Last night was incredibly productive.

  I spent the entire night—and part of the early morning—pushing my skill to its limits, leveling it up as much as I could.

  Luckily, today was Saturday, which meant I had the luxury of sleeping in until midday.

  After a late lunch, I returned to my room, eager to train some more. The midday sun poured through my open window, filling the room with scorching heat, but I welcomed it. The warm breeze carried a sense of energy, fueling my excitement.

  The moment I flicked on the gas lighter, I felt it—a stronger connection to the fire than ever before.

  It was strange. The sensation was even more intense than it had been last night.

  As I tried to manipulate the flame, it responded effortlessly, as if it had been waiting for me. This time, I finally succeeded in shaping it into a perfect sphere—something I had struggled with for days.

  I held the fireball in my palm for as long as I could, savoring the moment. But eventually, the lighter ran out of fuel, and the fire was extinguished.

  For a brief second, an unexpected pang of sadness hit me, as if I had just lost something precious. It felt… personal. it is like a part of me had been snuffed out along with the flame.

  But the feeling faded as quickly as it came, and my thoughts shifted elsewhere.

  Status Page

  Name: Prabu Sanjaya

  Age: 33 Years

  Health: 100

  Mana: 100

  STR: 5

  DEX: 4

  END: 4

  INT: 7

  WIS: 9

  MEN: 5

  Skill:

  Fire Manipulation Lv. 10 (Max) – Allows the user to manipulate fire slightly.

  I stared at my Status Page, frowning.

  Max level?

  Did this mean I had already reached my limit? That I could only control fire at this level and nothing beyond it?

  No way.

  There had to be something more.

  Every game, every novel, every fantasy story told me that level ten was never the true limit. There was always another step—something hidden beyond the so-called “max” level.

  I just needed to find it.

  That wasn’t the only thing bothering me.

  For a while now, I had noticed two stats that I had never really explored: Health and Mana.

  Health was straightforward—it was my lifeline, the amount of damage I could take before, well, dying. But in my current situation, what could possibly harm me more than my own fire?

  And then there was Mana.

  Health was easy: take 100 damage, and you’re dead. Simple.

  But Mana?

  That was something no one in this world truly understood—not ordinary people, at least. Maybe those who practiced old voodoo tricks or dabbled in mystical arts had some idea, but even they probably didn't grasp the true nature of it.

  Gamers and anime fans—not me, of course—saw Mana as a representation of magic power, the energy required to cast spells.

  Which led me to a bigger question:

  How do I wield magic?

  I had a theory, but that could wait.

  For now, my focus shifted to another mystery: the Status Page.

  STR, DEX, END—those were all familiar terms, at least for gamers. They represented physical attributes, indicators of strength, speed, and endurance.

  Unfortunately, judging by my own stats, my physical build was pretty terrible.

  I didn’t have a reference point yet, but something told me that anything below five was bad.

  On the other hand, my mental stats seemed above average.

  But there was one stat that completely threw me off: MEN.

  No game had ever used MEN as a stat before. And no, it clearly didn’t stand for "Men" as in gender.

  So, what did it mean?

  *****

  Later That Evening

  I stepped out to buy more gas lighters.

  This time, I didn’t just buy one—I bought an entire pack of a dozen. The cashier gave me a weird look, probably wondering why someone needed that many lighters.

  Thinking fast, I lied.

  “Oh, I’m planning to open a small shop in my office,” I said casually.

  Surprisingly, they bought it.

  Satisfied with my purchase, I rushed home, carefully hiding the lighters in my room. The last thing I needed was my parents stumbling upon them and accusing me of either smoking or planning something reckless.

  After enduring yet another unnecessary family dinner, I finally escaped back to my room.

  Tonight, I was going to try something new—something that had been on my mind for a while.

  *****

  I cleared some space in my room and sat down in a cross-legged position, trying to mimic the lotus pose I had seen in meditation images I found online.

  Closing my eyes, I imagined something.

  I pictured invisible particles of Mana floating in the air around me—something I had read about in countless novels and seen in fantasy movies.

  Of course, this was all theory. I was just a regular office worker, not some hidden martial artist or mystical prodigy.

  Still…

  Something changed.

  My thoughts began to drift, but then—I felt it.

  Faint. Subtle.

  Like sensing the warmth of a candle without seeing the flame.

  Stolen story; please report.

  It was there.

  That same sensation was happening to me now.

  Holding back my growing excitement, I focused.

  I reached out, willing the Mana to come to me—not with my hands, but with my mind, my heart, my very being.

  And it responded.

  Slowly. Cautiously. Like a wary animal approaching an outstretched hand.

  I stayed still, keeping my breathing steady, letting it draw closer.

  Then, it touched me.

  It entered my body, slipping in like a ghost possessing a human host.

  And at that moment—

  A scroll appeared before me once again.

  New Skills Acquired!

  Mana Gathering Lv. 1!

  Magic Sense Lv. 1!

  As I stared at the glowing text, I could feel it—something filling me from within.

  This new sensation—this Mana—was settling inside me.

  But as it continued flowing in, an unexpected pain spread through my body.

  It wasn’t unbearable, but it was sharp, like a container being pushed past its limits, each drop threatening to overflow.

  I gasped, forcing my eyes open.

  My gaze flicked to the clock on my nightstand.

  Midnight.

  How…?

  Status Page

  Name: Prabu Sanjaya

  Age: 33 Years

  Health: 100

  Mana: 100

  STR: 5

  DEX: 4

  END: 4

  INT: 7

  WIS: 9

  MEN: 5

  Skill:

  Fire Manipulation Lv. 10 (Max) – Allows the user to manipulate fire slightly.

  Mana Gathering Lv. 1 – Allows the user to gather and absorb mana from their surroundings.

  Magic Sense Lv. 1 – Allows the user to sense mana around them.

  This morning, I checked my Status Page before heading to church.

  Church is non-negotiable in my family. As Christians, skipping service is only allowed for urgent reasons— like life-or-death situations.

  So, I went.

  The service lasted two hours, and the priest’s sermon was surprisingly relevant. He spoke about trials from God, drawing parallels between faith and the scroll that had appeared, along with the Status Page.

  It made me think.

  By the time the service ended, an idea had taken root in my mind, and I needed to test it.

  Of course, I couldn’t just say, "Hey, I need to go experiment with magic." That would sound insane.

  So, I lied.

  "Hey, I have an appointment with some friends," I said before slipping away.

  I had no such appointment.

  What I really needed was a secluded spot—somewhere to be alone, somewhere I could experiment without being disturbed.

  I spent the next hour riding my motorcycle, taking roads I’d never been on before until I finally stumbled upon a hidden space tucked behind a housing complex. It was out of sight, quiet, and—most importantly—empty.

  Perfect.

  After parking my bike, I walked deeper into the area until I found a relatively open space. The ground was mostly dirt, with patches of dead grass and barely any trash. Not the cleanest place, but good enough.

  I spotted an old rusted metal drum nearby and decided to use it as a makeshift seat. Settling into what I hoped resembled a lotus position, I took a deep breath.

  This time, I wasn’t just manipulating fire—I was going to create it.

  The problem?I had no idea how.

  The closest reference I had was from anime, where characters struck ridiculous poses and shouted over-the-top incantations. Just thinking about doing that made me cringe.

  Instead, I focused inward.

  Last night, I had absorbed Mana. Now, I needed to do the opposite—I needed to release it.

  I closed my eyes and visualized the Mana inside me, a formless energy flowing through my body. Carefully, I willed it outward, directing it toward my hands.

  Nothing happened.

  I tried again. Harder.

  Still nothing.

  Frustrated, I pushed even more, forcing the Mana out of my body.

  That was a mistake.

  The moment I attempted to eject the Mana, it felt like my organs were being torn out through my rib cage.

  A searing, excruciating pain shot through me, radiating from my chest to my fingertips.

  I barely held back a scream.

  Doubling over, I gasped for air, my vision blurring for a moment.

  I had no idea what I just did, but one thing was clear—that was NOT the right approach.

  My hands trembled as I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing.

  No more training for today.

  Nope.

  I was done.

  I was going home.

  And I was going to rest.

  Monday is the enemy of most office workers.

  It's the day that reminds you that reality is harsh and unforgiving, but you have to face it anyway—because if you don’t, you won’t have anything to support your life.

  This Monday, however, was harsher than most.

  Why?

  Because when I opened my eyes, a scroll was floating in front of me, delivering what could only be described as a death sentence.

  Thank you for waiting.

  The peace period is over. Now, everyone with a system must follow the mission assigned by the system.

  Mission: Kill a monster!

  Reward: Level up or Status Points

  Punishment: Death by implosion!

  I bolted out of my room, half-expecting to have imagined the whole thing.

  I hadn’t.

  The world was in chaos.

  My parents were screaming at each other, blaming one another as if our family argument was the root cause of the madness unfolding outside. The television blared an emergency news bulletin, urging people to stay indoors and wait for military assistance.

  Outside, people were screaming in terror. Neighbors cried out in fear, their voices echoing down the streets.

  Meanwhile, I was thinking about how to kill a monster.

  Should I try to burn it with my barely usable fire? My so-called Fire Manipulation was about as effective as a cheap gas lighter—a tiny flame that barely reached past my own hand.

  Pathetic.

  In the end, I decided to follow the government’s orders and stay inside, all while trying to calm my parents. They were still yelling, my father barking useless commands while my mother panicked.

  My younger brother and sister clung to each other, trying to stay composed.

  Did I mention them before?

  Well, they’re not that important to me anyway.

  *****

  This Monday felt endless.

  The military had attempted to help civilians, but instead, they made things worse.

  One soldier killed a monster that wasn’t assigned to them. The result? The person who was supposed to complete that mission imploded—suddenly compressing into a small ball before popping like a balloon.

  After that, the military changed tactics. They decided not to kill monsters directly. Instead, they focused on containing them, limiting their movement to help civilians complete their missions. This was broadcast nationwide, warning everyone to handle their own fights to avoid further casualties.

  That was their problem.

  Our problem appeared shortly after.

  The monster we were supposed to kill oozed out from the cracks in our walls and floors.

  I decided to call it "Dirty Slime." It looked like a living puddle of filthy water, moving painfully slow—so slow that we all felt stupid for being scared.

  But it was a monster.

  And real monsters are always dangerous.

  One of the slimes suddenly spat a stream of water at us. It missed, but the moment it landed on the floor, the wood began to melt.

  Acid.

  The water was acidic.

  And that hole in the floor? It became another entrance for more slimes.

  The fear we felt wasn’t so stupid anymore.

  Then there was my family.

  My mother fainted the moment the slimes appeared. My father? He stood there, barking more useless orders, telling us to stay behind him—as if he had any idea what to do.

  My younger brother, somehow mustering courage, apparently has chosen a skill and grabbed an umbrella, wielding it like a sword.

  I could only hope sword-related skills accepted umbrellas.

  Then there was my sister.

  She raised her hand, and to my shock, a yellow light formed and shot toward my brother.

  His stance changed instantly—from hesitant to confident.

  He charged at the slimes without hesitation.

  I wasn’t sure how effective an umbrella would be against a horde of acidic water monsters, but I learned something important from my sister.

  Skill level up! Magic Sense Lv. 2!

  The notification confirmed what I suspected.

  I could feel Mana moving inside her—flowing through her hand, forming what I assumed to be enhancement magic.

  My brother was stronger than he should have been.

  She was a support type.

  Watching him fight triggered something in me. I wanted to be useful too.

  Following her example, I tried guiding my Mana through my hand, shaping it with precision and speed.

  This time, there was no pain.

  Awesome.

  As the Mana gathered, I hesitated.

  Would it actually become fire? Or just a useless wisp of formless energy?

  I hoped for fire.

  I needed fire.

  I wished for it.

  And then, I felt it change—an indescribable sensation, something new and raw.

  Then, fire burst forth from my hand.

  A wide, spreading red flame surged forward, like a raging torrent of water—only made of pure fire.

  For a moment, nobody spoke.

  My brother stared. My sister stared. Even my father, who had been standing as far back as possible, stared.

  Acting on instinct, I used my Fire Manipulation skill to control the flames—and they obeyed.

  New Skill Learned! Fire Magic Lv. 1!

  New Skill Learned! Magic Pathway Lv. 1!

  Ignoring the notifications, I focused on my fire.

  I willed it to only burn the slimes.

  Fear gripped me as the flames surged forward—but miraculously, they only hit their targets. The slimes burned away, leaving no damage to the floor or walls.

  Half of them were gone.

  My brother, snapping out of his shock, quickly finished off all but three, which began sliding away in retreat.

  I wouldn’t let them escape.

  Summoning my fire again, I sealed off the hole they were trying to flee through, creating a ring of flames around them.

  Then my sister, the little genius, turned to our father.

  "You have to kill one," she told him.

  Then she convinced our mother to do the same.

  It took an hour to get our father to kill one.

  And another hour to get our mother to do it.

  By the end, we were all exhausted.

  Thankfully, no more slimes emerged. Still, just to be safe, we decided to stay together in the same room for the rest of the day. Safety in numbers.

  My father turned on the television.

  The news was grim.

  The entire world was spiraling into chaos.

  Monsters were everywhere.

  And this was only the beginning.