Chapter 7: Horizon of Descent

Breath rasps in and out of me—shallow, erratic.

My eyes are closed. It's all dark.

'...It… hurts…..', I thought, my body trembling.

My chest rises and falls in heaving gasps.

'….ughh….. wha…t… is thi…s sound?...', I thought, disoriented.

The air rattled in my throat, but there was something else…

'..is…this….my….breat..hing?', I questioned, struggling to separate thought from sensation.

'..n-no… it..'s something..g else?', I strained, trying to anchor myself.

'…go…away….', I thought bitterly, the repetitive sound gnawing at my nerves.

As if obeying, the sound faded.

'Where…. am I?' I asked myself, confusion fogging my mind.

'I remember… being thrown into the f**king sky by that orc champion… What was his name again?' I searched, grasping fragments of memory.

'Then… I saw Sebas's message… what was it—?!'

Suddenly—agony.

My skull ignited. Fire bloomed behind my eyes as something wet and hot ran down my face.

Blood.

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!

I screamed. The pain—f**k—the pain was unreal.

It poured from my nose. My ears. Even my eyes.

It was my blood.

Everything blurred. My body hurts.

Then, finally, it receded—like a wave pulling back from the shore.

Huff… huff…

'i-it's f-finally gone...', I thought, each breath a blessing.

'I remember now… Sebas said all traits had been added. Then my head felt like it would explode. After that…?'

'Ah—Reversal Field… it was removed…', I recalled, a strange numbness coating my thoughts.

And then, like a crack in a dam, memories began to spill out.

—Flashback: The Other World—

I completed university—second in my entire class.
I was teaching myself web development, even experimenting with app design on the side. I could’ve made it in IT if I’d just gotten the right shot. Get in as an apprentice, build a portfolio, bounce from project to project, showing off what I could create—what I could become.

I smiled at the memory of that hope. That hunger.

I wanted to prove my vision. To show I wasn’t just dreaming.

But of course… that dream didn’t last. Just a little resistance—and it all started slipping away.

I thought maybe Mom and Dad would understand. Maybe they’d back me if I showed enough passion.

Ever since middle school, I’d been drawn to tech—building custom PCs, tweaking code, dreaming of designing games or joining a startup. I wanted to explore. To create. But my parents didn’t see it that way.

“Be realistic,” they said. “Take the komuin (civil service exam) exam. Get a proper job.”

Government worker. The holy grail. A stable, lifelong career with a pension. Safe. Predictable. Lifeless.

They didn’t care what I wanted. IT was too “unstable,” too “modern,” too “risky.”
All they saw was a salary chart and what the neighbors would think.

I remember sitting on the edge of the bed with my father days later. He looked tired.

“I’ll retire in five, maybe seven years,” he said, calm as ever. “You should think about settling down.”

I couldn’t say anything. Couldn’t tell them what I really wanted.
Couldn’t even ask.

So I gave in. Smiled. Nodded. And buried every piece of myself.
That’s what a “good son” does, right?

Whenever we visited relatives, I’d show off my little projects to older cousins—ones Mom always bragged about. They praised me. Told her I had real potential.

But I couldn’t pass the komuin exam. Not after a year of trying.

That’s when Mom snapped.

“See? Even they think you won’t pass. Might as well send you to some black company.”

I hadn’t even applied anywhere. I was too scared to bring it up.
The idea of talking about what I really wanted—IT, games, creativity—it felt impossible.

I still tried, in my own way. I played games. Recorded myself pretending to be a streamer—trying to build some confidence.

Everyone says talk to the mirror.
F**k that. The mirror doesn’t talk back.
Games did. Stories did.

But everything was a grind.

I stopped messaging friends. What was I supposed to say? “Hey, I’m panicking at night”?
Panic attacks became routine. But the tears stopped. Everything inside just… went quiet.

Every word I said passed right through them. Nothing stuck.
They never really listened.

I stopped feeling. Became a ghost drifting through the days, doing whatever they expected.

My body moved.
My heart didn’t.

—Back to Present—

Then it hit me.

'Wait. I stopped feeling anything… but… why have I been so excited lately? So alive?'

I used to be calm. Lazy even. Now—something's different.

—Flashback Continues—

I thought I'd shut it all off… but at night, while lying in bed, I felt everything. I lived inside games, manga, anime.

Those moments felt real. Joy. Pain. Excitement.

I was still scared—of crowds, strangers, even asking a store clerk for change—but I pushed through.

In anime, I saw characters laugh while bleeding. Smiling in battle. Enjoying what people usually fears.

'I wanted that. I wanted to enjoy the things that terrified me.'

It didn't always work. Sometimes the fear drowned me. But sometimes… just sometimes, I turned fear into joy.

—Back to Present—

A vision sparked—Reversal Field being removed.

'It doesn't matter anymore…', I thought bitterly.

'I was finally free. I could do anything. And now it's all over…'

'I guess I'll die if i fall from this height here.'

Something filled my mind not fear, or regret…

'Just… boredom. It's all f**king boring again.'

But something burned inside me. A flicker.

'No. Not yet.'

I usually gave up from things that weren't fun beacuse i couldn't be bothered. But this time

'Let's try a bit harder this time.'

My heart beat louder.

'I've still got a chance. There were orcs everywhere… I can use their bodies to break the fall. Or better—go out killing that b**tard champion.'

My blood surged. I was fired up again.

'I should spread my body out—slow the descent first.'

'Wait… shouldn't I have hit the ground by now? I've been thinking for way too long… I even blacked out. And now… I don't feel pain?'

Thoughts collided in my mind like sparks in dry grass.

Suddenly, something cold touched the back of my hand.

'Huh? What's this? It's… wet?'

'Rain?' I wondered.

I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the blur.

I raised my hand slowly. Raindrops ran down my skin.

'It's… water.'

Then I looked up—and my breath hitched.

'The rain… the droplets…'

'Why are they moving so slowly?'

Everything around me… had changed.

Everything around me had slowed down — suspended in the sky mid-fall.

I was stunned. Fascinated.

Another droplet drifted slowly past my right side. I slowly reached out. It landed softly on my hand.

'Interesting…' I thought, intrigued.

'Am I in someone's magic field? A new power? Is a god gonna talk to me?'

'Kai? No... he didn't have enough divine power left. A special power awakening maybe?'

Then, something familiar flickered in front of my eyes.

[ You've finally woken up, Master ]

'Sebas?'

'Explain,' I ordered calmly.

[ Due to acquiring the Split Mind and Fast Analysis skills, your thinking speed has increased drastically. You're perceiving time slower. Normally, your body would be paralyzed under such mental strain — but thanks to the passive skill Hyperawareness and your high Agility stat, your body is partially keeping up. ]

'Oh… interesting synergy,' I mused, appreciating how the skills worked together. But something else came to mind.

'Sebas, what passive skills do I have now?'

[ Here you go, Master. ]

I scanned the list — Reversal Field was gone.

I sighed.

But something caught my eye.

'Sebas, what is that [ ??? ] skill? Show me the description.'

[ As you wish. ]

[ ??? ]
A passive barrier that reacts to your intent and perception, deflecting any physical force you recognize as dangerous and returning it with twice the impact.
✦ Ineffective against magic, illusions, or non-physical effects.
✦ You can control its shape and size. Max range: 2 meters.

'Hmmm? Isn't this just Reversal Field? Why is the name changed? And I saw it was removed earlier… Sebas?'

[ Skill: Reversal Field has been removed and replaced with this, Master. ]

'And?'

[ I'm sorry, Master. I am not allowed to reveal more. You must discover its truth yourself. ]

'Figures. Secrets like this don't come easy,' I thought, shelving the topic.

[ Would you like to check all your pending notifications, Master? ]

'Notifications?' Then a realization hit me.

'Was that sound I heard earlier… were those system messages?'

[ Yes, Master. As per your request, I muted them. ]

'That explains why it stopped suddenly. But there were so many… how many are there?'

[ A lot ]

[ Master ]

'....'

'Later,' I dismissed it.

Then, I felt something unusual deep inside me.

'What is this feeling?'

[ That's mana, Master ]

'Ma…na?' My eyes widened.

I could feel it, flowing inside me. It moved like breath — natural, alive. I could slow it, accelerate it, or let it flow freely… and it always settled back into the perfect rhythm.

It felt… amazing.

I had so many questions. But before I could dive deeper—

I noticed the ground was close.

'I won't be hurt... but I'm not interested in fighting right now. I want to understand this mana. I need to feel it more.'

I took a deep breath.

The wind howled as something fell from the heavens.

At first, it was just a blur—an outline descending from the skyline like a discarded feather, twirling gently as gravity pulled it down. Faster. Sharper. Deadlier.

And yet, in that final instant—just meters above the cracked pavement—it halted.

The air warped. A hush rippled outward, pressing down on the world like time itself paused to watch.

The figure touched the ground not with a crash, but with absolute stillness. Feet planted. Posture straight. A gust of wind brushed past, lifting strands of his hair into the air — not wild, not chaotic, but gentle, like the world exhaled at his arrival.

No crater. No impact. Just presence.

Dust swirled around him, chasing the echo of what should've been a thunderous landing.

His eyes remained half-lidded. Calm. Bored.

As if falling from the sky was just another step in his walk.

And as those words settled into the earth, the sky finally broke — rain pouring down in heavy sheets, drenching cracked pavement and shattered stone. The air turned cold and sharp, wind howling through alleyways, as if the world itself held its breath in awe and fear.

'Wait a second...'

[ You have what's needed, Master — but you don't yet understand it. I didn't want to interfere, but I thought this might make you happy. ]
[ I saw in your data of a certain someone you admire did something similar. So I reduced your fall speed with Wind Magic. ]

'He really is the best.' I smiled proudly.

'Sebas… what's this shimmering color I keep seeing around everything?'

[ It's mana, Master. It's everywhere — in nature, in the air, in life. ]

'This is… incredible. My body keeps absorbing it? No… it's not that. It is something else. I want to know it. I want to understand everything about it. THIS IS SOOO FASCINATING!'

"HOW DID YOU SURVIVE, HUMAN?! KEKWK!!" the Orc Champion roared.

'Ah. I forgot he existed. But honestly? I don't care anymore.'

'This mana… this beauty… this is far more interesting than fighting right now.'

'Maybe I can try casting magic like Sebas used to slow my fall. If he can do it and I can too, then…'

"I DON'T WISH TO DO THIS, BUT—YOU'RE STRONG, HUMAN. I ADMIT."

The Orc Champion screamed — maybe a warcry, maybe a skill. I didn't care.

The stampede began. Countless orcs charged toward me, thundering footsteps pounding like drums of war.

'Decapitate everyone—wait. After understanding mana, I need a lot of traning dummies to try stuff. OH wait! The Orc Champion has regeneration. He's enough.'

'Sebas. Kill everyone except him. I want him alive.'

[ Kill all. Leave Orc Champion breathing. Understood, Master ]
[ Please take your time and enjoy ]

That wasn't exactly what I said… but I didn't care.

Everything else had faded from importance.

Only this new power — this world of mana — mattered.

To be continued…

Author's Note:

I know this chapter dives into a bit of backstory, and I get that might not be everyone’s cup of tea (⁠⁠↼⁠_⁠↼⁠) — but just bear with me on this one! The next chapter drops tomorrow.

Also, I experimented with bold text and used [ ] for Sebas’s system messages. Let me know what you think — does it help distinguish his dialogue better, or would you prefer Sebas’s lines to be fully bolded instead? Keep in mind, Sebas isn’t just a system — he has a personality, so his dialogue will be more conversational going forward.

Lastly, I slipped in two references in this chapter, both from the top of my personal list.
Drop a comment if you spotted them — bonus points if you can name the exact lines they came from. (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠