The mildew had settled onto the grass by the time he reached the field behind the tavern. His breath clouded in the early morning chill.
He had been coming here for the last week since he discovered where he was—swinging his whittled wooden sword, trying to become better at whatever he could.
But he could feel the frustration mounting. He wasn't making progress like he wanted to. He had no guide, no teacher to help him, so he simply swung his sword every day as long as he could. His arms ached by the end of each day, hanging limply by his sides as he trudged back to his house.
When he told his mother what he was doing, she gained that familiar glint in her eye—like he was a jewel she had claimed as her own.
And so, just like every other day, he began to swing his sword.
Again and again, until suddenly—a click, a moment of clarity. Like he had been blind before and suddenly regained the ability to see.
But just as fast as the feeling came, so did it leave—replaced by a chime. Not from his surroundings but from within him.
A faint screen flickered to life in front of him, and he fell flat from surprise.
Name: Rowan
Age: 5
Race: Human (Soul-Bound Variant)
Class: —
Level: 1
XP: 3 / 100
[Attributes]
HP: 55
MP: 30
SP: 85
STR (Strength): 9
← Average adult human is 10–12
AGI (Agility): 12
← Above average—faster than typical child
VIT (Vitality): 8
← Decent durability
DEX (Dexterity): 11
← Very precise hands/movements
INT (Intelligence): 7
← Early signs of insight
WIS (Wisdom): 6
← Low, but will scale with meditation/soul awareness
CHA (Charisma): 4
← People find him off-putting
LUK (Luck): 2
← Extremely low. Fate leans against him.
⚔️ Combat Power Estimate:
Roughly 1/5th the power of a fresh YGGDRASIL level 1 warrior. (Reader only)
[Perks]
Soul-Weighted Body (Passive)
→ Physical development scales with soul capacity. Stat gains are slightly accelerated when under duress or training seriously. Instinctual Defense (Passive)
→ +5% dodge chance when unaware of incoming attack. May upgrade to auto-evasion reflex at higher levels. Soul Echoes (Dormant)
→ Unknown effects. Awakened via trauma, spiritual alignment, or soul fusion events.
📘 Class Unlock: 5
🔒 Skill Slots: Locked until Class Unlock
A stat screen came to life before his very eyes. He reached out, trying to touch it, but his hand simply slipped through it—making it fade away like mist on glass.
"It's real," he whispered.
He wasn't just reborn. He wasn't just special. The world—this world—recognized him. It had given him something. A way forward.
For the first time since learning where he was, he felt more than fear.
He felt clarity.
The system didn't grant him power. It only showed him what he had.
And what he had… was nothing compared to the monsters that would come.
But nothing was a start.
He picked up his sword. Checked his stance.
Then began again.
One hundred cuts. One hundred thrusts. One hundred breaths.
Only now, he could feel them shaping something deeper than muscle.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By the time the sun crested the treetops, Rowan's arms trembled with fatigue. Each movement dragged through thick air, his shoulders sore, legs heavy. He let the wooden blade drop to the ground and stared at the mist rising off the field.
The silence felt heavier than usual.
Somewhere beneath the ache and the breathless burn, something shifted. It was faint, like the surface of still water rippling from a stone he hadn't seen thrown.
It came from inside, not from muscle or breath. Deeper.
The sensation passed quickly, but it left a trace, like a distant echo.
He stayed still for a while, kneeling in the dew-soaked grass, letting his body cool. The cold bit at his skin, but he didn't move.
Eventually, he stood and picked up the sword again.
Not because he'd recovered.
But because it felt wrong to stop now.
One more cut.
Then another.
The rhythm returned, slower but focused.
He didn't know what stirred in him. He only knew it had noticed him.
And that meant he had to keep going.