Today, I woke up in a local police station’s holding cell. I was put here because I endangered the military and almost killed most of them. Yes, it’s my fault, but I just wanted to level up, and they were in the way. So, why not?

  Apparently, despite being the brother of a heroic figure, I’m still considered a common civilian and, as such, am prohibited from using my powers unless it's a life-threatening situation. It’s a bit different from what I heard on the news, but this is the government we’re talking about. They never give civilians solid, clear information about the law.

  Yesterday, I was given the option to choose a new skill, and I want to see it today. So, I summon the scroll and look at the options.

  Please, choose your power!

  ? Water Manipulation

  ? Fire Magic I

  ? Arcane Magic

  Playing with fire, or magic in general, has been so much fun up until now. And now I have the chance to wield even more powerful magic with these new skills.

  Based on the names alone, Water Manipulation will allow me to manipulate water just as I can manipulate fire, or so I think. With some luck, I might even be able to acquire water magic in the future.

  Fire Magic I must be the advanced version of Fire Magic, much like Fire Manipulation I. This skill might increase my power and reduce costs, but who knows what the system has in store for me?

  Arcane Magic likely refers to the path of magic that will allow me to wield the basic form of magic. There will be no changes in the shape of the magic energy, so it seems there must be new rules or mechanics for this magic.

  Based on these options, I could expand my spell selection by choosing either Arcane Magic or Water Manipulation, both of which could cover my weakness against fire-resistant enemies like that Fire Goblin.

  Unfortunately, I think I’ll be stubborn and choose the most illogical option that will make me significantly stronger.

  Congratulations on acquiring your new power!

  You have entered a new realm of power. Your status points will now have a more significant effect!

  Name: Prabu Sanjaya

  Age: 33 Years

  Level: 5 (First Realm)

  Health: 157

  Magic: 187

  Str: 11

  Dex: 9

  End: 8

  Int: 11

  Wis: 11

  Men: 9

  Skill:

  Fire Manipulation I Lv. 9: Allows the user to manipulate fire to a limited extent.

  Fire Magic I Lv. 1: Allows the user to summon and use fire magic.

  Mana Gathering Lv. 5: Allows the user to gather and absorb Mana from their surroundings.

  Magic Sense Lv. 5: Allows the user to sense Mana inside or around them.

  Mana Mastery Lv. 6: Allows the user to control and manipulate Mana inside them.

  Magic Pathway Lv. 4: Gives the user the knowledge of magical pathways inside their body.

  Martial Arts Mastery (basic) Lv. 5: Allows the user to perform basic martial arts.

  Something must have happened with the system because my health and magic values have increased quite a bit. They no longer appear as tidy, exact numbers; instead, they seem to be the result of some calculation I don’t quite understand.

  Another thing is that my Fire Magic skill has completely been replaced by the new Fire Magic I skill. It feels like I’ve effectively jumped three levels, undergoing some kind of skill evolution, which I’m very happy about.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Unfortunately, I can’t try out my new powers right now since I’m in jail, and I don’t want to upset the military people who are already displeased with me. So, I’ll play nice for today.

  Another day in the local prison.

  It's incredibly boring in here. My only form of entertainment is watching people walk around in the distance or eating my small portioned meals.

  Actually, I think I could escape from this prison, but it seems like it would be unwise to do so.

  Things change not long after lunch when a woman dressed in a black suit arrives to take me out of the prison.

  They still handcuff me, though, so I don't think they're trying to release me or do anything that might make me happy.

  The woman in the black suit doesn’t speak to me or anyone else she passes on the way in and out. She only shows a piece of paper to anyone who asks, and they just let her continue on her way without any questions.

  Who is this woman?

  The woman in the black suit then takes me to a car, drives me for about six hours straight without stopping, and then leads me into an office-like tower. She takes me into an elevator, which ascends to the tenth floor, and then places me in what looks like a bedroom.

  She unlocks my handcuffs and pushes me into the room, where I find a tray of delicious food and a hotel-quality room.

  I am left there for the entire night, receiving another round of delicious food, enjoying the beautiful room, and wondering what has happened to my life.

  What a strange turn of events.

  I wake up this morning with a mild surprise, as the woman in the black suit is already standing beside my bed, ready to go, the moment I open my eyes.

  As soon as I wake, she handcuffs me again and drags me out of the room.

  We walk in an awkward silence for about five minutes before she suddenly stops and pushes me into another room.

  In this room, I see a man wearing the same black suit as the woman who brought me here. He appears to be standing with his back to me, staring out the window. The room itself is decorated with minimalism in mind. It contains two cupboards to store files and books, two file storage units for more important documents, a pair of sofas with a tea table, and a large desk with a chair for the man in the suit.

  The man turns and looks at me with a smile on his face. He seems to be older than me, probably in his forties or so.

  He introduces himself as Mr. Monitor, a man with the ability to uncover details hidden within the system.

  My response is to stare at him as if he’s a crazy person and a liar, even though deep down, I know such an ability might very well exist.

  After the brief introduction, he takes out a map from his desk and starts reading from a paper inside.

  It’s my profile, with all the known details about me, including the fact that I killed some bad guys a few weeks ago and burned down a military base just a few days ago. He tells me he’s impressed by my fire ability.

  I’m impressed by my fire too, actually.

  Then he makes me an offer—a strange yet tempting offer.

  He invites me to join his newly established company as one of his fighters.

  His company is called Polaris, a company focused on exploring the new world and developing the remaining one.

  My role would be to pioneer exploration and combat—both human and monster—around the world whenever I encounter them, all in the interest of the company.

  In return, not only would I receive a large salary, but I would also gain access to the system knowledge and the available skills he has recorded.

  He gives me a day to consider the offer and sends me back to my room.

  Dammit, this world is getting weirder and weirder.

  I’ve spent the entire day and night thinking it over, and I’ve finally made my decision.

  I’ve decided to join the company.

  My reasons are simple yet complicated.

  First and foremost, the salary. No matter how messed up the world gets, we’ll always need money. We’ll need as much as we can get, and probably even more than that. I can't check exactly how much I’ll get, but the promise is enough for now.

  Second, I want to get stronger. The only way to do that is by fighting. And the easiest way to get into combat without raising alarms is by joining a company that provides such opportunities. Pretty neat, right?

  Third, I like the vibe, the power, and the facilities of this company. If they can offer me a nice room just for visiting, get me out of military jail, and probably help me out of this current mess, I’m expecting a lot more from them in the future.

  Of course, there are other reasons—like wanting to be equal to my famous brother and sister, wanting to appear strong without making my parents worry, wanting to be free of blame for my actions a few days ago, and I do like the black suit. But my main reasons boil down to those three.

  Mr. Monitor, as I’ll call him from now on, seems pleased with my decision. He quickly made a phone call to have my documents prepared.

  He then told me to release myself, which I happily did by melting the handcuffs with my summoned fire, before he led me to another room next to his.

  This room was decorated with a red carpet and red-brown furniture, like sofas and a big table. There were also some gym tools, such as dumbbells and treadmills, but Mr. Monitor said most of the exercise equipment could be found on the sixth floor.

  He had me sit behind the big table and pulled a plaque out of the drawer.

  This is exactly what he said.

  “Welcome aboard, Mr. Fireman.”