Sam opened his heavy eyes. His body felt so stiff. He massages his dizzy head while observing the surreal panorama around him. Twisting dark tree with even darker foliage. Another tree had shiny stones that seemed to be coming out of its trunk. Big mushroom in the size of a cow. Coiling vines that seem to move on their own.
Even the air seems to have color in it. It moves like colored smoke and it's everywhere. The weird tree exudes greenish color and the shiny stone has a more vibrant version of purple.Of all this peculiar flora and weirdness, only the green grass seemed familiar to Sam.Sam moved his hand and tried to get up. A strange sensation surged through his body, leaving him simultaneously invigorated and pained.Amidst this mystical ambiance, a distinct 'ding' echoed through the air. At the same time, suddenly a bluish transparent screen appeared in front of him.[Congratulations, your body and soul transportation has succeeded.]He heard a voice of an old man speaking directly in his head. "What?" Sam's voice quivered with disbelief.[You have been reborn.]The words echoed in Sam's mind while concurrently displaying the same word on the translucent screen.[Do you have any questions?]"Yes! What is happening to me?" Sam demanded answers.[The system has gauged your intention for more explanation][Sam Wyndham, your body and soul have been transported to this world through a forbidden summoning ritual performed by the former soul of the system][Your body has been remade, and your soul is now linked to the system][You have been reborn in this world of Iskelgard]Sam, still processing the information, touched his face and body, sensing the tangible difference from his previous form. In examining his transformed appearance, Sam noted a more pronounced jawline, higher cheekbones, and thicker eyebrows.To confirm his reality, he snapped a strand of his hair. He felt both the pull and the tickling pain. Sam rubbed his head immediately. He stared at the hair strand, checking its color. He is no longer blonde. This hair is brunette with a reddish hue. “Is this real?”Memories, especially the blinding light before his death, lingered vividly. Despite those traumatic experiences, the fresh air that he breathed, the touch of grass on his bare feet, and the coursing energy within him felt undeniably authentic. “This is real.”[Sam Wyndham, do you want to change your name?]"No. Why would I change my name?"[Understood][This is your current statName: Sam WyndhamRace: HumanClass: SorcererRank: NoviceMagic Energy: 3750Natural Elemental Affinity: Fire, WindSkill: UnregisteredReclaimed Spell: 0/33Binding Vow: NoneYou can access this information by command ‘self check’]Sam's curiosity was piqued at the statistical breakdown, resembling attributes from a game. As he stares into the enigmatic system, attempting to comprehend its intricacies, he couldn't shake the uncanny familiarity reminiscent of his experiences in Primal Phantasm.“Am I transported into a game?”[No. This is a real world, albeit different from the one you know.][The system is created specifically based on your memory of something called 'game' to ease your learning and adaptation of this world]“Interesting,” Sam said. He is about to delve into the system when a sudden pain piercing his head.The pain pierces through Sam's consciousness, a sharp jolt that cuts through the calm of the mystical forest. As the throbbing in his head intensifies, Sam is plunged into a recollection of memory, but not of his own.In these memories, Sam is an unwitting spectator to the final moments of the old wizard. It's in the same forest, but not exactly in the exact place where he woke up. This part of the forest in the old wizard's memory has been destroyed and ravaged. Trees burn, icicles towering into the sky, a giant snake looming around, a giant horned monster with wings flying around in a circle like a vulture waiting for a corpse.The aged wizard lies prone on the ground, bathed in an eerie glow. He is surrounded by enigmatic figures suspended in the sky. Each figure wields a unique and radiant magic, casting a terrifying luminescence upon the scene.A disconcerting sensation gripped Sam. He feels an intangible force being ruthlessly extracted from the very core of the old wizard. The air crackles with an ominous energy as the figures in the sky wield their powers, orchestrating what seems to be a cruel ritual. Glowing orbs of energy seemed to be bouncing around from one mysterious figure to the other. In this spectral tug-of-war, Sam feels the clear impending doom of the wizard.The memory faded away, leaving Sam in a state of bewildered contemplation. Sweat dropped from his face and his breath was ragged.“That must be the old wizard that transported me,” Sam said.[Correct. What you just witness is the memory of the system’s former soul.]“You mean you are the wizard that summoned me?”[The system is created from the wizard's soul as his last effort to stay alive. But, doing the forbidden magic in critical condition, his soul is dispersed, leaving only a portion of it to form the system in an emergency. So, no, the system has no identity anymore.]“Wait … so the wizard forcefully transported me, just to stay alive?”[You are correct.]“Damned wizard!” Sam cursed. “But I guess, it's not that bad. Well, now I have a second chance and this life as a wizard seems a lot more interesting.”[You are wrong. You are not a wizard, but a sorcerer.]“What the hell is even the difference?”[There are four types of magic user in this world.]“Wait. Hold it. I'm hungry,” Sam said, rubbing his belly. “Is there any critter here I can hunt or any fruit or mushroom that is safe to eat?”[There are no small monsters on this side of the forest and the big monster meat is usually poisonous for humans.][But there is a lot of edible fruit nearby]“Which one?”[You can try the jillberry. It has a shape like an apple in your world but bigger and has purple coloration. It grows on the black vine in your sight.]Even though he can see through the screen, it hinders his vision. Sam got irritated. “Well, can you remove this screen from my face first? It's hard to look for berries.”[Understood][The screen is now hidden. You can hide the screen by command ‘hide’ and unhide it by command ‘show screen’.]Sam walked toward the black vine dangling in the tree and saw a big purple apple-like fruit. The tree where the vine coiled is quite tall and it has spikes in its trunk. There was no way
Sam’s elation quickly turned to panic as gravity tightened its grip, sending Sam hurtling back toward the earth.As he descended at breakneck speed, the wind whistling past his ears, Sam's eyes widened with a mixture of awe and terror. The vast horizon transformed into a blur of colors. [It is recommended that you make a wind sphere.]“How to do it?”[Put your hands together in front of your chest and spread the magic energy outside your body.]Sam followed the instruction and soon his energy flowed outside. He radiated his magic energy in an uncontrollable manner.[Magic energy 85% 82% 79%]“Stop calculating! Why am I still falling!”[Now you need to move the wind to circle your body.]“But how?”[The system has no better explanation for this concept. Just use your instinct, that’s the nature of the sorcerer's way of magic.]The system really got on Sam’s nerves, but he had more pressing matter right now. Although the fall slowed down, it was only momentary. The system kept calculat
“So, that is why it is quite different from what I know,” Sam said, noticing the black horn on its face and a pair of draconic wings on its back.Sam, armed with the knowledge bestowed by the system, faced the manticore with a mix of curiosity and caution. “Hide,” Sam said, closing the screen to see the manticore in front of him clearly. The creature bore an unsettling aura. The feline human-face exuded a demonic malevolence that disgusted Sam.As Sam prepared to engage, the air crackled with tension. The manticore's eyes glowed bright red, fixated on its newfound prey.Suddenly, the calm air was shattered by a guttural roar that echoed through the forest, sending birds scattering from their perches. The creature lunged forward, using its black wings to pounce on Sam from afar.Sam, agile and alert, evaded the initial assault with a nimble sidestep with the power of wind magic. Sam opened his palm toward the flank of the manticore. He was about to launch a wind push, but his mind seeme
Sam followed the smoke-like magic energy he saw in his vision and move around behind the trees while approaching the warlock. This time, Sam aimed to strike with the element of surprise, silently maneuvering behind the trees to approach his unsuspecting adversary. Sam frowned as he observed the warlock. Expecting a sinister figure, Sam was taken aback when he finally laid eyes on the warlock – a scrawny, seemingly unassuming figure.That warlock seemed to be talking to himself. His dark cloak didn't make him look cool or scary, instead it made him look cowardly with his attitude like that.Curiosity piqued, Sam inquired, "What is he doing?"[The System guesses that he is communicating with his demon.]Sam had a sudden realization and turned his attention inward, "Am I a warlock? Are you a demon, system?"[The system has been with you since your birth a few moments ago. You alone perceive the visual interface and the voice. The system is also non-transferable. In conclusion, no, the sys
"I can sense you have an affinity for wind and fire," the demon in the warlock's body said. "I also have a fire affinity. With my power within you, your fire magic would increase significantly."Curious, Sam queried the system in his thoughts, asking how the demon knew about his affinity.[Spirits are known to have a great magical sense. It is possible that the demon might have the Arcane Insight ability.]Increased fire magic was certainly appealing, but the mention of arcane insight intrigued Sam the most. However, he wasn't about to concede easily. "That's all?" Sam said, provoking a reaction."I also have an affinity for earth and dark," the demon added.Earth and dark would be a great addition, Sam thought. Why didn't he mention that earlier?[Sorcerers are not known to have another affinity besides the one(s) they are born with.]So, even if I had him, I wouldn't be able to use it?[You won't be able to use it instinctively like you use wind and fire magic. But, you can utilize i
Rafael being integrated into the system, causing Sam's magic energy flow to undergo peculiar alterations. He moved around, feeling jittery and jumpy from the strange sensations within.[This might take a day while the system adjusts]"What? I need to hold on with this weird sensation for a day? Hey, can you make it faster, system?" Sam inquired.[The system is busy.]"Damned system," Sam grumbled, then turned to Rafael, expressing concern, "Raf, are you still there?" He didn't want to be stuck with the emotionless system alone."Yeah, this sys-thing seems to be enveloping my soul. It feels... weird," Rafael replied."Just hold on to it with me," Sam reassured him.[Rafael's skills are being integrated... ]As he approached the city gates, the guards gave him wary looks, probably disturbed by his ragged look and weirdly confident smile, but they let Sam pass after a quick inspection.Entering the city, Sam sought out a merchant to sell the manticore tail. Its rarity made it a valuable c
Frustration surged within Sam, and he pounded on the pillory. "Why am I sentenced to death?" he demanded, his voice echoing through the dimly lit dungeon. The princess returned with an air of authority. "You stand accused of several crimes," she declared, her tone unwavering. "First, you wielded fire magic in Rivenburg without the proper permit or citizenship. Second, you performed dangerous magic in a crowded place, endangering the lives of my citizens. And third, you showed a blatant lack of cooperation during the interrogation. The most egregious crime, however, was your indecent act toward me, a member of the royal family." Sam's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Indecent act? When did I—" "You whistled at me and addressed me in a manner unbecoming of a commoner," Lyra interrupted, her gaze cold. "That's a crime?" Sam protested. "In the eyes of the law, it is," the princess retorted, dismissing his argument. “But –” “Gag him!” Lyra ordered. A guard quickly tied a wooden sta
In the moonlit night, Princess Lyra's anger manifested in fiery fury. As a Flammenherz sorcerer with royal lineage, she conjured a giant fireball with ease in no time. She hurled it at Rafael, who danced on a tower roof employing his jet-step. Sam, observing the spectacle from the backseat of his own mind, couldn't help but marvel at Rafael's movement; he observed it fully to be able to replicate it later. Lyra, determined to quell the chaos, pursued Rafael from roof to roof, throwing large fireballs repeatedly. However, Sam noticed that the castle seemed to withstand her attacks. It seemed like this castle was designed to resist fire magic. Sam, enjoying the ride as a spectator, saw Rafael's agility and commented in his mind, "You move like a monkey on caffeine, Rafael. This is both impressive and ridiculous." “I don’t know what you are talking about, but yeah, I’m that good! But it's also because of this body of yours!” Rafael, seizing the opportunity, raised his hand and moved t