The sun shone high in the sky as Michael slowly opened his eyes.
Around him, children were climbing out of their bunk beds and heading toward the main hall.
A faint buzzing lingered in his ears, the aftereffect of the sudden influx of memories he had received. It was already fading.
He got off his bunk bed and walked to the window, gazing out at the city of Amara.
The skyline was filled with high-rises, towering and modern, far more advanced than anything in his previous world. The same went for the cars, houses, even clothing. Everything looked simple, yet incredibly convenient. Magic had been merged seamlessly with existing technology, producing results his old world was still centuries away from achieving.
Michael glanced behind him to make sure no kids remained, then asked the system, "I'm up. You going to tell me anything now?"
After a pause, the system answered.
[Go get food first. You are in a child's body, so you need to eat a lot.]
Michael's brow twitched. His hands clenched, not entirely from anger, though hunger gnawed at him. He decided not to argue.
He left his room and headed down the stairs toward the cafeteria. Along the way, he passed many familiar faces. None of them were friends, just people he had known because of circumstance.
By now his memories had fully merged, and the buzzing in his ears was gone.
When he entered the cafeteria, he walked up to receive his breakfast. Hilda, the orphanage cook, greeted him with a gentle smile. Her food had always been delicious in his memories.
She handed him a plate of eggs, sausages, and bread. Simple fare, yet elevated by her skill.
Michael sat down by the window and ate in silence, recalling his memories to see if he recognized anyone besides Hilda.
By the time his plate was empty, only two names remained clear: Hilda and Rebecca. Rebecca had been the one who brought him in when he was little. Now she was the head of the orphanage.
Michael looked out the window and murmured, "So?"
[Host, wipe your mouth first. There is a napkin to your right.]
'Are you fucking serious?' Michael thought, looking around quickly to see if anyone heard him. He grabbed the napkin and wiped his mouth.
He whispered, "Happy?"
[Very much so, host. Now then, since your memories seem to be fully restored, we can begin leveling you up, as well as developing your healing capabilities.]
Michael didn't take his eyes from the window. "You really like talking in riddles, don't you? Just tell me what I have to do."
The system ignored his tone.
[To level up your skills, you must use them. In your case, you must heal others. Doing so grants experience, which levels up both your skills and you. Simple, isn't it?]
Michael nodded. "How many times do I have to heal someone to level up my skills?"
A blue hologram appeared in front of him, displaying the Heal skill.
+--+
Heal [Level 0 | 0/100 EXP] [Common] [Active]Heal the target / Restore 50 HPCost: 25 MP
+--+
The requirement hadn't been visible before, but now it was.
[You need 100 experience to reach Level 1. Normally, you would gain 10 XP per injury healed, but thanks to your title, you will earn 15 XP instead.]
Michael thought for a moment. "So I get 15 experience when I heal someone, and it goes to both my skill and my general level?"
[Correct. That is one of the perks of the Healer class. Most classes have fixed ratios, but not Healer. It is considered difficult to level later on. However, with your proficiency in weapons and hand-to-hand combat, you will also gain experience from defeating dungeon monsters.]
Michael froze, startled, then forced himself to remain calm so as not to look suspicious. "Dungeon monsters? You mean those nasty things that appear out of nowhere?"
He knew only surface details about them. His body was still that of a child, after all.
[They are called dungeon monsters because they emerge from dungeons. Yes, they are nasty, and most deserve to die.]
Michael detected a faint malice in the system's tone, directed entirely at the monsters.
Still, he was just a child. He wouldn't be facing dungeon monsters any time soon.
"Ouch!"
Michael turned. A boy had tripped and scraped his knee, the skin bleeding slightly.
The system reacted instantly.
[Chop chop, host. Get to healing.]
Michael hesitated. 'Won't it be bad if I'm found out as awakened?'
The awakened referred to those who had obtained a class.
[It's fine. Many younger awakeners have reported catching a cold right before awakening. Coincidentally, so did you.]
Michael thought for a moment, then stood up and walked toward the injured boy.
As he got closer, a realization struck him. "How do I use the Heal skill?"
[Look at the target, stretch out your hand, and say Heal. The range is about ten meters.]
Michael clenched his fists and muttered toward no one in particular, "So I could've healed him from my seat. Thank you, system." His sarcasm was sharp.
[Too late to go back. Everyone is watching now. Just man up and do it.]
Michael crouched beside the boy. He didn't remember the child's name, but that hardly mattered.
He stretched out his hand, focused, and said, "Heal."
A yellow light enveloped the boy, and the wound vanished completely.
[Heal +15 EXP]
A soft ding echoed in Michael's head. A hologram appeared to confirm his progress.
The cafeteria, however, had gone silent.
Most of the children didn't understand what had happened. They knew what awakened were, but few had ever witnessed one using a skill.
The adults, however, reacted differently. Hilda stepped out from the kitchen, her gentle smile replaced with a stern look.
"Come with me, Michael. We are going to see Rebecca."
Michael hadn't expected to meet Rebecca again until his birthday, which was still months away. Yet the chance was now before him. The affection he felt for her was almost identical to what he remembered feeling for his mother.
He looked up at Hilda and nodded. "Okay."
They walked the halls in silence until they reached a door labeled "Rebecca."
Hilda pushed it open abruptly. Inside, Rebecca sat at her desk with a pile of papers in front of her. She wasn't working, though, she was asleep, her head drooping as she sat upright.
Hilda marched forward and slammed her hand on the desk.
Bang.
Rebecca jolted awake, scattering papers everywhere as she flailed.
Michael was left stunned. From his memories, Rebecca had always been flawless, a professional through and through. Yet the reality was very different.
Rebecca's face reddened as she glanced between them. "H-Hilda… what are you doing here?" Her embarrassment grew further when her eyes landed on Michael. "Michael…"
Michael stood frozen, still processing what he had seen.
Hilda cut through Rebecca's flustered demeanor and pointed at Michael. "The boy awakened."
The words snapped Rebecca back into composure. She straightened immediately, her expression shifting to professional seriousness.
She looked at Michael, then at Hilda. "Is that true?"
Hilda nodded. "Show her, boy."
Michael wasn't sure if Heal would work on someone uninjured, but he tried. "Heal."
The yellow light appeared around Rebecca before fading away. No experience was gained, but the skill was undeniable.
Rebecca's eyes widened. She quickly rummaged through her drawer and pulled out a crystal, handing it to Michael. "Place your hands on this and use your skill again."
Michael obeyed. The moment he touched it and cast Heal again, a hologram appeared, visible to all.
-+-
Name: Michael
Age: 8
Class: Healer
Level: 0
-+-
It showed only a fraction of what Michael himself could see.
[That is a mana stone embedded with inspection magic,] the system explained.
Michael nodded. Rebecca and Hilda's expressions were filled with shock.
Then Rebecca suddenly stood, walked over, and hugged him tightly. "Congratulations, Michael."
The embrace caught him off guard, but he hugged her back instinctively.
They separated after a moment, and Rebecca smiled warmly. "Since you are now awakened, once you turn twelve you will be admitted into the Awakeners Academy. Until then, you will remain here with us."
Michael smiled softly and whispered, "Thank you."
Rebecca's eyes brightened. "You can go back now, Michael. We will help you develop your skills in a proper environment." She picked up a sheet of paper from the shelf and pressed her seal on it.
Michael waited patiently. A moment later, Rebecca handed the stamped paper to him.
She bent down to pick up the scattered documents, pausing to add, "Take that to the orphanage's recovery center. You will become one of the healers there, and from that point, you can further develop your skills."
Michael wanted to say thank you again, but he had already repeated the words enough. He simply nodded and walked out of her office, heading toward the recovery center.