Ambience.
The environment that surrounds you.
It shouldn't put you off.
So how do you describe the environment when you have two conflicting memories of it?
How is that possible you may ask?
Well, I was dropped into a new world. A world I know.
Total Brake.
A video game that despite it's name has nothing to do with brakes or breaks for that matter.
Its a game that contains swords and magic, nobility, and some modern elements/. In other words a perfect game for an introvert with a short social battery like me.
But why am I not a named character? What the hell?
I could've been the main character, antagonist, support, or even extra, but not only am I not even part of the background, I'm inconsequential.
I wasn't born able to read the language but I practiced after I transmigrated.
My name after coming to this world was Aaron, but I disliked it so I called myself Lucas.
The person or I guess kid I became was skinny and ignorant, and not in the good ways. The memories that hit me didn't feel great, the hunger, the begging.
Apparently my father was a drunkard, beat my mother, and myself often.
My mother the victim couldn't stand up to my father and took out her anger and misery onto myself. So why am I saying any of this?
Because I've turned 12. I have spent 4 years in this young body learning the common language and where exactly I am.
In simple terms I'm in the Masvis Empire. The place the game takes place.
Actually the game mostly takes place within the academy, and the rest of the capital, with a few notable exceptions.
The other lands, and the rest of the empire are explored in expansion material. Total Brake has a sequel, dlc storylines, and a novel adaptation that itself has a few spinoffs.
The game studio Nyx was really prolific now that I'm thinkin about it.
So where am I? A village located in the Svarmet Duchy, closing in on the boundary to the neighboring count.
I guess the reason I'm telling you this is because for the first time in my 4 years here my death may be certain.
So let's start near the beginning. I had turned 12 about a month before my mana had awoken.
At this point I was self sufficient.
I mean I was still living with my mother and father, but with my father being out of the house and my mom habitually drunk, perhaps a consequence of being abused by my father, I worked odd jobs to afford food, and by no means did we have a shortage of jobs such as these in my village.
Eventually when I woke up my mana I realized I had at least some talent in magic.
I ran home to start my planning. I was going to save up enough money to travel and buy magic books, enough to the point I could live comfortably.
I hated the living conditions I grew up in, despite finally getting accustomed to them.
That's when my life took another turn, my mother decided I was no longer her son and chased me out of the house.
Maybe it was I reminded her of my father, no this body's father. I guess I couldn't shake the memories I had inherited.
As I left the house's area being chased by my, no that woman, I faded into the environment.
I mean that literally. I felt my body turn into the air, the color of the road and grass, the smell of the impoverished.
I saw my mother, no Mary, the mother of this body, become confused.
Was she this put together even drunk? I mean she was stumbling, but she still chased me out of the neighborhood.
She even started questioning if I was real.
So did I.
I "looked" down to not find my legs where they were supposed to be and instead was met by an ethereal feeling, like I was half awake yet fully in control.
That I could "wake up" if I wanted to.
So I pushed toward that feeling of waking up and found myself with legs firmly attached to the ground.
Thank whatever god exists in this world, or I guess Nyx Studio. I'm not really sure who put me here to be honest, but I'm not really angry, just a little lost.
I mean transmigration only really happened in novels I'd read and most of the main characters at least seemed like they had a goal in mind.
So when my mana just decided to fill my body I felt relief I guess?
Sigh...
I don't even know why I sighed. I'm not even tired, I guess I was a little to focused on recounting my situation to how I got here in my head I forgot to breathe right.
Anyways as soon as I got my feet on the ground I pinched myself.
It's not everyday you get turned into what I believe to be atomic particles.
Wait do atoms even exist in this world? I'm getting sidetracked by a line of thought I've already been down.
Obviously with the thematic timing of the world being 1900's and alchemy existing someone has definitely at least tried to experiment with particles.
The question that is more important is: is there atoms or particles that exist separately from mana or is mana infused in all aspects of creation?
I mean a "mana lives in all things" trope is cool, but I've never gotten deep enough into the flavor text and lore of the game to actually know.
It's terrifying to know I could be breathing not oxygen. I'm getting sidetracked again.
Where did I leave off again oh right- so I pinched myself.
I didn't really have anywhere to go so I slept on the little mat I had and used my backpack/sack as my pillow and slept in an open field. Hopefully the owner won't find me here or care about me staying in their field.
That night I drifted off into a long sleep. And the next morning I woke up with no problems, who am I kidding the farmer found me and woke me up before the rooster even crowed in the morning.
He was a nice man, I'd worked for him cleaning his barn or helping him move his crops over to the town center where the merchants came.
He asked me why I was there and I told him honestly "I've been kicked out".
He told me "A strong one like you is good enough". Its better than being chased out again.
I sat down and worked in his farm for a few months.
Over that time I worked as his farmhand. I never realized how much of a bigshot he was in our village.
I mean the guy and his wife owned a lot of the land. They had cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and lots of crops too, corn, beans, and potatoes.
No rice though, but if that meant no rice gruel during the winter months I was okay with it. The farmer Kelson and his wife, Annelise were both good people.
A little aged, but still in their working years. They didn't have any kids of their own and treated me both as their son and farmhand.
They clothed, housed me and fed me in return for doing jobs around the farm. I loved working for them, and I treated them more like family than that woman I had lived with for 4 years.
They had shown me human decency and love, more than a cast out deserved, so I cared for them as one would grandparents.
On top of that Kelson had taught me carpentry, so I managed to build a little annex near the field between the barn and the house.
Over the months I learned how to care for all the animals, and I learned to control my mana better. It wasn't easy to control my mana at all, and sometimes I startled some barn animals and earn scolding.
I'd also been kicked by a horse trying to sneak up on it using my ability. In hindsight it was stupid and as Kelson said "A dumb ass thing to do".
It worked though.
I managed to control my presence.
Many animals wouldn't scare as easily as me, nearly treating me like a part of nature.
I decided to name the ability to hide my presence,
Now onto the reason I only stayed with who I treated like my parents for 3 months.
I went into town one day with the intention of finally buying a book detailing the very beginnings of magic. Unfortunately my intent was not met with success.
I walked into town keeping a level attitude, when a carriage came to town.
Not of the ordinary I thought, as there were no special insignias or designs.
Who would've guessed there would've been a noble girl on the run inside?
Not me and I didn't really care to know.
Despite that, somehow she managed to get shaken down by the only thugs that pass through our town.
Bad timing I thought. But I wasn't about to go and save a girl I didn't know and risk my life.
I didn't even know how I arrived in this world and I wasn't about to risk that.
Unfortunately Rick, one of the meatheads noticed I had walked past them.
"Hey, you."
I tried to leave the area faster.
"Hey retard can't you hear? I said you get over here".
What a liar he did NOT say that.
"Hey guys get this kid before he gets anyone else involved. I don't want any problems with the damn nobles."
And they all chased me.
Why did this girl have to get me involved.
Well you know what if I'm going to be implicated might as well make this fun.
I ran around the block and let all the guys trail behind me. I ran back into the alley the girl was in.
She wasn't beaten or anything, but her clothes were torn. The fabric was so soft. I mean. Ahem. The girl was A-ok.