Chapter 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 magical formula recently activated. 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

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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 still-wet grass from his own blood and checked the details of his skills and traits.

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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.

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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.

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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.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

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.

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Class Traits:

Natural (F) Level 1 – One chosen by nature and the spirits of the world. Nature-type spells are easier to learn, and spirit energy regenerates 0.5% per 120 seconds.

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