Chapter 3 – A New Identity
Alexander sat under the shadow of a tree, catching his breath as the sharp pain in his head faded. Slowly, the chaotic flood of memories began to settle into something he could make sense of.
He closed his eyes and sorted through it all.
"So… I really did transmigrate," he muttered, almost laughing to himself. "And this world… isn't Earth."
The memories belonged to another man. A young man, in fact. His name was Edmund Whitaker, twenty years old, a second-year student at a place called Lustria University of Magic.
The words alone sounded like something pulled straight out of one of the webnovels Alexander used to binge after work. Magic. University. A whole city named Lustria. It was surreal.
Still, he carefully pieced together the fragments.
---
This world was built on mana.
It was everywhere—floating in the air, running through the ground, even present inside living beings. Every person was born with the potential to use it. That potential varied. Some people had strong affinities, able to draw out enormous power. Others were weak, their mana reserves so small they could barely manage the simplest spell.
From Edmund's memories, Alexander understood there were two main ways people used mana.
The first was to augment the body. By channeling mana into their muscles, bones, and nerves, people could move faster, strike harder, and endure more than any normal human. This path was favored by warriors, knights, and adventurers.
The second was casting spells. By shaping mana through incantations, runes, or pure control, people could release elemental attacks, barriers, or even healing techniques. These were the mages.
Of course, there were hybrids—those who could do both, though they were rare.
Alexander absorbed this knowledge with a kind of giddy curiosity. He had read so many stories with similar setups, yet to have it laid out as actual fact in his head… it felt strange. Strange, but also thrilling.
---
Then came Edmund himself.
His parents were gone—both dead years ago. No siblings either. The only reason he had even gotten into the prestigious University of Magic was thanks to a favor from a distant relative. A pity, though, because his talent for magic was poor. Almost nonexistent.
He could barely muster a flicker of flame, let alone anything impressive. Among his peers, he was constantly looked down on, whispered about, treated as the bottom of the barrel.
And as if that wasn't enough, his story had ended pathetically.
On his way back to his small apartment, Edmund had run into a group of street thugs. He'd tried to resist when they demanded his money. They hit him. The fight escalated. A blow to the head ended it all.
And that was where Alexander—no, Edmund—took over.
He exhaled slowly, opening his eyes. "…So that's how it is. Pretty miserable, huh?"
It was odd. He didn't feel any real sadness about Edmund's life or death. It was just information, like reading the background of a game character. Still, he acknowledged the unfairness of it. The kid hadn't stood a chance.
But now, Alexander was Edmund. And things were different.
---
There was one last piece of information that caught his attention.
It didn't come from Edmund's memories. It wasn't tied to his life or his death. It was just… there, lodged in Alexander's mind like a faint whisper.
A special ability.
Something to do with memories.
Edmund had never had anything like that. Which meant it had to be tied to Alexander's transmigration. What exactly it did, how it worked—he had no clue yet. But it was there, waiting.
Alexander chuckled. "So, not just transmigrated… but with some kind of cheat, too. That's about right."
The situation was starting to sound dangerously close to the exact webnovels he used to read back on Earth. And instead of feeling lethargic or detached like he usually did, for the first time in years, he actually felt… excited.
"This might not be so bad."
---
He pushed himself up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. His legs were shaky, but they held. He glanced around the forest. Dark trees, thick bushes, silence. He had no idea how far he was from the city, but Edmund's memories gave him a general sense of direction.
"Alright. First step—get out of here. Then… head home. My apartment. Edmund's apartment."
It was strange to think about it like that. The place wasn't really his, yet the thought of going there gave him a weird sense of security.
He remembered that he hadn't been stabbed or slashed to death—just a blunt strike to the head. So there was no blood, no obvious wound. His body looked intact. That made things easier.
As he began walking, he found himself smiling faintly.
"Magic University. City of Lustria. Mana. Spells. Abilities…" He muttered the words under his breath, savoring them. "Man, if my coworkers could see me now, they'd think I lost it."
But this wasn't another late-night anime marathon. This was real.
And for the first time in a long time, Alexander Hayes didn't feel tired, bored, or weighed down by monotony.
Instead, he felt a spark. Anticipation.
The world around him was unknown, full of things he didn't yet understand. And instead of dreading it, he was eager.
"I guess… this is the start, huh?" He smirked lightly to himself. "Well then, let's see what this new life has to offer."
Step by step, Alexander—now Edmund Whitaker—walked out of the forest.
And his new life truly began.
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