It was a bit unsettling—watching Arin’s expression shift again and again while he stared blankly into the distance, completely frozen in place. And of course he had chosen the doorway as his spot to zone out. Not that anyone was expected to arrive, but stepping around him wasn’t exactly easy… especially for an hour straight.

  Finally, Theun sighed and crossed his arms.

  “Arin… what did you find out?”

  Arin blinked back to reality, his eyes refocusing. “A lot, Dad. Most importantly, how to unlock a profession. And a bunch of stuff I won’t need for a long time.” He paused, looking oddly proud. “But the biggest thing? The Identify skill. You get it when you unlock a profession.”

  He focused on his father, activating the skill for the first time.

  (Human – Stage 0.1)

  Arin frowned. “Dad… why are you only Stage 0.1?”

  Theun jerked slightly, startled. “I—I’m not. The only thing I’m 0.1 in is my Human Stage, or whatever that means. My class level is still 0.3.”

  “Oh, then that’s just how Identify labels people.” Arin nodded, reassured. “Anyway! I’m going to go look for the perfect tree for my new bow. See you later!”

  Before Theun could stop him, Arin bolted out the door and sprinted down the street.

  “And he’s gone,” Theun muttered, exasperated. “I had more questions…”

  His wife only smiled, watching their son dash into the forest and nearly run over a few returning soldiers.

  “You know how he is, Theun. Once he has a goal, everything else disappears.” Her smile softened. “But he did mention how to get a profession. Let’s call a meeting—everyone should decide what they want.”

  Arin’s Dash Through the Forest

  Arin ran through the forest with the enthusiasm of someone who had exactly one thing on his mind. Startled animals barely reacted before he was already past them.

  He was heading toward a clearing he remembered from weeks ago—the place where he had seen a particularly unusual tree. It stood alone in an open patch of sunlight, regal and radiant. A yew tree, and a perfect one at that.

  “There it is,” Arin breathed as he stepped into the clearing.

  The tree looked almost majestic, as though the surrounding forest wasn’t worthy to stand beside it.

  Twilight Yew Tree (Uncommon)

  A mystical variant of the common yew, the Twilight Yew is often found in quiet forest clearings where sunlight filters in thin, wavering beams. Its bark shows a deep crimson tint, as if stained by old magic, and its needles glow faintly at dusk—an effect caused by the tree’s slow absorption of ambient mana.

  Although not aggressive, the Twilight Yew displays a subtle awareness of its surroundings. Approaching it may cause a soft rustling whisper, even in windless air. Many adventurers mistake these sounds for spirits; in truth, the tree simply releases excess mana in the form of tiny vibrations.

  Arin skimmed the floating text the Identify skill supplied.

  “Perfect wood for a longbow… That’s amazing.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But chopping it down would be a waste. Maybe we can make it a renewable resource… I’ll bring that up during the meeting.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  For now, he approached slowly, remembering his Physique description saying he could “connect” with magical plants.

  He placed his palm against the bark.

  At once, a soft whisper brushed against his ears—gentle, curious. The tree’s presence felt old, wise, and strangely kind.

  “You feel pleasant,” the whispers said. “If you need a branch, you may take one… in exchange for some of your mana.”

  Arin gulped. Right. Mana transfer. Only mages can do that normally.

  “How do I even discharge mana…?”

  The tree’s voice echoed again, calm and patient.

  Search within yourself. Use your breathing technique. But instead of keeping the mana inside… let it flow outward.

  Arin inhaled deeply, centering himself. He followed the advice, imagining his mana not as a reservoir within, but as warmth seeping outward.

  And then—he felt it. Mana leaving his hand and pouring into the tree like a steady stream.

  Halfway through, the tree spoke gently:

  Stop.

  Arin released the breath he’d been holding and slumped to the ground, completely drained. The tree shimmered faintly… and with a soft crack, a sizeable branch detached, falling gracefully to the grass.

  Branch of the Twilight Yew Tree (Uncommon)

  This living crimson-barked branch hums softly with stored mana…

  Arin bowed gratefully.

  “Thank you. This is going to make an incredible bow.”

  Now he only needed the perfect bowstring—which meant visiting his grandfather.

  Grandpa’s House & Dangerous Grandma Energy

  Slipping into his grandparents’ home was easy. Slipping out was harder.

  Grandma, delighted to see him, happily piled bundles of Scandinavian plants into his arms—plants perfect for high-quality bowstring fiber.

  “They get more love from your grandpa than I do,” she said with a dangerous smile that made Arin freeze on the spot.

  Their bodies are getting younger… Maybe they’re—

  Nope. Stop. Stop thinking about that.

  Somewhere across the village, in the middle of a meeting, Karl suddenly sneezed.

  “You okay, Dad?” Dennis asked.

  “Yeah. Someone must be thinking about me.”

  The Workshop

  Back in the woodshop, Arin got to work immediately.

  First, the plants—drying them, pulling the fibers free, shaving, drying again, and finally weaving them into a proper string.

  When he was satisfied, he grabbed a long container filled with honey and wax, submerging the string inside.

  “For the last step…”

  He plucked a few leaves from the Twilight Yew branch, grounding them into sap and mixing it with the honey-wax solution. The branch itself still hummed softly, alive and warm.

  “That should settle for three days.”

  Arin checked his status. Stamina nearly gone. Mana at half.

  “Yep. That… took everything.”

  He collapsed onto the workshop floor and fell asleep instantly.