Rain poured heavily across the city.
Streetlights reflected off the wet pavement while cars rushed through the night, their headlights cutting through the storm like sharp blades of light.
Most people hurried along the sidewalks, trying to escape the rain.
Adrian wasn't one of them.
He walked slowly, holding a paperback novel in one hand.
The title on the cover read:
Chronicles of Elemental Sovereigns
Adrian had just finished the final page.
He sighed.
"What a terrible ending."
He closed the book and shook his head.
The story had started with so much potential.
A magic academy where students awakened elemental powers at eighteen.
Different races competing for power.
Ancient ruins scattered across the world.
Lost civilizations and legendary abilities.
But the ending ruined everything.
The protagonist suddenly gained unbelievable power in the final battle and defeated the ultimate villain in only a few pages.
No real buildup.
No proper struggle.
Just sudden victory.
Adrian muttered under his breath.
"If the guy had actually trained earlier, the whole story would've made sense."
Rain splashed around his shoes as he approached the crosswalk.
The traffic light turned green.
Cars slowed to a stop.
Adrian stepped onto the road.
He opened the novel again briefly, flipping through earlier chapters.
The world itself had been fascinating.
A magic academy.
Elemental awakenings.
Powerful kingdoms and different races.
There had been so many opportunities for a better story.
Adrian laughed quietly.
"If I was in that world, I'd do things differently."
Then a horn blasted through the rain.
Adrian looked up.
Bright headlights filled his vision.
A truck had run the red light.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.
Adrian blinked.
"Oh."
Impact.
Everything went black.
When Adrian opened his eyes again, he expected pain.
Instead, he saw white.
Endless white space stretched in every direction.
"…Well," Adrian said slowly.
"I'm definitely dead."
His voice echoed strangely in the empty void.
A glowing blue screen suddenly appeared in front of him.
Adrian stared at it.
"…You have got to be kidding me."
Words began forming across the screen.
[System Initializing]
Adrian rubbed his face.
"Of course there's a system."
More text appeared.
Soul Status: Deceased
Cause of Death: Vehicular Collision
Adrian sighed.
"Yeah, that checks out."
The screen flickered again.
Reincarnation Available
Adrian froze.
"…Wait."
The screen changed again.
Destination World Selected
A familiar title appeared.
Chronicles of Elemental Sovereigns
Adrian blinked.
"That's the novel I just read."
The screen responded immediately.
Correct.
Adrian stared at the floating interface for several seconds.
Then he began laughing.
"…Alright."
"If this is a dream, it's a pretty interesting one."
The screen updated again.
Select Reincarnation Time
A timeline appeared in front of him.
Different moments from the novel appeared.
The academy entrance arc.
The awakening ceremony.
The tournament.
The final battle.
Adrian studied it carefully.
"If I reincarnate at the start of the story…"
"…it'll already be too late."
The protagonist would already begin growing stronger.
But Adrian had an advantage.
He already knew the future.
His eyes moved further back along the timeline.
Years before the story even started.
Adrian pointed at a spot.
"Send me there."
The screen flickered.
Specify Time
Adrian smiled slightly.
"Ten years before the story begins."
The screen paused.
Then new text appeared.
Request Accepted
Adrian blinked.
"That was easy."
The system responded again.
Beginning Reincarnation Process
Light suddenly flooded the white space.
Adrian felt like he was falling endlessly through darkness.
Just before everything disappeared, the screen displayed one final message.
Host Selected
Preparing Resonance Bond System
Adrian frowned.
"…Bond system?"
But before he could ask anything—
Everything vanished.
Adrian gasped.
Cold air rushed into his lungs.
He sat up suddenly.
The room around him was small.
Wooden walls.
A simple bed.
A small window letting in faint moonlight.
Adrian stared at his hands.
They were tiny.
"…No way."
Memories rushed into his mind.
This body.
This life.
A poor district near the academy city.
A boy named Adrian.
Age eight.
Adrian leaned back slowly.
"…Eight years old."
Then he started laughing.
"So the story hasn't even started yet."
In the novel, the awakening ceremony would not happen for another ten years.
Ten years before the protagonist even entered the academy.
Ten years before the world-changing events began.
Adrian stood up and walked to the window.
In the distance, tall towers rose into the night sky.
The academy.
The same academy where the entire story would begin.
Adrian's eyes sharpened.
"In the novel… the protagonist only started training after he awakened his power."
He clenched his fists.
"But I have ten years."
Ten years to train.
Ten years to prepare.
Ten years to become stronger than anyone before the real story even begins.
Adrian smiled faintly.
"This time…"
His voice was calm.
"…the story will be different."
Somewhere deep inside his mind, something flickered.
A faint blue glow.
The system had not fully awakened yet.
But it was there.
Waiting.
Watching.
Preparing.
And Adrian had ten years to get ready.
(To be continued)
Author's Note
If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to support the novel with Power Stones. Your support helps the story grow and motivates me to release the next chapter faster.
See you in the next chapter!