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The End of a Certain World
Chapter 5: The Night Terror

Chapter 5: The Night Terror

Over the next few weeks, Orion continued his training, focusing on both his magical abilities and physical strength. His parents supported him as best they could which he made harder because he already stood out and did not want to make it worse, watching with amazement as their young son advanced at an incredible pace. With each passing day, Orion felt closer to unlocking a new passive skill related to his current training.

One afternoon, while practicing his magic control, Orion felt a sudden surge of energy. A notification appeared in his mind:

[New Passive Skill Acquired: Magic Affinity - Rank G]

Magic Affinity allowed Orion to harness his magical energy more efficiently, increasing the potency of his spells and reducing the amount of energy required to cast them. Eager to explore the potential of his new skill, Orion dove deeper into his magical training. This made him wonder if all people have a status window and just can't see it like he can.

During this time, Orion also learned more about the world he lived in. He listened to his parents as they talked about the history of their land, the different races and creatures that inhabited it, and the various kingdoms and factions that vied for power. He absorbed every bit of information he could, hoping that his newfound knowledge would help him navigate the complex world around him.

Orion discovered that they lived in the Kingdom of Vaeloria, a once prosperous land that had fallen on hard times. Their village was located on the outskirts of the kingdom, nestled within the lush, green Farwood Forest. The forest provided them with resources, but it was also home to dangerous creatures that posed a constant threat to the villagers.

As Orion's understanding of the world expanded, so did his determination to protect himself and overcome the struggles he knew he would face. He spent time each day training not only in magic and strength but also in other areas that he believed could prove useful in the future.

Despite the incredible progress Orion was making, Gregor's unease about his son's abilities continued to grow. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, and this unspoken worry created a subtle tension between father and son.

Elena, however, continued to support Orion wholeheartedly. She encouraged her son to keep learning and growing, believing that his unique abilities were a blessing that would ultimately bring calm to their family. Of course, most of his learning came from at first pointing his child-like finger and something over and over saying “more” while this behavior was something he did not like to do and did want her to feel bad again after last time it seemed like she enjoyed interacting with him in this way because Orion usually had trouble communicating unless he was focus don something. Then his mother started to understand and even managed to borrow an old book from one of her friends to read to him. He both learned history and some letters.

Orion's days were filled with training and learning, but he also made time for his family if for no other reason than he was a small child and watching to make sure he's okay was something that every parent did. He played with his mother, helped her with her herbal remedies (she made him think he was helping), and accompanied her on trips into the forest to gather ingredients which allowed him to slowly pinpoint the pull he felt before. Walking outside also improved his legs and he felt eventually would be able to walk to the source of the feeling in the forest. With his father, Orion practiced basic combat skills (his father spent a few minutes some days rolling ball at him), and learning how to defend himself. Orion noticed his father seemed unhappy but did not dare to bring that up so they also played another sort of game where they both acted normal to each other.

One day, while training (pushing blocks back and forth between them) with Gregor due to for some odd reason him being home during the day, Orion felt a familiar surge of energy course through him and pushed a block much more then he expected:

[New Active Skill Acquired: Lesser Force Push - Rank G]

Orion's new skill allowed him to channel his magical energy into a small burst of force, capable of pushing objects or opponents away from him. Excited to test his new ability but still wanting to keep things simple, Orion and Gregor spent time doing what they normally playing they did before until his father left so as not to worry him anymore about Orion's unusual progress than when actually practicing what he actually wanted to do, refining the skill until Orion started to have a better idea of how to trigger it.

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Gregor noticed how Orion was doing a sort of act after that sudden burst which surprised both of them and stayed in the room to see if he could do it again but it seemed Orion was not trying to so he figured he would just leave instead. Despite Gregor's lingering concerns, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as he watched his son grow stronger and more capable. He knew that Orion was destined for something beyond what he was as an adult that was still a part of him that wished when he was a child he was like that and maybe the choices he made would have been different or maybe they would have been exactly the same and he did not know which answer was worse…

As the weeks turned into months, Orion continued to train, learn, and explore on some rare occasions. He knew there was still much to discover about his abilities and the world around him, but he was determined to face whatever challenges lay ahead he still waited for the spirit, which he had now not heard from in a while, to finally tell him what he was supposed to do. With each new skill and every hard-earned victory, he took another step toward realizing his true potential. As time went he also felt uneasy about how long it was taking for the Spirit to tell him what to do.

Maybe that means things are happening that I don't know about and the spirit has already put me on the path

Orion felt a sense of accomplishment with maybe figuring out what the plan is and with every new skill he acquired and every improvement he made. Even though he was still just a child, his training had allowed him to develop abilities that would have taken others longer to train. Orion knew that he still had much to learn, but he was proud of his progress and excited about the potential his abilities held.

As Orion continued to grow and learn, it started to create a growing rift between his more normal parents and what he wanted to do and could already do.

That night Orion woke up after hearing something moving outside his room, he barely managed to get himself out of his bed and use his blanket to turn the door knob. Orion crouched low, his eyes fixed on the rat scurrying before him with a. He had spotted the large rat inside their home, trying to decide whether to go left or right. Its eyes seemed to glow green in the darkness, giving it an eerie appearance. Ultimately, it chose left and managed to slip through the already-opened front door. He followed it outside, determined to put an end to its intrusion.

The rat was larger than any he had seen before, almost the size of a small dog. As it stopped to nibble on a piece of discarded food, Orion saw his opportunity. He slowly extended his hand, concentrating on the faint breeze he could create with his limited magic control.

Feeling the air shift around his fingertips, he sent a gentle gust of wind toward the rat. The wind hit the rat with enough force to make it lose its balance and squeal in surprise. Orion capitalized on its momentary confusion, charging forward to close the distance.

As he neared the rat, he drew upon his precise grasp skill to accurately grab its tail. The rat thrashed wildly, trying to free itself from Orion's grip, but he held on tightly, determined not to let it escape.

However, the rat's desperate struggles were starting to wear Orion down. He could feel his grip slipping, and it seemed like the rat was about to break free. In a moment of desperation, Orion called upon his newly acquired skill, Lesser Force Push.

Channeling his magic, he directed the forceful blast at the rat. The impact slammed the creature into the house wall, causing it to drop the necklace it had been holding in its mouth. Dazed and clearly injured, the rat scurried away, deciding that its prize wasn't worth the fight.

[Wisdom has increased by 1 Point]

Breathing heavily from the exertion, Orion picked up the necklace and inspected it. The pendant was a small, plain silver disk, unadorned and without any gems or intricate designs. He couldn't help but wonder if the rat's glowing green eyes and this seemingly ordinary necklace were connected to the scratching noise he had heard earlier.

As he stood there, holding the recovered necklace, Orion pondered whether this was the task he had been sent here to accomplish and if there were more challenges like this one waiting for him in the future.

Orion's complete stats screen after this period of training:

Name Orion Class (Empty) Level 1 Strength 15(+3) Dexterity 9 (+1) Intelligence 10 (+2) Wisdom 10 (+3) Constitution 9 (+2) Charisma 5

Passive Skills (Unnamed) - Rank D Magic Affinity - Rank G Elementary Magic Control - Rank G Basic Herbalism - Rank G Active Skills Precise Grasp - Rank G Lesser Force Push - Rank G