Raul spent the next few days testing his newly acquired spell, Chiming Winds

  The soft breeze it summoned was gentle, just enough to cool him on hot afternoons. But every time he used it, something became painfully clear: it drained his mana reserves.

  Each use of the spell consumed 10 mana

  The first time he used it twice in quick succession, his mana tanked to zero, leaving him fatigued and unable to cast for the rest of the day. The Console’s screen also refused to activate during that time.

  Frustrated but not defeated, Raul sat down one evening and thought through what he’d learned.

  He now understood that the Console had an inventory of mana

  When he tried to download more spells, the Console refused. The message was blunt:

  [

  Spell incompatible with current Console level.

  ]

  Raul frowned. He hadn’t expected it to be this complicated. However, another piece of information soon appeared:

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  [

  Console level.

  Level: 1.

  Gain access to more spells by leveling up the Console.

  Leveling requires completion of tasks and mastery of acquired spells.

  ]

  So, the Console was like a computer, and the way to progress wasn’t acquiring new spells—it was about mastering what he already had. This was its version of a hardware upgrade to support more complex processes and since Raul was a former software developer , this made sense to him.

  He was however a little weary when he learned that the Console used his brain as the processor ( CPU ) . This reality made him even more willing to wait until the console gave the green light of compatibility . Otherwise his brain might just crash , like a computer would.

  The first quest appeared after a moment, like a new notification:

  [

  Quest: Learn to decipher the code of “Chiming Winds.”

  

  Objective:

  Rewards : 5 Level Up Points.

  ]

  To reach level 2 of the Console , he needed a total of 50 level up points.

  Raul sat back, thinking. The quest was clear, but the task it required wasn’t simple. He needed to find someone who could cast the spell with expertise, someone who could show him exactly how it worked.

  Raul thought.

  But there was a catch. Raul was only a child. And Faith, as skilled and loving as she was, might not take kindly to him asking to learn a spell he shouldn’t have mastered at his age.

  Raul sat still for a long time, weighing the pros and cons. He couldn’t afford to wait for another opportunity— there was one. He needed this.

  A week later, after much internal debate, Raul decided to approach Faith. He knew he had to be careful in his approach, careful not to raise any suspicions about his abilities.

  Taking a deep breath, he went to find her.