The sky was still gray when I stopped running. My breath came in short, jagged bursts as I leaned against the wall of a crumbling stone building. Somewhere back in the slums, a guard was still cursing my name—or what he thought it was.
I glanced at my hand.
It was still tingling.
That spark, that bolt—it was magic. Real, unmistakable, heart-stopping magic. And it had come from me.
But that wasn't supposed to be possible.
According to Mira, commoners didn't have magic. Magic belonged to nobles, guilds, and marked classes—mages, battleminds, elementalists. But I had cast a spell, instinctively. That meant either Mira was wrong, or the rules of this world were already starting to break around me.
I needed answers. And I needed them now.
I found an abandoned stall beneath a sagging awning and ducked under it. The rain hadn't let up, but here, at least, I could breathe. I closed my eyes and whispered the word again.
"Status."
The glowing panel reappeared in the air before me.
---
[Name: Elias Black]
[Class: Commoner]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 45/45 | MP: 200/200]
[Strength: 6 | Agility: 7 | Intelligence: 11 | Vitality: 5 | Charisma: 4 | Luck: 8]
[Skills: Basic Strike (Lv. 1), Mana Bolt (Lv. 1)]
[Perks: None]
[Titles: None]
[EXP: 0/100]
---
There it was—Mana Bolt.
It hadn't been there yesterday. Somehow, casting that spark had created the skill.
So this really was a system. Like a game. Only real. Only brutal.
I focused on the skill name.
> [Mana Bolt – Level 1]
Cost: 20 MP
Fires a small arcane projectile dealing [Intelligence × 2] arcane damage. Basic spell, typically used by apprentices. Weak, but scalable.
Scalable. That word echoed in my head. I had intelligence. I had mana. A lot of it for a commoner.
And I could cast again.
I looked around the alley, made sure no one was watching, and whispered, "Mana Bolt."
A sharp flick of heat surged up my forearm. I raised my hand, fingers outstretched.
Blue light danced across my palm, then fired forward in a hiss of magic. It slammed into the crumbling wall across from me, leaving a scorch mark.
It felt good. Too good.
Like unlocking something that had always been there.
I exhaled, steadying myself.
But magic alone wasn't enough to survive. I had no gear. No money. No way to eat, let alone fight monsters or level up. Which meant I needed to grind.
The only question was: where?
I remembered something Mira had said when she was half-asleep at the fire. "If you're hungry, go to the sewers. Rats down there are big enough to eat you—but if you eat them first, you're halfway to not starving."
Disgusting? Yes.
But I needed experience. And if rats gave it… I'd take it.
---
The sewer entrance wasn't hard to find. It was hidden behind a rusted gate near the edge of the slums. A warning sign was etched in three languages.
> CAUTION: Entry prohibited without Guild license. Dangerous creatures present.
I looked at my fists.
Yeah. This felt like a stupid idea.
But the status screen didn't give me alternatives.
I gripped the bars and yanked. The gate groaned, metal protesting as I shoved it open.
Darkness awaited.
Cold. Wet. Reeking of shit, mold, and decay.
I climbed down a ladder set into the wall and landed in ankle-deep sludge. My nose crinkled.
The tunnel was narrow, arched with ancient brick and moss-covered stones. The only light came from glowing mushrooms clinging to the walls. Their greenish hue gave everything a sickly color.
A quest pinged in front of my face.
---
[Quest: Sewer Clearance I]
Kill 1 Sewer Rat
Reward: 10 EXP | 1 Copper Coin
Tip: Try not to die. Rats are nastier than you think.
---
I smirked. "Helpful."
Something scurried in the distance.
I crept forward, trying not to slip. Every step echoed. Every breath felt too loud. I'd never fought anything in my life—not really. But here, I couldn't afford not to.
Then I saw it.
A sewer rat, crawling from a pile of bones and filth.
And it wasn't just any rat.
It was the size of a small dog. Its fur was blackened with slime. Its eyes glowed red. And its teeth looked like little daggers.
It hissed.
My instincts screamed.
I whispered, "Mana Bolt."
Blue light flared in my palm and flew—but the rat moved fast, darting to the side. The spell scorched stone.
"Shit!"
The rat lunged. I barely dodged in time, its teeth snapping inches from my leg. I swung my arm wildly and hit it with the back of my fist. It yelped but didn't retreat.
I cast again—another bolt, this time point-blank.
It hit.
The rat squealed as the bolt exploded into its side, knocking it back.
But it didn't die.
It lunged again.
I grabbed a rusted pipe from the floor and swung. The impact crunched. Blood sprayed. The rat fell twitching, then stopped moving.
I stared at the corpse.
Heart pounding. Muscles trembling.
Then the system chimed.
---
[Sewer Rat Defeated]
+10 EXP | +1 Copper Coin
EXP: 10/100
---
I fell to my knees and gasped.
My first kill.
It hadn't been elegant. It hadn't even been skillful. But I was alive.
I leaned back against the wall, sweat mixing with sewer stink, and laughed quietly.
This was going to be my life now?
Fine.
If this world ran on experience and power…
Then I'd earn mine in blood.