Name: Daniel von Mios

Level: 3

Class:

[Elemental Mage] Level 3 [+2!}

Attributes:

Strength: 24 [+4!]

Dexterity: 28 [+3!]

Intelligence: 39 [+9!]

Constitution: 21 [+2!]

Charisma: 17

Mana: 21 [+4!]

Free Attribute points: 6 [+6!]

Skills:

[Sword Handling]: Level 3

[Wood Carving] Level 5

[Reading Comprehension] Level 5

[Writing] Level 5

[Basic Woodworking] Level 4

[Abyssal Bolt] Level 3 [+2!]

[Fire Bolt] Level 6 [+5!]

[Eldritch Knowledge] Level 2 [+1!]

Traits:

[Low-Light Adaptation] Level 1

[Nimble Fingers] Level 3

[Lesser Calm Mind] Level 3 [+1!]

[Bloodline: not awakened]

[Abyssal Noble System] [!]

As Daniel stared at his status screen, a bright smile slowly formed on his face as he saw that he had risen to level three and gained a lot of attribute points. Observing the free attribute points, he followed the academy's advice and saved them for now in case he needed them in an emergency.

After reading the entirety of the screen, he decided to open the Abyssal Noble System.

[Congratulations! You have overcome a feat!]

[Rewards: 20 Credits, Amulet of Minor Mana Regeneration]

With a small flash, a round amulet attached to a leather string materialized in front of Daniel's face, gently falling into his lap. He picked it up, feeling its weight and texture in his hand, before turning the light on the nightstand beside him a bit brighter. Holding the amulet closer to his face, he examined it closely. Tiny runes were engraved across the small round gem, some of which he recognized from lessons taught by Professor Shadewood at the academy, but the majority were unfamiliar to him.

After what seemed like just a few moments but was, in reality, several minutes, Daniel carefully stowed the amulet away in his ring. As he placed it inside he felt a subtle resistance indicating that the ring was nearing its maximum capacity. Deciding to make room, he took the egg out and placed it next to him on the bed since he planned on feeding it his mana after he finished checking the system out.

He continued and opened the main menu of the system.

Name: Daniel von Mios

Rank: Squire

Credits: 20

Actions:

[Daily Reward] [!]

[Upgrade System]

[Quests] [!]

[Store]

[Sign In]

After receiving his daily reward, his credits increased to 25. He contemplated whether to spend the credits now or wait until he had more, but curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to cash in his credits.

[Spending 25 Credits]

[Calculating Rewards]

[You Have Received The Eye of Minor Insight Skill]

Before Daniel could finish reading the message on the purple screen, he started feeling a sudden searing pain in his right eye. With a startled cry, he jumped to his feet and began to stumble towards the bathroom, letting off multiple curses along the way. his mind was consumed with panic. As he reached the sink, he frantically splashed cold water onto his burning eye, hoping that it would help reduce the pain.

After what felt like an eternity, the searing pain in Daniel's right eye finally stopped, leaving him gasping for breath as he stumbled back from the sink. With trembling hands, he reached for a towel to dab away the remaining water from his face.

As he slowly regained his composure, Daniel cautiously raised his gaze to meet his reflection in the mirror. His eye, though slightly red from the ordeal, seemed unchanged. After assessing his reflection, Daniel turned his attention to his status screen and noticed that the skill had appeared among his other skills.

“What the… this shouldn't be possible!” Daniel exclaimed in amazement. Excitedly, he rushed back to the bed and retrieved the amulet from his ring, eager to test out his new skill. After a moment of concentration, the skill activated, accompanied by a minor discomfort in his right eye, and a new window popped up.

[Amulet of Minor Mana Regeneration Increases passive mana regeneration amount of the wearer by a small amount]

The skill didn't offer much information, but Daniel was still thrilled with the ability he had received. Excitedly, he grabbed the egg from the bed and attempted to inspect it using his newly acquired skill.

[??? ???]

Confused, he tried again but received the same result. Frowning, Daniel retrieved the purple book from his ring and tried using the skill on it. Once more, he was met with the same cryptic response. “I need to level the skill up if I want to inspect them” he mumbled to himself.

Defeated, he returned the book to his ring and began feeding the egg his mana until it was satisfied. Finished, he felt a wave of sleepiness wash over him, and he decided it was time to head to bed.

….

Daniel found himself standing in a seemingly never-ending library, its towering bookcases reaching towards the sky and filled with countless volumes. “Hello? Is anyone here?” His voice echoed softly, but he received no reaction. Undeterred by the lack of response, Daniel decided to walk in a direction, his footsteps echoing faintly through the rows of bookcases.

As he wandered deeper into the library, He felt a strange connection with the books that surrounded him, as though he had seen these books before but couldn't recall when and where. He stopped in front of a bookcase, and without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed a book from one of its shelves. Daniel was greeted by a strange sight when he opened it.

The pages of the book seemed to be alive, a sea of swirling lines and symbols that pulsated on them. He stared at them for a few moments until he felt a gust of wind hitting his back. Startled, he turned around and discovered himself standing in an open space surrounded by bookcases arranged in a circle. It felt like the central hub of the library, where pathways from all directions met. In the middle of this circle stood a pedestal, upon which rested an all-too-familiar purple book.

As he stepped closer, the purple book started levitating. He stopped his step, and the book floated higher into the air, and reality seemed to start bending around it. The library began swirling, books and bookshelves whirling around like a vortex, converging towards the purple book. Daniel watched in confusion as everything turned into darkness, leaving only the purple book suspended in the void.

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Confused and afraid that he’d plummet into the seemingly endless void Daniel stood frozen in place, his mind swirling. The vast darkness that seemed to swallow everything around him felt suffocating. Suddenly something emerged from the depths of the void, a colossal floating purple eye materialized before him.

The eye's eerie purple glow illuminated the space around it, revealing countless dark tendrils that writhed and twisted like serpents from its backside. This sight sent shivers down Daniel's spine. He felt a cold sweat form on his back as he stood frozen in fear, unable to tear his gaze away from the horror.

The eye fixed its gaze on the book and unleashed a brilliant beam of light, enveloping the book in its glow. As the eye stopped firing the beam, thick chains materialized and started coiling around its cover. With a resounding clink, a sturdy lock formed over the chains, locking the book.

As the eye turned its attention toward Daniel, he felt a surge of primal fear grip his heart. He braced himself for whatever might come next, his mind racing with unanswered questions and unspoken fears. But before the eye could make its next move, Daniel's consciousness was abruptly yanked away, and he found himself awakening in the bed of the suite, drenched in a cold sweat.

….

Adrien leaned back in his desk chair, staring at the ceiling of the dark office. It had been hours since Lucia and her friend had visited him. “When is that stubborn brother of mine going to allow me to transfer to a coastal city like Wavecrest and allow me to relax? I understand that we need to prevent outsiders from establishing a foothold in this city, but still…” he muttered to himself, hands covering his face. “Let it be the youngest's turn for once, I have done my part over the years.”

He continued to stare at the ceiling for a while longer before breaking the silence. "Have you gathered the information yet?" he inquired, his voice cutting through the quiet of the room. A shadow materialized in front of the desk, revealing a figure kneeling before him, cloaked in a dark robe.

“Yes, master.” the figure responded, rising and placing a stack of papers on the desk. “Here is all the information gathered by the Silent Whisper.”

“Good,” Adrian replied, nodding. “Assign the third and fourth shadows to follow Lucia from now on. She must not know, and they must not interfere unless she comes in harm's way.” With that, he dismissed the figure, who vanished into the shadows once more. Adrian switched on his desk lamp and began poring over the gathered information.

As Adrian sifted through the papers, he muttered to himself, his frustration evident. “Nothing out of the ordinary besides the fact that he's only close with his adoptive little sister. But there’s no information about his real parents.”

The information organisation gathered data on all the students attending the top academies in the kingdom. The academies often offered scholarships to gifted commoners, and nobles sought potential recruits among these youths.

“I couldn't protect them, but I'll try to protect you, even if you don't agree,” Adrian murmured, his thoughts drifting to his niece. With a sigh, he delved deeper into the files, searching for any clue that indicated Daniel was a threat to her.

….

Daniel found himself endlessly turning in bed, unable to take his mind off the events of the horrifying dream. After a long contemplation, he decided to summon the book and open it. Luckily, nothing seemed to have changed about the book, and no horrifying floating eye appeared from it.

With a sigh, Daniel decided that he needed to do something to distract himself from the dream. Remembering that a new quest had appeared in the system, he decided to check it out.

[Cast Abyssal bolt: 20x]

[Complete pushups: 150x]

[Progress: 0/20 0/150]

[Reward: 20 Credits, small item]

The quest details seemed doable, though he was more accustomed to casting spells than doing pushups.

Daniel got to work. Flicking his wrist, he conjured Abyssal Bolt after Abyssal Bolt, the familiar rush of power surging through him with each spell. Unfortunately enough he ran out of mana after casting the spell nineteen times. He was tired, but he decided to knock out the push-ups while he waited for his mana to replenish.

Positioning himself on the floor, Daniel braced himself for the physical challenge. With each rep, he focused on his breathing so he wouldn't tire as fast, something he learned from Instructor Braier. Multiple sets and one hundred fifty push-ups later, he pushed himself up for the final time.

He sat down on the edge of the bed exhausted from the workout. He tried casting the spell but still didn't have enough mana but he felt that he almost had enough mana and decided to lie down for a bit until he had enough mana.

….

A muffled voice could be heard outside the door. "Young miss, you shouldn’t enter; it's not proper."

“I don't care! We've been knocking for the past 10 minutes now. I'm going in!” As the second person finished speaking, the door was loudly kicked open, startling Daniel.

He screamed and jumped to his feet, ready to cast a fire spell at the intruder. However upon recognizing who had kicked the door, he relaxed and cancelled the spell.

“Lucia! What the hell? Why did you kick the door? You know knocking would work too, right?” He asked confused.

“Good morning, or should I say good afternoon, Daniel. I've been knocking on your door for the past 10 minutes. Since you didn't come to meet me for breakfast!” Lucia spoke up, her hands on her hips, a frown creasing her face. “Get changed I'll wait outside. We have a meeting with a master beast tamer in 20 minutes. Don’t be late. He’s someone even nobles have a hard time meeting.”

Daniel grabbed the egg from the bed, stored it in the ring, and rushed to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. As he finished changing out of his shorts and T-shirt into a pair of nose trousers and a black button-down shirt, he met up with Lucia, who was waiting outside together with Garrick and Reynard. They made their way through the bustling lobby of the merchant building towards the location of their meeting.

While they walked, Lucia informed Daniel about the details of the beast tamer they were about to meet.

After a few seconds Daniel spoke up with a concerned tone, “Is the beast tamer trustworthy? How can I be sure he won't share our information?”

Lucia chuckled softly. “Lucas is one of the most renowned beast tamers in the kingdom. He's been hired by royalty and nobles alike. If he weren't trustworthy, he wouldn't have achieved such renown. Plus, he's sworn a mana pledge of secrecy with the company. If it were to come to light that he leaked information, he would be dealt with swiftly—probably killed before my father could even order his capture. Nobles don't take kindly to their secrets being exposed.”

….

Daniel placed the egg on the metal table, and the blonde man who stood opposite him began examining it through his small glasses, which rested on his short but fat nose. “Hmm, interesting…” the man mumbled quietly.

“So, master Lucas, do you have any idea what species this egg belongs to?” Lucia asked with an interested tone

“Where did you say you got this egg from again? it's nothing like I have ever seen before.” Master Lucas inquired, shifting his gaze from the egg to meet Daniel's eyes. Excitement twinkled in his eyes as a bright smile formed on the beast tamer's lips.

Daniel took a moment before he spoke up “It’s a gift my family left behind for me and I have no idea where they got it from”

The man gave a quick nod, then turned around and walked to a cabinet. He retrieved a large dark metal box from it and placed it on the table.

Lucas's eyes sparkled with excitement as he turned back to Daniel. “If you allow me to conduct some tests, I might be able to give you at least an estimate of what type of beast it might belong to. Don’t worry, it won't hurt the egg in any way,” he said enthusiastically.

Daniel looked at Lucia, who gave him a reassuring nod. “Uhm, yeah, sure. Will it take long?”

The beast tamer chuckled before replying, “No, no, it won't take long. This machine is specially designed by me and made by the master runesmith of the company. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes, granted, if the machine works fine, which it does most of the time….”

Lucas opened the door of the box and placed the purple egg inside. After closing the door, he pressed a few buttons on the side of the box, a frown forming on his face. “Hmm, strange. I haven't had this error appear before. Let me try again.”

After another attempt, he let out a long sigh. “I don't know why, but the machine can't scan the egg. If you want, I can use different tests to determine the species, but they will take a few hours.”

Lucia spoke up before Daniel could “Sure, but do we have to stay here for these tests?”

Lucas shook his head. “No, you don’t.” The man walked to the door and shouted for his assistant. “Tom, clear my schedule for the rest of the day. I need to work on this,” he said with excitement.

“Come on, Dan, let's grab some food. I'm starving!” Lucia exclaimed, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the room.

….

As they settled into a booth at the company restaurant after ordering, Lucia spoke up, “Hey, by the way, what did you get from Shadewood? You never showed me!”

Daniel's eyes widened. “I totally forgot to open it with all the recent events happening. I still have it in my bag. Let me grab it.” He reached down and retrieved his bag from the floor and started rummaging through it until he found the gift box.

He stared at it while holding it in his hand, feeling the box's weight. “Come on, open it!” Lucia encouraged him, her voice filled with excitement.

He undid the red gift tie with a quick tug and lifted the lid. Inside, nestled in black velvet, was a small White leather roll. His fingers traced the edges of the roll, feeling the texture of the leather. Carefully, he lifted it out, noting its unexpected weight. Placing it on the table, he unrolled it, revealing a set of wood carving tools.

The tools gleamed under the restaurant's soft light, their blue metal shafts catching the eye. The handles were crafted from white marble with delicate golden accents. He carefully picked up each instrument; the handles felt cool and smooth to the touch. After examining the tools, he noticed a note in the bottom of the gift box.

[Made by the TM5 Artisan Guild]

Daniel couldn't believe Shadewood had gifted him something from one of the best artisan guilds of the Rovalk Empire “This must have cost him a small fortune. I can't believe it”

Lucia raised her eyebrow and asked, “What does the note say?” Daniel handed the note to Lucia, who widened her eyes after reading it: “From the Rovalk Empire? TM5? Even we have a hard time getting their stuff.”

They continued talking for a while about the gift until their food arrived

After finishing their meal, they headed to the city for some shopping. With Master Lucas still occupied, they met with Tristan and the other guards

before venturing out.

….

Lucia emerged from a tailor's shop, arms laden with bags filled with new clothes. Suddenly, Tristan spoke up. "Miss, don't be alarmed, but I fear we're being followed—"

Before he could finish, an arrow pierced his left shoulder. "Garrick, Reynard, Vincent, protect the miss and Daniel! We'll handle this," he yelled, swiftly pushing Lucia with his right arm into Garrick's protective embrace before turning to confront the threat head-on.