I sulked with all the dignity a five-year-old could muster as Nina quietly guided me by the wrist.
"Bath time, young master," she said in her usual polite tone, though I caught the faintest smile tugging at her lips.
"It's too cold," I muttered under my breath, dragging my feet. "I'll turn into ice…"
"You'll feel much warmer once you're clean," she replied smoothly, steering me toward the washroom. "Winter is nearly here. It wouldn't do for you to catch a chill."
Her reasoning made sense, but I still pouted the whole way. No use, of course– by the time she was done, I was clean, wrapped in warm clothes, and smelling faintly of soap.
Defeated.
"This is cruel and unusual punishment," I muttered under my breath as she guided me back to bed.
Nina ignored me. She tucked me in firmly, a blanket pulled up to my chin, and gave a small laugh, placing a hand lightly on my head. "Rest well, young master."
So I did the only thing I could—I shut my eyes and pretended to sleep.
For a while, nothing happened.
Minutes passed.
The room was quiet except for the soft, steady sound of breathing. Nina had fallen asleep on the chair near my bed, head tilted and arms crossed like she was trying to stand guard… but totally out cold.
I cracked one eye open.
Her soft brown hair caught the faint glow of the magic lamp, her chest rising and falling peacefully.
Heh. Babysitter down. Perfect. My secret training starts tonight.
I sat up slowly, holding my breath. One wrong move and she'd wake up, and then it was game over. My feet dangled over the edge of the bed before I carefully touched the floor, one toe at a time. My heart pounded like I was sneaking out past curfew. Well—technically, I was.
"If she catches me, I'm doomed," I whispered under my breath. "Dragged straight back under the blankets, no questions asked."
But this is a golden opportunity. I can't waste it. I need to level up fast—because right now, let's be honest, I can't even cast a proper spell. If a low-level slime showed up in front of me, I'd probably end up as slime food instead. Pathetic. I need to start somewhere.
The door creaked faintly as I slipped out into the hallway. The second floor of the mansion stretched silent and still, the magic lamps on the walls glowing faintly, casting long shadows. Each step I took on the wooden floor sounded way louder than it should've. My entire body stiffened every time.
"Relax, relax," I muttered to myself, crouching low like some kind of ninja. "Silent as the night. Deadly as the wind. I am… a five-year-old master thief. Legendary."
I tiptoed past rooms, holding my breath whenever I thought I heard something. Luckily, the household was dead quiet. One staircase down, I reached the first floor without being spotted. The main hall stretched before me, vast and empty, with moonlight sneaking in through the tall windows.
This was it. The final obstacle. One more staircase down—into the basement.
The heavy wooden door stood at the far end of the hall, leading into darkness. I crept forward, every step an eternity, until finally my hand touched the cold metal handle. I hesitated.
"This is either the best idea I've ever had… or the absolute dumbest."
I pushed the door. It groaned like something out of a horror story, and the air that wafted up was colder, thicker somehow, carrying the faint smell of dust and stone. My skin prickled.
"Alright…" I whispered, forcing a grin. "Let's see what secrets the forbidden basement is hiding."
The stairs creaked under my weight as I descended, one step at a time. The basement stretched out before me, huge and ancient. Shelves of old equipment lined the walls. Training dummies leaned in the corners. Racks of rusty weapons stood untouched, like relics from another age. Dust floated through the air like lazy snowflakes, disturbed by my movements.
I scanned the room, half-expecting something to leap at me. My eyes darted across the shadows—until they landed on it.
A small wooden door.
It was tucked behind a pile of crates, nearly hidden. Way too small for any adult to use. Almost… like it was built for someone my size.
I blinked. "No way. A secret door? For me? What is this, destiny… or a trap made specifically to lure dumb kids like me?"
Of course, I had to open it.
The moment I stepped through, the world twisted.
My stomach dropped as light swallowed everything, and suddenly—I was standing on top of a mountain.
Clouds drifted below me, the wind howled past, and right there, in the middle of the stone peak, was… a chair.
A single wooden chair.
But aura. So much aura. It poured out of the chair like it was some godly throne of power.
"…No shot," I muttered, blinking. "This… this is… I've seen this before."
I laughed nervously, scratching my cheek. "What is this, a cosmic joke? Well—only one thing to do."
I walked up and sat down.
The moment my butt hit the seat, a glowing screen flickered before my eyes.
Congratulations! You are now… Motivated!
Congratulations! You have gained +10 LVL!
Congratulations! You have gained +15 Points!
I froze. Then I grinned. Wide.
"…HUH?!" I almost jumped out of the chair. "Are you kidding me?! I just… sat down?! And now I'm level 10?!"
I checked again. The prompt was still glowing in front of me.
Before I could even process it, the light around me flared, and I was yanked backward.
The next thing I knew—I was standing back in the basement. The little door was gone. Completely vanished like it never existed.
For a second I stood frozen, my heart racing. "…Was that all a dream?"
But then I pulled up my status screen. And there it was.
Status Menu.
Name: Lucian Vanheart
Age: 5
Level: 10 (0/1000 EXP)
Title: ???
Stats.
HP: 400
MP: 200/200
STR: 1
AGL: 1
Mind: 1
Attribute: Fire Magic.
Skills: ???
Unallocated Points: 15
I slapped my cheeks, grinning like an idiot. "Nope. Not a dream. I actually pulled off the dumbest power-up ever… and it worked."
Seriously, is this even allowed? Did the universe glitch out—or did the author just get lazy and throw me a freebie?
I snorted, shaking my head as I tiptoed back upstairs. "Well, whatever it was, that's one training session cleared—with zero effort. Heh, genius."