Chapter 7 — A New Path
The next morning, after breakfast, Ren put down his spoon and looked at his parents.
"You don't need to worry about the money. I plan to become a mage in the future, so I'll be investing it into myself."
His mother immediately frowned.
"But what about school?"
"What about it?" Ren replied casually. "I can just study at home. Once I awaken, I'll enroll in a university."
Ren had no intention of going back to school.
He didn't have the background to enter any prestigious institution. If he went now, he'd simply end up in a school where ordinary humans taught.
And as far as Ren could tell, the system was basically the same as the one from his previous life.
You entered school, sat in a classroom for a few dozen minutes, and waited for the teacher to arrive. Then the teacher would spend half an hour talking, often doing little more than reading from a book.
After that came assignments.
The teacher would leave, and you'd get a few minutes to rest before another teacher came in.
Then the entire process repeated.
Eventually, you were allowed to go home, where you could spend the rest of your day doing even more assignments.
'What a waste of time.'
Even in a world filled with magic, the school system had remained largely unchanged for thousands of years.
It wasn't designed for efficiency.
It was designed to teach obedience.
Ren had no need to be forced or coaxed into studying. If he wanted to learn something, he could simply use his magic phone.
And he would.
Besides, once someone awakened, they didn't need school qualifications or certificates to enroll in a university.
So why waste years sitting in classrooms when he could study everything he needed by himself?
Stolen story; please report.
"But what if you don't awaken a good talent?" his mother asked, clearly dissatisfied with his answer.
"It doesn't matter."
Ren's expression remained calm.
"I'll see it through to the end."
Everyone in this world was born with at least a Tier 1, Low-Grade talent.
In theory, that meant everyone had the possibility of becoming a mage.
In reality, things weren't that simple.
A person with only a low-grade talent would require an enormous amount of resources. Even reaching Rank 1, Level 1 could take decades.
Most people simply couldn't afford to spend that much time and money on something with no guarantee of success.
That was why the vast majority chose to remain ordinary humans.
Only around one person in a hundred possessed a Tier 1, Middle-Grade talent, with higher grades becoming increasingly rare.
Ren wasn't worried about whether he would awaken.
He would.
The only uncertainty was what kind of talent he would awaken at sixteen.
That would determine how smooth his future path would be.
For now, all he needed to do was prepare himself.
The table fell silent.
After a while, his mother finally spoke.
"Ren, we're only saying this because we're worried about your future."
There was still anger underneath her words.
"Well, you two don't need to worry about it." Ren stood up. "I'll do what I want."
"Ren!"
His mother raised her voice.
His father, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Don't bother, Ren's mother. We were only advising him because we were worried about his future. But if he wants to ruin himself, then let him."
The two of them were helpless.
There was nothing else they could do except put on this act.
If this were the original Ren, he probably would have been fooled long ago.
He would have believed their words, apologized, and obediently done whatever they told him.
But Ren wasn't the original owner of this body.
He had his own plans.
Without saying anything else, he turned and walked into his room.
---
Once inside, Ren took out his magic phone and created a channel.
Then he recorded a video.
He deliberately made himself look emotional.
Ren thanked everyone for their support and expressed how grateful he was to everyone who had stood by him after what happened yesterday.
After that, he explained that he would be posting videos from now on.
This wasn't simply because he wanted attention.
It was insurance.
"I've watched plenty of movies. I know what happens when someone becomes inconvenient to people with influence."
He wasn't saying it just for the sake of the video. He genuinely had such concerns.
He didn't know how much power the people involved in yesterday's incident actually had.
And he wasn't interested in finding out.
As long as he remained in the public eye, anyone who wanted to silence him would have to think twice.
Ren then explained his dream.
He wanted to become a mage.
From now on, he would be posting videos of his training and documenting his progress.
He hoped everyone would continue supporting him.
After editing the video, Ren uploaded it to the magic net.
The timing couldn't have been better.
The incident from yesterday was still fresh, and people were still discussing it.
The video quickly received thousands of views.
The number continued climbing.
Ren glanced at the counter.
'At this rate, it'll probably reach millions.'
The comments began pouring in.
«"Keep going, Ren! We're supporting you!"»
«"Don't worry, kid. Everyone is on your side!"»
«"You can definitely become a mage!"»
«"I'll keep watching your training videos!"»
«"Stay strong, Ren!"»
Some people even sent him donations.
Ren looked through the messages for a while before putting his phone away.
'Good.'
That was exactly what he wanted.
He didn't need everyone to like him.
He just needed people to keep watching.
---
After leaving his room, Ren found that his parents had already gone to work.
He left the apartment as well.
As he walked through the neighborhood, several of his neighbors recognized him.
They quickly approached.
"Ren, I heard about what happened yesterday. Don't worry. You did great. You're a strong child."
"If you ever have any trouble, come to me for help."
"Don't be afraid. Everyone is with you."
Ren looked at them before putting on a cute, serious expression.
"Mhmm. Don't worry, Uncle. I'll definitely keep that in mind."
The sight of a five-year-old trying so hard to look serious made the neighbors laugh.
Ren smiled innocently before continuing on his way.
After walking for a while, he raised his hand and hailed a taxi.
The vehicle stopped beside him.
Ren opened the door and climbed inside.
The driver glanced back at the tiny passenger.
He didn't seem to recognize Ren at all.
"Where do you want to go, kid?"
The driver looked around before asking, "And where are your parents?"