Chapter 2 – The Voice Within
The night was unnervingly quiet.
Viscount Glic Goldbear sat in his study, a half-burnt candle flickering beside stacks of parchments. The quill in his hand hovered over the page, but he had not written a word. His mind wandered back—again and again—to the final moments of Edward McAllister's life.
The humming resonance of the Merge Stone.
The surge of violent energy.
The sensation of his very soul being torn apart.
And then, this.
This body.
This world.
His fingers clenched around the quill, snapping it. Ink spilled across the page.
"Why me? Why here?" he muttered under his breath. "And the Merge Stone… where did it go? Did it destroy me… or bring me here?"
The questions spiraled endlessly, gnawing at him. He had dedicated decades of research to understanding the stone, only for it to crumble into dust in his hands. Now, inexplicably, he had awoken in another life. Was it reincarnation? Dimensional transference? Or was this all some hallucination of a dying mind?
He slammed his palm onto the desk. "Think, Edward. Think. There must be a pattern—"
Suddenly, a voice resonated inside his head. Clear. Mechanical. Cold.
> [Host soul stable. Successful fusion detected.]
[Super Merge System: Unlocked.]
Glic froze. His breath hitched.
"What…?"
The voice was not his own. It was not human. It was the same cold detachment he remembered from the AI modules of his old world, yet layered with something else—something infused with mana.
The voice continued:
> [Warning: Host energy level too low.]
[Please upgrade Host Spiritual Sea to unlock more of system abilities.]
[Current unlocked functions:]
1. Spell Merge Module – Merge spells into inorganic or organic substances, granting spell-like abilities or enhancements. (Current spell level: 0 Ring.)
2. Host Status Module – Monitor stat development. Gain +1% permanent stat or affinity from every merged creature or item.]
The words struck him like lightning.
His chest rose and fell rapidly. "A… system? Like some kind of… interface?"
He rubbed his temples. This was absurd. But then again—so was waking up in another man's body, in a world ruled by wizards. Perhaps this was the final gift—or curse—of the Merge Stone.
Slowly, cautiously, he whispered, "System… show me my status."
At once, a translucent panel appeared before his eyes. Not in the air, but directly within his consciousness. Letters burned faintly, as though etched into the void of his mind.
---
[Host: Glic Goldbear / Edward McAllister]
Race: Human (Mortal)
Rank: Wizard Apprentice – 0 Ring (Low)
Spiritual Sea Capacity: 12/100
Physical Stats:
Strength: 9
Agility: 11
Constitution: 10
Mental Stats:
Intelligence: 16
Willpower: 14
Perception: 12
Affinities:
Transmutation (Minor)
Illusion (Trace)
Necromancy (Trace)
System Modules:
Spell Merge Module (Active)
Host Status Module (Active)
System Energy Source: Mana + Soul Essence
---
Glic's eyes widened as he read the panel. His scientist's instincts surged to life, curiosity burning away his fear.
"This is… quantification," he breathed. "The very thing every researcher dreams of… a model that measures the intangible."
In his past life, the problem with the Merge Stone had always been control. The stone consumed energy, merged wildly, and destroyed every test subject. But now, here was a system that not only survived the fusion, but imposed structure. It categorized his abilities, defined his limits, and—most importantly—it promised growth.
His pulse quickened.
"A Spell Merge Module… does that mean I can merge spells with… objects? Living things?"
The implications were staggering. If true, this was far beyond the narrow domains of wizardry he'd glimpsed in Glic's inherited memories. Wizards mastered one path, one school. But he… he could merge.
A grin tugged at his lips. "This is it. This is the path forward."
But his joy was short-lived.
The system's warning echoed again:
> [Host energy level is insufficient. Recommend expanding Spiritual Sea capacity.]
His face darkened. Spiritual Sea. In this world, it was the foundation of wizardry—the inner reservoir where mana gathered, where spells were formed. Edward—no, Glic—was at the lowest rung, his Spiritual Sea barely opened. No wonder the system was crippled.
"I need to grow," he murmured. "Quickly. But…"
He clenched his fists. Growth in wizardry was not simple. Apprentices could spend years—decades—just to reach 1 Ring. Many never advanced at all. Without talent, without resources, a wizard apprentice was destined to stagnate.
And Glic Goldbear, though intelligent, was considered a dabbler. A jack-of-all-trades. A man whose curiosity had earned him scorn rather than respect. His inherited memories made that clear.
"No…" Glic whispered, his golden-brown eyes narrowing. "That was the old Glic. I am Edward McAllister. I refuse to crawl at the pace of mediocrity."
He turned back to the system panel. His gaze fixed on the words that made his blood race.
> [1% permanent stat or affinity gained from every merged creature or item.]
"Permanent enhancement…" he muttered. "Not temporary. Not artificial. Permanent."
A chill ran through him. The Merge Stone had consumed lives, machines, materials—merging them into unstable abominations. But this system refined that chaos into order, giving him stable growth.
A scientist's dream.
A wizard's nightmare.
He stood abruptly, the chair screeching behind him.
"Then let's test it."
---
The study offered little in terms of test subjects, but Glic's eyes landed on a candle burning low on his desk. Its wax dripped slowly down the bronze holder.
"System," he commanded. "Activate Spell Merge Module."
At once, the panel shifted.
> [Select spell: 0-ring.]
Available Spells: Spark, Minor Cleanse, Mana Thread.]
Glic smirked. "So, only apprentice cantrips for now…" He focused on one. "Spark."
> [Select target for merge.]
His gaze locked on the candle. "Merge with wax and wick."
A pulse of warmth surged from his chest, traveling down his arm. His fingers tingled as faint threads of mana wove outward, guided not by instinct but by the system itself. They sank into the candle, wrapping it with an invisible aura.
The flame flared brightly. The wax shimmered faintly with runic lines before stabilizing.
The system chimed:
> [Merge successful.]
Result: Sparkfire Candle – A candle that never extinguishes until the wax is consumed. Flame enhanced, capable of igniting flammable targets instantly.]
[Affinity gained: +0.01% Fire.]
Glic's breath caught. He picked up the candle, its flame dancing higher than before, brighter, hotter. He touched the tip cautiously with a metal rod—instantly, the rod glowed red with heat.
"It worked," he whispered. His voice trembled with awe. "It actually worked."
For the first time since his rebirth, excitement coursed through his veins. This wasn't just wizardry. This was alchemy of the impossible.
He laughed softly, the sound echoing in the quiet study. "If I can merge cantrips with candles… what about weapons? Armor? Creatures?"
His mind spun with possibilities. A sword merged with Fireball. A cloak merged with Invisibility. A soldier merged with regeneration.
The path ahead was terrifying. Dangerous. Uncharted.
But it was his.
---
Glic sat back, forcing his excitement to cool. He needed to plan carefully. The system was powerful, yes, but reckless use could expose him. If other wizards discovered he possessed such an ability, they would not hesitate to kill him—or worse, dissect him.
He tapped the desk thoughtfully.
"No one must know… not yet."
His eyes drifted back to the status panel. His stats, his affinities. Quantified. Trackable. Progressible.
This was the second chance he never imagined.
The scientist in him whispered of experiments, trials, and data. The wizard in him—new, unfamiliar—whispered of rings, mana, and spells.
Together, they spoke one truth:
"From 0 rings, I will climb," Glic said softly, determination sharpening his voice. "And with this system… I will create something no wizard has ever seen."
The candle burned brighter, as if echoing his resolve.
In the silence of the study, Viscount Glic Goldbear—once Edward McAllister—took his first true step on the path of the Super Merge Wizard.