Jack pushed through the kitchen door, a thick, worn leather book in his hand. He weaved around the busy servants and ingredient shelves to reach the breakfast table. Putting down his book, Jack grabbed two pieces of bread and two slices of ham, using a small knife to cut a few slices of cheese for extra flavor.
"Another two pieces of fresh lettuce, please, Stefan?" Jack asked the chef, who was busy with newly arrived vegetable crates.
"I had to wash the vegetables before I could check them because I knew you'd be in here," Stefan grumbled, though he still delivered everything Jack asked for.
"So," Jack mischievously questioned him, "don't you want me to continue showing you how to make flan?"
"One thing at a time," Stefan hummed and hawed. "Don't bully me!"
Many dishes from Earth didn't exist here, making Jack wonder if the cuisine he knew could be found elsewhere in this world.
Jack finished assembling his sandwich and took a big bite before grabbing his book and heading for the door. Seeing Edward standing there, holding it open, he frowned.
"Ed, shouldn't you be sleeping around this time?"
"My apologies, young master. I have been trained to awaken and be fully aware at the slightest sound you make."
"You won't hear me leave my room soon," Jack said mischievously. "Just ignore all the nonsense rules about the servants going down before the master of the Corvus."
Leaving Edward's suspecting eyes behind, Jack continued to the library. It had been a week since he woke up from the coma. Apart from eating, resting, and exercising, he spent all his time among the Harper's bookshelves. The Harper family wasn't traditionally wealthy enough to amass an enormous collection of books, so Jack couldn't find some crucial information, particularly about the sphere and soul deficiency.
However, he managed to grasp vital information about this so-called "true world." The town he lived in, Oxdale, belonged to the Omivell Kingdom, a vassal state of the Dessotor Empire. The Empire divided its vassals into three tiers based on their ability to provide and their military might. Omivell was a third-tier kingdom, the lowest in the hierarchy.
The house of Corvus served directly under the central system of the Empire. Jack's grandfather, Flavius Corvus, had been the Grand Duke, "he who only bowed to one" in Dessotor. This wasn't because Flavius came from a noble house but because he had climbed to the top of the world as a Grand Divine of magic.
This world had created ranks to compare individuals' capabilities throughout history: Herald, Crusader, Archon, Legend, and finally, Divine. The last rank was further divided into Arch Divine and Grand Divine to account for growing power levels. The Corvus family, possessing one of the mightiest individuals, had always suppressed every social class below them, including the Harpers.
Beyond that was the rank of Immortal, an eternal existence comparable to a god. However, there had never been any records of such individuals, at least not on the continent of Beilend. A Divine could live more than five hundred years, maybe even thousands if they found the necessary ingredients to extend their lives. Eventually, though, their time would come. Many Divines spent their entire lives trying to reach Immortal status.
Jack sought more information, access to which was limited under Dessotor and its vassals. Emperor Anton Ovidus didn't want his subjects learning too much about this world. This posed a problem for Jack in his search for information about the sphere. He knew that becoming a high ranker might grant him the access he needed.
Jack understood that he needed to comprehensively improve himself to have any chance of finding Emily or Elle. Despite his low magical affinity index, Jack knew his body had changed. The sphere, after allowing him to live five hundred years in a simulation, had strengthened his spirit and made mana manipulation more effortless.
Realizing this, Jack planned a three-stage training regimen based on his previous life experience. The first stage involved improving his body and stamina with running, push-ups, and sit-ups. The second stage targeted flexibility; he intended to ask the household carpenter to make stakes of different heights for balance practice. The final stage was meditation, which helped with revision and mana processing. These basic exercises had been helpful in his previous life, and he hoped they would be useful again. He felt that the mana in his previous world was a simplified version of this one, so the fundamentals shouldn't differ too much.
"Practice makes perfect, right?"
The empty field he had chosen was some distance from the garden, near the forest. Its primary purpose was to dry herbs, fruits, vegetables, and seeds, but these products had already been packed and stored in a corner, awaiting transportation. A small wooden warehouse stood by the entrance, where workers kept track of people coming and going.
A middle-aged man with carpenter tools on his shoulder and waist waited for Jack in front of the warehouse.
"Robert," Jack called out from the main road.
"Master Jack," Robert replied. "You should have used a cart!"
When Jack finally reached him, he was gasping for air, sweat pouring down his face.
"Just practicing," Jack said, taking the offered handkerchief. He surveyed the field, imagining the arrangement of the wooden stakes. He had visited the field a few days ago, but the cumbersome goods had prevented any renovation.
"It's going to be tough," Robert said. "I understand what you're asking, but the field needs to be ready for the next harvest."
Jack nodded. "It'll be fine. I only need it for a few months. After that, I'll need your assistance again."
He looked at the surrounding forest, its tall trees with sturdy branches. That would be the next phase after the basic exercises.
"No problem. Can we start?"
"Right away, if the wood is ready."
"The preparation is done. All you need to do is place them where you want. I'll hammer them into the ground."
Jack followed Robert into the warehouse, where the wooden stakes, made to Jack's specifications, were stored. They varied in length and thickness, with some heads large enough to stand on, others barely the size of a cup. The tails were uniform, sharpened to serve as anchors.
Jack marked the field with chalk, following a layout perfected by Xerath, a fighting maniac and one of Jack's grumpiest friends. They had taken different paths to power, but Xerath's methods had their merits. Despite Jack's own developed training methods, he respected Xerath's practices. In this larger world, greater challenges awaited, and his previous path might not suffice.
Once Jack finished the layout, Robert began placing the stakes. Despite carrying heavy logs on his shoulder, his movements were natural and swift. He pointed the sharpened end of a stake downward and called Jack to hold it steady.
"No problem!"
Jack used both hands to steady the stake. Robert backed away, gripping the hammer on his waist. Jack felt the mana flow around Robert change as he leaped into the air and struck the stake with a mighty blow. The stake pierced the ground, releasing a cloud of dust.
Jack closed his eyes, waiting for the dust to settle. The stake was perfectly placed.
"Impressive!" Jack gave Robert a thumbs up.
Robert laughed and continued with the next stakes. It took them the whole afternoon to finish. The final result was a maze of stakes, seemingly random but precisely placed for Jack's training.
Since Robert had assumed Jack would arrive by cart, he had sent the workers and horses home, leaving them to run back to the mansion. Robert, with superior stamina, barely broke a sweat, while Jack collapsed on the grass, exhausted.
Sophie brought Jack some water, a smile on her face.
"You'll return to school tomorrow, Jack," Sophie said. "I just spoke with the principal about your situation."
"Go to school?" Jack frowned.
"Aren't you the one who said he wanted to study?" Sophie asked.
Jack laughed at his mother's misinterpretation but, seeing her hopeful eyes, nodded quietly. He understood she worried about his solitary nature.
"Excellent!" Sophie beamed. "And you really should take a shower. You smell, you know!"
"Indeed, young master, the kitchen staff could smell you from here," Robert teased.
Jack raised his hands in surrender and headed for the shower.