Chapter 1: Rebirth
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Blood poured from my mouth as I laid back against the wall of the reception hall, a bullet hole through my throat, and another three in my chest. I was accompanied by the bodies of more than twenty of my friends and family, who had also gotten caught up in this mess. I was forced to watch as a man, dressed in a suit splattered in blood and wearing a mask, fired relentlessly into the fleeing crowd with his light machine-gun. The 7.62 rounds tore through their flesh with ease, causing one after another to drop to the ground, either dead or dying.
' They'd attack… this? ' I thought, eyes turning bloodshot from being unable to breath. ' This was… supposed to be… a unity between dad's gang… and theirs… their members are among… that crowd… '
' Unless ,' my mind came to a conclusion. ' A rogue agent… discontent with the feud's peaceful end… Come to think of it, uncle Patrick was the only one who couldn't come… '
If I could sigh, I would've. ' I never wanted to… be apart of any of this… damn you, dad… dragging me into your petty war… '
A man came from beneath a table and talked the gunman, whom I suspected to be Patrick - my uncle. The two men fell to the ground, and the gun fell to the ground a short distance from me. Patrick was significantly bigger than the man who had tacked him, the rival gang leader Johnny, and I could tell who the victor would be in a moment. I could still move - I could stop this.
I tried to turn onto my side, but the pain wracking my body only doubled. This made me pause for a moment, but I couldn't stop, now. If Patrick wasn't stopped, more people would die. Bloody bubbles escape the hole in my throat as I grunted in exertion, falling onto my face and reaching towards the gun. Slowly, I dragged myself across the blood-slick floor as I listened to the sound of pained moans, screams, and the nearby fistfight.
' I'm sorry, uncle, ' I though as I reached the gun. My vision started to fade due to oxygen deprivation. ' I don't know what drove you to this, but it can't continue… ' I rotated the gun on the floor, unable to lift it, and pointed it in Patrick and Johnny's direction. 'At least my life will… finally mean something…'
I pulled the trigger, causing seven bullets to fire from the muzzle. Five of them struck Patrick in the back, while one flew past the two. The seventh went through Johnny's leg, but it was a non-fatal would, from what I could see. Patrick collapsed instantly, dead, while Johnny fell to one knee. I turned onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, muscles starting to spasm as I lost control of my body. I could feel it coming, death. Like ice spreading through me as my heart came to a stop.
Johnny kneeling beside me, grabbing my hand and holding a hand over my throat.
"Sterling!" He yelled, looking into my eyes. "You got him! Everything will be okay, just hold on!"
Tears fell down my blood-covered face as I stared up at him. I always liked Johnny, even if he and my father were at odds. He was a kind man, and a good father, and I respected him for it. Whenever he and I came across each other, he was always courteous, and didn't demean me like everyone else. He knew I never wanted to be a part of this.
I wanted to speak, to tell him that he was like a second father to me, but my lungs had stopped working. My vision faded to black as my body started to convulse, then everything went still.
The next thing I knew, I was staring up at the face of a white-haired woman with eyes that shifted between blue and green. She also had cat ears, but those could just be cosplay. The pain was gone completely, as was my fear. Had I survived? Passed out, and been taken to the hospital? Was this woman a doctor, checking up on me?
"Look, honey," she said, glancing across the room. I struggled to turn my head to follow her gaze, finding that a man was sitting in a luxurious chair across the room, looking at the woman and I with teary eyes. His crimson hair was well-manicured, as was his trim beard, and his eyes shifted between black, brown, and red. "He's woken up! His eyes are so beautiful!"
' Okay, what the hell is this? ' I questioned, squinting. Some random woman I don't know, in my hospital room, commenting on my eyes like I'm a… baby. ' Oh, ' I realized. ' Okay, don't freak out. You're a logical person, you can work this out. ' Only, I couldn't come up with a logical answer for why I was here. It was far too late for me to be saved from those bullet wounds, so that was out. Heaven was an option, as I always tried to be a good person, but this didn't feel like Heaven.
' I was reincarnated, then? ' My eyes widened. ' I remembered Anne talking about stories where people get reborn with their memories, but that was just fiction! Maybe I'm having a delusion in my death? ' How was Anne? Did she survive the attack? I hope she did…
The man stood from his chair and approached, taking me up in his arms and staring down at me. Jeez, I really am a baby, aren't I? "Alistair Eil, second Prince of Eilon," he said, apparently naming me.
' Second prince? Don't tell me I got reborn as the son of a King in a fantasy world! Is that was the eyes are about? Does this place have magic, then? ' I had to force myself to calm down, before I nerded out. The King noticed my eyes widening and smiled softly.
"Hello, Alistair. I am Aedon, your father, and I promise to care for you until my dying breath," King Aedon said, eyes swirling in color. Did my eyes look like that? Did I have magic? No, calm down.
"Don't hog him!" The woman, whom I would presume to be my mother, snatched me from Aedon's arms and sat down where the King had been a few moments prior. "He wants some time with his mommy, clearly!"
Aedon simply chuckled and knelt next to the chair, continuing to watch me. Gosh, the idea of having a second set of parents was both scary and exciting. My mother was never around, in my first life, especially after she cheating on my father. Even before that, their marriage wasn't healthy, and Anne and I suffered for it.
These two appeared to have a loving relationship, though. Playful and caring. It was… refreshing, after seeing my first parents fight so much. Haha, 'first parents'… I really have embraced the idea of being reincarnated, haven't I? I guess I was always good at adapting to strange situations. I was the brains behind my father's gang, after all, even if I was only seventeen. He and the rest of them were… not very bright. At least they managed to figure out how to fix relations with Johnny's gang, by marrying Anne to Johnny's son.
The wedding was tense, but eased as soon as the vows were spoken. The reception was amazing, until Patrick ruined it.
"Look, honey, he's thinking about something!" My new mother said excitedly, poking at my cheek. "Oh, I ruined it."
"Thinking, when he's only three hours old? I think we may have a genius on our hands, Rel," Aedon chuckled. "His eyes, too… attuned at birth?"
"I almost couldn't believe it, when Jade handed him to me," Rel commented. "He's got your fire!"
"And he'll undoubtedly get your water, when he attuned further," Aedon leaned over and kissed his wife. "Look, he's staring right at us. It's like he understands us!"
Cocking my tiny head to the side, I smiled at them. It was weird, not having teeth, but at least I was still a boy. I didn't want to get used to having girl parts after having a penis for seventeen years.
Before the two rulers could comment on my apparent reaction, the door opened and a boy, about eight years old, walked into the room. He had the same red hair as Aedon, with green eyes. This had to be the first Prince, future King.
"Ravelus, isn't it past your bedtime?" Rel chided, handing me off to Aedon as she stood. She approached the boy and knelt before him, a hand running through his hair.
"I wanted to meet my new sibling," Ravelus said in a meek tone, looking down.
"This is your new brother. His name is Alistair," Aedon took me over to the child, placing me in his arms. I was small enough at this point to be held with only a small bit of effort from the Prince.
"Woah, he already has magic?" Ravelus gaped while looking into my eyes. That confined magic was real… "Fire, like you, dad!"
"Yes," Aedon smiled. "Now, you can hold your brother more tomorrow… for now, you must rest. Your tutors will be mad if you fall asleep during their lessons."
Ravelus paled and handed me back to Rel before bowing and escaping the room. Not before waving at me, though. I managed to raise my arm in return, but couldn't control my hand enough to wave. A brother, huh? I've had an elder sister, but not a brother. I've always wanted a brother, though, which is probably why I got along so well with Johnny's son. Still, I would miss Anne. She was practically my surrogate mother, despite being my sister. She helped raise me when dad was unavailable, even thought she was only six years older than me.
Suddenly, I felt very tired. My baby cognitive battery drained, and drifted into sleep as my new parents started talking about their work.
I woke up to the feeling of my body being rocked from side to side. Opening my eyes - which shouldn't be working at this stage of life, but it's another world, so I don't know anything - I saw Rel, rocking me against her chest as she sat in a rocking chair. She was singing in a language I didn't recognize. The words were beautiful, and calm. Directly opposite, I'd say, to the Dragon Tongue from Skyrim. That was guttural, and violent. This was whimsical, and elegant. Both were equally graceful, however. I couldn't help but feel calm, enveloped by her warmth as she sang.
Eventually, she stopped and looked down at me, noticing that I was awake. "Look at you, so attentive. That was Al'kir, the language of nature itself. I suspect I'll be teaching you it, when you're older. Perhaps once you graduate from the academy... For now, however, you'll have to be content just listening to it." She reached up and ruffled my hair, encountering two things I didn't know were there, previously. "Your little ears are so cute! My father will want to meet you, the next time he visits!"
"Aguahcaear," I said in surprise, though I tried to say 'I have cat ears?!'
"Yes, your ears and tail are so cute! White as snow, with red tips! I can't wait to see how handsome you'll be when you grow up!" Rel misunderstood my reaction and rubbed her cheek against mine while cooing. "Oh, you'll be such a fine mage, just like me! Not some crude knight, like your father!"
' Oh, they have some sort of class feud, ' I chuckled inwardly. ' I guess I'll just have to be both, then, to avoid hurting either of their feelings. Or maybe I'll be a bowman, just to mess with them? '
Rel frowned. "I can tell when someone is scheming, little cat. Don't you dare think about picking up a sword!" This wiped the smile from my face, as her motherly aura turned almost demonic. "Oh? Learning that your mother isn't someone to be trifled with? Good!"
' Right, ' I hastily nodded as best as I could. ' Magic, though... I wouldn't mind being a mage. '
[Class {Mage} Confirmed! Select a subclass:]
{ Bard }
{ Summoner }
{ Cleric }
{ Elementalist }
{ Anti-Mage }
"Wuahgahel?!"
"What's wrong, honey? Do you want some breakfast?" Rel hummed, beginning to undo her shirt. I immediately started squirming uncomfortably, not wanting to have anything to do with breastfeeding, now that I was conscious. I was almost an adult! I couldn't see my mother's breasts, let alone suck on them! "Oh, don't fuss so much. It's only natural!" Rel said with a grin. "Your brother was like this, too, when he was a baby!"
' Oh, please, mysterious window in my vision, distract me from this hell! ' I pleaded, staring at the options and beginning to think as 'the process' occurred. This was like a video game menu, right? Like that digital version of Dungeons and Dragons, only in real life? I could get behind that as a concept; I'm even pretty sure Anne mentioned there being a genre based around it - LitRPG, if I remember. Fortunately, I wasn't in a novel, or manga, or something.
' Can I go back to the class selection? ' I asked mentally, wondering what the other classes were.
[No.]
' Oh, okay, ' I frowned, trying not to focus on my facial functions. ' I guess I have to choose from these, then. Though, I did say I didn't mind being a mage. I wonder if this game thingy will help me get super strong? That way, I'll never have to be breast-fed again! Hahahaha- Oh, I've gone crazy, haven't I? '
' Not important! I need to choose what I'm going to focus on! '
[You can change your class, once you max out this one.]
' Oh, cool. Wait, are you sentient? '
[Maybe.]
' Well, what do you suggest, then? ' I asked, but no response came. ' What, unwilling to talk, now? Okay, fine, I'll figure it out on my own! {Bard} is a no-go, because I'm about as charismatic as a pencil-sharpener, and I'm not the 'seducing a dragon' type. {Cleric} is out, because - as amazing as healing magic is - It's not very flashy. I was so boring in my first life, and I want to look cool! Maybe I can impress my new family, and stuff? That'd be nice. '
' As much as I like the concept, {Anti-Mage} is not it, either. Being able to dismiss magic attacks entirely, and stop people from casting is cool, but how much use can I get out of that as a child? Besides, they might label me as 'cursed' and end up outcasting me, or something! I can't risk losing my family! '
"Oh, such a fierce expression!" Rel exclaimed happily, looking down at me. "Do you enjoy mama's milk that much?"
' No! ' I screamed in my head. ' Back to video game stuff! That leaves {Summoner} and {Elementalist}! I like the idea of summoning an army of dogs, or dragons, but I can do that later. I want to throw fire at people, and make them dance with bloodbending hahaha! {Elementalist} it is! '
[Subclass {Elementalist} Confirmed! Select an Element:]
{ Fire }
{ Water }
{ Earth }
{ Air }
' What, I can't even choose a cool one, like blood or lava? I guess {Fire} will do, for now, since they said I have an affinity for it... At least I can blow stuff up, now, and make a perfect creme brulee. ' I paused. ' Do they even have creme brulee, in this world? '
[Subclass {Fire Elementalist} Confirmed!]
Per Level:
+1 STR, CON, END, DEX, CHA, LCK
+2 WIS
+3 INT
+5 Stat Points
[Skills <Mana Control> and <Fire Manipulation> Learned!]
<Mana Control> (1/100)
You can passively control mana with greater efficacy.
<Fire Manipulation> (1/100)
You can bend fire to your will.
-20mp(v)
[Item <Mana Control Book (F)> Added to {Inventory}!]
<Beginner Mana Control Book> (F)
A book detailing the process of manipulating the mana within you.
' Oh? I have video game stats, now? '
[Status]
-Identity-
Name: Alistair Eil
Race: Human; Beastfolk (Cat);
Age: 0 (17)
Class: Fire Elementalist (1/100)
Rank: Mortal (1x)
Titles: None
Alignment: Lawful Good
Level: 1 (0/50)
-Stats-
Health Status: 10/10 (+0.1%/m)
Mana Status: 210/210 (+1.4%/m)
Stamina Status: 10/10 (+0.1%/m)
STR: 1 (+1/)
CON: 1 (+1/)
DEX: 1 (+1/)
END: 1 (+1/)
INT: 21 (+3/)
WIS: 14 (+2/)
CHA: 13 (+1/)
LCK: 20 (+1/)
Stat Points: 0 (+5/)
' Ah! Why do I keep accidentally opening these things? ' I jumped before reading it over. ' I guess I really am a cat boy... only one in all physical stats? I guess that makes sense, since I'm a baby... Like I said, charisma of a pencil-sharpener, with wisdom to match. My luck is pretty good, though, and my intelligence is even better! I guess all of that reading time, holed up in my room, did something... It did the opposite for my charisma, though... '
I sighed inwardly and wondered what to do next. ' It mentioned an inventory, right? '
[Inventory]
<Gacha Token>
A token that can be bitten for an item from the gacha loot pool.
<Beginner Mana Control Book>
A book detailing the process of manipulating the mana within you.
' Ah! Cool, it's like Runescape, ' I exclaimed in my head as I saw a grid appear before me. When I hovered over an item with my eyes, a description would pop up within my central vision, like a pop-up in Minecraft.
"How are you feeling, buddy? Still hungry?" Rel asked as she held me up. I shook my head hastily, though I did note that I was no longer hungry. She smiled and did up her dress again, before taking me over to the crib and laying me down. "Alright, then. We're going to my office, so I can do some work! Don't worry, mommy will be right here the whole time!" She put a blanket over me and started pushing the crib towards the door, which was opened by a maid. We left what I assumed was the bedroom the King and Queen shared, and went down the hall for a bit. The maid from before followed and opened another door, leading into a smaller room complete with a fireplace and desk.
Rel put my crib in one corner before sitting down, gesturing to the maid. The maid pointed at the fireplace and spoke something I couldn't pick up, sending a spark through the air and into the wood. It burst into flame, which quickly warmed the room as the maid moved to leave. Rel got to work on some papers stacked on the corner of her desk, leaving me just outside her range of vision. Taking the opportunity, I turned onto my side and looked intently at the token in my inventory. It suddenly appeared on the blanket next to me, settling into the soft silk.
Remembering the description, I crawled over to it and - albeit hesitantly - bit the edge of the coin.
[Rolling 1x Gacha Token…]
[Rolling…]
[Entry 64 Rolled…]
[<Attribute Crystal: Adam> Added to {Inventory}!]
<Attribute Crystal: Adam> - A crystal containing an attribute of Adam. Crush it to activate, but be wary of unintended side-effects.
Perfect Body
200% Stat Gain
<Eyes of the Lord> Skill
<High Human> Rank
<Progenitor of Man> Title
It appears in my inventory, a small blue crystal, where the token had previously resided. I stared at it for a while, eyes wide. Adam? As in, Record of Ragnarok Adam? It would seem so, with <Eyes of the Lord> being available. I would've crushed it then and there, but, of course, I couldn't move my body very well. What would I even get, if I could crush it? It seemed like I could choose, so which would I, when I could crush the thing?
Reading their descriptions, I gaped. <Perfect Body> would bring me to the best I can look, physically. Impossible physique, and impeccable skin. It would make my organs more efficient, and change my bone structure. Effectively, it would make my body perfect. It wouldn't affect my stats at all, but I would look as good as humanly possible. Even more so, if I changed races.
The <200% Stat Gain> was also pretty good, doubling any Stat Gains I got from leveling and training. I'd still only get five freely-spent Stat Points per level, but it still increased my current gains by double.
<Eyes of the Lord> were amazing, allowing one to perceive and copy any physical ability, no matter what. On the other hand, they put stress on the eyes and nervous system that would be impossible for any normal man to endure. Thus, perfect body. Adam truly was amazing, to use the ability for so long against Zeus.
<High Human> rank appeared to level up my soul, providing a total stat boost - 1.8x, to be exact. It was a good overall boost, especially when combined with the 200% stat boost also available. If I could get another attribute crystal of Adam, those two are what I would pick.
The <Progenitor of Man> title simply increased reputation gains with humans by 50%, which would be useful for national relations, if I ever had to deal with that as a Prince.
In the end, I decided I would get the <200% Stat Gain>, whenever I could crush it. Getting double stats every time I leveled up for the rest of my life would be amazing - an opportunity I couldn't pass up, even for <Eyes of the Lord>, at the moment. Besides, I couldn't even handle the eyes until I had a very strong body, so they would be useless to me until then. If I got the crystal again, and had the stats, then I'd certainly get them.
I glanced at Rel, whom I decided to refer to as mother, and saw that she was writing with a quill, occasionally dipping it in an inkwell. She was aware of me, I was certain, but wasn't paying full attention. She seemed to be a good mother. I laid back on my back and wondered what to do next, then thought, ' if there's an inventory, then there has to be a shop, right? '
[Shop]
(SC: 0)
{Catalog}
{Auction House}
{Contracts}
-Special Shop-
<Agriculture and You>
A book detailing the processes of crop-cycling, fertilizer production, selective crop breeding, irrigation, and greenhouse environments.
50 SC
<How to Milk the Economy>
A book detailing the ins and outs of merchandising and business, both foreign and domestic.
50 SC
<Battle Strategist 101 (Art of War Included!)>
A book detailing all of the different battle strategies one could ever need, including terrain and enemy army combinations. Also includes a copy of The Art of War by Sun Tzu at the back!
50 SC
<Modern Architecture for Dummies>
A book detailing modern construction techniques to make buildings that last a very long time, need little maintenance, and provide all necessary functions, while looking good at the same time.
50 SC
<Earth Cuisine: A Comprehensive Recipe Compendium>
A book detailing cooking techniques and recipes from all around Earth, throughout time.
50 SC
My eyes were immediately drawn to the {Catalog}, which opened with less than a thought. Listed before me was a comprehensive list of everything I had ever seen on Earth. At least, the materials needed to make such things. Helium gas, titanium alloy, concrete mix, spring water, straight-up magma, Uranium-235. With enough SC, or Shop Credits, I could make a bomb big enough to blow up the moon. Assuming this planet had a moon, which it probably did.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any Shop Credits, so I navigated back to the {Contracts} menu. There, were various menial items, such as furniture, weapons, food, and other such goods that could be sold to the shop in bulk for more than they would be worth on their own. If I could get my own merchandising empire up and running, I could theoretically obtain infinite SC, and therefore infinite of any resource in the world, which would feed back into the loop indefinitely.
I realized, in that moment, that I could revolutionize this world. Not just industrially, but socially. I had access to knowledge from Earth, which had to be more advanced than this place. After all, we were in a castle that relied on open fires for heat, and windows and lanterns for light. If nothing else, I could 'invent' electricity, sewage management, water treatment, and modern medicine. Sure, those things might be possible through magic, already, but that, then, required human input. The greatest thing about modern amenities is the lack of human input.
That's when I decided what my course of action would be, in this world. Using my position as second Prince of an entire kingdom, I would build my wealth and power, then use that power to advance this world up to the point where Earth was at, and even beyond, using magic in combination with technology. I was always an ambitious person, but never had anything to direct it towards aside from my hunger for knowledge. Now, I could put both that ambition and knowledge to good use.
' Oh, ' I thought, smiling. ' This will be very fun. '
*****
It was only five days later that I remembered I had skills. Five days I spent dredging up all of the knowledge I had gathered since I was six years old and compiling into stages of a plan that would take more than a decade to unfold. That is, once I was capable of achieving the first step. For now, all I could do was sit back and enjoy the time I spent with my new family. I rather enjoyed their presence, as they were always talking about something interesting. I learned a lot about this kingdom, Eilon, and the situations therein.
Barely any commoners could read and write, reinforcing in my mind the need for a proper education system. Food was always short, making the kingdom import from the country of Siligha, to the North; a good use for the agricultural knowledge in that book from the shop. Frequent earthquakes were taking their toll on the clifftop city of Endreillion, capital of the Eilon kingdom, implying a need for more sound structures. Transportation, as always in a medieval fantasy setting, took forever and was very laborious; magic cars, perhaps? Political tension was rising between the various factions of the Eilon noble court, due to the ongoing conflict with the kingdom of Axriel to the West, which had been happening for three-hundred years. The issue of monsters flooding from rifts and dungeons was growing across the world, requiring a higher number of adventurers to fight them off. The weather was getting worse, apparently due to magic, making travel by sea trying, which ravaged the economies of all sea-bordering nations. The general happiness of the population was low, due to the tough times and lack of good entertainment.
The best part? I could fix all of it!
Nevertheless, I finally remembered about the skills I'd gotten when selecting my class, and thought about the word. I was sitting in my crib, in my parent's bedroom, staring up at the ceiling as I once again contemplated things when it crossed my mind.
[Skills]
–(Passive)--
<Beastfolk Kinship> (1/100)
Allows you to find kinship with animals.
<Fire Affinity> (1/100)
+5% Skill EXP with all fire related skills.
<Royal Presence> (1/100)
You have an innate aura that encourages respect and attention.
<Mana Control> (1/100)
You can passively control mana with greater efficacy.
–(Active)--
<Observe> (1/100)
You can, upon activation, obtain information on the target person or object.
-5mp
<Fire Manipulation> (1/100)
You can bend fire to your will.
-20mp(v)
' Oh? Three innate passives, one active default with the system, and two class-specific ones? ' I thought, reading over them. All of them were broad, and started at level one out of one-hundred, implying that they could get better. My <Fire Affinity>, for instance, would probably grant more EXP at level fifty than at level twenty-five. By how much, I had no idea, but it would certainly be nice. <Beastfolk Kinship> and <Royal Presence> would be good for dealing with animals and people alike, at least once they are leveled up enough. <Mana Control> and <Fire Manipulation> were amazing, obviously, allowing me to freely manipulate flames, so long as I had enough mana. Currently, I should've been able to move it around for a few seconds before running out of mana.
The most exciting, however, was <Observe>. It allowed me to gather information on anything I looked at, for minimal MP. I tested it by looking at my sleeping father, squinting, and thinking about using it. Surely enough, it worked!
[Aedon Eil IV]
Race: Human
Titles: Knight King of Eilon; Beast Coliseum Champion; Dragon-Slayer;
Age: 29
Level: 314
' Level 314? It's no wonder he's killed a dragon, with the stats he must have… ' I marveled, eyes wide. I turned my attention to my mother, who had her arms wrapped around Aedon's neck.
[Rel Eil]
Race: Beastfolk (Cat)
Titles: Mage Queen of Eilon; Second Princess of Rhana'Vi; Flowerbed Maker; Nature Maiden;
Age: 31
Level: 323
' Holy shit! ' I exclaimed. Rel twitched in her sleep, but I didn't pay any mind to it. ' She's even higher than father? It makes sense, because she's two years older, but levels should be harder to gain as they get higher, at least for people who are not me… My family is incredible! '
[Skill <Observe> Has Leveled up! (2/100)]
' Oh, I guess it only took two uses, the first time. Is it that easy for me to level up my other skills? ' I looked to the magic candle by the door, and stared at it. ' Move, flame! Go to the side! Go up! Grow! Extinguish! ' Nothing happened. I sighed and pulled myself up into a sitting position. Having a baby body made everything difficult, even with developed muscle memory. Still, I had gotten better at moving.
I reached out and brought out the <Mana Control Book>, which fell to the floor of the crib with a muted thwap. It was a smaller book with a leather cover, across the front of which was a runic symbol - a ten-pointed star, in which all of the points connected to one another. It was bound with a blue-gold spine and shimmered in the moonlight that drifted in through the window. With great effort, I managed to pull the cover over to reveal the first page.
" Mana is the energy of life and the universe. It makes up and surrounds all things. All matter, and the lack of matter. It wells up around certain existences - the souls of plants and animals. These beings are capable of manipulating the mana within them, and extending that control beyond their bodies and into the environment around them, in what is called magic. This book does not cover that subject, however, only going over how to control your own mana, within your body, " the first passage of the book read. Instantly, I was enraptured by the idea. It was like a new layer of energy physics was discovered, and I was the first one to read the thesis.
" I'd like to begin with an exercise. A rather simple one, in comparison to those we will attempt in the future, but it may still prove challenging. Don't be upset if you can't get it on your first try, not many can. Simply close your eyes, and breath. Search within yourself for any feeling, which should grow and shrink with each breath. You absorb the mana in the air you intake, and exhale it back into the world around you. Once you have located this feeling, try to emulate it through the application of your will. "
I leaned against the back wall of my crib and shut my eyes, focusing within as I took long, deep breaths. In through my nose, and out through my mouth. I felt my tiny lungs inflate and deflate again and again, providing oxygen to my blood to keep my organs in good order. I felt my muscles tense and relax slightly as the shape of my chest changed with the action, needing additional support to remain still. I felt my mind slowly gain clarity, as the second-hand stress I had gained from listening to my parents' struggles faded away.
Only once my mind was clear, absolutely so, did I feel it. A pulsing, in the center of my chest. It was in time with my heart, making it difficult to notice, at first, but I did notice it. It indeed pulsed with my heartbeat, but more than that, it expanded and shrunk when I breathed in and out. The pulse grew stronger when the beating and expansion coincided, and weakened when it beat and shrunk. This had to be the source of my mana, overlaid with my heart in some other plane of existence.
I felt it, for a while - enraptured by the picture of a fluctuating orb, pulsing energy throughout my body via my blood and nerves. I'd liken it to how chakra is described in Naruto - my very life force, itself. Only, it was currently restrained to my heart and bodily channels. I could feel it pressing up against certain parts of those channels, as if there was more space for it to flow through, with just a little push, but I couldn't sense that space itself.
I set that aside, for a moment, and refocused on the swelling and settling. I waited for it to be at its maximum, just as my lungs were full, and I pushed against it. It swelled further, slightly, and flooded through my channels like I had increased my blood pressure. I felt my muscles tense as a dull burning encompassed my very being. My mind felt clearer, and I could sense my inner being with much more clarity.
[Skill <Mana Infusion> Learned!]
<Mana Infusion> (1/100)
You can infuse your mana into something, increasing its effectiveness.
-20mp(v)
[Skill <Mana Infusion> Leveled Up! (2/100)]
[Skill <Mana Control> Leveled Up! (3/100)]
I opened my eyes, breathing heavily, and clenched my fists. Before, I would've had a hard time even doing that much, but now the muscles reacted to my command as if I were a teenager again. Getting an idea, I pulled Adam's attribute crystal from my inventory and placed it between my small legs. Then, with all of my might, I hugged the thing.
With my newfound strength, and the leverage of using my entire body on it, I was able to crack the surprisingly-brittle crystal, before shattering the thing with a small crash. All of the pieces instantly turned to dust, then into particles of light that flooded into my chest. I felt immense warmth, and a window popped up before me.
[Select Attribute:]
{Perfect Body}
{200% Stat Gain}
{<Eyes of the Lord> Skill}
{<High Human} Soul Rank}
{<Progenitor of Man> Title}
I giggled triumphantly as I selected the second option. My chest burned more before the feeling faded. Checking my stats, I was pleased to see that my gains per level had been doubled. Now, I just needed to level up to obtain those stats. ' Do I have quests, or something? ' I questioned.
[Atlas]
{World Map}
{Local Map} [(X)/O]
{Reputations}
{Quest Board}
-Quests-
<Leveling Up I>
(O) Attained Level 5
<Introductions!> (!)
(X) Complete the mandatory System Introduction
<Skilled!> (!)
(3/1) Active Skills used
' Cool, ' I nodded. Two of the quests I had, I had already completed. Apparently, I had to actively claim them, but that meant I could go over the required quota, and possibly get better rewards. This was good, because I'd need that to grow, in these early years. I checked my MP, noticing that it was at just over 160, and decided to spam <Observe> as much as I could before accepting the quests.
[Crib]
A crib passed down through the Eil family.
[Castle Eil]
The castle owned by the Eil royal family. The largest and most recognizable building in the Eilon kingdom.
So on and so forth, until I ran out of mp - or, got as close as I could to doing so.
[Skill <Observe> Leveled Up!] (8/100)]
I then turned in the quests.
[Quest <Introductions!> Complete!]
+25 EXP
+3 Stat Points
+50 SC
+Skill <ID Create>
+Skill <ID Escape>
[Skills <ID Create> and <ID Escape> Learned!]
<ID Create> (1/100)
Allows you to create and enter an instant dungeon at will. You can alter the flow of time within, and even disable your aging, but only to a degree determined by the skills level. Currently, you can make time 1:1, and you cannot disable aging.
-10mp
<ID Escape> (1/100)
Allows you to escape an instant dungeon at will. You cannot do so in certain sections, or in boss rooms, and you may be restricted by your mana, or lack thereof.
-25mp
[Quest <Skilled> Completed!]
Overtime Bonus: 6x
+30 EXP
+6 Stat Points
+60 SC
+Item <Gacha Token>
[Level Up!]
+2 STR, CON, END, DEX, CHA, LCK
+4 WIS
+5 Stat Points
+6 INT
+250 SC
+Item <Gacha Token>
I could feel myself get stronger. My muscles tightened beyond what should be possible for a baby, despite only a two-point difference. My focus grew sharper, and my memory improved. I opened my stats and smiled as I distributed my points. Two each to STR, CON, END, DEX, and WIS, while the last four went into INT.
[Status]
-Identity-
Name: Alistair Eil
Race: Human; Beastfolk (Cat);
Age: 0 (17)
Class: Fire Elementalist(2/100)
Rank: Mortal (1x)
Titles: None
Alignment: Lawful Good
Level: 2 (5/100)
-Stats-
Health Status: 50/50 (+0.5%/m)
Mana Status: 8/310 (+2%/m)
Stamina Status: 50/50 (+0.5%/m)
STR: 5 (+1*2/)
CON: 5 (+1*2/)
DEX: 5 (+1*2/)
END: 5 (+1*2/)
INT: 31 (+3*2/)
WIS: 20 (+2*2/)
CHA: 15 (+1*2/)
LCK: 22 (+1*2/)
Points: 0 (+5/)
Five days in the new world - six, technically - and I was already half as strong as an adolescent. I was under a week old! Unfortunately, it wouldn't be so easy to level up in the future. Not only did the EXP requirement double when I leveled up, but I wouldn't be able to abuse an easy quest to get much more EXP than intended. Unless I waited for a while, but that would be unbearable with larger quests.
I took a <Gacha Token> from my inventory and raised it to my mouth, biting its edge.
[Rolling 1x Gacha Token…]
[Rolling…]
[Entry 50 Rolled…]
[<Psychic Paper Badge> Added to {Inventory}!]
<Psychic Paper Badge>
A paper badge that will display exactly what the target needs to see to be content with the holder's will.
Ah, the Doctor's psychic paper. That would be helpful, if I needed to coerce people into doing what I wanted with paperwork. Otherwise, it was quite mundane. I took out the second token and bit it.
[Rolling 1x Gacha Token…]
[Rolling…]
[Entry 34 Rolled…]
[<Soul Rank Empowerment Capsule> Added to {Inventory}!]
<Soul Rank Empowerment Capsule>
Allows an imbiber to raise their soul rank by one level. Necessary input doubles for every rank above two.
' Twenty-two luck coming in clutch! ' I exclaimed in my head, immediately grabbing the pill out of my inventory and swallowing it. Warmth enveloped my chest again, similar to what had happened when I absorbed Adam's attribute, but this was more focused. It stopped, and I got a prompt.
[Soul Rank had been Upgraded to <Human*>! Multiplier is now 1.2x!]
' Giving me all of the multipliers! ' I cackled. I always loved multiplicative boosts, because they felt so liberating. Of course, I had nothing to base this feeling on, in this context, as I hadn't even had to feed myself, yet, but the thought of not having to deal with early-game billshit was pretty nice. This was a good night, indeed.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Mhiktur
Mhiktur Thank you for reading the first chapter of this new story! I will warn you, updates won't be all that often, because our lives are pretty busy. Still we'll try to write as often as we can, and get it out on at least a bi-weekly basis.
The rolls for the gacha are 100% random, drawing from a list we've been working on for a while using a random number generator. If you want to contribute to that list of items, you can fill out as many forms as you like at https://forms.gle/3TrncMWY2DvroGhC9
Again, thank you for reading, and make sure to check out our patreon page and discord at https://discord.gg/bAvN6pxh
See you next time!
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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