Argh… cough, cough, cough!
When I opened my eyes, it felt like I had just been pulled out of deep water.The air burning its way into my lungs hurt — yet, at the same time, brought a strange sense of relief.
— What the f— cough, cough!
I was lying on a soft bed, wrapped in clean, thin sheets. I jolted upright, trying to understand what was happening.But… this wasn't my room.
Where was the familiar chaos of my little hikikomori corner?The floor buried under snack wrappers, the PC blinking late into the night?
"…Where am I?"
I looked around, confused. The room was perfectly organized, carrying a traditional Japanese aesthetic: tatami mats covering wooden floors, sliding doors made of translucent paper, and one of them opening onto a small balcony where a gentle breeze swayed the curtains.The air smelled faintly of bamboo and tea.
That was when I noticed a large floor mirror beside me.And when I looked at the reflection
— Huh…?
The image was me… but not exactly.The face was the same — large eyes, small frame, soft features — yet everything felt different.
My eyes, once dull and sunken, now shone in a clear aqua-green hue.My hair, previously a messy crow's nest, was smooth and silky, jet-black with faint green highlights at the tips.
The appearance reminded me of… Muichiro Tokito.But somehow, it also felt far too familiar to not be me.
Did I always have this kind of potential, and no one bothered to tell me?
I tried to stand up — and immediately regretted it.
An unbearable pain surged through my entire body, as if every muscle collapsed at once.My legs gave out, my nerves burned, and my head throbbed like it was about to split in half.
"Ah—AAAHH! It hurts… it hurts so much!"
I rolled across the floor, struggling to suppress a scream, until after a few seconds — which felt like hours — the pain suddenly… stopped.I lay there, panting, cold sweat soaking my skin.
— Hah… hah… w-what was that?
And then—
{Welcome, Traveler.}
The voice came from nowhere.A translucent window materialized in front of me, floating in the air.
— A-a system?!
It was impossible not to think that.The classic status screen — the ultimate cheat pass in any story.
But the excitement didn't last long.
{If by "system" the traveler refers to the "Akashic Records," then I must clarify that I am merely a messenger.}
Ah… great.
{And I am here to deliver the following message:"Seek your role between the false author and the luminescent swordsman, and bring forth your ideal ending."}
— What? That's… insanely vague! Hey, wait, what does that—
Before I could finish, the window began to fade away.
{Good luck, Traveler.}
And it vanished.
I stared at the empty air for a few seconds.Then I let out a long sigh.
— You've got to be kidding me…
The worst part was that it didn't take long to piece things together.A tablet on the desk lit up, projecting holograms filled with news about guilds, hunters, and recent achievements.
Familiar headlines.Names I recognized.
No way…
Yes.This was the world of The Author's POV.
But seriously… couldn't they have waited until I finished the novel first?I mean, usually the transmigrated guy is a hardcore expert who knows everything about the story.
Me?I was stuck at chapter 600. I hadn't even reached the ending yet!
— This is all so… sudden.
I leaned back against the bed, trying to process the absurdity of it all.I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and muttered:
— Status.
=== Statistics ===
Name: Kazehara Yuto
Rank: F-
Strength: G
Agility: F+
Intelligence: D-
Mana Capacity: NONE
Luck: F
Charm: S
→ Profession: Swordsman (Lv. 5)
================
— Huh?
I frowned. None of this made any sense.
"Alright… slowly. One thing at a time."
Mana Capacity: NONE.What do you mean none? Even the worst rank should be something like G–, not zero!
A strange tightness crept into my chest, but I forced myself to keep reading.
Charm: S.…Okay, what? That's terrifying.Even the most stunning beauties in the story barely reached A+.
I turned back to the mirror and looked at myself again.Emerald-green eyes. Hair that seemed to shine on its own. Skin almost unnaturally pale. A small body — maybe 1.40 meters tall at most — and an androgynous face that made it impossible to tell whether I was a boy or a girl.
I didn't have the imposing, masculine beauty of Kevin Voss or Jin Horton.
I was… cute.
Dangerously cute.
— Whatever. That can't be important…
But then I saw the part that truly terrified me:
Profession: Swordsman Lv. 5.
— L-Level 5?!
That was absurd.Not even Kevin started with a level like that!
Curiosity took over. I grabbed the tablet on the desk and began tapping through the menus.After pressing a few confusing buttons, another hologram unfolded before me.
User ID: Kazehara YutoAge: 16Photo: (Holographic image of myself)Program: Hero Program – Year 1Academic Ranking: 2055 / 2055Potential: UNDEFINEDProfession: Swordsman
Just as I suspected…I was a cadet of Lock.
But what truly left me speechless was the rest of the information.Potential: UNDEFINED.
Never — not once in everything I had read or watched about this world — had anyone received a result like that.It was practically an academic death sentence.
And judging by my overall ranking…I must have been admitted by the narrowest of margins — probably carried entirely by my talent with the sword.
As I thought about it, a sharp pain pierced my head, and memories began falling into place like pieces of a puzzle.
— Argh… looks like I haven't fully synchronized with this body yet… but the memories are coming back.
And then everything made sense.The reason behind my "zero potential" was a very specific condition — one that was likely listed under Passive Skills.
=== Passive Skills ===
[Muscle Density]
Despite the small frame, your muscles possess a density ten times greater than that of a normal human, compressed into a compact structure.
[Mana Leakage Syndrome]
You were born with a defective mana core, incapable of storing energy. Mana flows through your body, but dissipates before it can be used externally.
====================
— I see… so that's why.
I remembered the potential tests.They used crystals that resonated with a candidate's mana, measuring latent energy.
But in my case, the crystal simply… didn't react.And unlike the cliché of "the crystal couldn't measure your power," mine truly didn't react because there was nothing to measure.
I had mana — I could feel it circulating through my body — but it leaked away, slipping through my fingers.Like trying to fill a cracked cup.
Honestly, the most impressive thing was that this body had managed to enter Lock at all.In this world, being "without potential" was basically a social death sentence.
And yet, somehow… it made it.
I exhaled slowly and returned my gaze to the menu.The martial manuals section remained — and I wasn't expecting much.
But when I read what was listed there, I nearly choked on my own saliva.
[★★★★★★ Progenitor of Breathing Techniques] – Minor Mastery Realm
Techniques based on focused breathing, capable of temporarily elevating human attributes to absurd levels.
As the Progenitor of Breathing Techniques, you possess the potential to master all 14 known styles — and perhaps even create your own.
Stars indicate the mastery difficulty of each breathing style, ranging from one to five.
★★★★★ Sun Breathing – The original and most powerful form, with 13 known techniques. The foundation of all others.
★★★★ Moon Breathing – The style with the greatest number of forms, totaling 16.
★ Water Breathing – A fundamental style with 11 known forms.
★★★ Beast Breathing – An aggressive, feral combat style with 11 forms.
★ Flame Breathing – One of the most basic styles, with 9 forms.
★★ Thunder Breathing – Known for lightning-fast attacks, with 7 forms.
★★ Wind Breathing – A style that mimics the wind, with 9 forms.
★★★★ Sound Breathing – A vibration-based style with 5 forms.
★★ Mist Breathing – A style that imitates mist, with 7 forms.
★★★ Stone Breathing – A powerful, steadfast style with 5 forms.
★ Flower Breathing – An elegant and graceful style with 7 forms.
★★ Love Breathing – A fluid, flexible style with 6 forms.
★★★ Serpent Breathing – A sinuous, snake-like style with 5 forms.
★ Insect Breathing – A fast and precise style inspired by insects, with 4 forms.
— S–SIX STARS?!
My voice nearly echoed through the room.
That shouldn't exist.The highest known mastery level for any martial style was five stars — and even then, only legendary masters ever reached it.
But now, staring at this… everything clicked.
Breathing Techniques transcended other styles.The insane speed of the Keiki Style combined with Thunder Breathing.The monstrous strength of the Gravar Style paired with Stone Breathing.Or even the elegant fluidity of the Levisha Style merged with Serpent Breathing.
The potential was absurd.
I stood there, watching the wind gently sway the curtains, golden sunlight spilling through the window and reflecting across the tatami mats.
A simple — yet unavoidable — thought crossed my mind.
— …I need to test this.