Zhen Wu's eyes opened slowly, his gaze unfocused at first. His consciousness took a moment to adapt to the unfamiliar sensations, the weakness of his new body, the ambient mana in the air, the distant hum of life.
He was in a dimly lit room, a small but decently furnished space with wooden beams overhead. The faint scent of parchment and herbs lingered, indicating a household that dabbled in the arcane.
He flexed his fingers, noting their small size and lack of strength. A child's body, he thought, his lips curving into a faint smile.
He remembered the reincarnation process vividly. The intricately designed array, the boundless energy of the simulator, and the painstaking care he had taken to ensure his soul would bind seamlessly to a new vessel. Everything had worked as planned.
"An aristocratic family of mages," he murmured, his voice soft but steady, despite the childish timbre. "Middle-class nobility, decent resources, but far from the center of power. Suitable enough for hiding. "
...
The family he was born into carried the name Malbrecht. They were a minor house of mages, known for producing moderately talented practitioners but never anyone remarkable. His father, Alrich Malbrecht, was a stern and prideful man who viewed Zhen Wu—or rather, Elias Malbrecht, as he was now known—as a disappointment from the very start.
From an early age, Elias showed no interest in magic or academics. He spent his days wandering the estate, or simply staring at the sky with a carefree smile. His siblings, particularly his elder brother Edwin and younger sister Lucia, mocked him endlessly. Edwin was the family's golden child, a prodigy in elemental magic, while Lucia was doted on for her charm and wit.
Elias didn't care.
The ridicule, the dismissive glances, the whispered conversations behind his back—it all washed over him like rain on stone. The Malbrechts were not his family, not in any meaningful sense. They were mere bystanders in his journey, placeholders in a life he had yet to truly begin.
His carefree demeanor disarmed them, but beneath the surface, his mind was always calculating. He observed their strengths, weaknesses, desires, and fears. He learned the dynamics of the household, the hidden grudges and alliances, although he mostly done it out of boredom.
They thought him harmless, an idiot perhaps, but Zhen Wu, Elias was merely waiting.
....
The years passed uneventfully. Elias never excelled in his studies, but he never failed either. He maintained a façade of mediocrity, avoiding both attention and expectations. His days were spent in quiet observation, his nights in contemplation.
He ignored the family's attempts to involve him in their petty ambitions. His father's scoldings about duty and honor fell on deaf ears. Edwin's attempts to provoke him into competition were met with a lazy shrug. Even Lucia's attempts to manipulate him for her own gain were met with an infuriating indifference.
"You'll never amount to anything," Edwin spat one evening after a family gathering where Elias had quietly excused himself early.
Elias smiled, a calm, almost serene expression that only deepened his brother's irritation. "That's fine. You're doing so well for the both of us, aren't you?"
Among the people in Elias's life, a few stood out, although he simply paid them attention for his own amusement no more.
Master Thaldrin ; The aging tutor assigned to the Malbrecht children. Thaldrin was a knowledgeable but deeply cynical mage who had long since given up on ambition.
Elias occasionally engaged him in discussions, drawing out insights about this world and the politics of the mage towers.
Another person that showed in the picture was Celine Alvaris; A childhood acquaintance and daughter of a neighboring noble family. Celine was a talented mage who always sought to compete with Edwin, often ignoring Elias entirely. However, her occasional kindness to the "worthless" brother didn't go Unnoticed by Edwin.
.....
Despite the simulator being bound to him, Elias never used it during these years. He was patient, letting time flow naturally as he waited for his body to mature.
His goal was clear; at the age of seventeen, when his body reached the perfect state for receiving superpowers, he would begin his ascent. Until then, he was content to let the world see him as a failure, a boy of no consequence.
...
The night before his seventeenth birthday, the Malbrecht estate was unusually lively. Preparations were underway for Elias's departure to the mage tower. It was customary for young mages of noble families to join these institutions at this age, a rite of passage that marked their transition into adulthood.
Elias sat alone in his room, gazing out the window at the moonlit gardens. He could hear the faint sounds of his family's chatter downstairs, discussing his future with a mix of relief and disdain.
"Good riddance," Edwin had said earlier that day, his voice dripping with condescension. "Maybe the tower can teach him something useful for once. Also Elias I will be staying at the higher floors of the tower, pretend you don't know me. "
Elias had only smiled, as he always did.
The morning came swiftly. Dressed in a simple but elegant robe, Elias stood by the estate's main gate, his belongings packed into a modest satchel. His father, mother and younger siblings gathered to see him off, though their expressions betrayed their lack of sentiment.
"Don't embarrass the family," Alrich said curtly, his eyes cold.
"I'll do my best," Elias replied, his tone cheerful.
As the carriage arrived to take him to the mage tower, Elias turned to his family one last time. His smile, as always, was warm and carefree, but his eyes held a glint of something else, something far darker and more calculating.
"Goodbye," he said, stepping into the carriage.
The wheels creaked as the carriage began its journey, leaving the Malbrecht estate behind, as for his other more promising siblings, they will be teleported directly to the tower instead of going there by carriage like him.
Elias leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The carefree mask remained, but within, Zhen Wu's mind stirred with anticipation.
The pieces were finally in place.