"Ding! Upgrade progress… 10%… 30%… 80%… 100%."
"Ding! System panel upgrade complete. Host may now review."
"System, open the panel."
"System Panel
Name: Loren Angus
Class: Apprentice Wizard
Life Skills: \[collapsed… click to expand]
Professional Skills:
1. Mana Control (Beginner): You now possess magic within your body, though you still struggle to control it.
Talents:
1. Strange Knowledge (abbrev.)
2. Chaotic Thinking (abbrev.)
3. Universal Language Mastery (abbrev.)
4. World Feedback (abbrev.)
5. Discipline (abbrev.)
6. First-Generation Wizard Talent (abbrev.)
System Evaluation: A wizard apprentice just starting out."
"System, explain the upgrades."
"Ding! Host now possesses a profession. Skills are now categorized as *Life Skills* and *Professional Skills.* Skills requiring a profession are classified as professional; those without prerequisites remain life skills."
"Ding! New Features: *Skill Breakthrough* and *Skill Fusion.*"
"Ding! *Skill Breakthrough*: You may burn existing skills as fuel for advancing others. Burning has two forms:
* Potential Burn: The skill remains on your panel but loses all potential to advance.
* Full Burn: The skill disappears from the panel entirely."
"Ding! *Skill Fusion*: Similar skills may be merged into one, sharing the same level. Life skills may be merged into professional skills, assisting breakthroughs."
"System, if a skill disappears from the panel, does that mean I can't use it anymore?"
"Ding! No. You may still use it, but it will no longer be protected by the panel."
"And without panel protection, what happens?"
"Ding! 'One day without practice, the hands grow clumsy. Three days without practice, the tongue stumbles. A month without practice, and three years of learning are wasted.'"
"…Got it. Does burning depend on skill level?"
"Ding! The higher the level, the greater its potential as fuel. The lower the level, the weaker the effect."
"And the difference between fusion and burning breakthroughs?"
"Ding! Fusion broadens skill scope. Burning strengthens skill power."
Loren leaned back, absorbing every word. His conclusion was simple: as long as it didn't kill him, he'd study until it felt like death.
For now, though, he set it aside. "Sleep. Don't carry fatigue into tomorrow."
…
The next morning, Joel Angus prepared to return to Brusal to manage the inn. Nona insisted on seeing him off, bringing Loren along.
But Loren waved them away with a cheeky grin. "Don't let me interrupt your little couple's world. I'll stay here and study."
They praised him for his maturity and slipped away, leaving him alone.
Once the house was quiet, Loren sorted through his books, planning out his learning strategy.
The easiest skills to acquire were sports. All he needed was a quick read and a bit of practice to push them to beginner or even intermediate level. Beyond that, it came down to reading—pulling as many skills onto his panel as possible.
But money was a problem. Books were expensive in Britain. Their family simply couldn't afford to buy enough.
That left one solution: freeload off Hermione's collection until he was old enough to frequent the library. Two birds, one stone—study and friendship. He grinned at his own cleverness.
And so, days fell into rhythm. He often visited Hermione, reading together, exchanging ideas, shaping her in subtle ways to mirror his own habits.
When school began, a new problem arose: not enough books. Or rather, Hermione couldn't keep pace with his speed.
So Loren pressed his mother to take a job as a librarian. Though it paid little, it gave them access to the library. And when school ended, Loren and Hermione could read there until closing, even borrowing books home.
The Grangers were delighted. Thanks to Loren, their daughter's reading ability soared—though still slower than his, she outpaced her peers by miles. Their gratitude extended to Nona, praising her son as a blessing.
Weekends often saw Nona returning to Brusal, and Loren—claiming not to interrupt "his parents' couple time"—stayed at Hermione's home. The Grangers grew ever more fond of him.
By summer, they promised to bring Hermione to Brusal, to meet her grandmother and visit the Angus inn.
Hermione had become a "model child" in every parent's mouth, but Loren was something else entirely—an idol, a legend among both adults and children.
Studious, polite, athletic, protective of weaker classmates—he was the golden boy of the schoolyard.
…
Summer vacation arrived. The Grangers and the Anguses boarded a train together for Brusal.
As the adults chatted, Hermione fought sleep, lulled by the rocking train. Loren sat beside her, eyes closed, but his mind was on his panel.
"System Panel
Name: Loren Angus
Class: Apprentice Wizard
Life Skills: Soccer (Intermediate), Tennis (Intermediate), Ping-Pong (Intermediate), Rugby (Beginner), Horsemanship (Novice)… \[expand]
Professional Skills:
1. Mana Control (Intermediate): You can now control your magic steadily, no more random outbursts.
2. Mana Release (Beginner): You've begun attempting to project magic outward, though with limited effect.
Talents:
1. Strange Knowledge (abbrev.)
2. Chaotic Thinking (abbrev.)
3. Universal Language Mastery (abbrev.)
4. World Feedback (abbrev.)
5. Discipline (abbrev.)
6. First-Generation Wizard Talent (abbrev.)
7. *Reader*: Your grasp of texts surpasses expectation. Each book yields its most useful truths directly to you. *(PS: A single true sentence outweighs ten thousand empty ones.)*
System Evaluation: An apprentice wizard who knows everything—except magic."
Loren smiled faintly. His hard work was paying off. The new talent, *Reader,* was the result of a daring experiment—burning a pile of trivial skills into fuel. Now, every book he touched opened itself to him in clarity.
"Read once, and meaning shines."
Immersed in thought, time slipped away until the train reached Brusal.
On the small-town platform, Joel and Mrs. Doris were waiting. After confirming the Grangers' visit for the next day, Loren returned with his parents to the inn.
The following day, the Grangers arrived as planned. While the adults talked, Loren showed Hermione around his freshly cleaned room.
But Hermione's attention was caught by the window view. Beyond, under clear skies, the silhouette of the ancient castle stood tall.
"Loren, is that the castle you told me about?"
He turned, eyes narrowing as the thought struck him—this castle might be another world's projection. He had nearly forgotten, buried under months of study. But now? It wasn't too late.
"Yes, Hermione. That's the castle. Most tourists come to our inn just to see it."
Her eyes lit up. "Can we visit it? Is it fun? Do you know any stories about it?"
Loren chuckled helplessly. "For stories, you should ask my father. Guiding tourists through the castle is part of his job. As for fun… I've never been."
"That's wonderful, Loren! I can't wait!" Hermione cried, already dashing off to find Joel.
Watching her, Loren shook his head with a soft smile. *So her thirst for adventure really is etched into her bones.*
When Joel heard her plea, he glanced at the sky, then suggested, "The weather's perfect. Why not go now? We can picnic by the castle."
The Grangers hesitated only briefly before Hermione's begging broke their resolve. They agreed at once.
Mr. Granger borrowed Mrs. Doris's car—Joel's was too small for six people and picnic supplies. Mrs. Granger, Nona, and Joel prepared food, with Loren and Hermione eagerly helping.
Before long, Mr. Granger returned, his car loaded with groceries. Two cars, laden with food and children's excitement, set off toward the ruins.
Loren leaned back in his seat, eyes fixed on the ancient silhouette in the distance.
"New rewards… here I come."
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