Adrian returned home only after the sun had fully risen.
His small body ached from exhaustion.
Every muscle felt heavy.
But instead of feeling discouraged, Adrian smiled slightly.
Pain meant progress.
He closed the door to his small house and leaned against the wall.
"…This body is worse than I thought."
Running a few laps and swinging a branch for a couple of hours had nearly drained all his strength.
But that was expected.
An eight-year-old body simply wasn't built for intense training.
Yet Adrian didn't regret pushing himself.
If anything, it confirmed what he already knew.
He had to start from the very beginning.
Strength.
Speed.
Endurance.
Mana control.
Swordsmanship.
If he wanted to survive in the world of Chronicles of Elemental Sovereigns, he would need all of it.
Adrian walked toward a small wooden table and poured himself a cup of water.
As he drank, his thoughts returned to the faint message he had seen earlier.
[System Synchronization: 3%]
The Resonance Bond System.
In the original novel, no such system existed.
Which meant one of two things.
Either the system was something completely new…
Or it had always existed but had never been revealed in the story.
Adrian placed the cup down.
"If the system is real…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…then it will probably awaken slowly."
That meant he couldn't rely on it yet.
Good.
Adrian never planned to rely on shortcuts anyway.
He walked back to the bed and sat down.
Outside, the poor district was beginning to wake up.
Merchants shouted while carts rolled across the streets.
Life continued normally.
No one had any idea that the future of the world had just changed.
Adrian lay down for a moment, closing his eyes.
But instead of sleeping, he focused on something else.
Mana.
In the novel, every living being possessed mana.
Even normal people had small amounts of it inside their bodies.
But controlling it was a different story.
Adrian remembered how the academy instructors had explained it.
Mana was like breathing.
Most people did it unconsciously.
But trained individuals could sense it.
Control it.
Shape it.
Adrian inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled.
Again.
And again.
He tried to focus on the air around him.
At first, there was nothing.
Just silence.
Minutes passed.
Then something strange happened.
A faint sensation brushed against his awareness.
It was subtle.
Almost impossible to notice.
But Adrian felt it.
"…There."
His eyes opened.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Mana.
He had sensed it.
Only barely.
But it was real.
Adrian sat up immediately.
"That was faster than I expected."
In the original novel, most students only learned to sense mana after entering the academy.
But Adrian had an advantage.
He had knowledge.
He already knew what to look for.
He closed his eyes again and tried to feel it once more.
The sensation returned.
Soft.
Flowing.
Like tiny streams of energy drifting through the air.
Adrian focused on it carefully.
If he could learn to control mana early…
His training would become far more effective.
But just as he began concentrating deeper—
The blue glow appeared again.
This time it lasted longer.
Adrian's eyes widened.
A translucent screen slowly appeared in front of him.
Words formed across the surface.
[Resonance Bond System]
Adrian stared at it silently.
"So it finally shows itself."
More text appeared.
Host: Adrian
Synchronization: 5%
Status: Dormant
Adrian frowned.
"Dormant?"
Another message appeared.
System will fully activate when synchronization reaches required threshold.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"So it's still incomplete."
That meant he would have to wait.
Or perhaps…
Speed it up somehow.
Adrian crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"If synchronization increases through growth…"
Then the answer was obvious.
Training.
Battles.
Experience.
Everything that made him stronger would probably strengthen the system as well.
Adrian smiled faintly.
"That works perfectly for me."
He stood up again.
His body still ached.
But that didn't matter.
He grabbed the wooden branch he had brought home from the training field.
Then he stepped outside once more.
The sun had climbed higher into the sky.
People moved through the streets.
Children ran past him.
Merchants shouted.
Life continued as usual.
But Adrian's focus was somewhere else entirely.
Ten years.
That was how long he had before the real story began.
Ten years to prepare.
Ten years to train.
Ten years to become stronger than anyone expected.
Adrian tightened his grip on the branch.
Then he began practicing his sword swings again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Perfecting each movement.
Because by the time the protagonist of the novel entered the academy…
Adrian planned to be far beyond him.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Author's Note
If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to support the story with Power Stones.
Your support helps the novel grow and motivates me to release more chapters.
See you in the next chapter!