NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: Think Like a Mage, Not a Gamer
Warlock Ch 60. Think Like a Mage, Not a Gamer
Cassius raised an eyebrow, his frown deepening. "Your system translates what we call Mana into a rank because that's how it categorizes things for you. But it's the same concept. Mages can't have exact numbers for their Mana anyway."
Damian nodded, still wrapping his head around the idea. It was weird, thinking about it that way—he'd gotten so used to the digital readouts and percentages. But Cassius was right. At the end of the day, it was all just energy, whether he saw it as a bar on a screen or felt it depleting in his body.
"Okay, that makes sense," Damian said, though his voice lacked confidence. "But what about HP? How do I know when I'm close to... you know... dying?"
Cassius sighed, as if the question physically pained him. "Let me ask you this," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If I hit you in the head with a lightning bolt, would you die or would you just scream 'ouch'?"
Damian blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of the question. "Uh... I'd die, probably."
Cassius nodded, his point made. "Exactly. There's no magical HP bar floating over your head in reality. If you take enough damage, you'll know. You don't need a system to tell you that you're bleeding out or that your bones are broken."
"Right," Damian muttered, feeling more than a little stupid now. "I get it. It's just... easier when you can see it."
"You're relying too much on your system to tell you how you're doing," Cassius said, his tone harsh but not without reason. "You need to feel your limits, not just watch them. That's the difference between someone who lives by their instincts and someone who dies by their ignorance. The difference between us, mages, and monsters or servants."
Damian swallowed hard, Cassius's words hitting him harder than he expected. He knew he had been leaning on his system for everything, but hearing it put that way made it sound... dangerous. He needed to start thinking like a mage, not a gamer. His system was a tool, sure, but it wasn't his only one.
"Got it," Damian said quietly, nodding. "I'll work on it."
He stood up, wincing as the soreness in his muscles flared up again. Every part of his body ached from the battle, and his Mana reserves were dangerously low. He felt like he'd been put through a blender, but there was something oddly satisfying about surviving the impossible.
He glanced at Cassius again, a thought crossed his mind, and despite his exhaustion, he couldn't help himself. "You know," Damian said, his tone lighter, "you could at least pretend to be impressed with how fast I'm growing."
Cassius raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into the faintest hint of a smirk. "I'll be impressed when you can defeat me."
Damian chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, don't hold your breath."
Cassius's smirk faded, his expression turning serious once more. "I'm not joking. When you can defeat me, then I'll consider you ready."
Damian's smile faltered, the weight of those words sinking in. "You think I can?"
"Eventually," Cassius said with a shrug. "If you survive long enough."
There it was again—the brutal honesty that came with being trained by someone like Cassius. He didn't sugarcoat things, didn't offer false hope or encouragement. Everything was a cold, hard truth, and Damian had to either accept it or fail. That was the reality of being in this world.
But at least now, Damian had a better understanding of what he was dealing with. His system wasn't just some crutch—it was a tool, and he needed to use it wisely. The stats, the skills, the notifications—they were all part of the puzzle, but the real power came from him. His instincts. His ability to adapt.
"Oh, right. One more question. How about this Mana Core thing?" Damian asked, his curiosity piqued. "You said it's special. What does that mean?"
Cassius glanced at him, his expression unreadable for a moment. There was something deeper behind his eyes, something cautious. He crossed his arms and took a slow breath. "Mana cores are usually formless, just pure energy floating in the middle of a mage's body. They don't have a consciousness, they don't talk, and they definitely don't drag their owners into dreams."
Damian raised an eyebrow, feeling that familiar chill crawl up his spine. "But mine… it does. It feels like it's alive."
Cassius nodded slowly. "I know. According to Evelyn, yours even can communicate. It's called you, pulled you into dreams, even shown you things. Am I correct?"
Damian hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. It's... weird. I keep seeing this ancient artifact in my dreams, and I swear it feels like it's trying to tell me something. It's not just random images or memories. It's like... it has a purpose."
Cassius was silent for a moment, his face serious. He seemed to be weighing something, as if trying to decide how much to tell Damian. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. "That's what makes you special."
Damian blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of the statement. "Special? Because my Mana Core acts like an ancient artifact in my dreams?"
Cassius nodded again, but there was a heaviness to it, as though that information was more than Damian could grasp at that moment. Before Damian could even begin to process what that meant, Cassius stepped forward, his tone suddenly more urgent.
"Listen carefully," Cassius said, his voice dropping into a hushed, almost warning tone. "You can't tell anyone about this. The artifact, the dreams, or even your system. Keep it to yourself."
Damian frowned, confused. "Why?"
Cassius's eyes flicked to the amulet hanging around Damian's neck, the one Evelyn had given him. His expression hardened. "That amulet might be protecting you right now, masking your true power, but if you start talking about the artifact inside you—if anyone gets even a hint of what you're carrying—not even that amulet will be able to hide you."