning my circumstances. My life was already quite satisfactory.
My daily routine hadn't changed much. From day to night, the same repetitive cycle. Practicing with mana and then drifting back to sleep. The most significant change was that I was already able to talk. Now, as I already comprehended the language my parents spoke, I had completely skipped baby talk and went straight to talking like an adult.
I knew this would startle my parents, so I refrained from talking too much and mostly kept quiet unless forced to speak. My parents were still flabbergasted nonetheless. Six months were still too early for a baby to be able to talk; let alone form proper sentences.
However, I didn't want to bother pretending to be a baby. This was too stressful for me. It was comfortable at first, but I quickly grew bored to death.
In this downtrodden village, I doubt anybody would care that a random baby could talk early.
Anyway, now that I could talk, I could finally use [Word Magic]. This was the moment I had been eagerly waiting for all this time, but now I am a little apprehensive about what might happen. Well, I think I was worrying too much.
'I already have too much mana to spare.'
[Status]
Name: Rafael
Age: 0
Gender: Male
Class: Peasant
Profession(s): None
Level: 1
Title(s): None
HP: 70/70 MP: 20,899/20,899
[Stats]
Body: 3 Mind: 9 Soul: 8
[Passive Skills]
[Word Magic Lvl. 1] [Rafaele's Hyper Regeneration Lvl. 12]
[Active Skills]
[None]
My status would have barely changed if not for my immense mana reserves and the addition to my passive skills.
My skill [Rafaele's Hyper Regeneration], which proudly bore my name, didn't level up as quickly as meditation - which was well deserved. After all, the skill itself was terrifying. I wondered if all [Unique] skills were similar.
[Rafaele's Hyper Regeneration]
Grade: Unique
Level: 12
Description: A unique skill that channels mana throughout the body at an intense rate. The user always maintains a state of meditation at all times. Increases health regeneration and mana regeneration by 3400%.
It really was broken. I haven't been sick even once since I got this skill. Forget being sick; I couldn't even get a scratch before it healed. I was regenerating more than my entire health bar and three-fourths of my mana in a single second. If nobody could kill me in a second, I was practically immortal.
'Well, killing me in a second would be easy for someone with magic.'
***
My mom barely ever left me alone ever since that infamous incident I caused. She would always stick close to me and would constantly monitor my temperature whenever she had the chance.
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'It's hell.'
Fortunately, today she seems to have left me alone for now.
'Now is my chance!'
*Cough*
I looked for a target at first. I didn't know what [Word Magic] could really do. The description only said it could do anything, but to what extent?
I decided to begin experimenting with what I called One-Word Magic.
The first magic I decided to try was simply moving an inanimate object, like a tool.
'Something small… ah, the toy.'
A wooden duck toy lay in the corner of my bed. Until now, its only significance was as a reminder that ducks existed in this world.
'You'll be useful here… Bob'
I instinctively grasped how to use [Word Magic]. Mana began to gather on my tongue as I clarified my intention and purpose. It wasn't a lot of mana, barely five hundred.
I opened my mouth, and a bright light radiated.
'There are too many visual effects… It must be due to whatever is happening on my tongue.'
This wasn't a subtle ability alright. I finally prepared to utter the words of power.
[Fly.]
And the duckling took off. It flew straight up, crashed against the wooden ceiling of the house, and escaped into the upper atmosphere.
I simply watched with my mouth agape. I had no words for this.
"Goodbye… Bob."
***
It seemed I had been mistaken. I had thought pre-emptively that [Word Magic] must require a very high amount of mana, but I was wrong. I noticed when the mana left my mouth. It was the first time I had witnessed actual magic happening, even though it was distinctly different from normal magic.
Even at 3% efficiency, the remaining mana was enough to accelerate a light wooden toy to such crazy speeds.
'Ordinary magic itself probably doesn't have 100% efficiency…'
I had to conduct more experiments, but the gaping hole in the ceiling made things difficult.
'No, what if…!'
Could I fix the ceiling with [Word Magic]?
I looked at the ceiling and clarified my intention and purpose. Magic began to gather on my tongue again. A small amount of mana this time, barely a hundred units, gathered as I prepared to say the word of power.
[Fix.]
I sat in anticipation, but a minute passed with nothing happening. It was a failure. The mana collided with the broken ceiling, but it only shook and dissipated into the atmosphere.
'Maybe there's simply nothing to fix?'
Perhaps I was using the wrong word.
Could I manipulate time instead?
Determined, I concentrated mana on my tongue again. My purpose was clear, dense mana gathered on my tongue as I began to say the word of power again.
[Reverse.]
*Creak*
'Something is happening this time!'
The broken pieces of wood on the floor began to lift into the air and gather around the opening in the ceiling. Guided by mana, the pieces assembled gently and affixed themselves back into their respective places like pieces of a puzzle. Every single piece was back in its original place, even the smallest splinter.
I was shaken by that gentle magic. I wondered whether something like this possible without [Word Magic].
From that short experience, I gained a deeper understanding of magic itself. A lengthy journey of magical training awaited me. For the first time since coming to this world, I felt excited.
***
I continued practicing [Word Magic] diligently. Thanks to my boundless mana, I could practice whenever I was alone. Finally, I achieved the first level-up of [Word Magic].
[Your passive skill 'Word Magic' has leveled up!]
[Word Magic]
[Grade: Unique
Level: 1
Description: Spoken words manifest reality. Word Magic enables magical phenomena through spoken words, provided there's sufficient mana.
Efficiency: 6%]
The efficiency increased by a whopping 3%. Although it seemed minor, it was actually quite substantial. During practice, I needed to adjust the mana input more carefully to avoid accidents.
During this time, I also delved into what I called Two-Word Magic.
The spells involving the word 'Create' demanded the most mana among the power words. Creating a 100 ml water ball consumed nearly a thousand units of mana.
'Well, at least it fills up almost instantly.'
I wanted to test creating metals like gold and silver, but...
'Whatever, I can either discard it or try 'Destroy'.'
Prepared and with my intentions clear, a significant chunk of mana amassed on my tongue as I uttered the words of power.
[Create Gold.]
A hundred-gram piece of a perfectly round gold ball descended onto my bed. It was rather small. The fact that I could actually create gold left me shaken. Real gold...
[Lift.]
The ball levitated into my palm. I gazed at it for a while and even tried to nibble it. It was undoubtedly genuine gold.
'Completely real gold. It's pure...'
I had expended nearly half of my mana, which replenished within a second.
This was the first instance since arriving in this world that I had utilized such a considerable amount of mana at once.
Nevertheless, less than a year since my arrival, and I was already rich, but...
'For now, I don't need this...'
[Destroy Gold.]
Far less mana escaped my body this time as I spoke the words of power.
I couldn't allow my parents to stumble upon a random gold ball on my bed. While I knew they were my parents, this situation was dangerous.
In a way, I was akin to the golden goose from mythology. If word of this were to spread, I couldn't fathom the consequences. Moreover, I wasn't yet confident enough in my abilities to protect myself and my family.
'I can't risk it... The word will get out regardless.'
For the time being, I should persist in practicing [Word Magic]. Perhaps I could even advance to Three-Word Magic and Four-Word Magic. My mana replenished more rapidly than I could expend it. I had the entire day to train.