Early in the morning, Clayton visited one of his neighbors.
Knock knock!
Moments later, the door opened, revealing a young girl with an innocent and pretty face.
Clayton offered a friendly smile. "Morning, Liora. Is your father home?"
"Y-yes, good morning... He's here. Please wait, I'll get him." Liora looked a bit flustered. She still wasn't used to Clayton's polite demeanor.
A few moments later, she returned with a warm, humble-looking middle-aged man.
"Morning, Uncle Lorenzo. Sorry to bother you so early," Clayton said respectfully.
"Oh no, not at all. You're not bothering me. What brings you here, Clayton? Is something wrong?"
"No, Uncle. I'm here to return the money I borrowed." Clayton handed him a bag.
Lorenzo paused, then opened the bag. His eyes widened in shock at the contents.
"Clayton... are you sure this isn't a mistake? These are worth far more than what you borrowed."
Inside the bag was a smoked low-tier one-star sparrow, a few magic scrolls, several kilos of wheat, and ten low-grade magic crystals.
"It's fine, Uncle," Clayton replied with a smile. "Like the saying goes: a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring."
"Besides, I made all of this myself. It doesn't cost nearly as much as market prices. Please don't think it's too much."
Lorenzo had been ready to decline, but Clayton's sincerity made him reconsider.
After chatting for a bit, Clayton excused himself and left.
As he walked away, Lorenzo and Liora stared after him with mixed expressions.
Liora wasn't sure whether to feel happy or sad that Clayton had repaid his debt so quickly—and with "interest." The consequences of helping him were still fresh in her mind.
Their family, like Clayton's, had also been unfairly taxed by the grain officers. Though their deductions weren't as severe as Clayton's, during a drought, even a small loss could be devastating.
But Lorenzo saw things differently. A man seasoned by the ups and downs of life, he was more surprised by the scrolls. The ink was still slightly damp—proof that they'd been freshly made by Clayton himself.
"That boy... with just this skill alone, his future will soar," he thought.
What impressed him most was Clayton's maturity—his ability to recognize and repay kindness. Somehow, despite the trouble he'd gotten into for helping the boy, Lorenzo felt glad.
"This accidental act of kindness might turn out to be a very profitable investment," he mused.
After all, Lorenzo knew one truth: everything comes with a price. A little trouble was a small one.
...
Back home, Clayton felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. His debt was finally gone.
In his good mood, he decided to work on some scrolls.
With care, he etched a quill across the parchment. When the final rune was drawn, a soft light shimmered and then faded—the scroll was successfully created.
Clayton grinned. Today felt like the most peaceful day since he'd arrived in this strange world. He was filled with hope for the future.
...
October arrived, bringing cooler air. The chill made it tempting to laze around, but Clayton kept busy, studying his father's scroll-making legacy.
It turned out that crafting the special scrolls left behind by his father was far harder than he'd expected. The two scrolls were the Purification Scroll and the Pollution Scroll.
Due to a lack of materials, Clayton could only attempt the Purification Scroll. Although it was more complex than standard scrolls, he eventually succeeded.
The scroll was extremely useful. Not only could it clean objects like a regular cleansing spell, but it could also dispel dark energy from magical beasts and creatures of darkness.
After making a few copies, he stopped. He was out of materials—and, honestly, he was getting bored of being cooped up indoors.
With the farming season on hold and almost no entertainment in this world, Clayton considered two options: hunting or fishing. Both were outdoor activities, but one was far more dangerous.
Remembering that his father had left behind a fishing rod and that he knew a safe spot, Clayton decided to go fishing.
He geared up and headed out with his four mini skeletons to a lake near the farms.
When they arrived, instead of casting his line immediately, he set about laying traps. He wanted to try a method he'd read about in The Black Cat Killing Method. For someone like him, traps could be valuable survival tools.
Though the result wasn't perfect, Clayton was fairly satisfied. Then he set up his rod and began fishing.
At first, he was hopeful. But after thirty minutes with no movement, disappointment crept in—especially as the cold started to seep into his bones.
Still, he didn't give up. He moved to a different spot, but the result was the same.
Frustrated, things only got worse when a fish suddenly leapt out of the water and splashed him in the face—like it was mocking him.
Annoyed, Clayton retaliated with a Water Pistol spell.
Snap! The water shot forward—but missed.
The fish jumped again and splashed him once more. Clayton lost his temper. He fired again and again, but each shot missed.
The fish was too quick and slippery.
Without realizing it, Clayton had nearly drained all his mana.
When he tried to cast the Water Pistol again, he was shocked—it still worked, even though his mana should've been depleted.
After thinking it over, he realized something: he was soaked from the fish's splashes, and that water could be used directly for the spell.
That meant he didn't need to conjure new water—just control what was already there. That drastically reduced the mana cost.
Clayton was ecstatic. He felt like a genius inventor.
Unfortunately, what he'd "discovered" was actually basic knowledge for trained water mages. But since he was self-taught with no teacher, he hadn't known.
Still, Clayton saw it as a breakthrough. With this mana-saving method, he could cast more spells and level up faster.
With newfound energy, he ordered his skeletons to fire Water Pistols nonstop at the leaping fish.
This time, thanks to their support, the fish was finally struck down—mercilessly defeated.
Clayton laughed triumphantly. "Not so cocky now, huh? Looks like you're today's lunch!"
But just as he approached the dead fish, a faint dark shadow emerged beneath the water—something was watching.
Clayton, completely unaware, had no idea what was lurking nearby.