Zen woke before the sun, like always. His body moved on instinct now — stretch, breathe, run. The forest greeted him with mist and birdsong as he jogged through winding trails. Eventually, he reached the clearing. The place where it all began.
He crouched by the stream and splashed cold water onto his face. His reflection stared back — white hair plastered to his forehead, sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes.
"If I may say so," he muttered with a crooked smile, "I'm one of the most handsome men I've ever seen. Not narcissistic — just facts."
He chuckled, but the moment wasn't just vanity. Something stirred inside — gratitude, maybe. Or something deeper.
I don't know what force gave me this second chance, he thought, but I'm not wasting it. No more drifting. No more regrets.
Back at the inn, he tore into a breakfast of roasted meat and eggs.
"If you want to grow," he muttered, "you need protein. Muscles don't rebuild themselves."
Afterward, he headed to the library. The receptionist greeted him with a warm smile.
"Good morning."
"Morning," Zen replied, nodding. "Back to feed the brain cells."
He settled into his usual spot by the window. Outside, merchants haggled and guards patrolled. Inside, silence and knowledge waited.
He pulled a thick tome from the shelf: Elements and Power Hierarchies.
Light and dark — the rarest elements.
Light was wielded by saints, saintesses, and those blessed by divine forces.
Dark… was elusive. And within it, shadow was nearly mythical. No records. No known users.
Zen leaned back. So either I'm the first… or the world's been blind.
He flipped to the ranking system:
F, E, D, C, B, A, S, and beyond.
By current standards, he was mid‑F rank.
He shrugged. "I just got here. No rush. I'll climb. Slowly, surely. And when I reach the top… I'll make sure they remember my name."
Suddenly, the system chimed:
"Sub‑Quest: Learn martial arts and other combat forms."
Zen blinked. "Wait, this is a magical world. Why martial arts? Shouldn't I be throwing fireballs or summoning dragons?"
"Host may face enemies skilled in close combat. Mana reserves may not always be available. Battles are unpredictable."
Zen nodded. "Right. No pause button in real fights. Got it."
He paused. "Also… you sound like my gym coach. Did you download his personality?"
"Negative. Personality modules are original."
Zen chuckled. "You're lucky you're useful, System. Otherwise I'd uninstall you emotionally."
He returned to the training hall. Sword practice came first — fluid, precise, efficient. Then shadow manipulation — stretching, shaping, extending. His control had improved. Duration was longer. Forms were sharper.
He sat cross‑legged, channeling mana. The flow was stronger now, more responsive.
Then he asked, "System, how do I learn martial arts? I mean… I took boxing classes as a teen, but I dropped out after realizing punching people hurts."
He paused.
Okay, technically… it hurt me. A lot. Every day. Like clockwork. But that's a secret. Let's not dwell.
"Acknowledged. Host is… thick-skinned."
Zen blinked. "Wait, what?"
"Commentary withheld."
He narrowed his eyes. "You're developing sass. I respect it."
A bald man in a martial arts gi materialized before him — a hologram.
Zen blinked. "Oh, this is a hologram. Got it."
He grinned. "System, you're basically my magical YouTube tutorial."
"Thank you, Host."
Zen raised an eyebrow. "You didn't even flinch. You're like a brick wall with Wi-Fi."
"No more distractions," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's begin."
The hologram demonstrated basic stances, breathing techniques, and movement drills. Zen followed, absorbing the rhythm. It wasn't easy, but it made sense.
By nightfall, he was drenched in sweat, muscles aching. But he had learned something.
"System," he said, "show me my panel. And please tell me I didn't just unlock 'Sore Back (Advanced)'."
🌌 System Update
Name: Zen Lawkey
Age: 14
Status: Reincarnated
Element: Shadow
Core Skill: Moonblade
Attributes:
Strength: 14
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 16
Charm: 8
Mana: 150
Stamina: 14
Skills:
Sword Mastery (Novice)
Shadow Manipulation (Novice)
Martial Arts (Novice) — Basic understanding of close combat techniques.
Zen stared at the glowing panel. A new skill. A new layer.
He smiled. "Step by step… I'm becoming someone worth remembering. Or at least someone worth fearing in a dark alley."
Outside, the moon rose again. And somewhere deep within, the tattoo pulsed faintly.