Three moons rose in the sky today, signaling the annual festival of 'Aethelgard,' the city of magic. But for Leonardo, the day was just as humiliating as any other.
As he walked through the main city square, the sights around him served as a constant reminder of how insignificant he was. This city was known as the 'City of Floating Lights.' Every brick in its foundation was infused with ancient magical dust. The canal flowing through the heart of the city didn't carry water; instead, it flowed with a silvery liquid called 'Mana,' which emitted a soft blue glow in the dark of night. Looking up, massive magical towers pierced through the clouds. Wizards traveled there atop winged horses or flying carpets.
The lampposts lining the streets had no oil or wicks; instead, tiny firefly-like magical sparks were trapped inside glass spheres. Market stalls sold swords soaked in dragon's blood and enchanted cloaks for invisibility. With every gust of wind came the scent of burnt herbs and ancient parchment.
But beneath this dazzling beauty lay a harsh truth—in this city, those without magic held no honor. To a commoner like Leonardo, the city was as cruel as it was beautiful.
"Hey, you useless brat! Get out of the way!" With a raspy shout, a heavy shove slammed into Leonardo's shoulder. He stumbled and fell into the mud-filled gutter by the roadside. The youths from noble families nearby burst into laughter. They were dressed in expensive silk, clutching costly magic wands. Leonardo lowered his head, brushed off his old, patched shirt, and stood up. In this world, if you didn't have a 'Mana Source' or magical ability, you were no better than a beast. And Leonardo didn't have a single drop of magical blood in his veins.
At that moment, the sound of a trumpet echoed. The entire city fell silent. The royal procession was approaching. Princess Aurora passed by on a white horse. Her golden hair shimmered in the sun, and her eyes were as blue as the vast sky. Standing at the very back of the crowd, Leonardo caught a glimpse of her. As the princess passed him, Leonardo felt as if the distance between them was infinite. She was a star in the heavens, and he was but the dust on the path.
Aurora didn't look at him even once; she didn't feel the need to. A strange mix of pain and stubbornness took root in Leonardo's heart—if only he had the power of magic!
That night, lying in his broken hut, Leonardo was cursing his fate. Suddenly, a metallic chime rang inside his head.
Ding!
Leonardo sat up with a start. In the middle of the dark room, a glowing blue, transparent screen had appeared. He rubbed his eyes, but the screen didn't vanish. Text began to scroll across it:
[System Synchronization Complete!] User: Leonardo Title: Beginner Level: 1 Mana: 0/100
[First Mission Available!] Mission: Wash your face with the sacred water of the mountain spring 10 times within the next 1 hour. Reward: 5 Mana points and a secret incantation. Failure: You will lose the ability to speak for 24 hours.
Leonardo sat there, stunned. At the bottom of the screen, a red timer had begun to count down: 59:59... 59:58... He didn't waste another second. He began to run toward the mountains in the dead of night.
By the time Leonardo reached the foot of the mountain, his lungs felt like they were about to burst. In the darkness, 'Shadow Mountain' stood like a massive giant. Locals said that ancient spirits roamed here at night.
The rocky path was covered in moss and extremely slippery. Leonardo's simple leather sandals kept getting caught in the crevices of the stones. At one point, his foot slipped, and he tumbled several feet down. His knee was scraped raw against the sharp rocks, and blood began to flow. But the fear in his eyes was greater than the pain—the time on the blue screen was running out: 30:15... 30:14...
From the bushes in the dark, pairs of yellow eyes watched him. The roar of some wild beast echoed against the mountainside. Normally, Leonardo would have cowered in fear, but remembering Princess Aurora's disdainful gaze gave him a surge of new strength. He began to run again on his bleeding knee. With a steep cliff on one side and a deep abyss on the other—a single mistake could mean death.
Leonardo whispered to himself, "I won't lose... at least not today!" The sound of the spring was audible. Only a few more steps...