The Awakening

Standing in the empty yard, Akira took a deep breath and focused. "Let's start with a sprint," he thought. He pushed off the ground with all his might and felt the world blur around him as he cleared the entire yard in seconds. "Whoa," he muttered, amazed at his speed.

Next, he tried jumping. He bent his knees and sprang upwards, soaring nearly three times his own height. He landed lightly, exhilarated by his newfound agility. "Incredible," he said to himself.

Finally, he approached a sturdy tree. "Let's see my strength," he thought, winding up for a punch. His fist connected with the tree trunk, sending a jolt of pain through his hand but also leaving a significant dent in the wood. "A few more punches, and this tree would fall," he mused, pleased with the damage he caused.

"Master Akira, it's essential to understand your magical abilities as well," Alfred suggested. "Try a basic spell to gauge your control and power."

Akira nodded, recalling the information from the library. He knew that magic flowed from a core within his body and that he needed to channel it to cast spells. He sat down in a yoga position and began to meditate, feeling the magic coursing through him.

"Alfred, guide me," he thought.

"Channel the magic to your hand and say the spell aloud," Alfred instructed. "Point your hand to the sky to avoid collateral damage."

Akira stood up, pointed his hand upward, and channeled the magic to his palm. "Fireball!" he shouted. A massive fireball erupted from his hand, shooting into the sky and disappearing into the distance.

"That... was huge," Akira said, stunned by the power of the spell. A fellow tavern mate who witnessed the spell gaped at him, clearly thinking Akira must be a high-ranking magician.

"Master Akira, you used a considerable amount of magic. Next time, try to use less to avoid exhaustion," Alfred advised.

Akira felt a bit weak and nodded, looking like he was talking to himself. He decided to test more spells. "Air Blade!" he shouted, sending a sharp blade of air cutting through the space before him. "Water Jet!" A powerful stream of water shot from his hand, hitting a target with force.

In this world, there were six types of magic: fire, water, earth, air, light, and summoning. Most people could use one type, some could use two, and very few could use three. Only legends could use four types, and Akira had just used three different spells. The passersby were astonished, many approaching him and asking if he would join their parties.

Overwhelmed, Akira tried to escape the crowd, declining every offer. "Alfred, I don't want people to know too much about me. Let's get out of here," he thought.

"Agreed, Master Akira. Using your speed would be wise," Alfred responded.

Akira dashed off, escaping the crowd in a blur. "This skill is called 'Flash Step,'" he noted, recalling the information from the books. He headed to the weapons shop he had noticed the previous day.

Entering the weapons shop, Akira was greeted by the sight of swords, shields, armor, bows, battle axes, and various other weapons. The blacksmith behind the counter looked up and gave a nod.

"Good morning," Akira greeted, his eyes scanning the displays. He decided on a sword, a small shield, a knife, and some leather armor for his forearms. He also picked out a good pair of gloves and a chest plate.

"Alfred, any recommendations on potions?" he asked mentally.

"I suggest purchasing two health potions and two magic replenishing potions," Alfred replied.

Akira gathered the items and approached the counter. "How much for all of this?" he asked.

The blacksmith tallied the items. "That'll be six silver coins."

Akira handed over the money, feeling a twinge of worry about his dwindling funds. "Thank you," he said, strapping on his new gear. "By the way, can you point me to the adventurers' guild?"

The blacksmith gave directions, and Akira made his way to the guild. On the way, he passed a trapper's shop. Curiosity piqued, he stepped inside and browsed through various poisons, traps, and baits. "These could be useful for hunting monsters," he thought, but he was short on money for now.

He continued to the adventurers' guild, a bustling place filled with groups of adventurers and solo fighters. Conversations buzzed around him as he approached the quest board, eyes wide with excitement. He saw quests for gathering herbs, killing wolves, boars, slimes, kobolds, hobgoblins, and many more.

"Let's start simple," he thought, selecting a quest to kill ten goblins. He approached the receptionist, who directed him to the back room for registration and assessment.

Inside, he was instructed to jump, sprint, punch objects, and finally channel his magic into a crystal. "Alfred, limit my magic output to the bare minimum," he instructed.

The crystal glowed a light red, and the examiner noted down his results. "Your physical abilities are impressive, but your magic is below average," the examiner commented, handing Akira his registration paper.

Returning to the receptionist, Akira handed over the form. "You're ranked D," the receptionist said. "With your physical skills, you should focus on being a swordsman, spearman, tank, or warrior."

Akira nodded slightly, accepting his guild card. He then visited the quest board again, taking the goblin quest. The receptionist agreed but mentioned he could take on higher-level quests if he wanted.

"This is fine for now," Akira replied. "I want to test my combat abilities first."

Leaving the guild, Akira made his way out of the city. As he passed the guards from the previous day, they exchanged a nod. Ahead, the forest loomed, and Akira felt a thrill of anticipation.

"Let's see what this world has to offer," he thought, stepping onto the path leading into the wilderness.