The stone of the Royal Court was cold, but not as cold as the silence that greeted Arthur Fenric every time he breathed.
To the Kingdom of Valerius, Prince Arthur was a mistake—a royal heir born with "Dormant Veins." While his brothers cast towering infernos and commanded the winds, Arthur couldn't even light a candle. He was the Disgrace Prince, the ghost in the hallways.
But they didn't see the floating translucent blue screen hovering in his peripheral vision
.
[System Initialized]
Host: Arthur Fenric
Trait: Eternal Growth (All learned skills start at Level 1 and have no ceiling.)
The Audience
Arthur stood before the Golden Throne. His father, King Alaric, didn't look up from his maps.
"Speak, Arthur. I am busy," the King muttered.
"I wish to take a leave of absence, Father," Arthur said, his voice steady. "To travel the borderlands. Permanently."
The King finally looked up, a flicker of relief crossing his face. A way to remove the stain from his reputation without a messy execution? It was a gift. "Granted. Take your personal effects and go. You are no longer a Prince of the Line."
"Thank you," Arthur said, bowing low. He felt the System chime.
[Quest Completed: Shed the Crown]
Reward: Skill Unlocked — Mana Manipulation (Lv. 1)
Notice: Due to host's unique soul, all elemental manifestations are locked to the color [Crimson].
The Birth of the Red Wolf
Arthur didn't go to the borderlands. He went to the mud-caked streets of the Outer Rim, the places where the sunlight of the monarchy never reached. He sold his royal silks for a suit of hardened black leather and a simple steel longsword.
He found a blacksmith's scrap heap and picked up a heavy iron plate. He didn't just want to be gone; he wanted to be reborn. Using a charred coal, he drew his new mark: a snarling wolf, its eyes sharp and predatory.
[Skill Learned: Heraldry & Design (Lv. 1)]
The mark of the Red Wolf has been etched.
He focused on the mana in his veins. It felt like liquid fire. He touched the blade of his sword.
"Ignis," he whispered.
Usually, a Level 1 Fire Enchantment produces a flickering orange spark. But when Arthur's mana hit the steel, it roared. A deep, blood-red flame swirled around the blade, pulsing like a heartbeat.
[Skill Learned: Fire Enchantment (Lv. 1) -> Upgraded to (Lv. 2)]
Note: Efficiency increased. Heat intensity +15%.