As I sat at the dining table, I found myself staring at the people in front of me—was the man across from me my father? And the woman beside him, my mother? This was all too surreal. I mean, who thought a high school grad would end up with a seat at the family table of a fictional noble? Talk about a plot twist!
"Lucius, did you sleep well?" my mother asked, her voice filled with concern. I felt a wave of awkwardness wash over me, like I had just been caught sneaking into a video game marathon instead of studying. Time to put on my best poker face.
"O-of course, I slept well," I stammered, hoping my words didn't sound as shaky as I felt.
"What?! You slept well! Thank goodness!" My mother's surprise hit me like a well-aimed fireball.
What's with their surprise? Isn't that a good thing? Did they expect me to be haunted by sleepless nights spent pondering the complexities of dark magic?
"I'm sorry, son. I know I've made things difficult for our family, and I've heard you've been having trouble sleeping these past few days," my father said, his voice tinged with regret.
So, in the original story, Lucius struggled with sleepless nights? I don't remember reading about that. Was there a side quest I missed? This seemed like a subplot worthy of a full season!
"Marie tries to cheer you up every day; she's been worried about you too," he continued.
"Dad, I'm fine! Please don't worry about me anymore," I insisted, hoping to ease their concerns.
At that, both of my parents smiled at me, but guilt tugged at my heart. Here I was, pretending to be their son while desperately trying to figure out how to navigate this bizarre new life.
The food on the table was surprisingly delicious—filled with flavors I'd never experienced back in Seoul. Seriously, where were these culinary delights in my previous life?
"How is your magic training? Is it going well?" my father asked, his expression turning serious.
"Yeah, it's fine," I replied, trying to sound more confident than a noob in a PvP match.
My father, Laniel Ravenhart, was once a formidable magician, renowned for his mastery of dark element magic. He ranked among the ten strongest magicians on the continent—ten years ago. Now, he was a shadow of his former self, a bankrupt noble who could no longer wield his powers due to an injury.
I couldn't help but suspect that the king or emperor had a hand in my father's downfall; he was no longer of use to them. Yet despite everything, he had passed down the Ravenhart family legacy to me—the technique of controlling dark element mana known as Void Mana Control. What a name! It sounded like something out of a fantasy RPG!
At 17, Lucius was expected to enroll in the Magic Academy this year. And here I was, not exactly ready to step into the shoes of a supposedly talented mage.
"Lucius, I'll be sending you to the Magic Academy next week. You'll be a student at Arcadia Magic Academy," my father announced, as if revealing a secret weapon.
I already knew this; the early chapters of the novel had made it clear that Lucius would attend Arcadia. So why did he sound like he was bestowing some grand honor?
"Okay, Father, I will do my best," I assured him, even though I had no idea how to control mana in this body. I mean, I could barely manage my gaming skills, let alone this real-life magic business.
After finishing my meal, I retreated to my room, eager to try and sense the mana within my body. Until now, my experience had been limited to novels and video games, but I knew this would be a different journey altogether.
As I focused inward, I felt a strange sensation—a flow of energy coursing through me. Was this what they meant by "inner peace"? No way! Inner peace usually meant I was stuck in traffic, not feeling like a wizard in training. I concentrated on gathering it into my magic core, which was located in my heart.
The feeling was both peculiar and invigorating, like a gentle breeze that gradually intensified around me. Who knew magic training could be so… poetic?
After some time, I managed to connect with it. However, I realized that I was only at 1 star. Great. Just great. This body felt weak, and the mana flowing within me was limited, with poor circulation to boot. Fantastic.
I decided to experiment with my visualization technique, imagining my body filling with water and channeling the mana through a pipe.
"Arrghhh…" The effort was excruciating, forcing me to halt my attempts. Why did it feel like I was trying to shove a boulder through a straw? I'd have to find a different approach later; I wasn't sure if I'd uncover the solution to this problem anytime soon.
In this world of magic, there are nine levels, ranging from 1 star to 9 stars. Achieving 1 star is just the foundation for any mage, and reaching it at the age of 17 clearly indicates a lack of talent. Unfortunately, that was my current reality.
Most people would typically reach 3 stars by this age, while the exceptionally gifted might even hit 4 stars. Our main character in the novel, of course, manages to reach 4 stars. I knew I wouldn't survive long relying solely on my 1-star status. I was going to need an epic glow-up!
I knew I had to figure things out, so I decided to focus on improving my physique as well. I began a regular exercise routine, even though it was tough. With only a week left before entering the academy, I needed to make the most of my time.
Suddenly, a strange interface appeared before me.
[System Connected]
"Uh, what? Connected to what, my Wi-Fi?"
[Loading]
"What the heck is this? Is this a status window, like in a game?"
[I am a system here to assist you.]
[My main function is to guide the player.]
"Can I view a status window?"
[Of course.]
[Status Window]
Name: Lucius Ravenhart
Age: 17
Element: Dark
Mana: 3.2
Strength: 3.1
Agility: 4.6
Endurance: 2.1
Intelligence: 14.9
"Why are my stats so dismal? Aside from my intelligence—which is impressively high—I feel like I could easily be labeled a genius. But I doubt Lucius was ever that smart. Is this linked to my previous self?"
[These stats are an integration of you and your current character.]
[The status window only measures you based on numerical assessment.]
[And it is not as precise as in the game.]
So, the system simply displays my progress through numbers. While it doesn't allow for leveling up or stat increases like in the game, it should help me track my development.
"Okay, but how is intelligence assessed?"
[Intelligence is evaluated based on your understanding of magic and logic.]
"Then why is my intelligence so high?"
[Because you have been assessed as having a strong grasp of magic.]
I was baffled, but I couldn't afford to waste time on confusion. I needed to head to the family storage; there had to be some books I could read.
This place is enormous! I thought this family had fallen into bankruptcy, but clearly, they still have access to such vast storage. It was intriguing to see so many books here; I could find a wealth of information.
"What's this book? It looks interesting."
I pulled out a dusty tome labeled Mana Circulation Practice. The title caught my attention, and I decided to dive in. As I flipped through a few pages, my eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait a minute! Isn't this… arithmetic? Is this the formula used in magic?!"
This was fascinating. If this was how magic worked, it could be a lot easier for me since I excelled at arithmetic.
I turned to the next pages, and most of the content was focused on mathematics—arithmetic formulas and even factorials. Now it made sense why my intelligence was so high. Who knew mages had to deal with math? No one warned me that being a wizard would involve calculations that would make my high school math teacher proud.
I had absorbed a wealth of new knowledge, and it seemed that the instability in my mana circulation stemmed from the large and erratic influx of mana into this body. Fortunately, I found a formula that could help stabilize it. It was like finding the cheat code to a difficult game level!
Determined to try it out, I settled into a meditative position and began focusing on circulating my mana from the very beginning.
I started at the upper point of my body, circulating the mana quickly, but I soon realized that I should have taken it slower to facilitate a more even distribution to the various points. Patience wasn't my strong suit—especially when there were so many distractions, like the fantasy novels I had left behind!
After a while, I felt a surge of success.
"Wow! Did I really do it?"
I managed to stabilize the mana circulation within my body! This was incredible—I hadn't expected my knowledge from Earth to be so beneficial here.
"System, I want to see my status window now."
[Status Window]
Name: Lucius Ravenhart
Age: 17
Element: Dark
Mana: 3.6
Strength: 3.1
Agility: 4.6
Endurance: 2.1
Intelligence: 14.9
It was a smaller increase than I anticipated, but considering I still only had 1 star in my magic core, I understood there was still much work ahead of me.
Eager to discover more, I examined the mana circulation formula in the book and realized I could modify it slightly for better results.
To maximize the flow of mana, a mage must maintain a delicate balance between their reserves and stamina. The greater the reserves, the more efficiently mana flows. However, it's crucial to consider the cost of each spell and how long I can endure the resulting drain.
Efficiency = (Control × Reserves) ÷ Mana Cost – Stamina Drain per Second
With this formula in mind, I believed I could significantly enhance my mana circulation. It was like cracking the secret to the ultimate magic spell!
Determined, I closed my eyes and focused, sensing the mana coursing through my body. To my surprise, it felt as if I could manipulate it at will. This was getting exciting!
As I concentrated, I felt a gust of wind swirling around me, growing stronger by the second. I could hear distant voices, but I remained resolute in my focus.
"Draggggg!"
"Young master, what happened?!"
I opened my eyes in shock to find that I was floating in the air! But just as quickly, the wind subsided, and I plummeted back to the ground. Oof.
"What happened here?"
My father's voice echoed with surprise, clearly startled by the loud noise that had erupted from my room. Marie, it seemed, had witnessed my earlier display.
"I'm sorry, Father. I was just experimenting with some magic concepts."
"Very well," he replied, his tone softening. "Just clean up this mess and head back to your room. It's getting late."
"Of course," I said, relief washing over me as he exited the room without further inquiry. I glanced around at the scattered books and papers, thinking it looked like a tornado had hit a library.
"I'll help you tidy up, young master," Marie offered with a warm smile. Her kindness eased my tension, and I felt grateful for her support. I resolved to become better, to honor the trust they placed in me.
Reflecting on the day, I realized I had made significant strides. I was no longer just a lost player in this game; I was starting to find my footing.
[Status Window]
Name: Lucius Ravenhart
Age: 17
Element: Dark
Mana: 4.3
Strength: 3.1
Agility: 4.6
Endurance: 2.1
Intelligence: 15.1
It seemed like the increase this time was quite drastic, and I could feel in my magic core that I had reached 2 stars. Progress at last!
And it seems like my intelligence has increased a bit, interesting. I guess reading all those fantasy novels finally paid off!
As the night wore on, I felt a renewed sense of determination. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, and I was ready to meet them head-on. After all, I wasn't just here to play a part; I was here to become Lucius Ravenhart, the most legendary mage this world had ever seen. Or at least, that was the plan.
With that thought in mind, I climbed into bed, ready to embrace whatever awaited me in the morning. I could feel the thrill of adventure bubbling inside me like a potion waiting to be brewed.