Beep—Beep—BEEEEP!
The world was a blur of headlights, screams, and screeching tires.
Ryuji Kurogane barely had time to turn his head before the truck's steel grille consumed his vision. A sharp jolt of pain surged through his body, then—
Nothing.
No more sound. No more light. No more world.
Only cold.
Only darkness.
But then, warmth.
A strange warmth… soft, like silk and smoke, wrapping around his very soul. And then a voice — distant, feminine, almost divine.
"You were chosen, bearer of the Eclipse Core… Remember this, child of two fates."
---
He gasped.
His small lungs burned for air as his tiny fists flailed instinctively. The ceiling above him was made of old wooden planks. The room smelled of hay, ash, and boiled root soup. Someone nearby gasped. "He's awake!"
Ryuji's vision was still hazy, but one thing was clear: He was no longer in his seventeen-year-old body.
He was a baby. A literal baby.
And judging by the ragged clothes, stone walls, and flickering candlelight, he wasn't anywhere near Tokyo anymore.
---
Two Continents, Eight Kingdoms
Years passed quickly in the haze of childhood. Though still small, Ryuji's mental maturity remained intact from his previous life. By the age of five, he had learned to read the local tongue and gained some understanding of the world.
This wasn't Earth. This was a realm split between two vast continents — Elarion and Darneth — each home to four powerful kingdoms, steeped in tradition and supernatural might.
Elarion Continent:
1. Veralis – A balanced kingdom known for its martial academies and disciplined swordsmanship.
2. Zundra – Land of elemental monks who manipulate fire, water, wind, and earth using their Ki.
3. Nytheria – Shadowy nation ruled by sorcerers who specialize in dark and illusion magic.
4. Aetheryn – A floating island kingdom where scholars and mages develop magical artifacts.
Darneth Continent:
5. Skarnheim – Rugged kingdom of warriors who ride and bond with dragons; experts in aerial combat.
6. Valdria – The largest magic-dominant nation, home to Circle Masters and magical universities.
7. Thornecliff – Kingdom of beastkin and hunters who practice nature-bound martial and druidic arts.
8. Kaelvaran – A land lost in time, where ancient ruins and forbidden spells hint at godly origins.
Each kingdom had its legacy and legends, but Ryuji was most fascinated by their power systems — martial and magical.
---
The Powers of the World
The people of this world were born with an affinity for either Ki (martial energy) or Mana (magical essence). A body could only cultivate one. At least, that was what everyone believed.
Martial cultivation followed ten stages:
1. Body Tempering Realm
2. Meridian Awakening Realm
3. Core Formation Realm
4. Energy Manifestation Realm
5. Soul Reinforcement Realm
6. Origin Pulse Realm
7. Voidstep Realm
8. Heaven's Mark Realm
9. Transcendence Realm
10. Martial God Realm – A level untouched for over a thousand years, last achieved by the founder of Darneth.
Magic was measured by Circles, each one more complex and potent than the last:
1st to 9th Circle – Mages who mastered spell matrices and world laws.
10th Circle – Only whispered in legends, believed to grant reality-warping powers. Even the ancient founder of Elarion never reached it.
And yet… Ryuji felt something different inside him. Both Ki and Mana flowed through his infant veins — raw, unstable, but undeniably present.
At the age of seven, he discovered the reason: a faint, glowing mark on his chest, shaped like a crescent eclipsing a radiant sun — the Eclipse Core. An ancient divine artifact fused to his soul.
It pulsed when he meditated. It spoke when he dreamed.
He was not like others.
---
The Orphanage and the Father-Figure
The orphanage, located on the outskirts of Veralis, was run by an old warrior named Master Kaien. Though crippled from his past battles, Kaien still held the air of a tiger at rest — calm, but dangerous when provoked.
He noticed Ryuji's natural stance. His quiet gaze. The way he followed the training of older boys with fascination.
"You wish to learn?" Kaien had asked one day, seeing Ryuji mimic footwork in secret.
Ryuji had nodded.
The next morning, training began.
It wasn't glamorous. Just stances, breathing control, and repetitive strikes on a tree stump. But to Ryuji, it was everything.
For the first time since waking in this world, he felt... purpose.
---
As the sun dipped behind the silver trees beyond the orphanage gates, Ryuji stood drenched in sweat, his tiny fists trembling but firm.
Master Kaien nodded with approval.
"Not bad, boy. You've got spirit. Tomorrow, we start real training."
Ryuji smiled faintly, the Eclipse Core warming in his chest.
This was just the beginning.
End of Chapter 1