2025-04-17 19:49:11Chapter 3: Cradle of Elements – The Infant Who Beckoned the Winds
Since his arrival in this unfamiliar world Elias experienced a series of peaceful days without the presence of screens or circuits or arc-light. During this period the newborn descendant of this ancient royal family spent his time sleeping peacefully in his intricately crafted cradle. The golden crib with its enchanted carvings seemed identical to a prison cell because of the silken hangings. The novels of his past life skipped through the monotonous early stages of reincarnated characters but Elias was condemned to experience each slow-moving minute of his infantile body which required help for basic functions like sitting and speaking and defecating. The only distraction from his maddening stillness? The mechanical birds above his crib spun slowly while made from glass feathers and enchanted gears yet remained completely uninteresting. “This is my life now?” he mused bitterly. The Celestial Being who dropped me into this fake prison now expects me to find entertainment in watching whirligigs. “How fares my radiant little jewel?” What the fuck? I understood that… The collection of sufficient audio and language data allows me to develop a basic translation system. The translation system will transmit their language directly to your brain. Nexus-1 emitted its synthetic voice with detached clarity through the speakers like a distant satellite transmission that remained calm yet never displayed warmth. Elias blinked, mentally stunned. He never requested this information. The digital companion listened to the chaotic conversations of maids and caretakers before it translated their strange language as easily as reading a children's book. With that upgrade alone, Nexus-1 had proven more helpful than any divine blessing. The Celestial Being may have punted him into a pre-modern cesspit, but at least the cunt left him with a sentient upgrade. “Isn’t my Elias the most precious thing under the stars?” cooed the young woman whose radiant hair spilled like honeyed light down her shoulders. A maid chimed in reverently, “Indeed, madam. The young master is the very embodiment of charm. A celestial blessing in flesh.” Elias would’ve rolled his eyes if his body weren’t so damned soft. Apparently, the powers that be hadn’t even given him the strength to sneeze with dignity. And yes—his name in this world was still Elias. Whether that was cosmic laziness or divine poetry, he couldn't tell. But it suited him, he supposed. His mother reached into the cradle and pinched his cheek with a smile that could make statues melt. Ow, cunt! Elias shrieked internally. “Oh dear, I may have pressed too hard,” she laughed sweetly. “I just can’t help myself. My baby’s too damn cute.” Despite the indignity of being treated like a plush toy, Elias couldn't bring himself to hate her. She watched over him with genuine affection, rarely leaving his side—despite having an army of enchanted maids and muscle-bound butlers at her disposal. She had, it seemed, chosen to love him fiercely and personally. “Let’s go meditate, shall we?” she said, scooping him into her arms like a soft bundle of mana. “Maybe my little star will be gifted in Earth magic like his mother…” She settled onto a woven meditation rug on the floor, crossing her legs in a fluid motion. Then, placing Elias gently in her lap, she tickled his sides with a smile before growing still—eerily still. Her playful expression melted into something reverent. Solemn. Almost sacred. Then, it began. All around them, the very air shimmered with mystic particles—moss-hued fragments the size of tiny embers, slowly descending from the ether. They encircled her in gentle spirals, orbiting her frame like pollen on an unseen breeze before melting into her skin. Elias’s breath caught. His pulse quickened. What the hell is this? What’s she doing? he thought, eyes wide. [The Earth-aligned mana in the vicinity is being drawn toward her elemental core. She is engaging in a mana gathering ritual—channeling raw essence into her abdominal reservoir.] She’s absorbing pure magic? Just like that? Elias was enraptured. It was the first time in this absurd life that something felt right. Something mystical. Beautiful. Like the first time he saw a meteor shower back home—except this time, the stars were obeying his bloodline. His mother continued for nearly an hour, her breath steady, her aura radiant. When it was over, her face was pale with fatigue, but serene. She placed Elias gently back into his crib, kissed his brow, and left with the grace of a goddess retreating into her temple. And he was left with a hunger. Can I do that? Can I gather mana too? [Analysis complete. Mana Gathering Protocol successfully acquired.] [Would you like to initiate the process?] Hell yes. Let’s go, Nexus. Let’s stir some fucking magic. [Initializing protocol… Now transmitting Arcane Neural Pathways.] Suddenly, it hit him like a thunderclap. Knowledge he had never studied exploded into his mind—foreign, yet familiar. It felt less like learning and more like remembering something etched into his very bones. His infant eyes closed. His breath stilled. He meditated. And the world answered. Colorful fragments of magic bled into reality. Not just green—but blue, red, and silver. Water, flame, air—dancing motes of living energy like fairies drifting in a sea of silence. [These are the Four Primal Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. Their presence indicates high ambient mana density.] Without conscious effort, Elias reached inward, and something deep within him stirred. A swirling core in his gut—a vortex that pulled the elements inward like a black hole starved for color. The particles touched his skin, then sank into it. One by one, they vanished into him. And then, something crystallized. Four embryonic stones—tiny, glowing pebbles—formed in his abdomen. Each one pulsed with elemental resonance. They weren’t physical stones, but mana cores—repositories for future power. I… I can use all four. Holy fuck. I’m a multi-elemental prodigy. [Correct. Furthermore, the elements present may not be the limit of your affinity. There exist unknown mana classifications beyond the four basics. Your compatibility is still evolving.] So the Celestial Being didn’t half-ass it after all. This is the start of everything. His breath quickened. The strain was immense, like lifting an ocean with a teaspoon. Sweat beaded on his brow. Magic, it seemed, demanded a toll. I’m… so tired… [Initiating Automatic Mana Intake. Sleep-compatible mode engaged.] Elias’s eyes fluttered shut. Even in sleep, the mana obeyed, continuing its slow, silent pilgrimage into his soul. Later, when his mother returned, she paused in the doorway. The room felt… emptier. The ambient Earth mana had thinned dramatically. She raised an eyebrow, but dismissed it as coincidence. She had no idea that the tiny, sleeping figure in the cradle had consumed half the room’s ambient power—an infant vortex pulling the arcane winds into his core. And the Age of Elias had only just begun.
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