At the entrance of the village stood the temple, and the wide space between the village gate and the temple building was paved with stone—something I hadn't seen used in any of the architecture I'd come across until now.
Perhaps that meant Kyas itself wasn't primitive… just the place I lived in.
Behind the village gate was a dry, unpaved road that served as the main path into the village. From what I understood of Thialis, the forest didn't seem particularly dangerous, at least within certain boundaries. It was a quiet place that people often wandered through on many days.
Once I left the village, I looked down at the book in my hand. I could feel a crooked smile forming on my face.
I was simply too excited, eager to learn something new about this world.
At some point along the road, I decided to enter the forest. Since it was spring, the woods were full of blooming flowers and dead leaves left over from the previous winter.
My feet crushed the dry petals and leaves beneath them like crispy potato chips, and the sound of birds chirping was delightful.
The scent of wet oak lingered faintly but clearly in the air.
After about half an hour, I arrived at the spot I'd recently begun to visit frequently.
A green clearing with short grass. On one end, there was a natural water basin surrounded by rocks and pebbles, shaded by the massive branches of a towering oak tree. Its limbs spread over nearly half the clearing, its leaves beginning to yellow with the arrival of spring. Sunlight filtered through in circular and linear patterns beneath it.
A quiet, perfect place.
I leaned against one of the trees at the edge of the field. In front of me lay the small basin, fed by water trickling down from a slight rise that carved a path through stone and grass, perhaps coming from a distant river or stream deep within the forest.
I think I'm still too young to explore anything that deep.
Maybe when I turn ten, I'll give it a try.
"Alright, alright," I chuckled as I opened the book. "Let's see what we've got here. I've always wanted to be a wizard!"
Magic had been a dream in my previous life. Magic that could change everything, let me fly far away from home, or conjure unimaginable riches.
Hehehe… let's see what secrets this book is hiding.
…
Well, turned out it was hiding quite a lot.
…
In the introduction, the book mentioned the three major races of the world, as well as the animals of Kias.
Beasts were a strange race. They suffered from weak logical thinking and, therefore, poor decision-making. They also experienced early-onset memory loss.
This race couldn't use magic. They had no "mana pores" through which to absorb mana—the world's energy source—and so they relied on weapons and raw physical strength.
According to the book, even a weak beast had a punch that could rival ten to fifteen average humans. Such strength could easily kill a person before they could properly use magic.
Their lack of wisdom led to an elective system for choosing their leader. The Beast Lord wasn't hereditary but elected, usually the wisest among them, to lead them down the right path.
… … …
As for demons, they were the opposite of beasts: physically weak, humanoid in form, with strange-colored eyes, proud horns, and tails that varied from family to family.
From what I understood, all demons were capable of using a generated energy called "Fana." It resided within their bodies and could be manipulated or shaped into bizarre forms. Some demon families crafted poisons out of it, others molded it into unique abilities—some could shapeshift, others moved faster, or grew stronger.
Demons were an emotional race with deep familial bonds. They revered funerals and valued rigorous training.
But… demons weren't magicians either. It seemed that "magic" was a term invented and used by humans.
… … …
Then the book delved into more detail about humans, presenting the information in a straightforward manner.
Humans lived shorter lives than demons and beasts, but reproduced far more. This led to a higher probability of talented magicians emerging and, as a result, the gradual evolution of magic among humans.
The average lifespan of humans in Kias ranged between 150 and 300 years, about three times longer than in my old world.
The book claimed that early in history, humans didn't live past seventy. But their discovery of mana usage and the training arts led to longevity, as they evolved in tandem with mana.
I didn't quite grasp this part, but apparently, mana was connected to the extension of human life.
The book said that all humans could use magic, but talent varied widely.
Magical talent depended on several factors, such as the size of one's mana core (the mana reservoir), the number of open mana pores out of a hundred, and one's synchronization with their unique mana.
In general, unlike demons, humans absorbed mana from the world. Their bodies couldn't generate it, only process it.
It's believed that 25% of one's mana comes from food, and 75% from the atmosphere.
…
I looked around the clearing, then took a deep breath. Since birth, I'd felt that the air in Kias wasn't just clean—it had a different taste. Breathing here felt more like sipping a light drink than inhaling air.
I smiled, then returned to the book.
…
Magic for humans was divided into two main categories: Constrained Manipulation and Free Manipulation.
Constrained manipulation involved controlling pre-existing natural elements, such as fire, water, wind, and earth. Other rare elements occasionally appeared throughout history, such as ice and lightning.
Some gifted mages could control more than one element. Over time, dual-element wielders were seen as nobility, typically serving high rulers or kings, who could wield three elements.
This meant that most dual-element mages were nobles, and triple-element wielders were often of royal blood. Although not a hard and fast rule, it was a common observation.
The second category was free mana—also common, but rare in terms of gifted individuals.
Free mana involved using raw, unprocessed mana and shaping it into forms and constructs.
It wasn't a fixed rule either. Many free mana users became healers or blacksmiths. It's believed that the human family of "Signers" also belonged to this type.
Free mana was a complicated branch, and progression in it was complex. It was said to belong to the creative minds of humanity—many of its users were writers, historians, or politicians. Numerous generals in the human army came from this category as well.
… … …
The book explained many lesser-known things, such as how beasts chose their leader or why light demons differed from dark demons.
It also mentioned talking animals, but not in sufficient detail.
Then it clarified how humans activate magic: through imagination and concentration.
One must focus on a specific element at the tip of their finger—if it responded to their will, it meant that element was theirs.
For example, if I saw fire burning, I'd have to focus on it and the tip of my finger, and imagine the flames drawing closer. If they did, fire was my element.
But if I were a free mana user, imagining smoke seeping from my hand would be enough.
Except…
… … …
I closed the book.
… … …
I placed my index finger on the ground and imagined the earth rising upward.
Nothing happened.
I furrowed my brows—still nothing.
Useless. I wasn't an Earth user.
I felt the breeze around me—it was cooler now. The pine tree leaves swayed gently in the wind.
I pointed at one of the tree's branches and imagined the air pushing it sideways.
Still nothing.
Then I focused on the water—
"Don't bother," someone said, getting my body shivering!
I turned to find a stranger.
A girl was staring at my pointed finger. Then she shifted her stare to the water basin.
Then her gaze looked back at me, somehow with pity.
Heat exploded across my face, and I yanked my hand back.
"W-Who are you?"
"Hmm," she shifted her gaze to my face. "Hmmmmmm,"
She hummed more.
Her eyes were crimson. Her wavy red hair hung over a frail body, like she hadn't eaten in weeks. She looked no older than sixteen.
"How long have you been here?" I added.
I hadn't sensed her at all—like she didn't exist until now.
"Since you started reading the book. Around noon."
"Since then—?"
My words stopped. A strange realization hit me.
"How do you know the time?"
The girl went quiet for a few moments, then moved her lips: "Why don't you act like a child?" she asked.
…
Silence.
…
I had to go back.
Something felt wrong.
Her eyes…
That look wasn't normal. Her gaze was full of negative emotions. Hunger. This girl was someone I shouldn't be near.
"I won't eat you, you know. I might look starved, but I'm not." She said. "Why are you so jittery…"
She reached out her hand, and I found myself scooting backward.
Her eyes examined my wavy hair. Then my eyes.
"Green hair in a primitive village like this," she muttered. Her hand touched my head like she was petting me or inspecting me. "Makes me wonder who's trying to hide you here."
I pushed her hand away and stood up.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I should go," I looked at the sky. Dusk was approaching. I didn't want to be scolded by Shirley. "My mom doesn't like it when I stay out late."
"Hmm, that's fine. But you should know this—you're not a constrained mana user. You're a free mana manipulator. And to practice that, you have to understand manifestation. And to understand manifestation, you must know what you're manifesting. The trick is a blend of imagination, focus, and knowledge. Try again later."
She smiled. "Maybe I'll see you again soon and teach you more."
Teach me?
Who does this girl think she is?
I wanted to argue more, but her eyes held no kindness.
The wise choice was to leave.
I bowed slightly. "Thank you. I'll think about it," then I turned to go.
When I reached the market, I headed to Uncle Spike's stall. From a distance, I saw a tall man in black trousers and a brown shirt, a sword at his side.
Alton was in front of Spike's shop.
"Dad!" I called out. "What are you doing here?"
I ran to his side.
"Reo! You're still not home? Shirley's going to scold you." Alton smiled.
"There's still half an hour until sunset. I'll go back with you."
"No harm in that. But she'll scold you anyway."
I knew that. Shirley could be strange—sometimes her anger came without reason, like she carried a heavy burden she occasionally needed to release.
I looked at Uncle Spike and set the book on the counter.
"Thanks. I'm done with it. You can take it back."
"No worries, Reopard. Keep it. It's the least I can do for the son of the man who saved my life."
Hearing that, I looked up at Alton, who smiled softly, his cheeks slightly red.
"It wasn't a big deal, Mr. Spike. Blue-eyed monkeys are weak in the forest. You wouldn't have been hurt even if I hadn't intervened…"
"I'm 135 years old. If I trip in the wrong place, I might die." Spike laughed. "If you hadn't been nearby, you'd be attending my funeral tonight. It's not that I fear death, but I wouldn't mind living a few more years."
Alton laughed in return. After a few more words, we walked home together.
On the way, I asked him something.
"Dad, are you strong?"
"Somewhat," Alton said. "But stronger than most."
"Can you use magic?"
"No. Not at all."
Hmm… So Alton, as I expected, wasn't special.
"Do you want to use magic?" Alton asked.
"Yes… but…"
But if Alton wasn't a mage, and we lived in this remote place, I doubted I had much of a chance to grow. As the book said, most talented mages were nobles or royals… and clearly, I wasn't one of them.
I stayed silent, staring ahead. I could feel Alton's gaze from the side… silence hung between us.
"I don't know much about magic, but Shirley might. I'll ask her if she can teach you a bit."
My eyes widened.
"Is Mom a mage?"
"Sort of… But I'm not sure how much she can teach you. Maybe school will help…"
"I don't want to!" I interrupted him quickly, my eyes wide and my heart suddenly heavy. But… my expression gave me away. Alton looked confused, like he was wondering why I reacted so strongly.
"I mean… I'm scared of seeing too many people. I can learn at home."
"There are kids your age at school. Maybe you'll enjoy playing tag or going to the theater together."
That was the first time I realized we had a theater.
But…
"Maybe…"
I couldn't tell Alton that things like that didn't appeal to me. I mean… I was five years old in this body, but my mind was twenty-one.
My experiences and memories are from twenty-one years of life… I would definitely not enjoy being around children.
"You're older than your age," Alton said. "Even this book—you told Spike you finished it. But I've never seen it at home."
Damn! I forgot!
Alton didn't know I could read.
I stayed silent. What should I say? Did someone read it to me?
Alton placed his hand on my hair, patting it gently. Then he held two fingers up in front of me. Between them was a single strand of hair. In the sunset, its color was barely visible—but it wasn't black or green… it was closer to crimson.
"Was this girl the one who read the book to you?" Alton asked.
"Yes. I met her in the forest. She read it to me," I replied calmly.
"Was she thin? With strange eyes? Looked twenty-four?"
Yes… exactly.
"You know her?" I asked. "She seemed scary… and wrong."
"Don't worry," Alton said. "I don't think she's bad. Just… tired."
"You know her?" I asked. "Is she from the village?"
"Yes, she lives here now. But I don't know her. Never spoken to her. But she's not someone who wants to hurt you. She is just a mage who taught many children of the village the basics of magic"
It seemed like Alton was defending her.
"So… is it okay to meet her again?"
Alton stayed silent for a few moments, then added, "There's no harm in it."
And maybe… that's where our conversation had ended.