Adrian did not sleep much that night.
Even though his new body was only eight years old, his mind was still that of someone who had lived a full life in another world.
Reincarnation.
Inside a novel.
Ten years before the story even began.
If someone had told him that a day ago, Adrian would have laughed at them.
Yet here he was.
Sitting on a small wooden bed in a dimly lit room, staring at his hands.
They were small.
Thin.
Weak.
He slowly clenched them.
"…So this is my new starting point."
Memories from this body had already settled inside his mind.
The boy named Adrian lived in a poor district near the academy city.
His parents had died several years ago.
Since then he had survived by doing small jobs around the neighborhood.
Life had been simple.
Hard, but simple.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"Good."
Being poor had advantages.
No noble family watching him.
No political enemies.
No expectations.
That meant he could train without anyone interfering.
Adrian stood up and walked toward the small window.
Outside, the early morning sky was beginning to brighten.
The academy towers could be seen far away in the distance.
Even from here, the structures looked enormous.
In the novel, that academy was the center of the entire story.
Powerful students.
Elemental awakenings.
Legendary battles.
And the beginning of the protagonist's rise.
Adrian crossed his arms.
"In the original story…"
The protagonist didn't start training seriously until after awakening lightning powers at eighteen.
Which meant something important.
Adrian had a ten-year head start.
Ten years to train.
Ten years to prepare.
Ten years to grow stronger before the real story even began.
Adrian's lips curved into a small smile.
"That's more than enough."
He grabbed a thin shirt hanging near the bed and put it on.
Then he stepped outside.
The poor district was quiet at this hour.
A few early merchants were setting up stalls.
But most people were still asleep.
Adrian began walking.
His destination was simple.
The open training fields near the outskirts of the district.
When he arrived, the field was empty.
Perfect.
Adrian looked around.
No one was watching.
He stretched his arms slowly.
"This body is weak."
He began running.
At first his small legs struggled to keep up.
His breathing quickly became uneven.
But Adrian kept going.
In his previous life, he had never been particularly athletic.
But now things were different.
He had knowledge of the future.
And time.
Lots of time.
Adrian completed his first lap around the field and nearly collapsed.
He bent over, breathing heavily.
"…Pathetic."
But he didn't stop.
He started running again.
And again.
By the time the sun began rising, Adrian had completed several laps.
His legs felt like they were on fire.
His lungs burned.
But he forced himself to stand straight.
"This is only the beginning."
Running alone would not be enough.
The world he had reincarnated into was brutal.
Power ruled everything.
Magic.
Combat.
Strategy.
Adrian would need all of it.
He walked toward a tree near the edge of the field and picked up a fallen branch.
It was long enough to serve as a training sword.
Adrian took a deep breath.
Then swung.
The branch cut through the air.
Clumsy.
Unbalanced.
But it was a start.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Minutes turned into hours.
Each swing became slightly smoother.
Each movement slightly more controlled.
Adrian didn't stop until his arms were trembling from exhaustion.
He leaned against the tree and looked toward the academy towers in the distance.
"In ten years…"
His voice was quiet.
"…everyone there will think the story is beginning."
But Adrian knew the truth.
For him—
The story had already started.
At that moment, something strange happened.
A faint blue glow flickered in the corner of his vision.
Adrian froze.
"…What was that?"
The glow disappeared almost immediately.
But Adrian was certain he had seen it.
He stood still, concentrating.
Silence.
Then—
A faint voice echoed inside his mind.
[System Synchronization: 3%]
Adrian's eyes widened.
"…So it's real."
The Resonance Bond System.
It had not fully awakened yet.
But it was already beginning to synchronize with him.
Adrian smiled slowly.
"Good."
That meant his advantage wasn't just the future.
He also had a system.
But he wouldn't rely on it.
No.
He would train.
Every day.
Every hour.
Until the world itself had no choice but to acknowledge him.
Adrian tightened his grip on the wooden branch.
Then he swung it again.
The sound of the strike echoed across the empty field.
Far away, the academy towers stood silently against the rising sun.
And without anyone realizing it—
The story of the world had already begun to change.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Author's Note
Thanks for reading Chapter 2!
If you enjoyed the chapter, please support the novel with Power Stones. Your support helps the story grow and motivates me to release more chapters.
See you in the next chapter!