GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation

Chapter 5.1: Execution Failed

Landre emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. She smiled warmly at him, but Vel noticed a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"What is it, Vel?"

"I want to learn to write." The words tumbled out with unexpected urgency.

Landre's expression shifted from surprise to delight. "Really? Right now?"

Vel nodded, feeling a swell of hope. "Can you teach me?"

"Of course! Just give me a moment." She disappeared back into the house and returned holding a worn book bound in faded leather. Its pages were yellowed with age, filled with elegant script and sketches that captivated Vel's imagination.

Landre settled beside him, carefully opening the worn leather book. The pages crackled softly as she turned them, revealing neat rows of handwritten text.

"Here," she pointed to the first page. "Let's start with these."

Her finger traced over a line of symbols. Each one held a different shape - some curved like waves, others sharp and angular. Vel leaned closer, drinking in every detail. These weren't just letters anymore - they were keys to unlocking the magic system he'd created.

"This one makes the 'ah' sound," Landre demonstrated, sketching the character in the dirt with a stick. "Try scribbling it."

Vel gripped his own stick, attempting to mimic her fluid motions. His first line wobbled; the second held.

"That's better!" Landre's eyes lit up. "See how the line curves here?" She guided his hand, helping him form the correct shape.

They worked through several more characters, Landre's patience never wavering as she corrected his attempts. Each symbol slowly became clearer in Vel's mind, though his child-sized hands struggled to form them perfectly.

"Look - you can combine them like this." She demonstrated, writing a simple word. "It means 'light'."

Vel's fingers trembled slightly as he copied it, each stroke potentially bringing him closer to accessing the magic system.

"Very good!" Landre clapped her hands together. "You're learning quickly!"

Landre leaned against the rough wall and set the worn book on her knee. Her thumb ran along the cracked spine before she met Vel's eyes. Hours of letters had left them tired.

"Let's take a break." She closed the book with a soft thump and nudged his shoulder with it.

Vel nodded, the new letters still in his head. "Um... can I ask something?" He watched the candle flicker, then steady. "Do you know about magic?"

She smiled, then softened. "Magic? Mm... a little—mostly from stories." She leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "People say you have to be 'attuned'—like a door and a key, I think."

"A door?" Vel frowned.

"I've heard some start showing signs around a certain age... and many never do." She tapped the page edge with a nail. "Some try little rituals to 'unlock' it—but that's just stories." She paused, then added, "A few are born with it—people call them the gifted."