After talking to his parents and eating a hearty meal, Adam headed to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He needed to be alone, even if only for a few minutes.
Steam began to fill the room as the water fell on his body. He pressed both hands against the stone wall and let out a slow sigh.
He still didn't understand how he had returned to the past... or if it was all just a long nightmare.
He wanted to convince himself that none of it was real. That he would soon wake up again on that battlefield.
Instinctively, he brought his hand to his neck.
His skin was intact.
Even so, a chill ran down his spine. The sensation of the sword piercing him, the sudden cold, the loss of balance... it was all still too vivid to ignore.
He sighed and gathered his thoughts.
In eight years, a large-scale war would begin that would engulf the entire continent, and he would be forced to become a soldier.
However, that wasn't what mattered to Adam.
He had to prevent the death and downfall of his family!
The territory of Casa Hall occupied a delicate position. It bordered Kamelot and Aragon and was also close to the great demonic forest, a land infested with creatures that, from time to time, unleashed hordes capable of devastating entire villages.
His main priority was to observe all the suspicious movements that led to the destruction of his family.
Adam couldn't let that happen again.
The rain continued to fall as an uncomfortable idea took hold in his mind.
The death of his father had always seemed strange to him.
Zephyr Hall had been a formidable gentleman. Strong, disciplined... impossible to knock down easily. However, he fell ill overnight. His body weakened at an alarming rate until death took him without giving him time to react.
The official version spoke of an illness.
In his previous life, Adam accepted that explanation without questioning it too much.
Now he couldn't do that anymore.
'There must be a rat in our territory who is close enough to father.'
He pushed those thoughts aside for the moment. There was no point in rushing things.
He had already accepted that he had returned to the past. And with that, he had gained an opportunity... but he had also paid a price.
He looked down at his hands.
They were younger. Weaker.
'First and foremost... I have lost all my strength; right now, I am back at square one, although I have a better start.'
He was a sensible person, but even so, he felt a heavy weight on his heart for what he had lost. However, he had no regrets. Now he had the opportunity not only to regain his former strength, but also to surpass it.
In addition, he possessed invaluable knowledge: that of the future.
But knowing the future was a good thing, although the most valuable thing was his life experiences: battle, loss, regret, etc. All those experiences were the most helpful thing Adam possessed.
"Having wisdom about the future doesn't guarantee you anything," he muttered to himself, as if warning himself. "Memories only give you a slight advantage, but life is constantly changing. If you don't use them carefully, that knowledge can be useless."
He turned off the tap.
Just then...
Ding!
Out of nowhere, a transparent blue screen appeared before him, which almost made him jump in surprise.
[Installing...]
[Scanning... implementing patches...]
[System implemented]
Adam Hall
Low-ranking knight [EXP: 50/100]
Talent: A
Trait: Fencing (A) Hand-to-Hand Combat (D) Tracking (C) Mana Manipulation (C)
Strength: 5
Stamina: 6
Agility: 7
Vitality: 10
Mana: 5
Statistics points: 0
Adam observes this, incredulous and surprised by everything that is happening. Is he imagining things? Or is he really in hell after all?
But it wasn't over yet.
[You received a gift: "Newbie Package"]
A small golden chest (9 × 5 × 4.5 cm) appeared floating in front of him.
[Do you want to open the Newbie Package?]
[Yes / No]
Adam closed his eyes tightly.
'This can't be real...'
When he opened them again, the translucent screen was still there, as unperturbed as ever.
"Of course..." he murmured. "Of course you're still there."
He cautiously reached out and tried to touch the screen.
[No]
Click.
"…"
The small golden chest vanished without a trace.
"…"
The silence was absolute.
Adam stood utterly still.
"...No."
He blinked once.
Then twice.
"No, no, no. Wait. That didn't just happen, did it?"
He had rejected the gift.
The gift!
"...I'm an idiot."
A dry, nervous laugh escaped his throat.
"Hahaha... very funny. This has to be a joke. A psychological test, for sure."
He searched desperately with his eyes, checking every corner of the translucent screen, as if the chest could be hidden behind some invisible menu.
A second passed.
Then another.
Nothing.
"...No."
Just as cold sweat began to run down his back, the screen flickered.
[You received a gift: "Newbie Package"]
The golden chest reappeared in front of him.
Adam let out a sigh so long it seemed as if he had been holding his breath for years.
"Ah... of course. I knew it," he said, trying to regain his dignity. "It was obviously a test. Yes, a test."
[Do you want to open the Newbie Package?]
[Yes / No]
Adam slowly raised his hand.
"This time... calmly," he murmured. "No impulsive decisions."
[Abriendo paquete de novato...]
[You received 2x SSS Rank Talent Card]
[You received 1x Hero Summon Card]
'SSS Rank Talent Card and Hero Summon?'
This left him perplexed: watch as the small chest spits out three silver cards.
"What the hell is all that?"
No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't come up with an answer, so for the time being, he decided to ignore it and study it later.
[Do you want to open the two SSS Rank Talent Cards?]
[Yes/No]
This time, he looked at the two screens more carefully and noticed that the language used on them was runes. He expected it to be an unknown language, but surprisingly, it was runes.
After a moment's thought, he clicked [Yes]. He wasn't going to make the same mistake he had made a moment ago.
The two silver cards began to spin rapidly, as if in a show, followed by notification screens.
[You have awakened the SSS-rank magic talent]
Suddenly, violent dizziness shook him, and a sharp pain pierced his head, as if countless blows were echoing inside his mind at the same time.
His understanding of manna, which had previously been confusing, somewhat distant, and almost alien to his past life, suddenly fell into place. Concepts that had taken him years to assimilate now flowed naturally, as if they had always been there.
It was a feeling that was difficult to describe: something deeply magical, almost... divine.
Adam remained in that state for several minutes, motionless, as the pain gradually subsided until it disappeared completely.
When he opened his eyes again clearly, he noticed the changes immediately.
The manna floating in the air was no longer a vague presence. He could perceive it clearly, distinguish its currents, its density... even its movement.
"This is incredible..." Clutching his head, Adam murmured, amazed by the changes in his perception, and the smile on his face was impossible to hide.
But the surprises weren't over yet.
[You have awakened SSS-rank fencing talent]
Suddenly, a tingling sensation ran through his entire body. It was nothing like the feeling he had experienced when awakening his magical talent; this was deeper, more direct, as if something was adjusting inside him.
His understanding of fencing suddenly expanded. Techniques that he had previously mastered with effort now flowed naturally, and mistakes he had never noticed before became clear.
It was as if a tiger had been given wings.
That almost divine state did not last long.
It lasted only about five minutes, even a little less than the previous time, before slowly dissipating and bringing him back to reality.
'This is truly a gift from some god.'
That was the only explanation Adam had at the moment, or that he had accidentally stumbled upon the inheritance of some god.
If that were the case, his return to the past would make more sense.
He stared at the screen for a brief moment, distracted.
[Do you want to use the Hero Summon Card?]
[Yes/No]
Adam clicked [Yes] without hesitation.
At that moment, a blinding light forced him to close his eyes.
When he opened them, a young woman in her teens, slim with soft, white skin, wearing armor and an old-fashioned dress made of antique blue fabric underneath, was already standing in front of him.
But the most surprising thing was that she was only 61 cm tall.
He exuded a powerful, unique aura among those who had gone through numerous life-and-death battles.
He has golden hair that looks like it has been "sprinkled with gold dust." His face shows some signs of elegance, with golden eyes.
Upon seeing this person, Adam was stunned and couldn't help but take a step back.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Master. I am Queen of the Knights of Britannia, so please call me Asterin. I hope we will work together for many years to come!"