What lies beyond death?
That question lingers in the minds of a few. But in Erica's case… what the fantasy novels described had actually come true.
She had been reborn.
Unfortunately, she came back as a poor child.
An irresponsible father abandoned the family. Her mother raised her alone in poverty, only to eventually die from illness, leaving Erica to survive on her own.
Thanks to her knowledge from a previous life, Erica quickly learned to read and write. Math? That was never a problem. Her vague memories from her past life helped her adapt to this new one.
"Eri, you may go home now. You can take the leftover bread out back and eat it," said the bakery owner.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Erica replied. She was lucky to work there. The owner, a warm-hearted widow, often gave her leftover bread. Though the work was exhausting for a thirteen-year-old girl, at least the woman was kind enough to share what she could.
"Be careful on your way home, alright? I heard there's some old fraudster going around, looking for students to teach magic."
As she packed up the breadcrumbs to take home, Erica thought, Should I go check it out? She ran her fingers across the few copper coins in her pocket.
"All right. I'll be careful," Erica said with a smile, then headed off to look for the so-called magician.
Near the city gate, Erica found the old woman—a cloaked figure with burn scars across her face. That was the beginning of their story.
Two years passed.
Erica continued to study magic while working at the bakery. Now fifteen, she had grown into a beautiful young girl—far too out of place in the slums.
People in the slums often looked at her with dangerous eyes. Sensing the rising threat, her teacher decided it was time to take Erica away from this place.
One day, Erica couldn't take the main road home due to a passing noble's parade. The crowd was too thick. She had no choice but to take a different path.
She turned into a narrow, dark alley that reeked of alcohol and rotting garbage. As she walked alone, three men blocked her path.
"Hey, missy, if you wanna pass… you gotta pay," said a skinny man, brandishing a short knife.
"I have five copper coins. Take them and let me through," Erica said coolly.
"Sorry, we're not taking money today," said a fat one, licking his lips as he stared at her.
"Of course, you can pay us another way. Maybe with that body of yours," added another, gripping a wooden club and eyeing her hungrily.
Erica narrowed her eyes. She knew exactly what would happen if they caught her.
She threw the bag of breadcrumbs at them to cause a distraction—then ran.
"Damn it! Catch that girl!" shouted the fat one.
"Don't worry… we'll have fun with you all night long!" laughed the man with the club.
Fireball takes about five seconds to cast…
Erica thought quickly as she darted through the alleyways, looking for an opening.
At the next junction, she turned sharply.
As the thugs followed—
"Ignite."
Whoosh!
A pillar of fire erupted—not from the ground, but from the side wall—slamming into the right side of the club-wielder's face.
The stench of burnt flesh filled the air. Erica felt a wave of nausea.
"GRAAARGH! MY FACE!!" The man writhed on the ground, trying to extinguish the flames. His skin melted from the intense heat.
The other two froze in horror.
"S-shit! She's a Mage!" cried the fat one.
Panicking, they grabbed their injured friend and ran.
"Huff…" Erica let out a breath. Sadly, she'd lost the breadcrumbs she worked so hard for.
She stood still, conflicted by the guilt of nearly killing someone.
It's okay… it was self-defense, she tried to reassure herself.
[HOST'S SURVIVAL RATE INCREASED: 30%]
A glowing neon-blue message hovered before her eyes, vanishing just as quickly. "What… was that hallucination?" Erica rubbed her temples. Maybe it was just the exhaustion.
"What an interesting child," murmured a red-robed Mage who had silently observed the entire scene.
Soon after, Erica returned to her teacher and resumed her lessons.
It turned out her teacher was only a Tier 2 Mage. But Erica didn't mind. As long as she could learn the basics and theory of magic, she was content.
Magic in this world was built upon fundamental elements—Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. These were the pillars of magical theory. Other elements existed, but were rare—only those with natural talent or certain bloodlines could use them.
Her teacher also explained the existence of Magic Towers, each aligned with a primary element.
"So, kid, do you want to become the greatest Mage in the world?" the old woman asked.
"I don't think so. I just want to be strong enough to survive," Erica replied, munching on a piece of bread.
"Then why do you keep saying I lied about reaching Elemental Sorcerer? I was almost there, you know. And how many times do I have to tell you—call me Teacher!"
"But you didn't reach it, right? So that is
lying. And anyway, I think you're too old to be called 'Teacher'," Erica said bluntly.
"Ouch. That one stung. Enough chit-chat—listen to this," the old woman grumbled, continuing the lesson.
She explained how, in the past, she'd nearly become an Elemental Sorcerer. But a battle left her severely injured, restricting her to only low-tier spells. Becoming a high-tier Mage required not only talent, but a fortune.
Mage tiers ranged from 1 to 7. Tier 7 Mages were known as Archmages—extremely rare. The leader of the Royal Magic Tower was one such Archmage.
The kingdom housed several colored towers, each representing an element: red for fire, green for wind, blue for water, gray for earth. These ancient towers were as old as the kingdom itself.
"So, does that mean there are only four Magic Towers?" Erica asked between bites.
"Of course not. There's also the Royal Magic Tower—where Mages go to kiss up to nobles," the old woman scoffed.
"Pfft!" Erica nearly choked on her bread. "You're even more cynical than the fishmongers at the market!"
Her teacher went on to explain that newer Magic Towers had also been built. These newer institutions were open-minded and inclusive, accepting Mages of any type—including those with rare or non-elemental magic like Lightning, Ice, Metal, or Illusion.
Then came the topic of Mage classes.
There were three major specializations.
1. Elemental Sorcerers — focused on destructive and defensive elemental spells.
2. Summoners — with highly pure mana, they performed rituals using Mana Stones containing monster souls to form contracts. Different from Spirits. Spirit Sorcerers, considered a Unique Class, bonded with nature spirits—typically reserved for Elves.
3. Enchanters — support Mages who provided buffs and debuffs. A high-level Enchanter could buff an entire battalion to move like the wind—devastating in warfare. Such talents were extremely rare. One of them currently led a newly established Magic Tower.
"All right. Show me the basic magic you've learned," the teacher said.
"Ignite." Erica summoned a flame from her palm. The pillar of fire rose, steady and strong. Her control over mana was remarkable—she didn't even need a long incantation.
Seeing this, the old woman made a decision: it was time to take Erica out into the world.
"With your talent, don't you want to be a legendary Mage—known across the continent?"
"Hmm… I haven't really thought that far ahead," Erica admitted.
"This filthy slum isn't where you belong, girl. You should be at the top—where you're meant to be."
Erica recalled her encounter from earlier. If she had been stronger… more known… no one would've dared to threaten her.
After thinking it over, she agreed. It was time to leave—and grow stronger.
As Erica walked away, her teacher pulled a mysterious stone from her pocket. Her gaze softened, as if lost in a memory she couldn't put into words.
"At last, I've found you."
A flat voice spoke from behind.
The old woman turned sharply. A red-robed Mage was approaching.
"You…" she whispered, her voice trembling.