Before Daniel finished taking the bracelet that hid a part of his status screen off, he could hear his professor mumble, “Hmm, constitution might be a problem.”

Curious, he summoned his status screen in front of him:

Name: Daniel von Mios

Level: 10

Class: [Elemental Mage] Level 10 [+5!]

Attributes:

Strength: 39 [+10!]

Dexterity: 40 [+8!]

Intelligence: 67 [+22!]

Constitution: 30 [+5!]

Charisma: 17

Mana: 41 [+11!]

Free Attribute Points: 24 [+15!]

Skills:

[Abyssal Bolt] Level 8 [+3!]

[Basic Woodworking] Level 9 [+1!]

[Eldritch Knowledge] Level 11 [+5!]

[Eye of Minor Insight] Level 4 [+1]

[Fire Bolt] Level 12 [+3!]

[Reading Comprehension] Level 10

[Sword Handling] Level 5 [+1!]

[Wood Carving] Level 11 [+2!]

[Writing] Level 8

Traits:

[Low-Light Adaptation] Level 6 [+3!]

[Nimble Fingers] Level 5

[Lesser Calm Mind] Level 14 [+6!]

[Bloodline: Not Awakened]

[Summons:]

[Gnarl] Level 4

[Abyssal Noble System]

While absorbing his new developments, Shadewood stood up and grabbed a book from a nearby bookshelf. After the Professor had sat down, he began flipping through the pages until he found the one he was looking for.

“Wow, I gained quite a lot from yesterday,” Daniel said silently. Looking up from his screen, he saw Shadewood busy drawing something on a piece of paper. Intrigued, Daniel slowly stood up and walked behind Shadewood’s couch.

“Professor, what were you drawing?” Daniel asked curiously, peering over Shadewood’s shoulder.

“These,” Shadewood began, not looking up from his work, “are rune formations that could help you harness the energy of the Fire Lotus safely.” He finished the first drawing and moved on to the second. “Given your current constitution, direct absorption could be dangerous. Normally, I would recommend that a mage wait until their constitution is over a hundred points before even thinking about absorbing something as potent as a fire Lotus. But since you’re my representative, I will assist you.”

Daniel watched intently as Shadewood’s hand moved deftly, creating intricate patterns on the paper. The first rune formation was a complex array of interlocking symbols. From what he could tell, these were designed to channel and moderate the Lotus’s potent energy. The second formation seemed more focused on stabilising the flow of energy. The third was the most elaborate, incorporating elements of both previous pages with additional designs.

“These formations,” Shadewood explained, “will help to filter and regulate the energy you draw from the Fire Lotus. The first one,” he pointed to the initial set of symbols, “is to channel the energy into your body gradually. The second ensures the energy is balanced and doesn’t overwhelm you. And the third,” he paused, tapping the final drawing, “is a combination of both with added protection against potential overloads.”

Daniel studied the drawings closely. “So, I need to inscribe these runes before attempting to absorb the Lotus’s energy?”

“Precisely,” Shadewood confirmed. “You’ll need to carve them into a suitable medium – a piece of enchanted wood or a metal plate would work – and then place the Fire Lotus within the formation. This way, you can safely tap into its power without risking your health.”

He paused while turning his head to observe Daniel’s reaction. “It’s crucial you follow these steps carefully. The energy within the Fire Lotus is potent and can easily overwhelm an unprepared mage.”

Daniel nodded, taking in the gravity of Shadewood’s words. “I understand, Professor. I’ll make sure to prepare everything exactly as you’ve shown.”

Shadewood smiled, satisfied with Daniel’s resolve. “Good. I’ll let you find the right materials for these runic formations. See this as a research assignment. Once you have finished your research, come visit me so we can ensure everything is perfect before you attempt to absorb the Lotus’s power.”

After Daniel sat down on the couch again, Shadewood handed him the pages. “You can use these books for your research. They should be more suitable than anything available in the library.” As the Professor spoke, three books flew out of the bookcase behind him and landed on the table in front of Daniel. “Don’t try to lose them; I spent years writing them.”

Daniel looked at the titles: “Runic Materials and Their Properties”, “Energy Conduits: Optimising Runic Efficiency”, and “Enchanted Alloys: Melding Magic with Metal”, all authored by V. Shadewood.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

While Daniel was looking through the books, Shadewood poured them both a cup of tea, the fragrant aroma filling the room. “While you’re here, Daniel, let’s discuss your skills and how you can improve them,” he said, gesturing for Daniel to sit back down.

They spent the next hour discussing various techniques and strategies. Shadewood offered advice on honing his abilities, mainly focusing on his mana manipulation and casting application.

After finishing his tea, Daniel felt content and ready. “Thank you, Professor,” he said sincerely. I’ll get to work on this right away.” He patted the books he had placed next to him on the couch.

Shadewood nodded approvingly. “Good. Now, it’s getting late. You should head back to your dorm and get some rest. You have a lot of work ahead of you.”

Daniel gathered the books and papers, ensuring everything was secure in his bag, and left for his dorm.

….

Once he arrived at his room, Daniel noticed all the lights were turned off, and he could hear Alex’s faint snoring in the background. He placed his bag quietly on his desk, careful not to disturb his roommate.

After hesitating, he decided he needed some fresh air to clear his mind. He filled a glass with water before heading to the roof terrace. The cool night air greeted him as he stepped outside, calming him after his intense day.

Daniel sat in one of the chairs on the terrace, the glass of water cool in his hand. He leaned back, gazing up at the starry night sky. The stars twinkled brightly, scattered like diamonds across a dark velvet canvas. The moon glowed gently over the academy grounds, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

He sipped his water slowly, letting his thoughts drift. The day’s events replayed in his mind. After a few minutes, he jumped up. “Oh shit,” he mumbled to himself and quickly opened the system before sitting back down again.

Name: Daniel von Mios

Rank: Squire

Credits: 142

Actions:

[Daily Reward]

[Upgrade System]

[Quests]

[Store]

[Sign In] [!]

[Souls] [!]

He glanced at the system and noticed the store function was still greyed out and unavailable. After doing his daily sign-in, his credits rose to 147.

“Strange, this hasn’t been here before,” he mumbled while selecting the souls tab. A new screen opened:

[Souls:]

[Low-grade:] 48

When he pressed [Low-grade:], he was met with a familiar screen:

[Trade in for 5 credits]

[Trade for the soul of a ???]

After deciding to keep hold of the souls for now, he moved on to spend his hard-earned credits.

[Select the amount you wish to use]

[50]

[100]

[147]

He wanted to test something out and selected 100 credits.

[Calculating reward]

[Congratulations! You have received a piece of Dragon Wood]

A log fell to the floor with a thud. Daniel got up and peered through the doorway to see if the noise had awoken Alex. Fortunately, his friend could sleep through anything. Daniel chuckled at the memory of waking Alex up with a glass of water, vividly recalling the angry rant that followed. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the log. It was as long as he was tall, and when he tried moving it, he could barely clasp his arms around it. The log had a golden hue, and its bark resembled scales—like the dragons described in the books he had read when he was a little boy. He ran his fingers along the textured bark, feeling its roughness. “I’ve never heard of Dragon Wood before,” Daniel mumbled. “Maybe I'll find the answers in Shadwood’s books tomorrow.”

Curiosity nudged at him and opened the Spend Credits tab again. He suspected that the system only allowed him to select the number of credits he wanted to spend if he had a certain amount.

[Spend 47 Credits: Y/N]

The screen confirmed his suspicion. Still wanting to use his remaining balance, he selected yes, and a new screen appeared.

[Calculating reward]

[Congratulations! You have received a Red Steel dagger]

With a flash, a dark red dagger fell on the floor before him. The colour matched that of the chestplate he gave Gnarl. He noticed strange markings running along the blade when he picked it up. Using his [Eye of Minor Insight], he couldn’t find any indication of what they were or what their purpose was. With a sigh, he put the dagger in his storage ring since he didn’t want to wake Alex with the screeching of Gnarl.

….

“Hey, what is that log doing on our terrace?” Alex’s loud voice woke Daniel.

Groggy and squinting against the bright sunlight streaming through the window, Daniel rubbed his eyes. “Morning to you too,” he muttered, stretching.

Alex stood in the doorway, wearing shorts, staring at the massive log with a mix of confusion and curiosity. “Seriously, what’s with the log?”

Daniel yawned and got to his feet. Still deciding not to tell Alex about the system, he made a quick lie: “I found it while I was out with Professor Shadewood yesterday. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Where did you go?”

“We went to the forest, and can you put a shirt on for once?” Daniel replied. “We were exploring the deeper parts of the forest when we came across it. It’s called Dragon Wood—or at least that’s what I think.”

Alex shook his head and walked over to examine the log. “It does look strange.”

Daniel nodded. “That’s what I thought too. Can you help me move it inside?” He said while walking towards Alex and the log. “I don’t want to leave it outside and potentially let it rot away.”

Alex nodded and stood before the log. “Move, I can do this on my own,” he said, flexing his muscles.

Daniel smirked. “Sure you can. Just don’t hurt yourself, Hercules.”

With much grunting and straining, Alex attempted to lift the log. “It’s... heavier... than it looks,” he panted.

Daniel laughed. “Need some help there, Mr. Strongman? Or should I just stand back and watch you struggle?”

Alex shot him a glare. “If you want, you can do it on your own!” he retorted, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“All right, let’s do this together,” Daniel said, stepping in. “On three. One, two, three!”

Both of them lifted, managing to move the log inch by inch toward the door.

“You know,” Daniel said between breaths, “I was thinking of summoning Gnarl to help.”

Alex huffed. “And you’re just telling me this now?”

“Well, I didn’t want to spoil your moment,” Daniel chuckled.

Once they had the log safely inside, Daniel summoned Gnarl. The imp stepped out of the portal, happily screeching and began running around. “Hey, come here. I have something for you,” Daniel said.

Gnarl scampered over, his red steel chest plate gleaming in the sunlight. Alex’s eyes widened. “Where did you get that chest plate?” he asked, kneeling in front of Gnarl and tapping on the metal. “The Red Storm Knights often use Red Steel.”

“Red Storm Knights?” Daniel asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, the knight troop from the Grand Duke, the king’s brother,” Alex explained.

Daniel frowned. “I found it in a rat’s nest near where we discovered the log. I thought it might come in handy for Gnarl?”

Alex shook his head. “That’s odd. Red Steel is quite rare and valuable. What was it doing in a rat’s nest?”

Before Daniel could explain, Alex spoke up again, “Rat’s nest? What were you doing in a rat’s nest?”

Daniel started recounting the things he experienced while he was out with Shadewood.

“So this ant queen, was she good-looking?” Alex joked.

“She was a humanoid ant… I wouldn’t say so, but if that’s your taste, I won’t judge,” Daniel replied with a grin.

Alex grinned. “Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.”

Daniel laughed. “I’ll leave the ant girls to you.”

Feeling a bit neglected, Gnarl fluttered around Alex, buzzing close to his ear and playfully pulling at his hair. He then attempted to throw a playful punch at Alex’s stomach.

“Ouch! Hey, cut it out, Gnarl!” Alex exclaimed, half amused and half annoyed, trying to dodge Gnarl’s punches.

“Hey, stop it, Gnarl. You can beat him up after we’re done talking,” Daniel said while summoning the dagger from his ring. “I found this.” He handed the gleaming red steel dagger to Gnarl, who stood before him with glimmering eyes.

After inspecting the dagger, the imp began happily dancing, holding the dagger above his head.

“Careful there, Gnarl,” Daniel chuckled. “That dagger is almost as big as you are.”

Alex chuckled at the sight of the dancing imp. “Looks like Gnarl is ready for battle now.”

“Absolutely,” Daniel agreed. “Speaking of battles, do you want to have a quick spar before I start working on assignments Shadewood gave me?”

“Mate, I thought you’d never ask,” Alex replied. “Gather your stuff, and let’s go to the training field. Let’s bring Gnarl along.”