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A full week had passed since I opened my eyes in this strange body—a week unlike any other. A week of bewilderment, curiosity, and most importantly… acceptance.
Every time I looked into the mirror, I didn't see "Lloyd"—the man who lived in a crumbling apartment and met death beneath a collapsing ceiling. No… I saw a thin boy with lifeless green eyes, as though he'd spent half his life in a velvet coffin. I still wasn't used to the softness of this bed, the scent of flowers lingering in the royal air… nor to Lisa, the maid who followed me like my own shadow—literally.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I stared at my frail fingers and muttered to myself:
"A whole week... My body's finally responding, but I'm still as skinny as a twig. If I'm going to survive here, I need to understand this world first."
The next morning, I set off toward the library with Lisa beside me. Every corner of the mansion looked like a scene out of an epic novel. The floors were made of gleaming white marble, seemingly untouched by dirt, and the walls were adorned with golden murals depicting legendary battles between knights and dragons. Lisa walked silently behind me, carrying books, teacups, and objects I couldn't even name.
Just before we reached the library, a sudden, awkward urgency struck me.
"Lisa… where's the bathroom?"
She pointed gracefully toward an ornate wooden door just ahead. I walked in, then hesitated.
"Lisa, could you… lock the door from outside? Please."
She answered with a calm tone, devoid of any embarrassment:
"I'm afraid I can't, my lord. I must stay close to ensure your safety."
My awkwardness flared as I insisted:
"Trust me. I can handle this part of life myself."
But she simply smiled that infuriating smile and replied with unshakable confidence:
"My lord, I've already seen everything during your slumber. In fact, on the very day you woke, I was holding a towel and water, ready to wipe away your sweat."
Those words shattered what little dignity I had left. My face flushed red—I felt like I might combust on the spot. I muttered:
"Stay calm… it's not your body…"
Only to hear my own thoughts retort:
"It is your body now."
I emerged from the bathroom, nursing what was left of my pride, and stepped into the grand library—like a man fleeing a battle he'd lost. The room was vast, lined from floor to ceiling with towering shelves stuffed with ancient tomes, and the scent of aged parchment filled the air like incense in a temple of wisdom.
I began flipping through books one by one. At first, the letters looked like cursed runes written by mad wizards. I sighed aloud:
"Seriously? No translation?"
I asked Lisa if she had any books on the world's history, geography, and its systems of power. She brought me three thick volumes—each big enough to kill a man if dropped from above.
I started with the geography book. At first, the words danced before my eyes, incomprehensible. But slowly… slowly… they began to make sense, as if the memories stored in this body were seeping into my mind.
Six hours passed, and I was still buried in pages, devouring knowledge like a man lost in the depths of a forbidden ocean.
I discovered that this world consisted of five continents:
The Eastern Green Continent, a never-ending forest realm.
The Southern Frozen Continent, cold enough to freeze thought itself.
The twin continents of the North: Arsa and Fiuber, lands of war tribes and veiled kingdoms.
And finally… the Western Continent, my current home.
This continent was divided in two: a lawless zone ruled by chaos, and the mighty Empire of Izec, made up of six major kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Magic—where I now resided—the Flower Capital, and Ser, the heart of trade.
At one point, a book slipped from my lap and crashed onto my foot.
"Ow! This thing is a public safety hazard!" I groaned.
Lisa chuckled softly.
"It's just a book, my lord. Not a boulder."
I glared at her.
"Tell that to my crushed toe."
By sunset, I had memorized the world map and begun to grasp the basics of mana, magic, and the mysterious power structures that ruled this land. But more importantly—I made a choice.
"If I'm going to live in this world… I won't be just a shadow in the heart of darkness. I'll be the shadow… that darkness itself fears.
With the rise of a new dawn, the warm rays of sunlight slipped through the wide windows of Alphonse's mansion, scattering golden beams upon the white marble floor like threads weaving a new tale. The light danced across Lloyd's face, who hadn't shut his eyes all night, completely immersed in the sea of information he had absorbed yesterday.
He sat at the edge of the bed, fingers interlocked, eyes fixed on the ceiling as if negotiating secretly with mana itself.
"Magic, kingdoms, mana paths, continents… everything here feels like a novel written by bored gods," he muttered as he stood up lightly. Then, in a louder voice, he added, "But something's missing… my understanding of this world's power is still blurry."
Lisa entered, carrying a massive breakfast tray—as usual, an excessive spread that made Lloyd feel like he was about to feed a small army, not one skinny teenager.
"Good morning, Sir Lloyd. Shall we begin our day with royal omelettes? Or would you prefer rare Mangril flower jam?"
He gave her a blank look and said, "Do you have anything light? Like… a glass of water?"
Lisa chuckled sweetly as she theatrically placed the omelette on the table. "Water doesn't grant you mana, my lord."
"It grants me a chance to survive bloating. That's enough," he replied, dragging himself up. "Let's go to the library. I have a date with a magical book—literally."
---
The library was just as he left it: a monument of wisdom and awe. Lloyd sat in his chair and braced himself as if preparing for battle.
"Lisa, I want a book that explains magic. Everything—its history, types, sources… even how to pronounce 'mana' poetically."
Lisa, who seemed to have been waiting for this request all week, nodded eagerly and darted through the shelves like a sparrow in search of its golden grain. Moments later, she returned carrying a book so massive that Lloyd asked:
"Is this a book or a portal to another dimension?"
"This is your gateway to understanding mana, my lord."
Lloyd opened the tome and began reading. With each page he turned, it felt like a new brain was being added to his own.
---
The Chapter of Mana: The Origin of All Things
Lloyd discovered that every form of magic in this world didn't originate from within the human body but from a force called mana—the essence and greatest mystery of the world. Its source? An ancient, colossal tree known as the Mana Tree, located on a tiny island at the center of the five continents. No one knew who planted it or when—it had existed since the dawn of history.
Lloyd leaned back and said, "A tree? So this world is run by a giant plant? Great. Had I known that earlier, I would've started growing parsley!"
Lisa laughed again, as if his sarcasm delighted her more than the knowledge itself.
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The Five Mana Paths
Things grew more complex when Lloyd reached the "inner channels" chapter—these were the paths through which mana traveled inside the human body. There were five essential paths:
1. The Basic Flow Path: allows mana to enter the body smoothly.
2. The Elemental Awakening Path: activates the body's ability to use specific power elements.
3. The Classification Path: determines the category of fighter or mage the person belongs to.
4. The High-Speed Flow Path: permits large, rapid flows of mana—like a violent river.
5. The Dark Path: the rarest of all, possessed by only a select few, allowing for infinite mana flow—but at great risk.
This was enough to make Lloyd jump up and shout,
"I… I have all five paths unlocked?! Who am I? The tree's chosen heir?!"
Lisa nodded calmly. "In fact… yes. That's what the royal physician wrote after examining you."
"So I'm the deluxe edition of this world's population. No wonder you look at me like I'm some sacred doll."
---
The Power Elements of the World
Lloyd then learned that power in this world was divided into three main categories:
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1. The Magic Category:
Inscription Magic: based on writing—users write the spell and infuse it with mana to activate it.
Chanting Magic: requires uttering specific phrases or incantations to unleash magic.
Imaginative Magic: the rarest and most powerful—combining mana with pure imagination to produce a physical effect. Only legendary mages can wield it.
Lloyd scratched his chin and whispered, "So the mages here are either poets… or lunatics."
---
2. The Equipment Category:
Weapons: swords, axes, hammers—mana is channeled through them to enhance their power.
Ninja: an extremely rare and powerful type—users are light, flexible, and wield katanas.
The Jester: a bizarre but deadly class that relies on illusions, speed, and trickery. Their weapons are circus tools, especially enchanted playing cards.
Lloyd gasped, "Jesters? So I can use a joke as a bomb?!"
---
3. The Priest Category:
The rarest of all—priests combine magic with spiritual power.
They wield spells of healing, curses, and venom.
"If a priest is praying for you," Lloyd chuckled darkly, "you'd better check what they're praying for—might be your death, not salvation."
---
By the time Lloyd closed the book at the end of the day, he was no longer just a lost boy in a strange world… he had become a scholar of its very foundation, ready—or so he thought—for the journey ahead.
But what he didn't know yet… was that everything he'd read, was just a simple introduction to what awaited him