Noah's eyes shone in excitement as he stared at the glowing blue tabs hovering in front of him.
His heart began to race again, faster and faster, as the information sank in.
'This… is real.' he thought, letting out a sharp exhale.
"I… actually have a system," he whispered faintly, his voice sounding almost disbelieving.
As he observed them, his mind flashed back to the notification that appeared earlier.
The one that showed up right after the annoying error messages finally disappeared.
The moment he recalled it, it appeared before him again.
[The system has been corroded by the bug. All parameters broken down. Required EXP for leveling up now fixed, limits on quests completely removed, Penalty on quests disabled.]
Noah's eyes widened slightly, his breath catching in his throat as he stared at the notification again.
But this time, unlike before, he wasn't confused. This time, he finally understood what it meant—and the realization made his pulse quicken in excitement.
His lips curved slowly, almost involuntarily, into a faint grin.
'This means…' he thought, his mind racing. 'The system isn't broken… it's perfect!'
He could now see it clearly—the full meaning behind the message.
All the parameters had broken down, yes. But what that also meant was that every limit the system originally had was gone.
There were no restrictions anymore. No penalties for failing quests. No caps on how many quests he could take. No constraints that would hold him back.
It was chaos… but chaos in his favor!
He could complete as many quests as he wanted—freely, without worrying about punishment or risk.
This was the best thing that could have happened to him.
He could finally grow stronger, faster than anyone else.
But then, amid the rush of excitement, a faint chill ran down his spine. His gaze flicked back to the line of text that read "Penalty on quests disabled."
He couldn't help but wonder what kind of punishments the system might have given if that bug hadn't corrupted it.
What if it wasn't just something simple like losing EXP or stats?
What if the penalties were… harsher?
The way the system had yanked him back from death earlier made him realise that if it had enough power to pull him from the afterlife, then it probably had the capability to inflict real, terrifying consequences also.
He swallowed hard, feeling a brief chill spread through his chest.
He sighed, pushing the thought aside for now.
The important thing was that he didn't have to worry about that anymore. The bug had wiped those restrictions away, leaving him free from their burdens.
Damien's gaze drifted back to the floating tabs before him, his gaze settling on the skills and abilities.
[Skills and Abilities $&@?]
[Icicle (Level 1)]
[Lightning Ball (Level 1)]
He blinked twice, almost as if he doubted what he was seeing.
Those weren't ordinary spells. They weren't something an Apprentice Magus should even have access to.
Both Icicle and Lightning Ball were adept-rank spells!
His lips parted slightly, a faint, disbelieving chuckle escaping his throat.
"You've got to be kidding me…" he muttered in awe.
Apprentice-rank magus weren't supposed to be able to use spells at all—not truly.
They could only channel mana through their veins, reinforcing their body with rudimentary chants, or conjure minor effects like sparks of light or weak puffs of air.
Spells were reserved for those who had reached the Adept rank, as they could freely channel mana through their veins and cast spells using stronger chants.
For someone like him… someone who had never been able to advance past the lowest stage of an Apprentice Magus after years of struggle… it should've been impossible.
'I was right…' he thought. 'This bugged system really is a gift.'
He had been terrified at first, thinking it was a curse and he ended up with something broken.
But now? Now that he saw what it truly offered… he could only laugh quietly under his breath.
What he once thought was a disaster was now proving itself to be the most miraculous thing that had ever happened to him.
He exhaled deeply, running a damp hand through his silver hair as water dripped from the ends onto his bare shoulder.
"So that's how it is…" he murmured, still smiling faintly.
His gaze shifted higher, to the line above the skills — the tab that read:
[Elements: Ice, Lightning]
A strange glint flickered within his eyes as he stared at them.
He had always possessed dual elemental affinities, so this wasn't a shocking discovery.
For most, this would have been a cause for celebration. After all, dual affinities were incredibly rare, and the two elements he awakened were actually unique in their own.
Among a hundred thousand magus, perhaps one or two were born with more than a single element. Such individuals were considered blessed by the world itself.
But as with all blessings… it came with a cost.
Noah's expression darkened slightly as his thoughts turned back to the years behind him.
Having two elements wasn't just a blessing. It was also a burden — a heavy, merciless one.
Most people only had to cultivate one elemental affinity, nurturing a single affinity orb within their mana core.
But dual-affinity magus had to cultivate both affinities equally, pouring mana into two separate orbs that had to grow in harmony.
It was a process that required immense talent, precision, and mana sensitivity.
Only the truly gifted could manage it.
Those who couldn't? They were left with slower growth, unstable cores, and incomplete mastery over both elements.
In his case… it was the latter.
His talent in magic was, by all accounts, pathetic.
Even after four years in the academy—four long, grueling years filled with endless practice, exhaustion, and humiliation—he was still stuck at the low stage of Apprentice Magus.
Others who had started with him had already advanced to Adept. Some were even preparing for the next stage. But him?
He was the same as the day he entered.
However, he wasn't worried anymore, because he had the system now, and he had a strong feeling his dual elements would not be a problem for him anymore.