Lilia picked up Rudy and the magic book, setting him on the table before returning to her duties—cleaning the closet and preparing lunch for the day.
Chapter 2: Magic and Chakra
The energy of babies is always limited, but luckily, they also get plenty of sleep. In the ninja world, however, things were different. It was so dangerous that sleep often had to be sacrificed to deal with the endless threats. In addition to training diligently, one also had to rely on powerful allies for survival. One of the ninja rules was simple: before you have enough power, survival is the top priority.
But this world was different. It was rare to experience the warmth of a family like this. Especially a mother's warmth. Here, Rudy found himself enveloped in the warmth of his mother Zenith and their maid Lilia. It was a long-lost feeling—comforting, even if a bit unfamiliar.
"Enjoying sleep and warmth like this? It's almost unbelievable."
As for the idea of ogling the women's bodies? "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not some perverted stallion only thinking with my lower half. I can distinguish between family and romantic interests."
"Still, I wouldn't say no to a harem. Men who aren't open to that idea... they're probably just going down the wrong path!"
Rudy closed the spellbook, his mind full of thoughts.
Half a year had passed since he began this new life. He was now one year old and had pretty much mastered the language of this world. He had also learned a considerable amount about magic, which was more or less consistent with what he remembered from the novel.
The house only had five books: "A Guide to the World," "Feitoia's Monster Ecology and Weaknesses," "The Magic Textbook," "The Legend of Percius," and "The Three Swordsmen and the Labyrinth." The last two were stories, while the first three provided a general understanding of the world.
Magic was divided into three main types: battle magic, healing magic, and summoning magic. To use magic, one needed to possess magic power, but unlike chakra, magic power in this world seemed to be fixed from birth. People with the talent to wield magic were rare, much like chakra users back in his old world.
Rudy's thoughts began to form a theory: "Magic power and chakra serve similar purposes." However, unlike chakra, magic power in this world was determined at birth. Only those with talent could use magic, much like how not everyone could wield chakra. He nodded to himself thoughtfully.
"If I can confirm that magic power and chakra are equivalent, I should be able to convert them into one another. That could make my plans a reality."
The differences between hand seals and magic chants didn't seem significant either. Both were methods to guide and channel energy. "If it's just a step in the process, there's always the possibility of skipping it."
He thought back to his training in the ninja world, especially when he learned the Flying Thunder God Technique. At first, he needed seals to teleport short distances, but later he could activate the technique with just a flicker of thought. "Even Hashirama could clasp his hands and perform impossible feats effortlessly, but that came only after mastering chakra flow."
In battle, every second counts, especially for systems of power that emphasize offense over defense. But all of this was still theoretical. Rudy was still just a one-year-old, and his body wasn't ready for chakra control or hand seals just yet.
Another year passed, and Rudy was now two. Though standing and walking was still a challenge, he could manage by leaning on the wall. Crawling was still his preferred method of getting around.
When no one was paying attention, Rudy made his way to the attic on the second floor. He had begun to feel the fusion of magic power and chakra within his body, and it was time to experiment.
"The flow of magic power is similar to chakra flow, and they merge smoothly in my body. It might be because of the Nine Tails' chakra, or maybe the influence of the Gedo Statue."
"Either way, the next step is to test the differences between chanting and hand seals. Before I can master this with my body, I'll need to use both methods. But once I gain proficiency, I may be able to omit chanting and hand seals entirely."
"And what would happen if I tried releasing chakra and magic power in a 1:1 ratio?"
Rudy's mind raced, the childlike body making it hard to keep up with his own thoughts. His memory was still sharp, especially after being fed. But he knew his energy wouldn't last long. If he didn't hurry, he'd pass out before completing the experiment.
Stretching out his right hand, Rudy spoke the incantation he had learned: "May the great protection of water come forth, where I seek. Let the cool shallow current appear—Water Ball."
He could feel the magic power flowing to his right hand. With a focused effort, a water ball the size of an adult's fist formed. "Mana flows differently than chakra, but I can sense the chakra responding too. If I direct chakra in the same way, I'd likely create a similar sphere."
He thought of the five chakra natures—fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning. Water, earth, and fire were relatively easy to control, but wind and lightning were far more volatile. Even the Chidori required a certain level of muscle strength to maintain. As for the Rasengan, while it was attribute-less, it demanded incredibly precise chakra control—something his current body couldn't handle.
Rudy decided to try casting the water ball again, this time without chanting. Closing his eyes, he recreated the flow of magic in his body and, on a whim, added chakra to the mix at a 1:1 ratio. The water ball formed faster and grew larger than before.
"It worked! My theory was right."
Not only had he managed to skip the incantation, but the process was faster, and the result was more powerful. A satisfied grin spread across his face, though fatigue quickly followed.
Before he could finish basking in his success, Rudy's entire body felt heavy. His vision blurred, and he collapsed onto the floor, falling asleep almost instantly.
Running out of magic power wasn't the real danger—exhausting his chakra was far worse. However, deep within Rudy's soul, a reserve of chakra replenished itself, slowly restoring his energy.
"I'm still too young... this body just isn't ready for cultivation yet."
The water ball he had formed fell harmlessly onto his chest, soaking his clothes. When Zenith found him later, she chuckled softly.
"Oh dear, he's peed his pants. Well, it's about time something like this happened."
She picked Rudy up gently, smiling at her son's innocent sleeping face. Despite his strange eyes and odd behavior, this was the first time he had shown a typical baby-like mistake.
"At least now I know you're still just a little boy after all."
With pride in her heart, Zenith carried Rudy downstairs to change his clothes. What she didn't realize was that Rudy's little accident had nothing to do with wetting his pants.