A language ability book? I wasn’t sure exactly what it would do, but if it made me stronger, I’d take it. The window had a golden tint, which made me curious, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I was eager to find out what this was all about. I mentally clicked ‘Yes.’
A silver mist poured from the book and flew into my chest, giving me a warm sensation at the core of my being.
NOTIFICATION
You have used a Legendary Language Ability book and gained the Universal Language Ability!
Due to the use of a Legendary ability book, you have gained an ability while your abilities are still locked. No penalties were incurred due to the rank of the ability book, but any other abilities remain locked.
---
CONGRATULATIONS
Universal Language Ability has been gained. No language is beyond your grasp! When exposed to any written or spoken language for the first time, you gain complete mastery of both the spoken and written word. The languages of the elementals, dragons, infernal, celestial, and even the language of the immortals are now within your reach.
A LEGENDARY ABILITY! What god of luck owed me a favor for this?! Now, all languages are within my grasp. This sounds incredible. I hurriedly looked at the two books I couldn’t read before and—what do you know—I could now read their titles! The first book was titled So You Want to be a Mage: Everything You Need to Know to Begin and the second was titled simply Arcane Warrior. Well, this was unexpected. I wasn’t complaining, just confused.
I glanced back at the ability book. It was still open to the second page. In all the games I’d played, whenever you used an ability or skill book, it disappeared. But this book was still there, its pages covered with a complex geometric pattern filled with numerous tiny symbols. I turned the page—it was blank. I flipped through the entire book, 500 pages in all, and every page after the second was empty.
Then I remembered the note I had. I searched around and quickly found it lying in the grass beside me. The parchment was heavy and folded in half, sealed with red wax, and stamped with an emblem of a dragon.
I broke the seal and read the letter, written in English.
I apologize I could not meet you in person, but I have left you with a few welcoming gifts. As you are reading this letter, I will assume you have noticed the three books I have left you. First, you must read the black book and accept the ability it will give; this will allow you to read the other two books. The ability is a language ability I have personally transcribed for you.
The second book is a starter guide for the path of a mage. I would advise you to read and absorb the lessons contained within as quickly as possible. The second book, titled 'Arcane Warrior', is a comprehensive guide for combat magic. I must warn you to never show this book to another soul—this knowledge has long since been lost or destroyed.
With access to these two books, you will be well on your way to becoming a proper mage. I know about your lineage, and with your family history, you are almost certainly destined to become a great mage. One day, you may even reach the rank of Magus.
Along with the basic items I have given you, you should have an easier time staying alive and building your strength. One last thing I wish to tell you: the book contains skill. Once it has been used, keep hold of the book—it will appear blank but will be useful to you in the future.
Best of luck, and I look forward to the time we meet in the future.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The letter was unsigned, but it bore the same dragon crest that was pressed into the wax. So, this mysterious person was behind my starter items, and they knew about my connection to Merlin. Who was this person? And why wouldn’t they sign their name?
Looking up at the sky, I noticed the suns were fully up, but it didn’t look like it was midday yet. I’d already wasted a good portion of the morning. I couldn’t afford to just sit by this pond until my supplies ran out. I needed to come up with a plan—and I had to figure out how to get some experience. No more wasting time.
First, I went back to my status page to check what I hadn’t yet reviewed. Yesterday’s breakdown didn’t include my traits or languages, so I focused on those now.
I worked with the system to get a simple breakdown of my traits.
TRAITS
Magus Blood: The blood of a Magus flows through your veins.
Iron Will: Your willpower is as strong and unbending as iron. 15% resistance against mental/spiritual/charm effects. +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma.
Magus Blood. The description was a bit cryptic, but it seemed to suggest a rare heritage. Iron Will seemed straightforward enough—more resistance against mental attacks and a small bonus to my intelligence and charisma. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but I wasn’t going to stress about it right now.
It also reminded me of the race modifier. Before I had awakened, my race was listed as "Human (Primitive)". Now that I was awakened, the modifier had changed to "Magus". The writer of the letter had even made a distinct difference between a mage and a magus, implying that magus was a higher, rarer status. But this train of thought wasn’t helping me right now.
I continued browsing through my status screen. I wasn’t fond of how much info it displayed at once. I wanted it streamlined, like some of the novels I’d read. That would make it easier to manage in battle, too. With a few mental tweaks, I adjusted the system to show less information in the middle of fights and to turn off unnecessary notifications.
Status Page Streamlined? Check! Notifications Settings Adjusted? Check!
Now, time to check out my new status page.
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NAME:
Hawk Direveil
RACE:
Human (Magus)
Merlin's Descendant (weak)
(Can be evolved)
LEVEL:
1
EXPERIENCE:
0 / 100
HEALTH:
70 / 70
STAMINA:
140 / 140
MANA:
560 / 560
ATTRIBUTES:
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 18
Willpower: 10
Charisma: 11
Luck: 6
Free Stat Points to Allocate:
0
ABILITIES:
Universal Language, LOCKED
SKILLS:
Anatomy (Beast) lvl 6
Anatomy (Humanoid) lvl 5
Biologist lvl 6
First Aid lvl 2
Herbalism lvl 3
Survivalist lvl 2
Languages:
Common, Archaic Human, Universal Language Ability
TRAITS:
Magus Blood, Iron Will
MARKS:
Oath of Righteous Retribution
---
Much better. I did notice the mark "Oath of Righteous Retribution" had appeared after my oath last night.
Now, it was time to start scouting the area. As much as I wanted to dive into learning magic, I knew I needed to check out the surrounding forest. I had been lucky enough to survive the night, but I didn’t want to test my luck any further.
I gathered the books and the letter, willed them into my inventory, and then pulled up my inventory.
---
INVENTORY
Basic iron sword x1
Wooden short bow x1
Quiver x1
Iron tipped arrow x20
Basic iron dagger x2
Grimoire x1
Hatchet x1
Tinderbox x1
Dried Jerky x10
Waterskin (Full) x1
So You Want to be a Mage Book x1
Arcane Warrior Book x1
Black Leather Book x1
Note x1
---
Looking over it, I realized I had no real experience with swords or daggers. I’d used a bow before, but it had been years—back at summer camp. Even then, I wasn’t great with it. Still, the bow seemed like the best option, as I could keep my distance.
I pulled out the quiver, loaded it, and slipped the harness on. The arrows stuck out just above my right shoulder. I grabbed the daggers—they had scabbards that could easily attach to my waist belt, which was made from some weird, rope-like material. It wasn’t leather, but it worked. The daggers fit perfectly.
Then I pulled out the iron sword. It came with a scabbard, but it had too many straps. After fumbling with it for what felt like 15 minutes, I gave up and strapped it across my back. The quiver fit over it nicely.
Checking myself in the reflection of the pond, I had to admit—I looked badass. Sword over my left shoulder, quiver of arrows over my right, two daggers on my belt, and a bow in hand. If I had armor, I’d be ready for anything.
But I couldn’t help but hope this wasn’t a monster-infested area. The thought of wandering into a level 100 monster’s path made me shudder.
With a prayer to any gods who might be listening, I steeled myself, grabbed an arrow, and nocked it. Ready as I’d ever be, I stepped into the forest.
The shade under the trees was cool, and a slight breeze rustled the leaves. It felt peaceful, almost like spring. As I walked, I decided to check my bow and arrows’ stats before getting into any real action.
NOTIFICATION
Wooden Short Bow: A short bow 3'5"ft long. +5 dmg, +5% accuracy. Quality: Common
Iron tipped arrow: A well-balanced arrow shaft, tipped with an iron arrowhead. 5 dmg, +10% accuracy, 2% chance to cause a bleed effect. Quality: Common
Nice! +15% to accuracy, 10 damage, and a 2% chance to make my target bleed! Time to hunt!
Not long after entering the forest, I spotted a brown rabbit about 20 feet ahead of me. It was massive—about three times the size of a normal rabbit—and had two long, fluffy brown tails. I drew the bow and aimed carefully. When I was sure I’d hit it, I released the arrow.
It flew—right past the rabbit, striking a tree 5 feet behind it. The rabbit didn’t even flinch. It kept
