Levy's dad opened the car door and carefully buckled him in.
"Hang tight, Levy," He said warmly. "I'll say goodbye to Mrs. Chen and then we'll head home, okay?"
"Uh-hm." Levy nodded, swinging his legs.
"Theodore, take this with you!" Mrs. Chen called out, hurrying over with a small bag.
The door closed.
Inside the quiet car, Levy stared ahead, frowning slightly.
Something felt… missing. However, no matter how much he tries to think it over, nothing pops up, except a few strange sounds that made no sense to him.
"Sta… tus… open?"
And there, something materialized in front of him.
"Huhh—!?" Levy yelped as he bumped his forehead against the seat, flailing as the translucent screen followed whichever direction his gaze was facing.
[Magic Mastery System]
Name: Levy Tobias Morozov
Physique: 5
Mana: 15
Elemental Nature: Locked
Magic Skills: Requires Elemental Nature
Levy squinted.
"My name's there… but what's this?" He mumbled.
"Fih… fisik? Manah? Is this math?"
His brow furrowed harder.
Nothing made sense.
------------------------------
Outside, Theodore and Mrs. Chen exchanged goodbyes.
"Thank you again for having us, Mrs. Chen!"
"Oh, it was my pleasure. Xiao Feng doesn't have many friends his age—please let Levy visit again."
"Hahaha! Absolutely. And send my regards to Brother Guoqiang!"
"Of course~ Say hi to Lisa for me!"
Theodore slid back into the driver's seat.
He glanced sideways.
Levy was staring blankly ahead.
"Levy? Son?"
No response.
"Levyyy?"
Still nothing.
"…Levy Tobias Morozov."
Levy jolted. "Yes, Dad!"
"I've been calling you for a while," Theodore said gently. "You alright?"
"I'm okay," Levy replied after a pause. "…Just thinking."
Theodore smiled and started the engine.
As they drove, Levy peeked at the floating screen again.
'Dad can't see it…'
'Lin Feng couldn't either.'
"Dad!" Levy suddenly perked up. "Can we get ice cream?"
Theodore laughed. "Of course we can."
------------------------------
The Morozov home stood proudly behind wrought-iron gates, spread across nearly a thousand square meters of land. At its center was a three-story villa, approached by a long stone pathway cutting through a neatly trimmed lawn, with a garden stretching along the western side of the estate.
To the east lay a private basketball court, while a pool shimmered at the back, and two sleek sports cars rested in the garage, highlighting the family's wealth.
They were well-off. Comfortably so.
Going inside their home, Lisa, Levy's mother rushed forth.
"Welcome home!" she said, hugging Theodore tightly.
He lifted her effortlessly.
Levy watched, lips pursed.
"…Upsies."
Theodore laughed and scooped him up too.
Dinner passed warmly.
Laughter all around the family of three.
Clinking cutlery.
A family.
------------------------------
'Lucky you, kid.' Lin Feng remarked, 'but this couple... I'm sure of it. They're both...'
Lin Feng watched silently.
He could no longer speak to Levy.
But he could see everything.
Due to the failed assimilation, his memories hadn't been wiped. For the first time, he was forced to watch a life continue without him.
'This shouldn't be possible,' he thought grimly.
'The system shouldn't have materialized this early.'
On his past lives, he'd needed to fulfil conditions, a near death experience, breakthroughs, an offering or sacrifices.
And yet—
'He activated it in the car. As far as I know, he doesn't have anything going on for him yet.'
Then he stopped.
'…An achievement?'
Lin Feng hesitating for a moment, 'System, open.'
"Hmm?" Levy stopped for a second.
"What's wrong Levy my baby?", Lisa asked out of concern. "Is the food not to your liking?"
"No, mom. The food's great." He flashed a big grin. 'It felt like something just moved...'
Inside Levy.
'OHH! So I can open the status screen! But I can't do anything else…'
[Magic Mastery System]
Name: Levy Tobias Morozov
Physique: 5
Mana: 15 Elemental Affinity: Locked
Magic Skills: Requires Elemental Nature
Nothing really changed.
Except—
A small red mark blinked in the corner.
Lin Feng stared.
'...You've got to be kidding me.'
Later that night, Levy crawled into bed.
The room was quiet.
'Finally! C'mon access the system!'
Or so for Levy at least.
He stared at the ceiling.
"…System, open."
The screen appeared.
Levy tilted his head.
"What's this red thing? Has this always been here?"
Lin Feng nearly screamed.
'Yes. Click it. Please click it.'
Levy poked the glowing icon.
[Achievement Unlocked]
Title: The One Who Defeated the 100th Reincarnator
Rank: A
Levy blinked.
"…I beat someone?"
Lin Feng froze.
'Defeated—ME?!'
Rage boiled.
'This is ridiculous! An A grade achievement off the bat? He didn't even do shit! He wasn't even aware of me! It was the system for goodness sake! My own ability! What's this! This is so unfair!' '
Then he came to a sudden realization.
'An A-rank achievement…'
'The system is impartial, there is always an equal reward. So an A grade achievement…"
His breath hitched.
'That means—'
[Reward Granted]
Technique Acquired: Asha Circulation Method (A-rank)
'Fuck! This is some lucky protagonist shit! That never happened to me! Does that make me a background character or something!?'
"Ack!" A series of words, instructions, and demonstrations poured inside Levy's mind in a matter of seconds.
[Technique: Asha Circulation Method]
Origin: Omitted (Locked)
Classification: Internal Breathing Technique
Description: A breathing method developed by the Magi of (omitted) , designed to purify and stabilize mana pathways. Continuous practice improves mana circulation efficiency and long-term casting stability.
Levy sat crossed legged on his bed, confused.
"…Asha… Circulation… Method?"
[Quest]
Practice Asha Circulation Method for 1 hour daily
Duration: 5 years
Reward: +20 Mana
Failure Penalty: -10 Mana
"Heh?" Levy and Lin Feng simultaneously spoke.
"OHH! A quest!" Levy was stoked, amused of the new game that he stumbled upon.
'A quest this early?' Lin Feng as salty as ever.
The room was dim, lit only by the orange glow of a bedside lamp. Outside, the night was calm, no wind, no sound, just the distant hum of the city settling by itself.
"…In like this," Levy murmured to himself.
------------------------------
[Magic Mastery System]
Warning: Circulation deviation detected.Location: 12th Mana Pathway (Left Thoracic Branch).Issue: Excess intake velocity.Consequence: Turbulence forming at junction node T-12.Correction: Reduce inhalation rate by 18%. Delay compression by 0.7 seconds.
------------------------------
"What is this thing even talking abouut!" Levy paused mid-breath.
"Oh."
He hadn't even noticed.
He inhaled again.
Too fast.
His chest expanded sharply.
He stopped.
"…Right."
This time, he drew air in carefully.
Not pulling.
Inviting.
Inhale.
He was following the System's suggestion merely by instinct.
'A natural born talent!' Lin Feng voiced out internally.
A faint tightness near his ribs loosened.
------------------------------
[Magic Mastery System]
Deviation reduced to 3%.Stability restored at T-12.Proceed.
------------------------------
Levy exhaled softly.
His shoulders relaxed.
A gentle warmth stirred in his navel—where the mana core layed.
It spread upward—
Then snagged slightly.
------------------------------
[Magic Mastery System]
Circulation deviation detected.Location: 47th Mana Pathway (Solar Split Junction).Issue: Uneven bifurcation of mana stream.Upper branch receiving 63%. Lower branch receiving 37%.Optimal ratio: 50:50.Correction: Reduce abdominal pressure. Widen lower channel aperture.
Flow ratio stabilized.Efficiency increased by 2.4%.Mana loss reduced.
------------------------------
Levy yawned.
"This is boring…"
His focus wavered.
The stream flickered.
A subtle disruption formed deeper in his pathways.
Unseen to him, the mana resonated, like gravity pulling space towards him.
Mana—normally scattered in nature, settled inside him.
Far away from Levy's awareness, Lin Feng froze.
'…That breathing…'
Cold dread spread through him.
'That rhythm… that circulation…'
A memory from his earlier reincarnations surfaced, burned texts, fragmented diagrams, dismissed footnotes in ancient tomes.
'...Huh? I've lived for almost 10,000 years, but I have nothing.'
'I guess we can only look forward to i— Why am I saying this?!' Lin Feng thought shakily.
Levy shifted in his sleep, letting out a soft snore.
The breathing continued on its own.
Steady.
Gentle.
Endless.
Lin Feng scoffed. 'This kid… He spent only about an hour and he's already doing it even while asleep. What the hell is that talent?'
------------------------------
A few hours later.
Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains.
Levy stretched and yawned.
"…Huh?"
He felt… lighter.
[Asha Circulation Method — Beginner Progress: 0.03%]
Mana: 15 → 15.001
Levy blinked.
"…Oh."
He smiled.
"I guess it works?"