Arthur's vision is completely consumed by God's white light. His tear-filled eyes prevent him from seeing clearly, even as the light begins to fade. At a certain moment, his vision starts to focus again, and he realizes he's in the arms of a short woman with a gentle expression. She shouts something, joyfully, to the people around. However, he doesn't understand a single word. Looking to see who else is there, he spots a grizzled man with a powerful physique—he looks like one of those strongman competitors. On the bed, there's a woman, also strong-looking, with long, voluminous red hair. She, however, has cat ears, like those fantasy manga characters.
As he wonders what's happening, answers magically flood his mind. The sheer volume of information is overwhelming, making his tiny baby head ache. He then asks for it to stop, and the request seems to work. Arthur realizes he'll need to better understand how this works, or he'll go crazy with this endless storm of information in his mind. Then he thinks: Wait. What if I do like in games and put this information in windows, like status windows?
By concentrating a little, he manages to convert these voices and images in his head and project them onto screens in the air, as if they were from a video game.
Man, this is fantastic! It actually worked. I just got reborn and I can alter reality at this level! Apparently, other people can't see this, which is a relief. It must be related to the abilities God promised me. It's good this worked out. Since I don't understand anything they're saying, it would be complicated without this. I see that I have a language skill, but it's blocked for now. Well, let's see who these people are...
Looking around, he discovers that the woman on the bed is named Christina Anvil. A formidable warrior who makes a living fighting in arenas as a gladiator... and also, his mother.
The man is his father, a dwarf blacksmith named Daniel Anvil. Finally, the woman holding him is named Margareth Path and she is the midwife.
Arthur still can't understand what they're saying, but he starts to analyze the options that appear in the windows to facilitate his comprehension and understand what's happening. He notices that he still has many blocked functions and also something like his status window, which shows his name is still Arthur, he's level 1, and all his attributes are also at level 1. But what surprises him most is that he has a mana level, which means this world has magic, and that excites him. I'm going to live in a world of magic, like in those stories I used to read. This is amazing!
Arthur briefly surveys the surroundings, looking around, but realizes he quickly starts to get tired. I guess babies don't have much stamina. And I even used magic... I think... it's time... for a nap... He then falls asleep in his mother's arms.
Time passes, and by 10 months old, Arthur already begins to understand the language of that world and better coordinate the movements of this new body.
One afternoon, while Chris and Elisa are out hunting in the Soulwood, Arthur decides he needs to start learning about mana. Upon birth, he assessed his stats and had only one mana point. Now he's determined that this can't remain that way forever. I need to find a way to increase this. But what can I do with so little? Completely immersed in his thoughts, Arthur tries to devise a plan of action. What if I just concentrate on it? In the stories I used to read, it was basically a matter of focus and imagination, like meditating.
He then begins to imagine his body's mana, all concentrating in his hands. At first, it's like having a blue flame in his hands, but it doesn't burn, it doesn't hurt. On the contrary, it's even a pleasant feeling. How incredible! I can see the mana flowing.
After manipulating his mana for a while and admiring its blue color, Arthur decides to go further: But why blue, though? Can I change it? What if, instead of blue, I imagine it green? At that moment, the mana turns green. I see. So I can manipulate it at this level. But now I wonder if this is common or an ability God gave me?
Arthur closes his eyes and realizes he can clearly visualize the mana flow in his body when he does this. Analyzing carefully, he notices that all the mana used is flowing from near his heart. "It's like a second heart or something.
Then he starts to manipulate this flow. Sometimes guiding mana only to one hand, sometimes only to the other. He literally plays with the flow as he changes its direction and color freely. By the end of the day, Arthur realizes he has received a new ability in his status window: "Mana Manipulation."
After that, he decides to practice and experiment with mana flow daily. In a short time, Arthur develops a technique he applies every day, which consists of making mana flow throughout his body all day long. By doing this, a great improvement in his physical capacity is felt. It's like I'm forcing muscle growth or something. The fact is, if you apply your mana daily and directly to your body, the result is improved stamina and physical strength, as well as the durability of my mana. Happy with the result, he wonders: My initial idea was to see if my mana would increase with use, just like in some games. In the end, I'm not sure if it worked by forcing my mana to regenerate to meet demand, or by directly strengthening my body with the constant flow.
This practice continues for the next few years, performed whenever possible. This also helps him keep his body healthy, as this practice stabilizes the mana flow, although Arthur only discovers this detail long after starting the process.
He lives in a simple house with his parents. His father, Daniel, works all day in the workshop. Christina trains most of the time and only undertakes occasional missions through the adventurer's guild, in addition to gladiator work when there are arena events. Thus, Arthur spends most of his time with his older sister, Elisa, who is basically a smaller version of their mother: fiery red hair, long and voluminous; yellow feline-like eyes; and her cat ears and tail. Despite her appearance, she is very gentle and affectionate "with him."
Upon turning four years old, Arthur receives a notification in his status window saying he has unlocked the skill 'Innate Mimicry'. "But what is this? There's no explanation about the skill. What exactly does 'Innate Mimicry' do? Stupid system. Well, at least it says it's a passive ability, so I don't need to worry about it for now."
It's morning, and Arthur wakes up with the sun still rising on the horizon. He gets out of bed, passes through the still-dark kitchen, and goes to his father's workshop. There he finds Daniel preparing to light the forge.
"Good morning, Arty. What are you doing out of bed so early?" Daniel asks with a smile.
"I wanna learn how you make these tools, weapons, and everything else. I think it's amazing how you take a piece of iron and turn it into a weapon or another complicated tool. I wanna learn."
"So full of energy this early." Daniel lets out a hearty laugh.
"Can I stay?"
"Of course, you can. Just be careful not to get hurt here. This workshop is no place for a four-year-old boy."
"Yes, sir."
Thus, Arthur spends most of the day observing his father work. He learns things like how to handle the forge, work metals, temper them, and many other things related to blacksmithing from his father, who explains everything to him as he works.
One morning, while he was with his father, Elisa shows up and watches with him. The two observe as Daniel shapes a blade, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Their father is very proud of his children for showing such interest.
"Dad, when do I get to do this?"
"This?" Daniel gives a brief laugh. "Patience, my son. You need to grow bigger for this. It's a job that requires strength, endurance, and precision. When you're ready, I'll help you create your first weapon."
Hearing this, Arthur realizes an important and obvious point: I see. He's considering me a four-year-old child. It makes sense. I'd probably do the same. Nobody knows about my memories from my past life, much less my blessings. He'd be very reckless to let such a small child mess with this.
He looks at his sister observing their father with a curious gaze. She doesn't seem to understand anything their father is doing but remains there. Elisa, on the other hand, has a lot of freedom. She may only be five years older than me, but she's considered a combat genius. She's not even ten years old yet and can already defeat most adults. If you only count those who aren't warriors, I'd say she doesn't lose to anyone. However, my sister doesn't have friends. I believe it's because she dedicates herself so much to combat training with Mom. And, thinking about it, when she's not training or recovering, she's always with me.
Then, Arthur starts to reflect on his sister's daily life. She basically trains and takes care of me. If it weren't for work, I'd say she has the same routine as Mom. I understand Elisa looks up to her a lot, but to this extent? The advantage is that, thanks to their training, I've been able to learn a lot about this world's fighting style.
"Arty? Hello? Anyone home?"
"Oh, hi." Arthur suddenly realizes he was lost in thought and replies a little embarrassed.
"Back in your own little world, huh?" Elisa comments, holding back a laugh. "Want to go for a walk? I think you need to get out of this workshop for a bit. Your brain's going to melt in this heat."
"Okay," He just agrees, wanting to know what she has in mind.
"Dad, I'm taking Arty to the Soulwood bridge with me, okay?"
"Alright, but don't go into the Soulwood," his father warns.
"Got it."
So, the two set off for the bridge. As they approach, Arthur's gaze falls upon a stone bridge spanning a river. On the far side, the forest looms, emanating an eerie aura. Yet, on their side, the city side, a vibrant field stretches out, adorned with green grass and various colorful flowers. Elisa then sprints ahead to the bridge, turns to Arthur, and says:
"Welcome to my place! This is the Vale River bridge," Elisa explains, gesturing to the landscape around them, "the one that splits Vale City from the Soulwood. On this side, we have Vale City, our little town famous for gladiator fights and as the only land route to the western port. On the other, across the bridge, is the Soulwood. It's known for its many goblins and... where a lot of spirits are said to live." She leans closer, whispering, "I think that's where its name comes from."
"What are we doing here, sis?" Arthur asks, still a bit confused.
"That's the best part! We are doing nothing!" Elisa beams, throwing herself onto the ground by the riverbank.
"Nothing? Then why did we come all the way here?"
"To relax, of course!" She pats the grass beside her. "Come on, little brother, you'll love this. The order of the day is to relax."
As she finishes the sentence, a blinding flash erupts in the distance. It looks like a cascade of pure light pouring from the clouds, an otherworldly waterfall falling from the sky. Even from afar, its intensity is overwhelming.
"What was that?" asks a startled Arthur.
"I don't know... I've never seen anything like it," Elisa replies, wide-eyed, but noticing her brother's concern, she tries to calm him, "but it seems to be very far away. So relax, let's enjoy our afternoon."
Arthur's curiosity about the light still lingers, but he accepts Elisa's suggestion, and they simply lie down on the riverbank, observing nature as they relax. Amidst the myriad smells and sounds, Arthur particularly enjoys the gentle murmur of the river. It's such a soothing sound that he even dozes off for a moment. They spend the entire afternoon doing absolutely nothing, yet for both, it's a profound moment of connection, a space where only they exist. Arthur is struck by how effortlessly they communicate without a single word. This kind of bond, he realizes, is something he never experienced in his past life, having grown up distanced from his own family.
As he watches his older sister lying on the grass beside the river, flowing through the valley's beautiful green fields, a wave of pure happiness washes over him. These moments with Elisa, learning from his father's blacksmithing, and observing his mother's combat training with his sister, define Arthur's early days. He remains a recluse, content in this small, vibrant world without the need for other friends.