"Ugh…"
Soren's eyes fluttered open to a ceiling of soft light and pale blue curtains swaying gently around him.
The faint scent of disinfectant tickled his nose.
A familiar, uncomfortable hospital bed.
'I actually survived.'
He let out a shaky sigh.
"Hahh…"
Relief flooded his chest, but when he tried to sit up…
"–Ack!"
Pain exploded across his ribs and shoulder, forcing him back down.
His entire body ached, throbbing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
'I guess I overdid it…'
His memory was a blur, flashes of violence and adrenaline colliding into one dizzy mess.
'But what happened at the end…?'
He remembered the hobgoblin's weapon coming down on him, then, a sound.
A clash of steel.
Someone had blocked the strike.
'Who came to save me though…?'
His vision had been hazy at the time, all he could recall was a blur of pink.
He frowned.
'Well… whoever it was, I owe them.'
He turned his head and noticed a translucent window hovering in the air beside him.
"Right… there's this too."
.
▶ Quest Complete! [Survive] ◀
[Reward: Store Ticket, 50 Points.]
.
During the quest itself, he hadn't even been able to check the rewards thanks to the situation, but now that he saw them, he was somewhat confused.
'Store Ticket?'
Back when this world was still a game, a store ticket was an item that players could exchange for any item in the premium store.
However, Soren was confused as to how that would be translated now that there was no longer a premium store.
Instead of overthinking it, he decided to accept the reward and figure it out later.
.
[Receive Reward?]
[Yes] [No]
.
[Yes]
.
[Information]
.
[Store Ticket]
[4★]
[An item can be exchanged for any skill worth under 10,000P in the store.]
.
"…Really?"
His eyes widened.
Soren was shocked by how amazing the item he had received from his first-ever quest was.
'This is insane.'
"「Store」"
Without hesitation, he raised the store window and began scrolling through the skills.
.
[Cooking] → 250P
[Gardening] → 250P
.
[Swordsmanship] → 500P
[Archery] → 500P
.
[Language] → 1000P
.
[Mana Mastery] → 5000P
.
[Concentration] → 10,000P
.
The more he scrolled, the harder his choice became.
To someone in Soren's situation, there were far too many useful options.
But he knew he had to be smart.
He had no idea when he would be able to get another opportunity like this.
If used correctly, something like this could completely overturn his current weakness.
Looking at the list before him, there were many skills that he wanted, so much so that it was almost overwhelming.
'Most of these will be pretty useless right now though..'
Skills such as [Spiritualism] seemed incredible at first glance, but when he thought about it further, it became apparent how much of a trap something like that was.
Something like [Spiritualism], where you needed a high baseline, was the worst possible option for Soren as of now.
That said, even some of the more useful skills were difficult to select at this time.
Skills such as [Mana Sensitivity] or [Mana Control] seemed perfect for his future growth, but the key issue with these was their prices.
'1000 points each.'
With a budget of 10,000P, he was hesitant to choose such a cheap skill, no matter how helpful it would be.
He sighed.
"This is harder than I thought."
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
He spent nearly an hour thinking; scrolling, closing, re-opening, over and over.
Eventually, he managed to narrow the list down from five, to three, to one.
The skill he had ended up with?
[Concentration]
A mediocre-sounding skill at first glance, but after the incident in Rena Forest, he now fully understood the importance of such a thing.
As a class F transmigrator who doesn't want to get involved in the story, Soren finds himself in a unique position where he needs the ability to act alone, whether that be for combat or exploration.
He isn't Alex; he's not even a side character, nor does he want to be.
Because of this, the fact that he is a magician is something that works against him.
As discovered in the time since transmigration, magicians are usually static units that throw out AOE or high-damage single-target spells.
But what is Soren?
A useless mage with mana and proficiency levels that are laughable even for a class F student.
At first, Soren had thought maybe he should just transfer to martial studies and go all in on that, but…
'I don't want to.'
It was pure stubbornness.
Although his own was pathetic, Soren had already been enchanted by magic.
He didn't want to abandon it just to swing a sword.
Soren didn't mind doing both at the same time, but he refused to let go of magic, no matter how disadvantageous it was for him.
Additionally, there was the factor of his weak body; even if he did transfer courses, he would have to start from scratch.
At the moment, what Soren truly needed was some form of immediate strength.
Even if it's only slightly, he needed some form of a boost.
That was where [Concentration] came in.
Magicians not only spend time forming magic circles, but also have to infuse mana into said magic circles.
Both of these acts took an inhuman level of concentration, which was what led to magicians being stationary.
Sure, if you practised enough, one day you might be able to make some movements, but even that was an impossible realm for most magicians.
Even back in Rena Forest, he had almost been in trouble due to his concentration breaking because of the pain.
With [Concentration], however, Soren would be able to do more than just make small movements.
It would allow him to move however he liked, all the while being able to cast spells.
This would not only give him the ability to act alone, but also would give him an excuse for his spell power being lacking.
And most importantly.
'It's really cool..'
He smirked faintly.
Even as a TKS veteran, he had never seen this skill before.
It hadn't existed in the game's database, that alone made it irresistible.
He brought the store window back up and selected it.
.
[Concentration] → 10,000P
[Buy?]
[Yes] [No]
.
[Yes]
.
[Used [Shop Ticket] (4★)]
[Success!]
▶ Acquired [Concentration]! ◀
.
Soren's heart quickened.
"「Status」"
.
[Status Window]
Name: Soren Arden (1★)
Age: 18
Race: Human
◈ Titles
- Transmigrator (Year 1)
- Stella's Secrets
◈ Unique Skills
- Library of Memories
- ???
◈ Stats
Stamina - 0.8 (F+) [Increased by 0.3]
Strength - 0.6 (F+)
Agility - 0.7 (F+)
Mana - 0.8 (F+) [Increased by 0.1]
Divine Power - 0.3 (F)
Charm - 8.7 (S-)
◈ Skills
- Life Magic
- Basic Magic
└ Gaia (E-) [Increased by 2]
└ Aqua (F+)
└ Ignition (F)
- Concentration (F)
.
Looking at the window, a small sense of satisfaction warmed his chest.
His stats weren't impressive by any means, but they finally looked like something belonging to a real student rather than dead weight.
'Still, progress is progress.'
He couldn't help but grin.
'I can't wait for the mock duel.'
Soren's inner childishness made it impossible for him not to look forward to the mock duel with his new skill.
"Heh.."
A goofy grin spread across his face as he imagined the dumbfounded reactions of the students who would be watching.
–Swoosh
The curtains drew open.
Standing there, framed by the light of the hallway, was Lilliana Roseblood.
Professor of class F.
"..."
"..."
Silence.
Soren blinked. Her sudden appearance, her calm expression, it froze him for a moment.
Then, inevitably, his face turned red.
Lilliana tilted her head slightly.
"...It seems that you're feeling better." Her voice was quiet but firm.
Soren nodded quickly, rubbing his neck to hide the heat creeping up his cheeks.
She stepped closer.
"You were out for a day," she said, tone professional. "You suffered from severe mana exhaustion and internal injuries. To be honest, I'm surprised you're awake this soon."
Her hand reached out before he could react, lightly cupping his cheek and turning his face toward her.
"Are you okay…?" she asked.
Her eyes, green, soft but steady, met his.
There was a faint flicker of concern beneath her usual composure.
Soren blinked up at her, slightly dazed.
'Was she always like this?'
It felt… different.
Lilliana's actions were out of character for the version of her that Soren knew.
In the game, Lilliana Roseblood was strict and distant, the model of professionalism.
Even her moments of softness were brief, almost comedic interludes for fan service.
But now, in person, her worry felt real.
'Could she have known the original Soren?'
He had that thought, but quickly shook it off.
'No… that doesn't make sense.'
She had barely interacted with him before now, and the original Soren had only been at Stellaris for two weeks before he transmigrated.
'..Could it just be a difference between game and reality?'
Even if it was a lazy answer, it was the only one that fit.
'I'm not sure..'
He felt that maybe he was just overthinking it, but that didn't lessen his confusion.
"Um… do you need more rest?"
Her question snapped him out of his thoughts.
He realised just how close she still was, their faces only inches apart.
Her breath brushed his skin, warm and soft.
His cheeks were tinged slightly pink as he opened his mouth to distract himself from the current situation.
"No, I'm fine," he managed, forcing a smile. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought."
Lilliana exhaled, relief flickering across her face.
She straightened, stepping back and clearing her throat, a faint blush tinting her cheeks as she composed herself.
Then, just as quickly, her expression shifted.
Her brows furrowed, eyes narrowing into a stern gaze.
"I'm glad to hear that. However…" She crossed her arms. "You will need to write a statement about the incident. And I must ask, what were you thinking?"
Soren tensed.
"It's not uncommon for first-years to become curious about Rena Forest," she continued, voice measured but edged with irritation. "But to go there only a month after the academic year begins, and alone at that?"
Her voice sharpened slightly. "When I found you, I thought you were dead, Soren. That was how bad your condition was."
Her hands settled on her hips, her ears twitching slightly as she sighed. "Please be more careful in the future."
Soren sat there, silent for a moment.
Then a small, awkward smile crept onto his face.
'When was the last time I'd been scolded out of worry?'
It felt strange.
His memories of being "scolded" were of anger and disappointment, never concern.
It had been a long time since someone's frustration had come from a place of care.
'It's… kind of nice.'
There was one issue, though.
Still, it was hard to take her seriously when she looked the way she did: petite, bear ears twitching, cheeks puffed, arms akimbo like a small, angry doll.
He bit back a laugh.
"Pf— Cough. I'm sorry, Miss Rose. It won't happen again." He smiled. "And thank you… for saving me. You're the best."
Lilliana blinked, caught off guard.
"Ahem," she said, straightening her shoulders. "Well, that is a professor's duty."
But the corner of her mouth twitched, betraying her amusement.
They talked briefly afterward, mundane details, recovery instructions, reminders about the paperwork he would have to write.
Before leaving, she paused by the curtain.
"You should be fully healed by Monday. Until then, rest. Don't push yourself."
And then she was gone.
Soren stared at the empty space she had left behind, her faint scent of tea and parchment still lingering in the air.
He turned his head toward the window.
The moonlight bathed the room in a cold, silver glow.
The gentle light reflected off his crimson eyes as he let his smile fade.
Rena Forest had been a brutal reminder of what this world truly was.
Even now, thinking back on how he felt when the hobgoblin walked towards him filled his entire being with fear.
'I need to be more careful.'
The thought echoed through his mind like a vow.
Exhaustion pulled at him, and his eyes drifted shut, and within seconds, his breathing slowed, evening out as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
————「❤︎」————