Hmm... Why do I feel stuffy and it feels like I'm tied up? Oh, yeah, I remember I fell to the ground after my place collapsed.
I opened my eyes and looked around. I saw myself tucked tight with a cloth.
So, that's why... Wait... Where am I?... And, who is this woman beside me? Her face is too close to mine... Wait... Is it just me or is she not breathing anymore?... Oh my, help! There's a dead woman here!
Coincidentally, when I cried my lungs out, I heard people shouting and it seems that they're slowly approaching me.
Great! Someone's finally here... Hello! Please help me! First of all, I don't know what's going on but...
"Captain, it seems that this baby is the only survivor in the attack of the mutants," one of the men said.
Baby? Where? Where's the baby?
"Although what happened in this village is tragic, it's fortunate that this baby survived," the leader of the group said.
Hey! I'm asking you, where's the baby you're talking about? Don't ignore me!
The leader of the group of men, which looked like soldiers, approached me, reached out both of his hands, and picked me up.
Whoa... Whoa... Help me slowly... Wait... They're talking about a baby earlier but I'm the one they're helping? Don't tell me... I am the baby?!
A burst of different emotions slapped my face. I thought that I'll probably go crazy and everything's just an illusion.
"Captain, what should we do with the baby now?" Another subordinate asked.
"Don't worry about it. I already have a plan in mind."
"What is it?"
"I'll... adopt the baby. My wife and I couldn't bore a child so maybe this baby is a gift to us."
"Captain, are you for real?" The subordinates became hysterical, "we're not even sure about the baby's identity, why don't we just hand him over to the authority?"
The others aggressively agreed to the man's suggestion.
Hey! Do you think I'm a cursed baby? Well, I'm a 24-year old man inside a baby's body which is insanely unbelievable, but I'm a good person!
"No, I've already decided to adopt him," the captain responded.
The man raised me up, looked at me, and smiled brightly as if he found a treasure.
Eww, stop looking at me like that! It feels weird.
"From now on, your name will be Benedict, Benedict Lee."
Well, at least my name's still the same except for the surname.
Four years later...
Hmm... What book should I read next? Hmm... Ok, I'll pick this one.
I randomly picked a book from the lowest shelf of my Mom's bookshelf, sat down on the floor, and started reading.
During these four years, I've somehow grasped the situation I'm in; I actually died from the earthquake in my past life and I got reincarnated here on Planet Primalia, where your 'ability' is everything. Also, I discovered my 'ability' which was supposed to be awakened between the age of ten and sixteen; the ability to summon a mysterious book named Ethernal. Although I found out what it is, I still don't know how to use it.
While I was reading, the woman who raised me and took the role as my mother was attentively watching over me.
My dad came back home after his long and arduous day of working as the team leader of a small mercenary group.
"Honey, you're back!" Mom warmly welcomed him.
She's trying to catch dad's attention and pointed at me.
"Honey, don't you think our son is too smart for his age? I mean, he started reading even before he could learn how to walk," Mom whispered.
"What's wrong with it? It just means that he has the potential to be a great figure when he grows up," Dad replied, "anyway, I brought some fresh mutant meat."
Mom took the two bags of mutant meat; stored one of the bags in the refrigerator and the other one was used for dinner.
In the dining area...
"Honey, dinner's ready!" Mom shouted.
"Okay, Hon. I'll be there in a minute," Dad responded.
Mom took away the book I was reading and picked me up from the floor.
"My dear Ben, eat first. You can continue reading later, okay?"
We headed to the dining table and she placed me on a high chair that's secured and safe for a baby to use when eating. She noticed that dad's still not coming so she went to find him, leaving me all alone in the dining area.
Hmm... Since they're both not here, this is my chance to eat mutant meat.
For the past year, I've been gathering information about this world. I found out that in the early years of Geno, non-Geno teenagers younger than the age of sixteen who consumed mutant meat all ended up dead. However, when the next generation emerged, kids and teenagers who inherit their abilities through birth are capable of consuming mutant meat.
Oohh she made meatballs. Let's try one.
I'll eat the smallest piece of meatball so that mom won't notice. Hmm... It actually taste good. There's not much difference compared to a normal pig's meat.
After swallowing the small piece of meat, my hands started glimmering. It was Ethernal. It summoned itself before me.
Wait, I didn't do anything. How did you appear on your own?
While trying to understand what's happening, I noticed some changes in the book's pages. Before, all of the pages were blank, but now, words suddenly appeared on it.
"You've received 0.1 z mutated gene point."
Z mutated gene point? What is that? I don't get it. And, how did this happened? Is it... because of the mutant meat?
I didn't hesitate to take another meatball just to get the answer that I need. After eating another one, I confirmed that it was really due to the meat. Out of excitement, I gobbled up the dishes on the table without paying any attention to my surroundings.
"You... Why are you eating that mutant meat?!" A loud voice resounded in the house carrying the feeling of both anger and worry.