Jack drifted through the endless void, reminiscent of the space he had traversed when he was reincarnated from Earth to World No. 146. Before him floated a sphere of water, its shape constantly shifting, radiating silvery waves outward.
Unlike last time, the sphere didn't greet him or ask his desires. His previous request had been for the ability to learn and master all knowledge, a wish the sphere had granted by stretching his limits, especially his mind. This time, the sphere only mumbled and grumbled, as if Jack were underwater, listening to a distant call. He assumed it was trying to convey something but failing. Then, the system screen appeared before him:
You are granted the System of Knowledge. Installation begins now.
Before he could react, darkness enveloped him once again.
The next thing Jack knew, birds sang in his ears. Warm sunlight bathed his skin, and the mattress beneath him felt more comfortable than ever. Suddenly, a torrent of memories surged through his mind, overwhelming him. He sprang up, letting out a loud, uncontrollable cry.
Through the pain, he barely heard the door at the other end of the room creak open. Someone rushed in, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Young master, you have awakened?"
Jack couldn't respond, his mind-breaking headache blurring his vision with tears.
"Are you okay, Master Jack?" The voice was full of worry. "Somebody, quick, call for a doctor."
"N-no!" Jack managed to speak.
Despite the torment, Jack slowly regained his thoughts. He knew it was best that no one learned about his condition. Another person entered the room, footsteps echoing on the floor.
"Is Jack awake?" asked a man's voice.
"Yes, Master, but I'm unsure about his condition, and he's refusing a doctor," replied the first man.
"I will be fine, Father!" Jack gritted his teeth.
He could sense the worry and anxiety of the two men but couldn't explain his situation to them. The memories of his five-hundred-year-old self overwhelmed him. The omnipotent sphere had conveyed that this body was his true self and that Earth, or World No. 146, had been an incomplete version it had created. The sphere had separated parts of many souls and lives, placing them in simulated worlds. The reasons, however, remained unknown.
A strange resentment arose within Jack as he realized everything he had known was unreal. Emily, Elle, Xerath, Manuel, and all his companions and friends—had it all been a dream? But the headache stopped him from screaming again, leaving him to wonder who the real Jack Corvus was.
As the pain subsided, Jack noticed how small his body was. He began to recall his personal information in this world. He was the tenth son of a prominent magic family, but his magic affinity had been plebeian low. Like many worthless children of the Corvus family, he had been sent away. His mother had died giving birth to him prematurely, making him the elder brother of dozens of siblings whose fates were unknown to him.
The headache fading, Jack stopped his tears and saw the faces in front of him. A woman had entered the room. She looked at Jack with gentle eyes, a mix of joy and worry. When she saw Jack looking back, her wrinkled face shifted, and her emerald eyes filled with tears. She leaned forward, hugging him dearly.
"Jack," she sobbed, "you're back!"
"Yes, Mother Sophie, I'm awake," Jack replied, hugging her back.
Seeing this, another man rushed into the room. The lady's husband, Abraham, joined the embrace, his strong arms wrapping around them.
"I'm so glad you're finally awake, Jack," he said, turning to the other man. "Edward, get the medicine packs!"
Edward, Jack's personal butler from the Corvus household, bowed. "Certainly, Master. Welcome back, young master."
Jack gave Edward a thankful look. The tall, stringy, middle-aged butler returned a sincere smile and left to fulfill the task.
"Oh, Jack, let me have a look!" Sophie put her hands on Jack's cheeks, turning his head from side to side. "Just waking up, and you've already messed up the hair I've been caring for."
Abraham released them and walked to the table by the headboard, pouring Jack some warm water. He silently handed the cup to Jack, his eyes filled with tears.
There were still so many things left for Jack to process, but at that moment, he understood the couple's reaction. Though they weren't his true parents, they had raised him like their son. Whether to replace their long-lost child or fulfill their duty to the Corvus family, their love felt warm and genuine to the hundreds-of-years-old loner within him.
"Father, Mother, I'm back," Jack said.
His words touched the couple's hearts, and they embraced once more. They had feared Jack would never return from his soul deficiency, a condition said to be healed by luck alone. Some recovered, while others remained in vegetative states. Jack's escape from his coma was the most gracious thing that had happened to them in years.
Jack's body had been preserved by magic, preventing muscle and skin atrophy during his prolonged rest. However, he still needed to reawaken his body's metabolism. Easier said than done, Jack quickly found.
His experiences, habits, and memories belonged mostly to a grown man, creating a disconnect that made his actions sluggish and uncoordinated. He tired quickly and felt slower than expected.
"Magic may have protected your body," Edward observed, "but your mind is still that of a seven-year-old. Running practice might help."
Following Edward's advice, Jack began running around the Harper mansion's back garden. Centered by an Amberstone fountain, the garden was circular, surrounded by rings of flowers and bushes tended by Sophie. Ancient trees, some requiring ten people to encircle, formed the garden's outer edge.
Jack intended to complete one lap but was out of breath after a quarter. Exhausted, he rested under a tree. Seeing this, Sophie and a servant quickly approached, water in hand.
"You don't have to do this, Mother," Jack said, noticing her breathing heavily in her heavy dress.
"I need exercise too, dear," Sophie replied.
Jack laid his towel on the ground for her. "You wouldn't want to dirty your clothes. Poor Clara will have to wash them."
Sophie laughed and sat beside him, fanning him with her hand. "Clara wouldn't mind, right?" she asked the servant.
Clara, stunned that Jack remembered her name, nodded fearfully.
"I might have scared her too much, right, Mom?" Jack said.
"And you say that?" Sophie scorned playfully, joy evident in her expression.
Jack Corvus had been a reserved, sometimes intimidating child. Since awakening, he had become more approachable.
"What do you want to do after lunch, Jack?" Sophie asked, watching him gaze at the sky.
"I need to learn," Jack replied.
Both Clara and Sophie were surprised and exchanged puzzled glances.
Jack needed to learn about this world and his current situation. He had many doubts, especially about the system's disappearance. Was this all a dream? It seemed too detailed and coherent to be. Without the system, he felt lost. To find answers, he needed to verify the world's history and magic. If there were any mentions of an omnipotent sphere, he might discover the truth behind soul deficiency. He hoped whatever was happening to him had also happened to Emily, Elle, and his friends.
With hope of reuniting with them, the library would be his first destination.