Days had passed since Kain first woke up in the body of young cain. The memories of the boy's past, coupled with Kain's own knowledge of the game world, began to meld together. Each time he closed his eyes, flashes of Kain's life flickered in his mind—his family, the village, and the countless stories cain's father, Darren, had told him about their world.
Sitting on a patch of grass outside their small house, kain stared at the rolling hills stretching beyond the village. In the distance, he could see the outline of Eldoria, a place he had once explored in the game. Now, it was real—a towering city filled with knights, mages, and adventurers.
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He sighed, glancing down at his small hands, the weight of his new reality settling in. "So this is really it... I'm in Eldoria."
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The realization was both thrilling and overwhelming. Eldoria was a kingdom of magic and swords, where adventurers roamed the lands, fighting monsters and honing their skills. The social hierarchy was clear-cut, with kings and nobles at the top, followed by the commoners who toiled for their livelihoods.
While most commoners lived simple lives, the nobility wielded power, wealth, and influence over the kingdom's affairs. They were the ones who made decisions, owned vast estates, and often took the lead in adventures, supported by their loyal knights. The king ruled from the grand castle, a figure of authority respected by all.
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"It's like a real-life RPG," Kain muttered, his heart racing with excitement. "But it's not just about stats; it's about connections and status."
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As he pondered his place in this world, Kain pulled up his stats panel once more, feeling a sense of control that grounded him in this strange new life.
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Name: Kain
Level: 1
Strength: 12
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 18
Mana Pool (MP): 15/15
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Kain examined the Mana Pool, recalling the system of power in Eldoria. From Darren's stories, he knew that every adventurer, knight, or mage had a stat panel like his own, which reflected their abilities and potential. These stats determined everything—from a person's combat prowess to their ability to wield magic.
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"Power here is all about your stats and mana," Kain muttered, narrowing his eyes at the numbers. "But it's also about who you know."
From what he remembered, the people of Eldoria power levels were classified into several tiers based on their stats:
Beginner: 1 - 20 stats
Common folk, children, and novices starting their journey.
Intermediate: 21 - 40 stats
Adventurers, knights, and most mages in training.
Advanced: 41 - 60 stats
Seasoned fighters or skilled mages who had developed their abilities.
Elite: 61 - 80 stats
Heroes of the battlefield, strong knights, and highly regarded mages.
Master: 81 - 100 stats
Rare individuals, their strength capable of turning the tides of wars.
Heroic/Legendary: 101+ stats
Those whose power bordered on the mythical, often revered as legends.
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Although a person's stats were essential for becoming a powerful fighter or mage, the societal structure heavily influenced opportunities for advancement. Those born into nobility had the means to train and gain access to better resources. In contrast, commoners often struggled to rise above their station, relying on sheer hard work and determination.
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"If I were just a normal kid," Kain thought, "I'd be stuck here, a Beginner for years. But with the Programmer's Toolbox…"
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Kain smirked, the holographic interface of the Programmer's Toolbox still hovering in his vision. Unlike the people of Eldoria, he didn't have to grind through years of training just to increase his mana pool or stats. He could manipulate it all with a few tweaks—like modifying game code to his advantage.
But there was a catch. While Kain could use the toolbox to increase his stats, his body still needed to adjust to the new strength. If he boosted his Strength to 40 but didn't train his body, he'd have no idea how to control that power. His movements would be clumsy, and he could even injure himself.
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"I can hack the system, but I'll still need to train," he realized. "Otherwise, it'll be useless."
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For now, Kain decided to leave his stats untouched. He was still a small child, and drawing too much attention might be dangerous. After all, the world of Eternis wasn't without its threats—bandits, monsters, and even worse... the demon invaders that had once ravaged parts of the kingdom. The stories of demons and their dark magic made Kain shudder. Even in the game, demons had been formidable foes, with their own terrifying power system.
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"Kain! There you are!" a voice called, pulling him from his thoughts.
Kain turned to see his mother, Elena, approaching with a basket of clothes. She smiled warmly as she set the basket down beside him.
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"I need you to help me hang these up, Kain," she said, ruffling his hair affectionately.
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Kain nodded, standing up to help. Kain's memories surfaced briefly as he remembered doing this same task hundreds of times before. In this life, he was just a simple village boy, the son of an adventurer and a farmer. But Kain knew that soon, he would rise far beyond that.
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As they worked together in silence, Kain's mind wandered to the future. He needed to learn more about this world, especially how the mana system worked in practice. Darren, his father, would be returning from his adventures soon, and Kain hoped to ask him more questions about fighters, knights, and mages. From Kain's memories, Kain knew Darren had been a fighter—someone who used physical strength and skills enhanced by mana. His mana pool was likely in the Intermediate range, making him a decent adventurer but far from the Elite ranks.
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Kain's eyes flicked to the Mana Pool section of his stats again, wondering how quickly he could push past the Beginner stage.
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He glanced at Elena, who was carefully hanging clothes on the line. Her mana pool was probably low, Kain guessed. Most commoners never exceeded 20 MP, and only those who ventured into combat or magic actively grew their mana.
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Just then, a familiar sensation washed over him. The Programmer's Toolbox interface blinked to life once more, this time showing him something new: a skill tree, filled with potential abilities he could unlock as he leveled up.
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"So... I can choose my path," Kain whispered, staring at the skill tree. It was just like in the game—Fighters specialized in physical combat and agility, while Mages could control elements, cast spells, and summon creatures. Kain's stats allowed him to choose either path, and he realized the toolbox would let him learn abilities that most people here would only dream of mastering.
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For a moment, Kain was tempted to start hacking the system right away, to boost his stats and unlock some overpowered skills. But he held back.
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"Not yet," he told himself. "I'll do this carefully. If I get too strong too fast, people will notice. And if there's one thing I learned from hacking games, it's that you don't want to get caught."
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With a quiet resolve, Kain smiled to himself, knowing that his rise to power in Eternis was just beginning.
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