Morning arrived far too quickly.
Firiell hadn't slept at all. The entire night Firiell had sat beside Rei's bed, watching his chest rise and fall, counting every breath. Garynnon remained nearby as well, his usual composure strained beneath a quiet tension.
When the sun finally crept through the leaves of the massive trees that formed our village, people began gathering outside our home.
Soon, the entire village stood there.
Whispers drifted through the air like uneasy wind. Everyone had felt the mana surge last night. Everyone had seen Rei lying there, small and fragile, yet radiating something that none of us could explain.
Then the old man arrived.
He walked slowly, leaning slightly on a staff, an ancient book held carefully in his hands. The pages looked worn from centuries of use. This was the village appraiser, the one trusted to reveal the potential of our children.
The village chief looked at the parents. "Are we ready?"
Garynnon and Firiell exchanged a glance before nodding.
Their hands trembled.
The old man stepped forward, opening the book. The pages rustled softly as he lifted his hand toward Rei.
"I chant thee," he said, his voice deep and ceremonial, "may the moons bless his soul… GreatAppraisal!"
A faint shimmer filled the room.
Then a translucent screen appeared before everyone.
Name: Rei
Mana Bar: 78%
Race: Lower Elf
Skills: Appraisal
Magic Affinities: Status Magic, Air Magic
Level: 1
Attack: 138
Defense: 54
Speed: 208
Stamina: 124
A murmur rippled through the gathered elves.
Something was wrong.
Everyone knew the basics of a newborn elf's potential. Even infants usually had defense above one hundred. Yet Rei's defense was far lower than that.
But his speed…
Garynnon stared at the screen, his brows furrowing in disbelief.
"This speed… is comparable to average Level 5 High Elves in our realm," he said quietly.
Firiell pointed toward another line, her voice trembling slightly.
"He has the Appraisal skill too!"
The doctor, however, shook his head slowly.
"But I don't believe Appraisal caused the life force depletion we witnessed last night."
The elder nodded in agreement.
"Appraisal is considered a safe skill. That is why he also possesses Status Magic. Those two usually appear together."
Garynnon rubbed his temples.
"So… we still don't know what is going on?"
"Yes," the village chief sighed. "We do not."
The doctor glanced again at the glowing screen before speaking.
"But there is something strange. Since last night, his mana has been decreasing rapidly… yet according to this status, it is also recovering."
"This is so confusing…" Firiell's voice cracked. "Is my baby dying?"
"No," the doctor replied quickly, raising a reassuring hand. "His vitals show he is alive and stable. But… I must admit, this situation is very confusing."
Garynnon suddenly spoke again, thinking aloud.
"Is my son unconsciously absorbing the mana around him?"
The elder shook his head.
"No. That would require training or a specialized skill. Rei has done neither."
Then the chief narrowed his eyes at the screen.
"But notice something else… he has no Nature Magic."
Silence filled the room.
All elves had Nature Magic.
Every single one.
One villager spoke hesitantly.
"Now that you say it… yes… so is Rei not pure elvish?"
Before anyone could react, Garynnon moved.
In a flash he grabbed his bow, fury blazing in his eyes.
"How dare you say Rei is not my child?!"
The room froze.
"Garynnon, stop," the chief said firmly.
Garynnon's breath slowed as he regained control, though anger still burned.
The chief looked at the crowd.
"He is unquestionably the child of Freiren and Garynnon. His race clearly states Lower Elf. If he were mixed, the status would show Half Elf."
The villagers slowly fell silent.
But the unease remained.
Finally the chief closed the appraisal book.
"I will investigate this in the library," he said. "There may be records about unusual cases."
One by one the villagers began leaving the house, their whispers trailing behind them.
Soon the room grew quiet again.
Firiell sat beside Rei's bed, gently brushing his hair from his forehead.
Her heart felt heavy with worry.
"Please wake up soon," Firiell whispered softly.
Garynnon stood beside her, as they waited for their son to open his eyes.
A day later, I woke up in bed.
For a moment, everything felt hazy. My eyes blinked slowly as I stared at the wooden ceiling above me.
"Where am I?" I murmured, glancing around the room.
Then I noticed her.
Mother was sitting beside the bed, fast asleep, her head resting against the side.
"Mom?" I asked quietly.
And then it hit me.
Oh right.
I had passed out after using Status Conceal.
Judging by the fact that I hadn't been abandoned in the forest somewhere, the magic must have worked. That was… a relief.
"Mom… wake up. It's morning," I said, gently nudging her shoulder.
"Ah! Gary, what happened?!" she blurted, suddenly jolting awake.
Then her eyes focused on me.
"Wha—Rei! You're awake!" she cried.
Before I could react, she wrapped me in a tight hug.
Very tight.
"Mom…! you're hugging too tight!" I managed to squeak.
"Ah! Sorry!" she said quickly, pulling back. "You must be hungry! I'll prepare breakfast right away!"
And just like that, she skipped away to the kitchen
I stared at my hands for a moment.
Fist open.
Fist closed.
Fist open again.
Alright… I'm alive.
That had been the first time I used Magic Creation. And it seemed like it worked.
They definitely would have appraised me while I was unconscious. No way the village would ignore something like that.
How long was I even out?
That strange voice had said two days.
Which probably meant…
Yeah. Two days have passed.
Just as I finished that thought, Father rushed into the room.
"Rei!" he called out.
I looked up at him.
He walked over and gently patted my head.
"Don't worry me like that, kiddo. You were releasing so much mana the entire village got scared to the core."
"Alright, Father," I said.
Then I asked the question I already knew the answer to.
"How long was I sleeping?"
"Two days," he replied.
Figured.
Father crossed his arms and looked at me with a curious expression.
"What were you doing that night, boy?"
"I don't know… my memory is fuzzy," I said.
Of course, that was a lie.
But there was no way I was telling anyone about Magic Creation.
If people found out about that skill, things could get… complicated very quickly.
"The Chief is researching your illness at the library," Father said.
"Okay!" I replied.
Father shook his head with a small chuckle.
"You're not worrying about it, huh? For now, just rest. Don't get out of bed, okay?"
"Yes!" I said obediently.
After he left, I stared up at the ceiling again.
Damn… it's difficult being a child.
I stretched slightly under the blanket.
I'm seriously waiting for my teenage years.