As soon as the notification about the new title appeared, everything changed.
The heat that had been building in my chest—the same heat that felt like it was going to tear me apart—vanished in an instant. The pain disappeared right with it. My body stopped shaking. My breathing returned to normal. It felt like something inside me had been reset.
But instead of just going back to normal, I was filled with something new. A calm, soothing warmth spread through my chest. It wasn't like fire anymore—it was like floating in warm water, safe and still. I could finally think clearly again.
I let out a slow breath and leaned back in the water, letting it hold me up. Whatever had just happened, it was over.
But the notifications weren't done.
My eyes drifted to the last few messages again.
[You have exited Mana Overload]
[You have acquired the skill: Magic Sense]
[You have acquired the title: Mana Born]
That last one—the title—seemed to be the trigger that ended the overload. The moment it appeared, my body had stopped burning. It was like the system itself had forced the change.
I glanced at the pond. The glow was still there, soft and inviting, but the constant increase to my intelligence… it had stopped. I could feel it. No matter how much more I drank, it wouldn't raise my stats again.
Still, I wasn't disappointed.
I had survived.
And I had gained something new.
Opening my profile, I noticed two new things that hadn't been there before—a new skill and a new title. My curiosity spiked immediately. I wanted to know exactly what I had gained from all of this. First, I decided to check out the skill.
---
[Skill: Magic Sense (Level 1)]
Description: The user is able to see mana particles in the atmosphere and sense disturbances in a certain area depending on the level of the skill.
Mana Consumption: 0 MP/Minute
Note: Some skills are constant and don't cost mana. These are called passive skills.
---
So that's what this was.
I looked around and finally understood why everything looked different. Blue particles floated all around me, dancing slowly through the air like glowing dust. I had noticed them earlier, but I thought it was just something weird about the pond. Now I knew—it was mana. Actual mana floating in the atmosphere.
Even with my eyes closed, I could still see it. That was the strange part. It wasn't normal vision, but something else, like I was feeling the presence of everything around me. I could sense the flow of energy, even from the trees nearby. If anything shifted or moved in the area, I knew I'd be able to feel it instantly.
This skill was crazy.
I grinned and flipped over to the title next.
---
[Title: Mana Born]
Description: A title given to those who are extremely in tune with the mana in their surroundings.
Effect: Doubles the user's mana recovery speed and halves the user's mana usage.
---
I stared at the screen in disbelief.
"What the hell…"
That was all I could say for a second. My mind stopped as I read the title effects again, slower this time, just to make sure I hadn't imagined it. Double mana recovery and half mana usage?
This wasn't just good—it was insane.
I hadn't even gotten a proper job or class yet, but this title alone felt like it would carry me far. It meant I could use Flame Coat or Speed Boost for double the time, or recover faster between fights. In a world where mana seemed to rule everything, this kind of passive boost was massive.
"This is OP," I muttered out loud, unable to stop the grin from spreading across my face.
The pain, the overload, the screaming heat—it had all been worth it.
I leaned back again, arms resting in the glowing pond water. I let the moment sink in. This forest was dangerous, sure, but it had also given me more strength than I thought possible. And something told me this was only the beginning.
My eyes glanced toward the deeper part of the forest, where the trees grew darker and thicker.
Just as I was getting ready to explore deeper into the forest, I noticed something strange.
It was getting dark.
The light filtering through the trees had faded, and the once gentle green glow of the forest had turned into a dark blue shadow. I blinked a few times, confused. Had that much time really passed? I must've been in the water for way longer than I thought.
I didn't want to leave. Not now. I had just gained so much—Magic Sense, the Mana Born title, and a decent chunk of INT. I wanted to see what else the forest had to offer, but…
A part of me knew better.
I didn't know what came out when the sun went down, and I wasn't about to find out while running low on mana and still not fully healed. It was smarter to head back, rest, and return stronger.
With a heavy sigh, I pulled myself out of the pond, the warm spirit water clinging to my skin like it didn't want to let me go. I glanced back one last time. I wanted to take some of it with me, maybe store it for later, but I didn't have any containers.
So, I left it behind.
The trip out of the forest wasn't peaceful. I got maybe ten minutes in before I was attacked—again—by more Dart Sparrows.
Eleven of them.
But this time, I wasn't the same as before.
With Magic Sense, I felt them coming before they even appeared. I dodged easily, flames bursting around me as I activated Flame Claws and Speed Boost. I tore through them one by one, barely breaking a sweat. Compared to earlier, it was almost laughable how easy it was.
The meat wasn't worth anything—burnt, small, and stringy—but the stat gain still worked. So, without hesitation, I devoured them all.
---
[You have devoured a Dart Sparrow x11:
Speed Boost has leveled up to Level 3]
---
With Speed Boost at level 3, the effect now increased my Agility by 35% instead of 20%. That may not sound like much to someone else, but for me, it was huge. With Magic Sense, insane speed, and strong flame skills, I was becoming something dangerous. Something fast. Something hard to stop.
After that, the forest stayed quiet. Maybe the monsters had sensed what I'd become.
By the time I reached the edge of the trees, the moon had just started rising. The grasslands were empty, and I didn't see another creature the whole way back.
When I reached the Lord's Hut, I paused for a moment, standing at the edge of the warband camp. Just out of sight of my two companions.
I came here weak.
Now I was something else.
And this was only the beginning.