The stars were still out when Kael awoke. He sat upright in bed, breath shallow, a cold sweat on his brow. The room was silent except for the soft snores of the other children.
But within his mind, a voice had begun to speak—not in words, but pulses of meaning.
> [SYSTEM: PRIMARY CORE ONLINE]
Welcome, Kael. Sync Status: 5.3%
Subroutine Unlocked: Personal Status Interface
Main Function Enabled: Infinite Growth Protocol
Kael's crimson eyes widened. For years, the system had only offered minor prompts—silent boosts during training, gentle nudges when choices were made. But now it spoke with intent.
A glowing screen appeared in his vision, visible only to him:
---
🧠 [CRIMSON ASCENSION SYSTEM] 🧠
Name: Kael
Age: 14
Origin: Unknown (Reborn)
Soul Sync: 5.3%
Core Traits:
Perfect Memory Retention (Passive)
Infinite Growth Protocol (Cheat Skill)
Checkpoint Synchronicity
Spirit Bond (Lyra – Celestial Wind)
Magic Affinities:
🔒 Anti-Magic (Locked)
🔒 Space Magic (Locked)
🔒 Weapon Creation Magic (Locked)
🔒 Elemental Fusion (Locked)
🔒 Spirit Fusion (Partially Unlocked)
Current Boosts:
Strength +3
Intelligence +7
Mana Control +4
Reflex +3
Affection Modifier (Hidden)
---
> [Available Paths Unlocked Based on Past-Life Combat Data]
– Adaptive Weaponist
– Spirit Dancer
– Chrono-Walker (Locked)
– Anti-Sorcerer (Locked)
> Would you like to select a growth path? [Y/N]
Kael stared at the screen, his mind racing. Growth paths? These weren't here before.
He clenched his fist beneath the sheets. "...Show me Spirit Dancer."
A flash of white light engulfed the display.
---
🌬️ PATH: SPIRIT DANCER (RANK F)
You become one with your spirit, learning to move in harmony with natural mana flow. Amplifies speed, instinct, and agility. Enhances your ability to fuse with spirits and manifest unique battle styles.
> Bonus Unlocked: Windstep Lv.1
Lyra's Affinity Boosted to 72%
Mana Sensitivity +10%
---
Kael's chest thumped with quiet excitement. So this is how I grow… endlessly, on my terms. The system, once just a whisper, had become a road. And it was only just beginning.
---
Later that morning, the orphanage buzzed with energy. The one-year countdown to the Grimoire Tower had begun, and Sister Lily posted the announcement on the wall.
"Only 365 days," she said with a bright smile. "You three better not slack off!"
Asta pumped his fist. "No way! I'm going to get the strongest grimoire EVER!"
Yuno nodded silently, more composed but no less determined.
Kael glanced at the paper and whispered to himself. "One year… until everything changes."
The system pinged.
> [Checkpoint Synced: Grimoire Ceremony Countdown Initiated]
Passive Growth Multiplier Increased x1.2
Side Quests Unlocked: Community Trust (2/10), Training Bonds (3/10), Spirit Integration (1/5)
---
That afternoon, Kael sat in the forest clearing. Lyra manifested beside him, partially translucent in the light.
"You've chosen a path," she said softly.
"I had to."
She smiled. "Good. Then I can show you the first technique."
She floated upward, her body surrounded by glyphs. "Let the wind become your breath. Feel your heartbeat echo through the air. Windstep isn't a movement—it's a dance."
Kael closed his eyes. His body relaxed.
He leapt forward—and vanished.
A blur of speed carried him twenty feet in an instant. His body reappeared with a burst of air.
"...That was faster than I expected."
"Wind will always carry those who trust it."
He trained until the sun dipped low. By evening, Windstep had evolved from a blink-movement into a directional dash. His reaction time sharpened, and he could now dodge arrows in a blink.
---
As the sky darkened, Kael climbed the village bell tower. From this height, the entire land seemed to stretch forever—calm, beautiful, vulnerable.
He pulled out a notebook—one he kept hidden beneath a loose board in the attic. It was filled with combat theories, spell ideas, and fusion combinations. Diagrams of dual-wielding enchanted weapons, spirit-chakra mode sketches, and hypothetical magic combinations like Anti-Magic Wind Crescent Slash.
But one page stood out.
A list titled "Names to Protect."
Asta
Yuno
Sister Lily
All the kids at the orphanage
Noelle Silva
Vanessa
Mimosa
Secre
Charmy
Lyra
He touched the list gently.
> "I may have died once… but this time, I'm choosing my fight."
---
That night, a shadowy figure stood atop a ruined stone altar far away in the Forsaken Realm. They gazed into a mirror of black glass.
"...The system awakens," they whispered. "And so too must we."
A dark voice answered.
> "Find the Crimson Rebirth. Before the fate he carries unravels time itself."