The forest was alive with quiet sounds.
Leaves rustled softly. Birds sang in unfamiliar tones. The air felt thick, almost heavy.
Arman brushed dirt from his clothes. He was still wearing his office attire.
"Of course," he sighed. "I get reincarnated and still look like an employee."
He opened the guide again.
The guide explained that he was on the Brahim Continent and that the language, writing, and common knowledge of the world had been synchronized with his mind. That was why he could understand everything naturally.
His location was listed as the Whispering Fern Forest, a low-danger area suitable for beginners.
Relief washed over him.
He checked his body condition. Healthy. Mana sensitivity unawakened, but possible.
He sat down cross-legged.
"Alright… let's try this."
At first, nothing happened.
Then warmth spread inside him.
It felt like discovering a second circulation within his body. Thin streams of energy flowed through him and around him.
Mana.
A notification appeared, confirming that he had learned basic mana perception.
Encouraged, he opened the spell section of the guide.
To cast magic, he needed a mental model. Fireball required visualizing heat, compression, and release.
"Like coding logic," he murmured.
He imagined a small sphere of fire in his palm and tried to pour mana into it.
Pain shot through his head.
Nothing happened.
He tried again. And again.
On the fifth attempt, a weak spark flickered into existence before vanishing.
His head pounded. A warning appeared—his mana was nearly depleted.
He collapsed onto the grass, gasping.
"So… magic isn't free."
After resting, he checked his inventory. Forty silver coins were stored there, along with a simple robe.
"I need people," he decided.
He tightened the pouch at his waist and began walking toward civilization.