The morning sun filtered through thin linen curtains as Adonis sat by the window, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His hands were still trembling from the simple act of walking across the room.
But he had done it.
From the day he regained consciousness, he had pushed himself little by little. Standing. Walking. Lifting a spoon. Holding a book without dropping it. His body had once belonged to a child who never left the bed—but Adonis was no longer just that child.
He was Ren Hoshikawa , a swordsman in his previous life. And even if this world was different, the rules of discipline remained the same.
Train. Adapt. Endure.
A soft knock came from the door. A maid peeked in.
"Master Adonis, Lady Caelis said your books arrived."
"Leave them on the desk," he said with a polite nod.
After she left, Adonis rose slowly and walked—more like shuffled—to the table. The books weren't many. A few thick tomes wrapped in leather. Their titles were written in silver ink, glowing faintly under sunlight.
He picked up one titled "The Essence of Mana: An Introduction" and sat down.
He read for hours.
In this world, mana was life itself. It flowed through the earth, the sky, the oceans, and every living creature. But not everyone could wield it.
According to the book, every child undergoes a ceremony called the Awakening—usually at the age of twelve. During the ceremony, if the body and mind are ready, the child forms a mana core in their heart, allowing them to control and circulate mana consciously.
But not everyone succeeds.
"Only 40% of people awaken mana. Of those, merely 30% show any affinity for magic."
Adonis leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment.
That means barely 12% of the population can actually cast magic…
Still, what caught his interest wasn't the mana core itself—it was affinity.
"Those with elemental affinity can harmonize their mana with natural elements, granting them increased efficiency, unique spells, and passive physical enhancement."
The six basic affinities:
Fire – strength, aggression
Water – flexibility, flow
Wind – speed, agility
Lightning – explosive acceleration
Earth – defense, endurance
Ice – control, resistance
Then there were the rarer types:
Healing – the most known of the "special" affinities
Sound, Light, Darkness, and even unnamed, arcane branches like Gravity or Crystal—said to be myths more than reality.
The book said that outside healing, special affinities appeared in less than one in a billion awakenings.
Adonis shut the book gently.
So I'm already at a disadvantage.
His body was weak, sickly, and now late to awaken. He was past the age most children underwent the process. It had been delayed due to his condition—but time was slipping away.
"In this world of magic… I've been given a second chance.""But this body… it's running out of time to awaken.""If I don't do it soon—there may not be a later."
That night, he asked his father.
"You want to undergo the Awakening Ceremony?" Kael raised a brow. "You just learned to walk across the hall without coughing up blood."
"I'm ready," Adonis said simply.
Kael studied him. "Even if your body isn't?"
Adonis didn't flinch. "Then I'll force it to be."
The old adventurer leaned back, arms crossed. For a moment, he didn't speak. Then a short grunt.
"…You're stubborn."
Adonis gave a polite smile." I want to try".
Kael stood up and ruffled his son's hair—more like shaking a twig than patting a warrior's head—but his expression held a flicker of pride.
"I'll speak with the priest," he said. "Be ready by dawn."
That night, Adonis couldn't sleep.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, hands clenched over his chest.
"I don't care if I'm late. Or if this body is trash."
"Just give me something. Even a spark."
Because in his last life, he never had the chance to fight freely.
And in this one, he wasn't going to stay behind.