The morning at Hellyasa Mansion was quiet. Kenzo hadn't slept. Ever since the painful "Script Installation" the night before , he had spent the entire night in the library.
Keysa, who had come to check on him, stopped at the doorway. The scene before her was truly unbelievable. Dozens of thick books on history, geography, and magical theory were stacked neatly in a "finished reading" pile. A normal human couldn't possibly read that much in a week, let alone one night .
Kenzo ("Kenta") himself sat with his eyes closed, processing the ocean of data he had just absorbed.
'Prometheus, analysis status,' he commanded internally.
[Data acquisition complete,] the AI replied. [This world's power systems have been mapped. This world has two fundamentally different primary power systems: Magic and Aura.]
The data flowed into his mind. Magic, which he already understood, was "Magic as Code." It was an exact science that manipulated external energy (mana) . But Aura... that was something else.
'Knight's Aura,' Kenzo thought, recalling the books he'd scanned. 'Mastery of energy from within. Derived from "life energy" and "willpower." Strengthened through extreme "physical training and mental discipline."'
Kenzo clicked his tongue. Physical training. That's troublesome. He was a programmer, not an athlete.
'Prometheus,' he asked, 'Forget the physical training. It's inefficient. Can you analyze "Aura"? If it's just internal energy, can we "program" it like magic?'
There was an unusual pause before Prometheus answered.
[Negative. I cannot understand it.]
'What do you mean you can't?'
[My analysis is limited to systems that have logical rules, inputs, and quantifiable outputs, like Magic,] Prometheus explained. [Magic is the "Physics" of this world. It manipulates external particles (mana) with predictable syntax. "Aura" is different. Source descriptions state Aura derives from "life energy" and "willpower"[cite: 51]. These concepts are philosophical abstractions, not quantifiable data. I have no sensors to process "willpower" or "emotion." This system is incompatible with my architecture.]
Kenzo felt a twinge of disappointment. For the first time, Prometheus had admitted a limit. If he wanted to walk the path of "Aura," he'd have to do it the old-fashioned way: with sweat and meditation.
He pushed the thought aside. If Aura was a dead end, he would focus on mastering magic.
[Local magic analysis complete,] Prometheus continued. [Magic in this world is categorized by "Tiers," which are equivalent to computational complexity. The magic you have used so far, like Fireball and Spark [cite: 618-620, 1071], are Tier 1 through 3. They are simple "single-function" scripts [cite: 58-59]. Your brain can handle them easily.]
"Kenta?"
Keysa's voice startled Kenzo. He looked up, his eyes clear. "Good morning, Keysa."
Keysa swallowed, still unnerved by Kenzo's reading speed. She saw the book open in his lap. "A Treatise on Advanced Defensive Magic."
She let out a small laugh. "Kenta, you can't learn that magic from a book. That's Tier 4 magic. My magic tutor said it takes 10 years of meditation just to feel its flow. 'Artisan' mages have to use long, poetic chants just to maintain their focus."
Kenzo just smiled. "To me, it just looks like a more complex program."
Feeling confident, Kenzo stood up. He had to know his limits. "Excuse me a moment."
He walked out to the empty mansion training yard. Lina, who had just woken up, followed at a safe distance, her eyes still a little hollow but curious.
Kenzo had read the formula for a Tier 4 spell: "Guided Firebolt."
'Prometheus, give me the formula.'
[Formula received,] Prometheus replied. [Requires a constant "loop" process, or "multi-threading"[cite: 75]. You must manage three processes simultaneously: 1. Maintain the Firebolt's existence. 2. Visually track the target. 3. Recalculate trajectory and adjust thrust vectors[cite: 85].]
"Only three processes," Kenzo thought.
He raised his hand. A blue-white, baseball-sized fireball appeared. He locked onto a bird flying in the sky.
He initiated the second process: tracking. He felt the connection between his spell and the bird.
He initiated the third process: recalculation.
Suddenly, a piercing pain exploded behind his eyes, as if his brain was being gripped by an icy hand. His vision blurred.
[WARNING! Computational overload on Host's 'CPU'!]
He tried to force it. He knew the formula! He just had to execute it!
The firebolt in his hand flickered erratically. The bird veered sharply. Kenzo tried to recalculate the vector while maintaining the flame.
FSSSH!
The spell collapsed. The firebolt vanished harmlessly, but the mental backlash sent him staggering backward. He gripped his head, a pained groan escaping his lips. Something warm trickled from his nose.
"Big brother Kenta!" Lina ran to him, fear finally breaking through her emptiness.
Kenzo raised his hand and saw fresh blood on his fingers.
'Prometheus... what happened?' he thought, frustrated. 'The formula (software) was perfect!'
[Hardware failure,] the AI replied coldly. [Your formula was correct, but your biological brain is not trained to handle this level of multi-threaded processing load[cite: 75, 81]. Your brain is an 'un-upgraded CPU.' [cite: 113-114]]
[Furthermore, there is a second limitation: your energy reserves,] Prometheus added.
'You mean Mana?'
[Correct. Imagine it like a game. Your Tier 1 'Spark' requires 12 Mana. Your standard Tier 3 'Fireball' requires 30 Mana.]
[But the Tier 4 'Guided Firebolt' you just attempted, even if your brain could handle it, has a much higher computational cost. Its cost is 350 Mana.]
[Your maximum Mana reserve, after a full rest, is approximately 378 units. You *could* cast it... once. And it would leave you almost empty and vulnerable. You are currently only efficient up to Tier 3.]
The reality hit Kenzo. He wasn't just mentally weak, but fundamentally so.
'How do I increase my Mana?' Kenzo asked.
[According to the books in this library, there are many ways. There are Potions that can restore Mana, but they are temporary. There are also rare artifacts or fruits that can increase it permanently, but those are hard to find. The most reliable method is what they call "meditation." It is an active process of drawing in Mana from nature while simultaneously expanding the "storage" of Mana in your body.]
Kenzo wiped the blood from his nose. Frustrated, but also enlightened.
He finally understood. He had an entire library of code in his head, but he was running it on an outdated computer with a small battery. He couldn't "cheat" his way to power. He had to train. Train his brain, and train his Mana.
Just as that frustration peaked, panicked footsteps were heard running across the yard. It was the same head servant who had greeted them.
"Master Kenta! Master Kenta!" the servant cried, his face wet with tears of joy.
"Good news! Young Master Aron's fever... has broken! Your medicine worked! He... he just asked for food!"
Kenzo looked at the blood on his hand, then at the cheering servant.
His Tier 4 magic had failed completely, limited by his brain and his Mana. But his knowledge (the Malaria diagnosis) had succeeded, saving a child's life and securing his position in the mansion.
He now had a sanctuary. He had allies. And most importantly, he had the time he needed to begin the painful training to "upgrade his hardware specs."