Norman eventually took a deep breath and let go of everything that had weighed him down. "There's nothing I can do," he muttered, slouching slightly in his seat. "Everyone has their own personality, their own experiences. I can't change my father. I was foolish to even hope."
He sat at the corner of a quiet café, the street lamps outside casting soft yellow light through the window. After a long pause, he ordered a warm milk tea and a plate of fried potatoes. The food arrived quickly, and he slowly chewed, letting the simple flavors ground him.
His eyes drifted to the pouch sitting beside him on the table. Inside were a hundred high-grade mana crystals. In this new world, mana crystals were not only currency but power itself. They came in four levels of purity: low, medium, high, and pure. One medium-grade crystal was equal to ten low-grade crystals; one high-grade equaled ten mediums; and a pure crystal? That was worth ten highs.
Everyone used mana crystals—absorbing the contained energy to accelerate their mana refinement. However, refining too many at once could lead to mana instability in the body, so moderation was key. Despite this risk, they were a much faster alternative to slowly refining mana manually.
Mana crystals could be extracted from mana beasts, humans, or mined from areas saturated with pure mana—where the energy would naturally condense into crystal form over time.
Nowadays, people stored their mana crystals in mana banks. With an issued mana card, they could manage transactions or withdraw what they needed for refinement. The fact that Thomas, Norman's father, handed him a pouch of raw crystals likely meant they came from off the books—perhaps funds given to him by his mistress.
Norman hesitated. The idea of using them left a bitter taste in his mouth. Yet after much internal debate, he came to a conclusion. He needed these crystals. His future depended on them.
Instead of drawing attention to himself by using the system in a public place, Norman quickly left the café and returned home. The house was dimly lit. His mother had already come home and gone to bed. A warm meal waited on the table, probably store-bought. It was already late at night, but Norman was used to this rhythm—either waiting for late meals or cooking them himself.
He ate quietly, washed up, and retreated to his room. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he stared at the pouch before finally speaking.
"System, exchange the mana crystals in this pouch."
[Equal Exchange System: Active] Ding. Processing... 100 High-Grade Mana Crystals exchanged for 10,000 points. You may now exchange points for talents or other upgrades.
Norman stared at the newly opened Exchange Panel.
"System, exchange points for talents."
[Equal Exchange System: Active] Displaying available talents... You may select any talent from F to SSS tier. All are available for exchange.
Norman began scrolling. Thousands of talents filled the list: mana affinity, physical strength, elemental control, perception, speed, and countless others. Each one could be upgraded from F tier to SSS, provided you had the points.
To test the waters, Norman chose the lowest rank of a basic talent. "System, purchase Mana Affinity F."
[Equal Exchange System] Ding. Mana Affinity (F) acquired. 500 points deducted.
He checked his updated status panel:
Norman
Mana Apprentice
Talents:
Mana Affinity (F): Increases overall efficiency of mana refinement. (Upgradeable)
"System, can I purchase another talent?"
[Equal Exchange System]
You may exchange for or upgrade any talent.
"Then first upgrade Mana Affinity to E."
[Equal Exchange System]
Ding. Upgrading Mana Affinity to E. 500 points deducted.
"Wait, why only 500 again?" he frowned.
[Equal Exchange System]
Talent upgrade from F to E costs 1,000 points. Since you already paid 500, the remaining cost is 500.
"So that's how it works," Norman murmured.
He pressed on. "System, upgrade Mana Affinity to D."
[Equal Exchange System]
Ding. Upgrading to D. 2,000 points deducted.
He paused. "System, exchange one day of lifespan for points."
[Equal Exchange System]
Ding. One day of lifespan exchanged for 10 points.
Norman blinked. Nothing changed—he felt the same.
"Maybe one day isn't enough to notice..."
For hours, Norman scrolled through talents and calculated costs. The more he thought about it, the more he questioned the system's initial judgment. A talent that allowed you to trade anything—your mana, lifespan, or resources—for equal value? That wasn't F-rank. If anything, it should be labeled SSS. But perhaps because it offered no direct advantage or boost, the crystal awakening considered it to be weak.
Still, Norman knew better.
"The brighter the star, the faster it burns," he whispered to himself. "I need to stay under the radar. If word spreads about my ability, someone will try to dissect me to learn my secret."
He finally made a few decisions.
"System, purchase Mana Cloak D."
[Equal Exchange System]
Ding. Mana Cloak D acquired. 2,000 points deducted.
"Upgrade Mana Affinity to C."
[Equal Exchange System]
Ding. Mana Affinity upgraded to C. 3,000 points deducted.
"That leaves me with 2,010 points..."
Norman pondered for a while, then made his next move and decided to improve his attainment in overall aspects in physique, energy manipulation, and mental fortitude.
"System, purchase the following talents: Manaforged Flesh (E), Arcane Pulse (E), Aegis Mind (E)."
[Equal Exchange System]
Each talent costs 600 points. 1,800 points deducted.
"Balance left... 210."
Now came the final step.
"System, exchange 2,379 days of lifespan for points."
[Equal Exchange System]
Ding. 2,379 days of lifespan exchanged for 23,790 points.
"System, upgrade Mana Affinity to S."
[Equal Exchange System]
Ding. Mana Affinity upgraded to S-rank. 24,000 points deducted.
Norman took a deep breath and reviewed his new status panel:
Norman
Mana Apprentice
Talents:
Mana Affinity (S)
Mana Cloak (D)
Manaforged Flesh (E)
Arcane Pulse (E)
Aegis Mind (E)
He chuckled, a mix of relief and satisfaction washing over him. "That's more like it."
Standing in front of the mirror, he noticed subtle changes. His face had lost its youthful softness. Slight creases lined the edges of his eyes, and the contours of his face had sharpened. Though he hadn't aged dramatically, something in his expression felt more mature—more resolute.
He had sacrificed six years and 210 days of his life.
But what he gained… was potential no one could yet understand.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered to his reflection.
And deep down, he knew—he would never be the same again.