A Year After

"The Trident Org disappeared once again. Before, they had killed a few important individuals in the Higher District. I did not expect that they would appear in the Middle District."

"How did you know about them, Sir?" Raymond asked.

"I heard about the Trident Org, but I didn't know about their symbol. It was only when I asked one of my colleagues about the trident symbol."

Raymond put the pieces together. It could be that he just forgot about it, but he didn't have any recollection of the Trident Org.

A question then popped into his mind about how he could taunt the people who sent those assassins.

"Where did you put their bodies, Sir?" Raymond asked again.

"I put them in the higher district. The plaza there is famous for criminal executions."

Raymond nodded simultaneously as he understood Gandina's explanation.

When the night arrived, Raymond continued circulating his mana to improve his MP. But it wasn't enough because this progress is expected of him. But at least he could get some air from the pressure.

He was also assuming that Fulgran would stop his taunting and schemes against them. However, he is not willing to make him take a breath. Raymond swore to himself that he would take revenge on them.

"Humiliation is not enough, as I always say. The hatred I had in my heart, the torment my family experienced in the past, and also the hatred that was part of my memory. Fulgran, whoever your father is, it is not acceptable to me."

Raymond might be self-centered, thinking that he was the main character in some stories. Well, he was, and he knew how to control the flow.

His plans were already established; the execution was what was lacking.

***

After a year of training, Raymond checked his progress.

---

Name: Raymond (Commoner)

Lv: Unawakened (Commoner)

Stats: Locked (Commoner)

Talent: Unawakened (Commoner)

Skill: Unwakened (Commoner)

Hidden Stats:

HP: Undetermined

MP: 7/7 (Primary)

STR: 25

SPD: 18

INT: Null (Connected with MP)

---

"Superhuman, if I must say," Raymond mumbled, looking at his profile while sitting on his bed inside his room.

It was the year when he turned 15 and also the year when he would attend the Awakening Ceremony. Raymond didn't want to show this to everyone, but, to keep his worth intact, he was willing to record this extraordinary profile he had.

At the starting point of every magic-based Talent, their MP would be only 3, and eventually, through the academy, they would increase it to 15 MP. However, Raymond's was 7 already.

He didn't know if the kind of Talent he could have would be really connected with his profile. It was that his INT might have led him to lower-grade Talent.

But being panicked about what kind of Talent he could have would not benefit him anything.

So, what he could only do was exhale deeply and reserve his excitement for the Awakening Ceremony. At least, in this case, he could prepare for something that would be received.

"Such a complex thought. I will just check the chapter and missions." He muttered, then reopened the other tabs to see the previous contents of his system.

---

Chapter One: Awakening Ceremony

After awakening a # Grade Talent, you will receive your first skill from the same ceremony. You will be tasked with improving your grasp of the Talent you have and will come to the academy after a month.

The month will decide if the student is qualified to be supported by the village. If the student couldn't grasp more of their Talent, the village would put them on the waiting list where their studies would be extended for two years for them to learn more about it.

---

Reading back through his memories, he hadn't had a hard time after the Awakening Ceremony. Hence, it is safe to assume that he didn't have low-grade Talent. That was what he was worried about. Since the Talent he had was the only censored item in the plot, he was anxious that he might be given a low-grade Talent.

"Most common plot in novels is that the main character is ill-fated in the first few chapters and then arises in the following chapters. I don't want that to happen. It is a cliche." Raymond muttered with frustration.

"But, this world of mine is a game. Even still, it is designed to have a plot, and the Dragon King is a troll. It is possible that he would give me a hard time." Raymond added as he remembered what the system had told him about the Dragon King.

But going back to his memories, it didn't tell him that he would be driven to an ill-fate. At least, that could be what he was holding onto.

"Why am I even nervous about this? It is not like my life would be described after the Awakening Ceremony." Raymond stood up from his bed and then went downstairs.

It was the day of the Awakening Ceremony that he always thought of. And just when he arrived downstairs, his eyes fell on Gandina, who had something in his hands.

Raymond raised an eyebrow and just gazed upon him with a perplexed face. Gandina was as if waiting for him, and just looking around him, his family was standing behind Gandina.

"What is this all about?" he asked, and his family just made a giggly smile that further confused him.

"Raymond, I would like to congratulate you on finishing your training. A job well done, Raymond." Gandina stated, then uncovered the thing he was holding. And as it was fully uncovered, Raymond's eyes flickered with amusement, as what he saw was a black 10-inch dagger with a few runes drawn on the blade.

"What is that?" he asked, keeping his excitement to himself.

"This is a gift from me. A dagger infused with a magical skill called "Burst." After awakening, you will be able to use the skill of this dagger."

Raymond's eyes flickered again as he was introduced to another useful piece of information. Skills are something that every awakened person strives for. Hence, once they got a Skill connected with their Talent, their power would be increased.

"Since you are a genius with a possible Talent for magic-based Talent, you might put this dagger into use," Gandina stated, with a beaming face.