The m sun paihe sky with hues e and pink as Himmel walked down the dirt road leading away from the capital. The air was crisp, carrying the st of damp earth and distant forests. Behind him, the t walls of the capital stood tall, the st remnants of the life he had left behind. He tightened his grip on his staff, exhaling deeply.

  There was n baow.

  The city that had once been his home was noce of danger. Sigil knew his identity. Staying there any longer would have been a death sentence. He had barely survived the st enter, and that had only been a test. The real threats were out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. If he wao live—if he wao have a real ce—he needed power.

  He adjusted the strap of his bag. His supplies were limited—some dried rations, a waterskin, a small pouch of s, and most importantly, the magic books he had bought from the royal capital's library. These books were his true treasure. They taihe foundation of magic, the key to growing stronger. But simply reading them wasn’t enough. He had to practice. He had to push himself beyond his limits.

  The road stretched endlessly before him, fnked by rolling hills and patches of forest. He followed the main mert path for a while, but the thought of being tracked made him uneasy. After some time, he veered off into the wilderness, choosing a rougher, less traveled route. His feet ched against fallen leaves as he ehe forest. Here, the air was thick with the st of pine and damp soil. The sunlight barely peed through the dense opy, casting dappled shadows along his path.

  He moved cautiously, keeping an eye on his surroundings. His knowledge of this world was limited, but from what he remembered of Himmel’s memories, monsters roamed these nds freely. He was no longer in the safety of the capital. Out here, strength dictated survival.

  His mind drifted to the magic book he had been reading. Mana Circution. The cept was simple—learning to trol the flow of mana within his body effitly. Without it, spellcasting would always be clumsy, draining more energy than necessary.

  He held out his hand, fog on the sensation of mana within him. At first, it was faint, like trying to grasp mist with his fingers. He closed his eyes, trating. He imagihe mana as a river, flowing through his veins. The book mentiohat skilled mages could create "circles" within their bodies, allowing them to refiheir trol over mana.

  But how did one form a circle?

  His brow furrowed as he sat down against a tree, crossing his legs. He inhaled deeply, fog. Inhale… Exhale… A slow, steady rhythm. The mana within him stirred slightly, but it was scattered. He o press it, shape it into something stable.

  Minutes passed. His breathing remaieady, but the mana refused to bend to his will. Frustration g him. If he couldn't even do this much, how was he supposed to grow stronger?

  A rustling sound snapped him out of his trance.

  His eyes shot open, muscles tensing. The bushes ahead of him swayed unnaturally. The air grew still, thick with an uling presence. His grip tightened on his staff as he slowly rose to his feet.

  Then—movement.

  A shadow darted from the foliage. Before he could react, a goblin lu him, rusted dagger in hand.

  Himmel barely dodged in time, the bde slig through the air where his neck had been. His heart pounded as he took several steps back, raising his staff. The goblin snarled, its beady yellow eyes glinting with malice.

  Then more rustling.

  More figures emerged from the darkness.

  Three. No—foblins.

  They were small, barely reag his waist, but their movements were quid uable. One of them let out a shrill screech, signaling the others to attack.

  Himmel swung his staff instinctively, striking one of them across the face. The goblin staggered but recovered quickly, snarling in rage.

  He took a deep breath. This was it. A real fight. There was no time to hesitate.

  He raised his staff, fog his mana. A small fme flickered at the tip—a fire spell. He ted the intation, his voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through his veins.

  "Fre."

  A fireball burst forth, colliding with one of the goblins. The creature screeched as fmes engulfed its body, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.

  But the others didn’t stop.

  One leaped at him from the side. He barely had time to react, raising a defensive barrier just in time. A translut square of mana materialized, abs the impact of the goblin’s dagger.

  Sweat trickled down his forehead. His mana was draining too fast. He o end this quickly.

  He retaliated with another fire spell, striking down a sed goblin. Two remaihey hesitated now, watg him warily.

  Himmel took this ce. He lunged forward, swinging his staff with all his strength. The wood ected with the goblin’s skull, a siing ch eg through the clearing. The creature colpsed instantly.

  The st goblin turo flee.

  Himmel wouldn’t let it.

  With a flick of his wrist, another fireball shot forth, striking the creature in the back. It colpsed, twitg once befoing still.

  Silence.

  His breathing was ragged. His arms trembled.

  It was over.

  He stared at the bodies, his mind reeling. This was the first time he had killed something with his own hands. His stomach twisted slightly, but he pushed the feeling away. This was survival.

  He stepped forward, croug beside one of the corpses.

  "Absorb."

  Nothing happened.

  He frowned, looking toward the system for an expnation.

  [Host! These goblins are weak and don’t have magic crystals. Search for stronger ones, especially magic-type monsters.]

  So that was the issue. He needed creatures with mana-rich cores. These goblins were nothing more than on fodder.

  Still, he had gained something from this battle. His spellcasting had improved slightly, and he had learhe limits of his mana pool.

  He reached into his iory, pulling out a minor mana potion. He uncorked it and took a sip, the bitter liquid burning his throat as it restored a portion of his energy.

  He sighed.

  He was still too weak.

  If he had struggled against mere goblins, how could he ever hope to face Sigil?

  Determination fred in his chest.

  He sat down again, crossing his legs. He had seen this in novels, in anime. Mages creating circles in their cores to refiheir mana.

  Why couldn’t he do the same?

  Closing his eyes, he focused once more.

  His breathing steadied. His mana stirred. This time, he didn’t just let it flow—he guided it, shaping it, pressing it.

  Something clicked.

  A faint pulse echoed within him.

  [Ding!]

  [gratutions! You have formed your first Mana Circle.]

  [Reward: 20 Years Lifespan.]

  [New Skill: stitution – You learn and master skills faster through deep tration.]

  [Level Up!]

  A rush of warmth filled his body.

  His ma… denser, more refined.

  Exhaustion hit him like a wave, but a smile tugged at his lips.

  This rogress.

  His vision blurred, and before he could fight it, sleep cimed him.

  The system's voice echoed softly in his mind.

  [Host is an idiot… Pg a barrier for prote.]

  Darkness swallowed him, the embers of his campfire flickering against the night.