"Mom, thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine now. My body feels much better," Zack said, trying to ease his mother's concerns.
"Are you sure, son? I'm scared you might collapse again. After you returned from the forest, you immediately fainted as soon as you got home," Zack's mother replied, her voice filled with worry.
"Yes, Mom, I'm okay. I feel better than before. I think it was just the flu and a fever. I'm a little hungry now. Could you bring me some food? I'm still too weak to stand."
"Alright, dear. I'll prepare something for you." Zack's mother left the room, leaving him alone.
"It seems a lot of strange things have happened… And why was I able to reincarnate? My soul should have vanished because of that seal. I can't figure out who reincarnated me. Was it the gods? But I doubt they would do such a thing—they're not that kind.
"It feels like the boy who owned this body was near death, and my soul somehow merged with his. I have his memories now. He is me, and I am him.
"This boy lived with his mother, Elaine, and his younger sister, Eris. But now… they've become my mother and sister too. This is so bizarre."
Zack paused, gathering his thoughts.
"I'll think about this later. For now, I need to check the condition of this body. The boy was injured by a venomous mystical beast, but it seems the poison has already left his system. That's good. Now, I should assess my potential.
"Hmm… My magical potential seems average—not bad. This means I can become a mage. But… I wasn't blessed. That means I can't use healing magic or other blessed spells.
"...Wait. What's this? No way… I've been reincarnated as a Typeless! Being Typeless means I don't have a dominant magical type. This could be advantageous, but it's also a hassle. Most people are born with two or three dominant magic types.
"There are four basic types: fire, water, earth, and wind. Then there are advanced types like lightning, plant, or ice magic. Finally, there's the highest level: world-tier magic, such as creation magic.
"This is troublesome because I'll have to work three to four times harder to master magic compared to others. My mana reserves are also smaller. But it's also exciting—I can potentially master all types of magic, even world-tier magic, if I work hard enough.
"World-tier magic… It's magic that defies the understanding of living beings. As the name implies, it can influence the world itself.
"hahaha! Who would've thought I'd get this lucky? Hard work? Bring it on! Did you forget who I am? I'm Zack Willhert, the man who once stood at the peak of the world! If you want me to work hard, then fine—I'll rise to the top again and defeat the three Demon Gods. But for now, I need to rebuild my foundation."
Zack grinned to himself, his confidence unwavering.
"According to this body's memories, there's a large forest nearby. Before falling ill, he was bitten by a mystical beast there. Mystical beasts are rare, so the forest might hold something valuable. I'll head there tomorrow."
Zack's excitement was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching his room.
"That must be Mom," he muttered.
The door opened, and Elaine entered, carrying a bowl of porridge.
"Zack, here's some porridge. I'm sorry I couldn't make you something better. You've just recovered, after all."
"It's okay, Mom. This is already great. By the way, can I go to the big forest tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? But you just recovered. Are you sure you'll be okay? What if you collapse again in the forest? I'm worried about you."
"I'll be fine, Mom. I've recovered, and we're running low on supplies. I need to hunt and gather herbs to sell."
"Alright, but please be careful. For now, just rest."
"Okay, Mom."
---
The Next Morning
Elaine was cooking in the kitchen while Eris, a small girl, played at the dining table.
"According to my memories, this little girl is Eris. From now on, she's my sister," Zack thought.
"Eris, big brother is going now," he said.
"You're leaving already, big brother? I wanted to play with you!"
"Haha, we can play when I get back. I need to go hunting now. See you later."
"Okay… Be safe, big brother!"
"Mom, I'm heading out."
"Alright, dear. Stay safe."
Zack left the house, armed with a bow slung across his back and a small dagger at his waist.
"Based on my memories, this boy was an archer. The bow on my back and the dagger are for close combat. I'm not used to archery, but I should be better than most beginners."
Zack adjusted his grip on the bow, trying to familiarize himself with it as he approached the forest.
"The mana concentration in this forest is dense. I can use it to train for a bit. For now, forming a mana core is too ambitious. I'll focus on adapting to this body and finding a sword technique that suits me. My current body is too weak for magic."
A mana core is a concentrated reservoir of mana within a mage's body. The more cores a mage has, the stronger they are.
"I have hundreds, maybe thousands, of sword techniques stored in my memory. Finding one that suits me will take time." Zack then sat in silence, sorting through the thousands of sword techniques in his memory.
"Ah, this one! The Black Metal Sword Technique. It doesn't require much strength at first and grows stronger with speed. Perfect for my current state."
Zack picked up his dagger.
"I don't have a sword, so this dagger will have to do."
He began practicing the movements, his strikes precise but his body strained.
"Whew… This is exhausting. My body is still too weak. But at this rate, I'll master the first layer of the technique in a month. Now, it's time to cleanse the impurities from my body."
Sitting cross-legged, Zack began absorbing mana, directing it to his heart.
"By circulating mana through my bloodstream, I can cleanse my body of impurities. I need to concentrate…"
Two hours later, Zack suddenly coughed up a foul-smelling black liquid.
"Urgh… I didn't expect this much filth inside me. There's still more, but I can't expel it without a large amount of mana. Absorbing mana from the environment isn't enough—it's too risky and could damage my blood vessels. What I need is… a beast core."
Beast cores, found in mystical creatures, are encased in hardened mana, making them safer for absorption.
"Wait. Didn't this body get bitten by a mystical beast? Mystical beast cores are even better! But hunting one is far more dangerous. Still, it's worth the risk. With a mystical beast core, I can cleanse my body and accelerate my mana absorption."
Zack stood up, determination burning in his eyes.
"Time to find that mystical beast's lair."
He strode into the forest without hesitation, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.