Chapter 10: The protagonist and the levels!

At night, after that little “chat” with Headmistress Herz, I walked back to my room with slow, dragging steps—as if my legs weren’t totally convinced they should be moving at all. I closed the door gently, like someone might be listening to my thoughts out in the hallway, and flopped onto the bed—after slipping into an adorable animal-themed pajama, of course.

The sheets crinkled under me, cold as marble, and for a moment I didn’t feel human. I felt like a crumpled-up paper tossed on a desk… and weirdly enough, it felt nice.

Just lying there. Not moving. Not thinking. No worries.

“Ahhh… being crumpled paper is the best,” I whispered to myself, just to make sure I still had a voice—meaning I still had to get up and try to survive this hell.

“Alright… Time to sort this mental mess.”

First thing on the list—already kinda decided, even if reluctantly—was that I’d be staying at Libelling Academy. Yeah, the system would keep being a pain, which meant more dumb quests or “special events” I'd be forced to star in.

But… it was safer.

I remembered Headmistress Herz’s words again, and a chill ran down my spine. The casual way she mentioned anti-magic groups. The calm tone she used when talking about “lynchings”... the kind of calm adults use when saying truly awful things.

Nope. Leaving wasn’t an option.

So I had a plan. A simple one: stay put. Avoid the “heroes.” Dodge the system like it’s a puddle of electricity. Survive until the time runs out. Get that noble title. Then, get out.

Next item: my defense stat.

Supposedly it was at level one. That’s what the interface said last time. But honestly? After the slap Clementine gave me, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

The weird part is that my Defense stat went up from just one quest, and I’ve done another one since—so why hasn't it increased?

My point is—when you level up Defense in games, aren’t you supposed to take less damage? So shouldn’t I not feel pain already? I mean, I get that it’s just Lv 1, so I’m not expecting to be immune to everything, but… come on, a normal slap shouldn’t hurt that bad.

Something’s off.

“…How am I supposed to check this? System? Do you pop up if I just call you like that?”

Silence.

“Pretty please? I wanna see my stats…”

Nothing.

I frowned.

“So that’s how it is, huh? I know you can hear me! Show yourself, you coward!”

Still no response.

Then, because stupidity is a valid form of summoning apparently, I had a brilliant idea.

I stood up, took a deep breath, placed the back of my hand dramatically on my forehead, and cried out in the most theatrical voice I could muster:

“Oh no! What’s Kaelvarion doing here!?”

And just like that, as if that had been the magic phrase… it appeared.

A floating black panel in the middle of the room, practically taunting me with its presence.

[Protagonist Mission...]

“Ha! Gotcha!” I yelled with a victorious grin as my trap totally worked.

I lunged toward the panel like a madwoman hoping to grab it, only to smack straight into the floor with a dull thud.

“…Don’t even know why I thought that would work,” I muttered, face still glued to the carpet. I pushed myself up with a resigned sigh and sat on the bed. “Anyway, at least I got you to show up. Now for the next question… are you, like, self-aware?”

[User, what you are seeing is merely a representation of this world. It is not conscious.]

“Uh-huh. That sounded pretty conscious…”

[…]

“...”

[…Would you like to check your current status?]

“So you’re changing the subject. Fine, whatever. Not in the mood to argue with a black text box.”

I gave in. I’d already figured talking to this thing was like trying to philosophize with a toaster. Better to focus on what I could control.

My stats.

That’s when a menu popped up with all the information on “Kathryn.”

Kathryn (D)
Nen – Female – 20 years old

“I see…” I murmured, crossing my legs on the bed and resting a finger on my chin. “I understand none of this.”

[Would you like an explanation? Yes/No.]

I thought about it.

Just a little.

“Mmm… fine.”

[The letter next to the name is the character’s Rank. Based on this, the base stats of any living being may increase. Note: Stats may vary, resulting in different final values after applying the character Rank bonus plus developed attributes.]

“I see…” I murmured again, doing the same leg-crossing-finger-on-chin pose. “Still don’t get it.”

[Would you like a breakdown of each Stat? Yes/No.]

Without hesitation, I slapped “No.”

Sorry, but I’m not some MMORPG hacker. Just reading that already gave me a partial stroke. I’m not a genius looking for a way to break the system and become OP.

Besides, I think the stats shown in the black box are obvious enough.

So I moved on to something simpler—at least, I hoped it would be.

“Okay, something simple: how many protagonist points have I spent on Defense?”

I did the math in my head.

Clementine’s mission should’ve been like 20 PP, and the other “protagonist actions” should’ve given me around 15 more. Though, I’m not exactly sure what counts as a “protagonist action.” So let’s say realistically that’s 35 PP.

So if Defense cost 20 PP, shouldn’t it be Lv2 already? Why the hell is it still Lv1!?

Also, it says “Defensive Sorcery,” not just “Defense.” Is that different? Because it sure doesn’t sound like what I had in mind.

[Currently: Defensive Sorcery has a total of 40 PP. 160 PP required for next Lv.]

—No freakin' way, are you serious?! Why the hell did the cost go up that much?! Isn’t this stuff supposed to increase gradually? Like in games, ya know? It should be progressive, like double each time. 20, 40, 80... But 160!? That’s, like, eight times more!

And if that’s true... then for Defense Lv 3 it’d be like... sixteen times more... 320!?

T-That’s, like... so overkill!

Just as I thought that, more text started showing up.

[Levels are a way to measure mastery over each Sorcery-Magic-Technique. There are 6 Levels. Lv 1 = beginner. Lv 2 = creatures who know advanced spells. Lv 3 = mastery, where autonomous spells are learned and applied. Lv 4 = heroes. Lv 5 = legends. Lv 6 = divine territory. Note: No records of a Lv 6 being.]

—Ahh, I see... —I muttered, crossing my legs on the bed and touching my chin thoughtfully—. Yeah, no. Still don’t get any of it.

[Confusion detected. Initiating baby-mode explanation.]

—H-Hey! Rude~! —I pouted, frowning at the condescending tone. Though… —Ughhh, whatever! I’m mad, but like… thanks for making it simple, teehee~!

The text faded out slowly in a soft fade-out. The screen turned pitch black for a few seconds. A silence thick like a moonless night took over.

Then, white lines began to form. Slowly. One stroke. Then another. Like someone drawing with an inky pen on a blank canvas.

First a line. Then another. Then more.

With each stroke, a figure began to appear. Or rather… someone. A simple stick figure. Like a kid’s doodle.

[Let’s start again.]

I nodded silently.

[In this world, there is magic, and it feeds on Aura. The User should think of Aura as the essential engine of life. Is this term clear? Yes / No.]

I pressed Yes. Easy enough to understand. It’s like Dragon Ball ki, or chakra, right? If I think of it that way, I’ll totally get it. At least for now.

[Magic gives birth to Sorcery. The difference between both lies in three main points: Aura consumption, power, and casting method. Is this term clear? Yes / No.]

I thought about it for a sec. It’s like Magic is the original core, and Sorcery is just a practical spin-off. A more “user-friendly” branch. Like in a game. Or if I put it in words I can actually digest—Sorcery is like basic-tier Magic in an RPG!

...Well duh. I am in a game. I answered myself sarcastically.

With that logic (flawed but functional), I hit Yes again.

[The power difference between these two forms lies in the fact that Magic, being the origin of Sorcery, is expressed in the world with its full force.]

The little stickman—who I randomly decided to call Jon (after a pet bunny I had as a kid)—suddenly started moving. He waved his stubby lil’ stick hand at me.

[Magic only needs one word to activate. The mind is responsible for shaping Aura, which creates a physical phenomenon.]

Next to Jon, floating letters appeared. Like literal thoughts made visible. “I’m thirsty! I want water!”

Jon raised his arm. With a voice that didn’t exist, he said: “Flot.”

A stream of water burst from his palm. It looked weirdly natural. Like… as natural as breathing.

The text changed: “Never mind. Now I wanna play with a water ball.”

Jon said “Flot” again, and the stream turned into a floating orb. He started playing with it, spinning it in his hands like a new toy.

—Soo that’s… imagination. All I gotta do is form the image in my head of what I want Magic to do and—bam—it does it, right?

That’s what I understood anyway. And since the system didn’t correct me, I’ll take that as a win. Point for me~!

[Now, Sorcery is based on giving one clear command. You access Magic, choose a property to manipulate, and give a directive. In some cases, catalysts are used.]

The scene reset. Jon froze again.

A new text popped up beside him:
“I’m thirsty. I want water!”

This time, he didn’t say a thing. He just stretched his arm. A tiny cup appeared floating over it. The system showed:

“Connect: Manipulative Magic — Aquatic Sorcery. Generate flow of fresh water. Creation in cup.”

The cup filled slowly. Jon took a sip.

“Delish!”

I giggled softly. It was all so simple. So clean. Kinda cute, even.

—So… it’s like programming. Magic is the flexible language, and Sorcery is like a precise line of code.

[User: I have no data on ‘programming’. Would you like to continue? Yes / No.]

I hit Yes again.

—That makes total sense… That’s why Clementine had to chant forever before summoning that bear spell, while Carlotta just shouted one word.

[Correct. Levels (Lv) represent mastery over the magical discipline. This mastery is etched into the soul through repetition and constant use. A creature with Lv 1 Aquatic Sorcery cannot create a tsunami, for example.]

With that, Jon was erased and redrawn, now standing in the middle of a forest drawn with thin lines. Floating above his head was a tiny “Lv 1”.

“Mmm. I wanna burn this whole forest down!”

—JON!? —I screamed internally, my tail curling in panic at his sudden heel turn. Was my sweet Jon… a pyromaniac!?

“Connect: Manipulative Magic — Fire Sorcery. Generate lava. Release.”

Jon raised his hand… and nothing happened.

I swear he looked embarrassed. Can stickmen blush?

“Oh right. I’m only Lv 1. My bad!”

Then he corrected his spell:
“Connect: Manipulative Magic — Fire Sorcery. Generate fire spark. Creation on finger.”

A lil’ flame appeared on his hand.

“…Welp. Guess that’s not enough to burn down the forest! Guess I gotta keep practicing!”

And just like that, my tiny (and mildly sociopathic) baby bowed politely and vanished.

—So… my Protagonist Points are basically like that experience you were talkin’ about, right?

[Correct. Would you like any further information?]

—Yeah. Why the hell do simple hits still hurt so damn much?! Like that slap from that furious big-boobed dwarf!! —I yelled at the system. Maybe it’d give me a decent answer. It was in a pretty chatty mood today.

[As shown in the baby-mode example: You must cast in order to activate Defensive Sorcery. If you don’t, it’s like having nothing at all. At least until you reach Lv 3, where autonomous spells can be learned.]

—Autonomous?

[Yes. Automatic or self-sustaining spells.]

—Yasss, that’s what I freakin’ want! How much do I need?

[Lv 1: 20 PP – Lv 2: 160 PP – Lv 3: 400 PP – Lv 4: 700 PP – Lv 5: 940 PP – Lv 6: 1400 PP]

…You’re shitting me.

That’s waaaaay more than I calculated before! That’s not an 8x increase, that’s… ugh, I don’t even know what kind of math that is! I totally suck at math! But that’s definitely messed up!

Who the hell was the genius that thought those numbers were fair? Screw you, you janky-ass devs!

I collapsed back into bed, letting gravity do its thing and crush me under the weight of hopelessness.

—I’m… so damn far from that.

The system didn’t reply. It just hovered there, floating silently like it was watching a soap opera.

Seeing it there gave me an idea. Just maybe… maybe I could try something since it seemed to be in a “nice” mood today.

—Sooo… now that we’re, like, besties and all… would you pretty please stop threatening to erase me from existence just to make me do dumb stuff?

[No.]

—…Ugh. YOU SUCK! At least stop censoring my freakin’ swearing!

[No.]

—I hate you sooo much… Just tell me how I can call you back to check my stats whenever I want, at least —I groaned, totally defeated.

[Request detected: User desires an efficient way to summon system. Request: valid. Please assign a phrase:]

—Wait. WHAT!? For real?! I can name you whatever I want!?

[Affirmative. Please assign a lovely na—]

Didn’t let it finish.

—I’m naming you “Stupid Garbage.”

[... Name detected. Confirm: Stupid Garbage as your key phrase. Yes / No.]

I slammed “Yes” like my life depended on it.

[... Are you really sure? Yes / No.]

I hit “Yes” again without hesitation.

[User, are you reeeeally suuure? No / No.]

—HEY! No cheating! Just accept your new name—it suits you perfectly!

[... Phrase updated: Stupid Garbage.]

—HA! I win~! Who’s my stupid garbage now, huh? Huh!?

[... Rude.]

With its feelings clearly hurt, the system vanished… What a weird night.