Five years had passed since Shinichi Sunvolt's birth in this new world.
Five years flew by so quickly...
And it seemed he had truly adapted to this world.
Not much different from what you'd find in manga, really.
The bottom line was that he had been reincarnated as someone who might be considered weak because he could only use light magic.
The weakest one.
Magic was measured by affinity in this world, some sort of ranking system, perhaps?
He still couldn't be completely certain...
The world he now knew was called Eltheria, a planet with a vast continent filled with great kingdoms competing against each other in military might and magical prowess.
Shinichi sat beneath a large oak tree in the backyard of his family's home, a modest manor located on the outskirts of Alveron city.
A thick book with a worn leather cover lay open in his lap.
His golden eyes scanned each line with complete focus.
"Fundamentals of Magic for Beginners: Third Edition"—the title on the book's cover had faded with age.
Shinichi had read this book countless times already. There was nothing new he could learn from it anymore, but he kept reading it repeatedly to make sure he hadn't missed a single detail.
Five years in this new body had given him considerable understanding the world of Eltheria.
The language they used, which had sounded foreign to his ears when he was first born, he now mastered it perfectly.
The Eltherion language, the universal tongue used throughout this continent, flowed smoothly from his mouth as if he had been born with that ability.
Perhaps that was one of the miracles of reincarnation, he thought.
But more important than language was knowledge about the magic system in this world.
Magic in Eltheria was different from what he had imagined from manga or novels in his old life.
There were no long incantations that had to be spoken.
No complicated magic circles that needed to be drawn in the air or on the ground.
Everything began and ended with one thing: Mana.
Mana was the life energy that flowed through the body of every living creature in Eltheria.
Humans, elves, dwarves, even monsters had mana in their bodies.
But what set them apart was how they used it.
For humans, mana resided in the core of the body, which they called the "Mana Core", a spiritual organ invisible to the eye but perceptible to every owner.
To use magic, one only needed to:
First, visualize what they wanted to do in their mind.
Second, channel mana from the Mana Core to the desired part of the body.
Third, release that mana according to the visualization already formed.
No magic words. No elaborate ceremonies. Just imagination and control.
Sounds simple, he thought.
But the reality was far from it.
Because there was one important variable that determined how effectively someone could use magic: Elemental Affinity.
Everyone was born with an affinity for certain elements, such as Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, and the rarest of all, Light and Darkness.
This affinity determined how easily someone could control that element.
The higher the affinity, the less mana needed to produce the same effect.
And this was where Shinichi's problem began.
Light Affinity, Grade F.
The worst rating in the affinity ranking system that ranged from Grade S to F.
With an affinity that low, even to produce light as small as a candle flame, Shinichi had to use three times more mana compared to someone with a Grade C affinity.
Not to mention the fact that he only had one affinity.
Most people were born with two or even three different elemental affinities.
And even all elemental affinities existed.
There were also some who possessed unique magical affinities that could manipulate anything besides elements.
That gave them flexibility in combat and daily life.
But Shinichi? Only Light. That was it.
And Grade F Light at that.
"Shinichi!"
His mother's gentle voice called to him from the direction of the house.
Shinichi closed his book and stood up, dusting off his shorts.
"Yes, Mother!" he answered while running toward the house.
For now, I'll just go with the flow...
I don't see any problems at all during these five years except living as a pampered child...
Stelle stood in the doorway with her warm smile.
Her long blonde hair was tied back, and a white apron wrapped around her waist.
"It's time for lunch, dear. Your father will be home from town soon."
Shinichi nodded and entered the house.
The aroma of vegetable soup and toasted bread greeted his nose, making his stomach growl with hunger.
On the dining table, several plates with simple but delicious-looking food were already set out.
Not long after, the front door opened and a tall, large man entered with a big bag on his shoulder.
"I'm home!" his deep voice echoed through the house.
"Father!" Shinichi ran toward the man.
Ryose Sunvolt, his father in this new life.
A former adventurer who now worked as a small merchant in Alveron city.
His thick black hair and sharp golden eyes, just like Shinichi's, gave the impression of a strong man even though he had passed forty years of age.
"Hey, little one!" Ryose lifted Shinichi high into the air, making the five-year-old boy laugh freely.
"How far have you gotten with your magic studies today?"
Shinichi's laughter faded. His expression turned serious.
"I'm still... trying."
Ryose set him down and gently squeezed Shinichi's shoulder.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Shinichi. You're still very young to master the ways of magic."
"But Father," Shinichi looked into his father's eyes seriously.
"I don't have much time to take it easy."
"With an affinity like mine, I have to work harder than others if I want to become strong."
Ryose fell silent.
There was a flash of both pride and sadness in his eyes.
He knew his son was different from other children his age.
Shinichi was too mature for his years, too serious, too diligent.
But on the other hand, he was also worried.
The burden his son carried was too heavy for a five-year-old child.
"Alright," Ryose finally said.
"After we enjoy our lunch, we'll train together."
"I'll teach you some basic mana control techniques that I learned when I was an adventurer."
Shinichi's eyes sparkled. "Really?!"
"Of course. A Sunvolt never gives up, right?"
"Right!"
After a warm lunch with his family, Shinichi followed his father to the backyard.
Ryose stood in the middle of the grassy field, removing his thick coat and rolling up his sleeves.
"Okay, Shinichi. Sit over there and watch."
Shinichi sat on the grass cross-legged, his eyes never leaving his father.
Ryose closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Then something amazing happened.
From Ryose's body, a thin bluish aura began to appear.
That aura moved slowly, flowing from his chest to his right arm.
And then, in his palm, a small ball of water formed.
The water ball spun slowly, clear and perfect.
"This is basic mana control," he said without opening his eyes.
"I visualize the shape I want, in this case a ball of water."
"Then I channel my mana out from my Mana Core, through the mana pathways in my body, and out through my palm."
The water ball began to grow larger, then smaller again, then changed shape into a cube, then back to a sphere.
"Control is everything in magic," Ryose continued, this time opening his eyes to look at his son.
"It doesn't matter how strong your mana is or how high your affinity."
"If you can't control it properly, none of it means anything."
The water ball in his hand suddenly burst into a fine mist that vanished into the air.
"Now, your turn."
Shinichi swallowed hard.
He had tried this many times alone, but the result was always the same. Failure.
But this time was different. This time his father was here to guide him.
Shinichi stood up and mimicked his father's position.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
First, he had to find his Mana Core.
In the darkness of his consciousness, Shinichi dove deeper.
Past layers of thought, past layers of awareness, until he found something warm at the center of his chest.
There, a small ball of white-gold light glowed faintly.
His Mana Core.
Its size was much smaller compared to what children his age possessed.
That was one of the effects of low affinity. The Mana Core grew more slowly.
But he didn't care. He would make it grow. By any means necessary to prove himself to the world.
Shinichi began to visualize.
In his mind, he imagined a small ball of light, no bigger than a ping-pong ball, floating above his palm.
Then he tried to draw mana from his Core.
Warm.
That was the first sensation he felt.
Warm energy began to flow from his chest, creeping through the mana vessels in his body, moving toward his right arm.
But once it reached his palm, something went wrong.
The mana that should have gathered and formed a ball of light instead scattered everywhere.
No shape. No control.
Shinichi opened his eyes and stared at his empty palm.
Failed again.
"Don't get frustrated," Ryose's voice sounded calm.
"You're rushing too much. Mana isn't something that can be forced, Shinichi."
"You have to feel its flow, let it move according to your visualization."
"But how?" Shinichi asked, his frustration beginning to show.
Ryose crouched before his son and looked into those golden eyes gently.
"By practicing. Continuously. Every day."
"Mana control is like trying to walk for the first time. At first you'll fall over and over."
"But one day, your body will remember it. And it will become natural to you."
Shinichi nodded slowly.
He knew that. He already knew there were no shortcuts in this matter.
But still, the frustration was there.
Frustration because his body couldn't do what his mind already understood perfectly.
"Let's try again," Ryose said while standing up.
"But this time, don't think about the result. Focus only on the process."
Shinichi closed his eyes again.
This time, he didn't rush.
He didn't think about the ball of light that had to form.
He only focused on the flow of mana in his body.
Warm. Slow. Gentle.
Mana began to move again, flowing from his Core toward his arm.
And this time, when it reached his palm, Shinichi didn't try to force it to form something.
He just let it out.
Slowly.
And then...
A small flicker appeared.
White light that was extremely dim, almost invisible under the midday sun.
But it was there.
The first light he had successfully created.
Shinichi's eyes opened wide.
His heart pounded rapidly.
His hand trembled with excitement and shock.
"I did it...!"