Chapter 1: The Skill Ran Away?

Jianghai City, Lin Family Estate Villa.

Lin Mo slumped on a leather sofa, staring at the night outside the window.

"Puff~"

A small fireball emerged in his palm.

This was the initial skill he gained after awakening as a 【Mage】 during the class-change ceremony a few hours ago—Fireball.

It's been eighteen years since I came to this world.

This is a world where monsters infest the wilds.

Everyone awakens a different class at age eighteen, growing stronger by slaying monsters.

Just a few hours ago, Lin Mo awakened the 【Mage】 class—but as a blank-slate Mage with no "Elemental Affinity" talent.

Mages in this world come in many forms: Flame Mages with fire affinity, Thunder Mages with lightning affinity…

As for myself, a blank-slate Mage with no Elemental Affinity—learning skills is hard, controlling them is pathetic, a total trash class.

"Sigh, fine, I'm a blank-slate."

Lin Mo poked the flame in his palm with his other hand, like playing with a pet: "You're weak, but I don't mind you."

"From now on… you'll just light my cigarettes and warm my meals. We'll live out our lives in this mansion, happy little lighters—better than going out to fight bosses that are dozens of meters tall?"

Before he finished speaking,

the small fireball in his palm suddenly convulsed violently.

Immediately, a series of messages appeared on his panel.

【Your skill "Fireball" strongly protests your remarks!】

【"Fireball" considers your career plan an insult to its fire dignity!】

【It roars: You're a lazy fish, but I'm not! I want to grow stronger! I want to evolve! I want to become a world-destroying forbidden spell! Who the hell wants to be a lighter?!】

【To avoid being turned into a useless flame, "Fireball" has decided to run away from home and level up on its own!】

"??"

Lin Mo froze, his mind still struggling to catch up.

"Shhh—!"

The fireball gave him no time to react; with a determined aura, it shot out the window, trailing a furious red flame.

Lin Mo stared at his empty palm, then out the window.

At that moment, the skill bar's 【Fireball】 also changed.

【Fireball, LV. 1】

【Status: Runaway (Rage Mode)】

【Current Mood: Filled with Killing Intent (Damage +100%)】

"Did I hallucinate? … My skill… became sentient?"

Lin Mo's lip twitched.

He'd heard of wives leaving husbands for being useless—but never of a skill running away from its master for being a lazy fish…

As Lin Mo stood there stunned,

his mother Su Wan's gentle voice came from downstairs:

"Mo'er! Come down for dinner!"

"... Coming!"

Lin Mo replied, snatched his phone, and rushed out of the room, lost in thought.

…

The Lin family dining room, gilded and splendid.

The long table, large enough for twenty, was laden with exquisite delicacies.

At the head of the table sat his father, Lin Tianhao, one of Jianghai City's Defense Commanders, class 【Furious Thunder God】, now dressed in loose home attire yet still radiating an aura as immovable as a mountain.

Beside him, his mother Su Wan, head of Jianghai City's largest magic herb conglomerate, class 【Holy High Priestess】, elegantly ladled soup into her husband's bowl.

Yes, Lin Mo's family background was enough to walk sideways through Jianghai City.

Lin Mo pulled out a chair, picked up chopsticks with one hand, and frantically searched online with the other.

Keywords included, but were not limited to: "Skill ran away," "Skill has self-awareness," "I was insulted by my skill"…

Clearly, in this world where mass class awakening had flourished for centuries, no such record had ever existed.

His father Lin Tianhao frowned slightly.

"Mo'er, just eat your meal. Why are you staring at your phone all the time? Distracted."

Lin Mo slammed his phone face-down on the table and forced a smile: "Dad, I'm just checking some post-awakening info."

At this, Lin Tianhao and Su Wan exchanged a glance.

Both saw in the other's eyes an unmistakable pang of pity.

Though their son never spoke of it, he was surely still troubled by his blank-slate Mage class—he couldn't even eat, just searching online. This child was too heartbreaking.

"Stop searching. Online info is a mix of truth and lies—it'll only upset you. Eat first. Your health matters."

Lin Tianhao picked up a steak and placed it in Lin Mo's bowl.

His mother Su Wan gently ladled soup into his bowl and whispered softly:

"Yes, Mo'er, don't pressure yourself."

"Mo, Mom's already thought it through."

"You can just enroll in any university, coast through, and learn some life skills after graduation."

"Cooking's not bad—we own several five-star restaurants. You can practice all you want."

"You can also accelerate plant growth—Mom's thousands of acres of magic herb gardens are short on someone to watch over them… manage them."

Su Wan waved her hand, pointing to the sprawling estate outside the window:

"These hills are all ours. You can just walk birds and raise fish at home. As long as you don't gamble, I can support you for ten lifetimes!"

Hearing his parents' words, Lin Mo felt a surge of joy inside.

As a salary slave who worked himself to death in his last life, why should he live so hard in this reincarnation?

Look at this estate, look at these delicious meals—this family's boundless wealth will last for generations.

Being a carefree heir who just eats and waits to die, strolling with birds, admiring flowers, listening to songs in brothels— isn't that wonderful?

Besides, all my skills are gone. Should I, a mage, go up and hit monsters with my staff?

Lin Mo put down his chopsticks and looked at his parents with sincere, moved expression:

"Dad, Mom, don't worry."

"Starting tomorrow, I'll take care of spending Mom's money and polishing Dad's military medals."

"I'll be a qualified second-generation… damn it, son!"

"Pfft—"

Lin Tianhao nearly spat out the soup he'd just swallowed.

Su Wan's smile froze on her face.

They'd been trying to comfort their son… but was his willingness to give in too fast?

Couldn't he at least show a hint of "Don't look down on the poor youth" resentment?

One moment he was researching like he was ambitious, the next he's wearing this blissful "Finally I can legally leech off my parents" expression—what's going on?

"Cough, cough…"

Lin Tianhao cleared his throat, masking his embarrassment. "That… it's good that Momo has such a relaxed attitude. Alright, since you've figured it out, eat more."

"Got it, Dad!"

Lin Mo happily picked up his bowl and devoured the rice in three quick bites.

"I'm done! You two should rest early too—don't overwork yourselves."

Saying that, he shoved his bowl aside, wiped his mouth, and dashed upstairs.

He was still very curious—what exactly was this traitor Fireball spell? Where did it go? Would it come back?

…

As Lin Mo's figure vanished around the staircase corner,

Lin Tianhao let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. "Even with a blank talent, this attitude… is way too lazy!"

At this, Lin Tianhao glanced at his wife, Su Wan.

"It's all because you've spoiled him, always talking about 'happy education.' Now look—he has zero drive…"

"Lin Tianhao, don't you dare pin that on me!"

Su Wan's eyebrows shot up, her elegant demeanor vanishing instantly.

"Who kept nagging before the Awakening Ceremony that 'I don't want our son risking his life out in the wild'?"

"When Mo'er was little and practicing swordplay, who secretly swapped the training black-iron wood swords for sponge rods because he was afraid his son's hands would hurt?"

"Now you complain he's lazy? Too late! I'm telling you, if Mo'er turned out this way, it's entirely your fault as a father!"

"I… I just felt sorry for him."

The once-mighty Thunder War God instantly lost half his aura, shrinking his neck.

Su Wan gave a light huff, her eyes revealing a trace of helplessness:

"Alright, stop sighing over there."

"That boy's class… all his mid-to-high level mage skills are elemental. Without Elemental Affinity, even feeding him skill books gives him a very low chance of mastery."

"And… his micro-management in combat is far worse than specialized mages."

"Let it be. As long as he's happy, that's enough."

Lin Tianhao dropped his joking demeanor, lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and his expression turned Serious:

"That's true, but…"

"Our family is large and powerful, and many are watching us."

"As long as we're alive, no one dares touch him."

"But what if one day we retire… or something happens to us?"

He glanced toward the upstairs, lowering his voice:

"With Mo'er's lazy, apathetic nature, he won't just fail to protect this legacy—he'll get himself killed."

Su Wan fell silent.

Though she doted on her son, as the woman who ruled a vast commercial empire, she understood better than anyone how brutal this world was.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Lin Tianhao crushed out his cigar, his gaze burning as he looked at his wife:

"Wife, logically, we're a War God and a Healer God—our genes are top-tier."

"Mo'er's situation… is just a statistical fluke."

"Old Lin, what are you planning?"

Hearing this, Su Wan instantly understood, her cheeks flushing red.

"Let's… roll the dice again!"

Lin Tianhao grinned and leaned closer to Su Wan.

Su Wan didn't push away her husband's approach: "You old rogue! How old are you, still… still rolling dice?"

"How can this be called being shameless in old age?"

Lin Tianhao, with righteous indignation, scooped up Su Wan and strode toward the master bedroom, his steps swift as the wind:

"This is for the continuation of the family! Wife, let's start tonight. I ate most of that Demon Dragon meat, and now I feel power surging through my entire body!"

"You rascal... be gentle, don't let Mo'er hear..."