Chương 2: Skills, Traits, and Status Screens

He put aside the odd voice in his mind and first checked his surroundings. Aurelius slowly turned in a circle, taking in the unfamiliar meadow. Soft grass swayed around him, dotted with wildflowers, with a loose ring of trees several minutes north. There was no sign of battle. No remains of a recently activated magical formula. Nothing that hinted at a struggle.

"Well, this version of me certainly didn't fight anything," he muttered.

"Interesting. Maybe he was attacked by someone he trusted… a comrade? A knife from a friend?" He ran his fingers over the cooling skin, tracing the line of a bruise and the closing wounds. His touch was clinical, like a stranger examining a corpse.

"I see," he exhaled.

"Stabbed in the back… and a blunt strike to the skull as well. No wonder they decided to shove me into this body. What a mess."

"Just who are you? Or rather, who were you? And what is this 'system' existence anyway?" He narrowed his eyes, remembering the message.

"It said to 'open status,' right?" Aurelius muttered, then raised his voice.

"Open the status then!" A flicker of light shimmered before him, forming a translucent blue window hanging in the air. Aurelius tapped it curiously, attempting to sense its structure, but there was nothing to grasp.

"No weave... no tether. Is it etched directly onto the soul?" A spark of genuine fascination lit his eyes.

"Truly, a magnificent oddity." Then he began reading. Name: Maximus Reid | True Name: Aurelius Sovitus (Concealed) Race: Human (Reborn) | Age: 23 Level: 1 Talent Points: 0 Class: Druid – First Awakening Arcane Path: Sealed Health: 250 | Spirit: 100 | Mana: Locked Physical Condition: Weak Human Vessel (Recently Resurrected, Starving) Spirit Strength: F Skills: Seedling (F) LV. 1, Thorn Whip (F) LV.

1 Soul Traits: Otherworldly, Archmage (Dormant), Death Defiant, Library, Will of the Sage, Circle Breaker, Cosmic, Liberator Body Traits: Spiritborn (SS) Class Traits: Natural (F) LV. 1 Interesting. So, this "Druid" is my occupation in this life, whatever that is. My mana is locked, and this body uses spirit instead. Hmmm. He frowned. Yet the Spirit Strength is F? What does that mean?

He sat on the grass, still wet from his own blood, and checked the details of his skills and traits.

Skills: Seedling (F) Level 1 – Create a small seedling that you can ingest as food or to heal yourself or others. Skill will heal 5% of your maximum health in the next 10 minutes. Uses almost no Spirit to cast. Thorn Whip (F) Level 1 – Summon one 5 -meter-long thorny vine to whip your enemies. The number of vines and the damage scale with Skill Level and Tier. Costs 20 of your Spirit to cast. Note: Skills are ranked from F to SSS. The higher the rank, the stronger the skill.

Soul Traits: Otherworldly – Your soul carries the weight and wisdom of two worlds. Each time you gain a Talent Point, gain another one. Additionally, Subspace ability is granted due to the user's high knowledge of space laws. Archmage (Dormant) – You once stood at the pinnacle of magic. Spell fusion and Instant Cast have been granted. Mana regeneration and spell power dramatically increase as your circles are reforged. Death Defiant – You have crossed death and returned.

Instant death effects no longer claim you easily, and resistance to Death Magic has been etched into your soul. Blessing received: Mortal Anchor – Once every 36 hours, fatal damage instead leaves you at the brink of death for a short time. During this state, your energy consumption is doubled, and energy regeneration is suppressed until you reach full health. Library – You carry the knowledge of countless realms within your soul. Skills are easier to learn, analyze, and alter.

The Appraisal skill has been engraved into your being. Will of the Sage – Your will once bested the gods. Fear no longer affects you, and your focus is greatly enhanced. Circle Breaker – You once reached the impossible Tenth Circle before it all burned away in a blaze of glory. Each new circle becomes harder to forge, but impossible to destroy. Cosmic – Fate struggles to control one who has seen beyond the veil of reality. Liberator – One who freed a world from its chains.

Your existence carries the weight of impossible defiance. Newly created skills may evolve beyond their intended tier, and each time you enter a new realm, you receive a unique blessing from its laws. Note: Soul traits cannot be ranked or enhanced, and can be acquired by doing extraordinary deeds.

Body Traits: Spiritborn (SS) – Body that was brought back to life. Blessed by the rules of the creation, making it oddly attractive to the elemental spirits. Spirit spells cost less to learn. Spirits are currently observing you. Note: Body traits cannot be leveled up, but most of them can be enhanced through refinement, cultivation, and training.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Class Traits: Natural (F) Level 1 – One chosen by nature and the spirits of the world. Nature-type skills are easier to learn, and spirit energy regenerates 0. 5% per 120 seconds.

"Well, this is quite curious," Aurelius muttered, rubbing the dried blood from his new body's stomach as he pieced together the chaos he had awakened into.

"So, as I understand it, my body is currently locked out of using mana entirely. I can only operate through spirit energy this time around. My only healing skill is practically useless if anything serious happens. My class trait is, what's the word, ah, yes, underwhelming. And I can raise the power of some traits and all my skills if this 'Level' nonsense is anything to judge by?" He nodded firmly, convinced he had unraveled the basics of the System already.

Then his gaze paused at his Body Trait, "A body blessed by the spirits…" he whispered, a soft shake in his voice as he touched his scarred arm, "The only thing I ever longed for, the single talent denied to me since birth, and now it simply appears for me in this human shell? Was this intentional… or some absurd cosmic irony?"

He couldn't make sense of it, but this much was undeniable: after a lifetime of being unable to commune with spirits in a world where only pure-blood elves could, he finally felt the faint warmth of spiritual resonance coursing through his veins. Then he breathed out slowly, dismissing the swirl of sentimentality clouding his mind.

"The Soul Traits cannot be enhanced," he mused, "yet even dormant, they are monstrous. If I regain my circles and adapt to this System… I may surpass what I once was." A faint smile escaped him.

"And if the System acknowledges my circles enough to grant me a trait like Archmage, then there must be a way to awaken mana again." His eyes gleamed.

"With all this, I finally have a path forward, a true opportunity to surpass my past life entirely." His faint smile twisted into a wide grin full of expectation.

"I refuse to be toyed with again. I will become the strongest being to ever exist, uncover who that being was and what Mother's plans were, and only then will I allow myself peace."

"Whoever is watching, I'll show you that you cannot erase Aurelius Sovitus!" he muttered. And then paused for a moment, "Oh, right. I'm not Aurelius any longer," he muttered, staring at his hands. I am Maximus now. And this body lived a life here long before I arrived. Since I'm weaker than a newborn deer, I should probably pretend I'm him with memory loss caused by, well… the backstabbing, the almost dying, and the head-bashing. People like easy explanations. His expression hardened.

But I'll need to figure out who killed this man and why, and quickly! Whoever he was in life, I owe him a debt. He died so I could live. I'll find whoever did this. Loose ends can be dangerous, especially in complicated situations such as this. I also need to figure out how to defend myself with nothing but a damned sprout and a vine spell. What's the point of reincarnating if I die immediately? He sighed and focused.

"Seedling," he commanded, and felt spirit gather within him, drawing on his reserves as though tugging on a thread that wasn't quite his yet. A small green magic circle spun atop his palm, gentle and faint, before a tiny sprout landed in his hand.

"So that's how it works; it's efficient, but far from the art of Arcane I've wielded," Aurelius murmured.

"This Astrae System handles the entire weave. No calculations. No energy stabilization. It is automatic... astonishing, I must admit. With a structure like this, I could cast Tenth‑Tier magic with no more effort than needed to breathe." A delighted grin spread across his face.

"The structure of the magic circle and glyphs are also almost exactly as I know; magic is a unified language across realms, it seems. This will provide me with a small advantage then!" The seedling was small, with two tiny leaves sprouting like timid hands.

"This must be some sort of plant. It can't be this useless, correct?" He searched the Library within his soul, and the System echoed back: [Seedling of a Vitality Bean] When grown, it produces Vitality Beans that can heal small wounds and are ingredients in Healing Potions.

"It's something, I suppose," he conceded.

"I could try editing the formula to create something more useful… but first, I need to master this new energy and at least attempt basic mana control." He understood the Thorn Whip well enough from the description to leave it aside for the moment. He glanced around, confirmed he was still alone, then settled into a meditative position. First, the only thing he could sense was spirit energy, warm, vibrant, humming with life, saturating every creature, every tree, even the soil.

A sense of wonder softened his features. I never could feel this before… It really is the exact opposite of mana. Then he forced the warmth away, searching instead for a familiar, methodical coldness: the feeling of infinite calculations, flawless formulas, and absolute control. Suddenly, as if greeted by an old friend, a smile cracked his dirt-covered face. A flash of silver light shot through his mind as his soul latched onto a stray thread of ambient mana.

He pulled it inward, attempting to guide it into his heart to forge the first anchor of a new magic circle. Body Trait Unlocked [Mana Sense (E)] Mana Sense (E) – Lets the user sense the ambient mana and bend it to his will.

Alert: Mana detected within the heart! A low hum echoed through him. Danger! Danger! Danger! Suddenly, agony erupted through his body as spirit and mana clashed violently, while the warning signs flashed before his eyes. He gritted his teeth, dispersing the thread of mana outside of his body as fast as he could. Sweat drenched his body, his limbs shaking as if he had a fever.

"What in the nine hells?!" he exhaled, still shaking.

"So, spirit energy and mana cannot mix within this body? Or is it not possible to create a circle just yet?" He stared into the sky, countless ideas swarming into his mind.

"I will need to experiment; there must be a way for the two to coexist. They do in nature after all." He smiled, his heart racing. A massive challenge was before him, and he couldn't wait to resolve this mystery. He summoned a Seedling and began chewing on it; it was sour, but it gradually restored his body to a normal state. I guess it's not completely useless. Once he recovered, he stood up and tested his other skill, "Thorn Whip!"

A verdant, long, thorny vine shot from a small green magic circle on his palm and whipped at the ground, making small indentations wherever it hit.

"Eh, it'll do, I guess. But let me try something here." He muttered and cast the skill again, this time focusing on its activation and slowing it down as he observed the formula within the slowly spinning magic circle. Good. I can intervene mid-cast, and the formula is as simple as it can get. Now onto the hard part. He slowly expanded the magic circle and tried to increase the size and the damage of the skill, but as he did, the spell collapsed inwardly in a puff of green smoke, wasting his spirit.

Alright, so I need to stay within the parameters of a weak spell. Let's change properties then. Make it more deadly within the designated limitations. He again cast the skill and paused its activation as he tweaked a few things around. This time, the spell shone normally before condensing into a small magic circle. Aurelius launched the spell, and a darker colored vine sprouted, a bit longer and with sharper thorns.

Where he whipped with the spell, the ground cracked slightly, revealing small puddles of green liquid where the thorns had fallen off.

"Good. I can work with this. This should give me more options to survive." He nodded and sat on the ground, recovering his spent Spirit energy. He could let it recover naturally, but his Class trait was still too weak, so he tried to do what he did with mana. Pull it in thread by thread and store it within his body. Ten minutes later, his Spirit energy was restored. This works, but I need to remain still. One more test before I go!

He stood and started weaving the simplest spell he had masterd first so many years ago. He used spirit energy instead of mana and created a simple circle in the air. Boom! Instead of launching a simple Fireball the formula collapsed in an explosion of wild green flames that tossed him backwards to the ground. I thought as much... The two energies are separate; you cannot produce same effects with one as you can with the other... Alert: Skills outside of the scope of your Class cannot be used.

It seemed that without mana and his circles his old spells were but a pleasant memory. He sighed, Stuck with a seedling and a vine after all... and sat to recover again. A few minutes later he stood and nodded decisively. Alright. I'm as prepared as I'm going to be. Let's go see where the hell I am. He rose and chose his way towards the woods.

Aurelius, or rather Maximus, marched north towards a woodland area he had seen from a distance. Hunting in the forests was always smarter and safer than out in the open. For a young half-elf, his old-world life wasn't easy back then. He had to hunt on his own to find food and wasn't even allowed to live with the rest. Everything he ever gained in life, he worked for and was proud of. He reached the woods after an hour. He had found out that his new body got tired easily. Did this man never walk before?

What the hell is this? He clenched his chest as he gasped for air. Then he heard it, a sound of battle, and voices shouting. In the forest! He dashed, ignoring the burning pain in his chest. He approached the area where the shouting was loudest and peered behind a tree. A group of three was fighting a pack of three green-haired wolves. The two men held simple swords, stabbing aimlessly forward while the woman cast a simple fireball. She is barely casting a Tier 1 spell with the help of this system.

What a joke, and those two… have they never used swords before? He shook his head. Note: Defeat the monsters to gain levels! A system message flashed before his eyes, helping him understand the rules a bit better. They might be the ones who hurt this body. But let's help them out first; use them a bit to gain these so-called 'levels'. I will observe how they react to the sight of me and proceed from there. If they are hostile... well... He smiled coldly and ducked, crawling closer to the fight.

The plan had already materialized in his mind.