At the Management Tower—a place where drones scurried back and forth, accompanied by the relentless mechanical hum of every passing second. Supercomputers were manned by professional managers; everyone working here belonged to the intellectual elite, those afforded the luxury of education. However, there were rare exceptions: the poor who had managed to hoard enough wealth to buy their way into technical training.
Amidst the bustling mechanical expanse, a human voice spoke with measured caution:
"Gans, will our plan really succeed? This project you're researching... and the risk we're taking."
"We need to gather them as soon as possible, Eris. It's the only way to help everyone."
[Wake up.]
[Hero.]
The voices jolted Rolland awake. Hovering in the air before him were glowing words, while Stellar's voice echoed through his mind.
"What... what is happening now?" he grumbled in annoyance.
Suddenly, a knock at the door and a woman's voice startled him.
"Rolland, it's time for dinner, dear!"
"Coming!" he replied instinctively.
[That is your mother in this world. Her name is Susie Martha, an Alchemist.]
This realization made Rolland uneasy. He wasn't himself anymore; he was in the body of another child, a boy no more than twelve years old. Frustrated but powerless, he pushed the thoughts aside and climbed out of bed. He looked around the room: wooden floors and sunlight streaming through the window—sights so foreign they felt like another dimension.
He slowly descended the stairs, following the warm, savory aroma of the soup his mother was cooking. His father, Rowan Geist, sat at the table and looked up.
"What took you so long, son?"
"Oh! Sorry..." Rolland stammered.
A strange sensation washed over him. Is this what they call a "family"? He had never had one before; he didn't even know what his parents looked like in his past life. All he remembered was the suffering of his people. No memories, no affection. Yet, this place gave him a bizarre sense of warmth—the feeling of truly being alive.
He approached the table. Placed at his seat was a bowl of potato and vegetable soup. There was no meat, but in his eyes, it seemed to glow with a brilliant light. It was the complete opposite of everything he had eaten before—nothing like the bland, hard rations of the Factories.
"Thank you for the food, Father, Mother!" Rolland said, his voice brightening.
In that brief moment, his initial suspicions faded as he began to acclimatize to this new world. The sheer reality of it made his body tremble with joy. The warmth of every spoonful, the feeling of a rejuvenated body—the heavy burden he once carried had vanished. He now had a healthy body and a loving home.
As they ate, Rowan suddenly remembered something and spoke with excitement.
"Rolland, son! Tomorrow is your twelfth birthday! It's finally time for you to go to school! Is there anything you'd like as a gift?"
"Go to school?" Rolland murmured skeptically.
"That's right! You'll be enrolled soon. In about three months, you'll be a top student! Aren't you excited?"
[In this world, education consists of basic literacy. The rest is dedicated to training in swordsmanship or magic... depending on the student's choice.]
"Magic? What is that?"
[It is energy that exists everywhere in this world. By learning magic, humans can manipulate and harness spells to become Mages or Magic Swordsmen.]
Stellar's explanation gave Rolland the immediate answer to his burning question: "What do I need to do?" The path was clear. He had to choose between being a swordsman or a mage and use that path to become powerful.
Back in his bedroom, Rolland sat in deep thought, wondering how to grow stronger and how to unlock his mana.
"I want to see my current stats," he said to Stellar.
Immediately, a system interface appeared, displaying his basic information.
[Name: Rolland Geist]
[Race: Human]
[Skill: String Mastery (Lvl. 1)]
[Class: None]
"String Mastery?"
[Strings are bonds created by mana particles within the body or space, formed through magical influence. String Mastery allows the user to manipulate these threads.]
He immediately wanted to test this skill. Closing his eyes, the mana particles in the air and the flow within his own body became vivid. He extended his arm. He could feel every particle colliding with his skin, making his arm feel heavy and gradually numb. He focused his strength, channeling the internal particles and projecting them outward. Flickers of electricity began to spark. The sparks stabilized, weaving into glowing threads of power for a brief moment before dissolving.
Exhaustion swept over him after that first attempt. Drowsiness claimed him once more, and he fell into a deep sleep, preparing for the long training that lay ahead.