*Rustle. Rustle.*
The sound came from the edge of a dark forest that bordered a wide stretch of grassland. The wind passed through the trees lazily, carrying with it the scent of damp earth. Sunlight filtered down between the leaves, scattering in uneven patches across the ground.
Water droplets still clung to the branches. It must have rained not long ago.
Beneath one of the trees, a little boy lay sprawled across a large rock, his arms hanging loosely at his sides, eyes shut as if he had no worries in the world. He wore brown shorts and a rough grey shirt, already worn thin at the elbows.
"Adrian! Stop sleeping and come play with us!"
A boy's voice broke through the quiet.
Adrian's eyes opened instantly.
Steel-grey eyes, calm to the point of seeming detached, stared up at the sky for a brief moment before he pushed himself up. A smile formed on his face as he jumped off the rock, landing lightly on the grass.
Short dark-brown hair framed his face, messy but neat enough, matching his eyes in a way that made the smile look almost convincing.
"Coming!"
He picked up the wooden sword lying nearby and ran toward the group of boys waiting for him, lifting the sword over his shoulder as if it were real steel.
To anyone watching, he looked like an ordinary village child, eager to enjoy the day.
But tomorrow was different.
Tomorrow, he would awaken.
By the time the sun dipped low and the shadows stretched long across the fields, the games ended. Adrian walked back toward the village alone, the forest now quiet behind him.
He lived in a small village built just outside the forest's edge.
"Mother! I'm back!"
He pushed open the door of a house that was slightly larger than most others in the village.
"Welcome back, my little jewel. Did you have enough fun today?"
Elara, his mother, stepped out from the inner room. Her blonde hair was tied back loosely, and her steel-grey eyes softened when they landed on him.
"Yes! I slept a lot on that big rock," Adrian said quickly. "Morgan and the others invited me to play too."
He sounded excited. Almost too practiced.
Adrian was twelve years old.
In this world—Eldros—every person awakened at the age of twelve. No exceptions. Or so people liked to say.
*Finally…*
*The so-called awakening.*
The thought crossed his mind quietly, without excitement.
Adrian was not an ordinary child.
He had reincarnated.
[Twelve Years Ago — Before Reincarnation]
"Attorney Yuki! Attorney Yuki!"
Cameras flashed as a man in a suit exited the courthouse. Tall, well-built, with neatly cut black hair, he walked forward without slowing, his expression unreadable. Large bodyguards pushed back the crowd of reporters trying desperately to get his attention.
Why?
Because this man was Yuki Shirogane.
A criminal lawyer who had made a name for himself by doing the unthinkable—freeing people who were never meant to walk free again.
From small-time drug traffickers to nation-level terrorists, over five hundred criminals had escaped prison after he took their cases. Courts feared him. The public hated him.
And criminals sought him out.
Only to hear the same words.
"I'm sorry. I won't take your case."
It was never easy for Yuki to accept one.
Inside a black limousine, two men sat facing each other.
"I barely managed to get bail by claiming illness," the old man snarled. "And now you're telling me you won't defend me?"
The man opposite Yuki wore hospital clothes, his hands trembling slightly.
Marcus Cross.
Leader of a crime syndicate that spanned across Europe. Weapons, drugs, even military-grade hardware—nothing was beyond his reach.
Why wasn't he afraid?
Because this was not Yuki's car.
Yuki had been kidnapped.
"You don't wish to return alive?" Marcus asked calmly, lifting a handgun.
"Taking my life won't change anything," Yuki replied. His voice was steady. Almost indifferent. "Your case cannot be won. Not with lies, not with forgery."
"The government already has all the proo—"
"SHUT UP!"
Marcus pulled the trigger twice.
*Bang.*
*Bang.*
A sharp ringing filled Yuki's ears as pain tore through his body. His vision blurred, the world tilting as he collapsed against the seat.
There was no panic.
Only a single thought, clear and unshaken.
*Law exists to be tested.*
Then everything went dark.
This was how he died.
And how he was reborn.
*In this world… I will live peacefully.*
*Knock. Knock.*
"That should be your father," Elara said from behind him.
The door opened.
A brown-haired man stepped inside, tall and lean, his presence filling the room without effort.
Elric Ashford.
Adrian's father.
And tomorrow—
Everything would begin.
The next day.
*Adrian…*
A faint voice passed through Adrian's ear.
"Adrian! Wake up!"
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open. It was the day of his awakening ceremony.
"It's already past 8 AM! Wake up, we are leaving in 30 Minutes."
Adrian woke up from the bed, walking down the stairs, he greeted his Father.
"Good Morning, Father," he said respectfully.
Adrian had come to love his family and let go of his life as an attorney of the past. But not everything changed inside him.
*After awakening…I will finally be able to walk down the path to rise in this world.*
He was still very ambitious.
After getting ready and quickly eating a bun of bread that his mother bought him, he picked up his wooden sword.
Adrian's father, Elric, watched him pick up the sword. He knew Adrian had a dream of becoming a swordsman. Elric also wanted him to become a swordsman like him, but he decided that he would let fate decide what Adrian would become.
In the world of Eldros, everyone received classes that defined what job one would do in the future.
"Father, take me to the Awakening Ceremony!"
Adrian spoke, a hint of excitement visible on his face.
"Tell your mom that we are leaving for the Church; she must be working in the kitchen to prepare a feast for you."
Elric smiled, picking up a sword and a small pouch that likely carried some coins.
"Okay!"
Adrian rushed through the small pathway leading to the kitchen in the house. There, he could see his mother sitting on a wooden chair behind a wooden table. There were various vegetables in a basket.
She held a knife in her hand as he peeled the skin of a potato.
"Mother!"
Adrian rushed into the kitchen quickly behind her mother's chair as he hugged her from behind.
"Ah! Adrian! Isn't it time for your Ceremony? Go fast!"
Giving a gentle kiss on her cheek, he said, "That's what I came to inform you about, Mother! We are leaving. okay bye!"
Spoke Adrian, as he rushed out of the kitchen.
"I am making your favorite Pound Cake! Make sure to come back fast!"
He heard the voice of his mother, stars sparkling in his eyes, "Thank you!"
These 12 years had changed alot inside Yuki—or Adrian. The cold demeanor of a twisted criminal had almost vanished, thanks to the warm environment of his new family—or maybe it was sealed inside his heart; one didn't know.
Yuki was an Orphan from an orphanage. But the reason behind his helping criminals escape the law was something he had never told anyone. All he had ever wished for after reincarnation was to forget everything that happened to him.
Adrian and Elric arrived at the Village church.
The church was at the very edge of the town, having been built recently by the order of the local baron. The church was small, barely having seating for 50 people inside it.
The church was of the goddess Solmira, the goddess of Light. She was the goddess worshiped in the entire Solhart Kingdom.
Arriving at the church, Adrian noticed a large crowd outside the church. Today, on 1st January 1502 of the Eldros Calendar, is considered as the day that the Goddess bestowed her 'blessings' upon the world of Eldros.
These blessings were nothing but the 'Awakening' which brought out the inherent potential of someone. At least that's what Adrian thought.
Adrian never used to believe in God, even in his previous world.
Outside the church, he could see a line of children, each standing patiently, waiting for their turn to arrive.
"It looks like it will take some time for your turn to arrive."
Spoke Elric, patting over Adrian's Shoulder.
Each child was accompanied by one of their Parent or relatives as they stood in the line together.
There were three types of classes in this world.
First of all—
There were Combat classes.
These classes were those that consisted primarily of Close-Combat classes. A Combat class kid could become a Knight, directly serving the Kingdom or any powerful Noble Family. This was the most sought-after class. Why? Because if one were lucky, they might advance through the ranks, and who knows? Might even gain a Noble title of their own.
There was also the chance that one could become an Adventurer. One would usually choose to become an Adventurer only if either their class was too weak or they did not wish to serve anyone.
The second type of class was—
The Magic/Energy-based Classes.
This class is what people whom we refer to as 'Mages' get. These kinds of classes were rare, with a 1 in 50 or even 100 chance of getting one. And even then, it was not necessary they received a strong class. If they received a strong class, the magic tower would scout them out with offers tempting enough to be unable to resist.
If not that, one could also follow what the Knights did—Serving the Nobility. And if they were weak, they were always welcomed in the Path of Adventuring.