Noah stretched a hand out in his defense, his voice weak as he tried to stop her glare.
"Wait—" he groaned quietly, his other hand pressing against his sore side as he pushed himself to his feet.
His legs trembled slightly, the ache in his ribs flaring once more, but he managed to straighten himself after a few seconds.
His face twisted a bit from the pain, yet he still forced himself to stand tall.
The girl's eyes were still fixed on him, her brows creasing into a scowl.
Her lips pressed together, like she was about to shout at him again.
But before she could say anything, Noah lifted his hand higher, wincing as he said hoarsely, "It's me… Emily."
The moment the words left his mouth, the girl froze completely.
Her expression shifted in an instant — from irritation to utter disbelief.
Her mouth opened slightly, her pupils widening, as though she wasn't sure she'd heard him right.
"N-Noah…?" she muttered, her voice trembling with shock and confusion.
Noah exhaled, the tension in his shoulders finally easing.
"Yeah," he nodded in response. "It's me."
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Emily just stared at him, her wide brown eyes flicking up and down, as if trying to confirm whether the filthy, mud-covered boy standing in front of her was really the same person she knew.
Noah lowered his arm slowly, letting out another tired sigh.
'To think I would run into Emily,' he thought.
Emily was… his only friend in the academy. The one person who had actually treated him like a person rather than the useless, talentless boy everyone else saw him as.
They were very close, eating together during breaks and even walking home together at times.
He had always thought of her as someone kindhearted and reliable—a bit clumsy, sure, but honest and warm. Even now, that same familiar aura surrounded her, despite her confused and flustered expression.
Emily blinked a few more times before her eyes suddenly narrowed again, scanning him from head to toe.
She pointed at him, her finger trembling slightly.
"What… happened to you?" she asked, her tone mixed with confusion and concern.
Her gaze swept over him — the tattered clothes, the dirt caked onto his skin, the dried streaks of mud along his neck, arms, and hair.
It was as if he had just crawled out from under the ground.
Noah let out a quiet chuckle under his breath, shaking his head. A wistful smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he met her eyes.
"It's a… long story," he said softly.
Emily's lips pressed together, her brows knitting as she clenched her fists.
"A long story… huh?" she muttered, gnashing her teeth.
Her gaze softened after a moment, and she looked away, biting her lip.
*
Minutes later…
Steam curled lazily from the open doorway, the faint scent of soap and damp air lingering in the small bathroom.
Noah exhaled slowly as he stepped out, a blue towel wrapped around his waist.
Droplets of water still clung to his skin, sliding down his toned chest and shoulders before dripping onto the tiled floor.
He rubbed the side of his neck with one hand, his wet silver hair falling slightly over his eyes.
The warm bathwater had done its job — washing away the dirt, the smell of soil, and the heaviness that had stuck to him ever since he clawed his way out from underground.
But even now, there was still a faint unease in his chest.
He walked slowly toward the mirror across the small room, his bare feet leaving faint wet marks on the floor.
When he stopped in front of it, his reflection stared back at him — familiar, yet somehow different.
The face that met his eyes was an extremely handsome one.
His silver hair, damp and slightly messy, framed his face perfectly, emphasizing the sharp lines of his jaw and the clarity of his deep blue eyes.
There was something oddly striking about his appearance, even with the exhaustion still lingering beneath his gaze.
His body wasn't particularly muscular, but it was well-toned—the lean physique of someone who had trained consistently over time.
His abs were faintly visible, his shoulders well-defined, and his posture naturally straight.
Despite his weak magical ability, Noah had never neglected his physical training.
Even though he was constantly reminded that his mana capacity was pitifully low, he had always believed that if he couldn't grow stronger through magic, then at least he could strengthen his body.
He remembered all those long hours spent alone, lifting weighted stones, doing push-ups and sprints until his arms and legs ached.
It was the one thing he had control over when everything else felt out of reach.
When others laughed at his low mana capacity, or dismissed him as talentless, he used that anger to fuel his determination.
But unfortunately… it never really worked out that way.
He barely had any mana to nourish his body, and without that vital energy flowing through his veins, his growth was limited.
No matter how much effort he poured in, his increase in strength was always negligible. It could never compare to that of other magus who used mana to reinforce every fiber of their being.
He sighed, running a hand slowly through his hair, pushing it back so it no longer clung to his face.
"I still feel… so filthy," he muttered.
He might have taken a bath now, but he still remembered the disgusting feeling of soil rushing into his mouth, and the weight of being buried beneath it.
He clenched his hand into a fist and lowered it slowly, exhaling once more.
"The system…" he muttered. "I should check it out now."
As soon as he thought about the system, a set of tabs materialised before him.
The text appeared distorted in some places for some reason, but even so, he could clearly read the majority of it.
[Supreme Magus System$&@?!]
[Host: Noah Weaverheart]
[Level: 0]
[EXP: 0/100$&@?]
[Rank: Apprentice Magus (low)]
[Elements: Ice, Lightning]
[Mana: 30/30]
[Health: 50/50]
[Strength: 2]
[Agility: 3]
[Stamina: 3]
[Endurance: 1]
[Sense: 1]
[Supreme Points: 0]
[Skills and Abilities $&@?]
[Icicle (level 1)]
[Lightning Ball (level 1)]
[Quests]
[Daily Quests: Jog for 5 minutes (0/5)]
[Reward: 20EXP]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]
[Channel your mana through your mana veins.]
[Reward: 20EXP]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]
[Read 10 books (0/10)]
[Reward: 20EXP]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]
[Weekly Quests: Hunt 5 mana beasts (0/5)]
[Reward: 50EXP, 5 Supreme Points]
[Penalty for failure: None$&@?]