The Elen Estate sat like a crown of white stone upon the rolling hills near Ironvale City, the capital of the Ironvale Province.
On the highest point of the estate, a boy lay flat on the red-tiled rooftop of the castle, his hands tucked behind his head.
Above him, the sky was a deep, impossible violet, and three suns hung in a perfect, glowing line.
"It has been ten years since I was born into this world, but it still feels unreal," Axis said softly to himself.
He closed his eyes for a moment, the memories of his past life flickering behind his eyelids like a fading movie.
On Earth, he had been a PhD student, a man who lived for numbers and logic, until the day he collapsed from overwork.
He had fallen asleep at his desk, surrounded by notes and empty coffee cups, only to wake up in a body that wasn't his own.
He had been reborn as the heir of House Elen, a noble family in a world that defied every law of science he had ever learned.
This world was not a sphere floating in a dark universe; there was no space and no stars as he once knew them.
Instead, the planet was an infinite plane with a radius that never ended, stretching forever in every direction.
A person could fly as high as their lungs allowed or dig as deep as their tools permitted, and they would never find the edge.
It was a world where Mana flowed through the air like a silent river and where the planet itself possessed a conscious mind.
In this land, destiny was not earned; it was bestowed in the form of cards given by the Planet Consciousness.
At the age of ten, every human received their first card, a tool that decided their future path and gave them the power to fight.
As a person grew stronger and their level increased, the planet would grant them more cards to build powerful combinations.
These cards were the only way to survive against the terrifying beasts and ancient threats that roamed the infinite wilds.
Axis opened his eyes and looked at the horizon, where the white walls of the estate met the gold of the grain fields.
House Elen was responsible for these lands, growing the vast amounts of grain needed to pay taxes to the Royal Family.
They served under Count Ironvale, acting as the local law and the primary source of food for the province.
The structure of power here was strikingly similar to the medieval Europe Axis had studied in his previous life.
The Royal Family stood at the absolute top, ruling the entire continent with an iron grip and divine right.
Below them were the Grand Dukes, the Dukes, and the Marquesses, each holding vast territories and massive armies.
Then came the Counts, like Count Ironvale, followed by the Viscounts and the Barons who managed the smaller regions.
At the bottom of the nobility were the Lesser Nobles, the Knights and Landed Families like the Elens.
Though they were the lowest rank of the aristocracy, the Elens were respected for their martial skill and their fertile land.
As Axis was lost in these thoughts, the sound of light footsteps on the stone tiles reached his ears.
"Young Master, you are called to the main hall by Lord Kael," his maid said, her voice respectful but urgent.
Axis sat up, brushing the dust from his simple but high-quality tunic, and offered a small, calm nod.
"Let's go," he replied, sliding down from his perch with the practiced grace of a boy who had spent years exploring the castle.
He followed the maid through the winding corridors of the white stone fortress, past tapestries depicting ancient wars.
Shortly after, Axis arrived at the heavy oak doors of the main hall, which swung open to reveal a grand, vaulted chamber.
At the far end, his father, Lord Kael, sat upon the main throne, looking every bit the seasoned card warrior he was.
To his left sat Axis's mother on a smaller, elegant throne, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride and motherly concern.
The hall was packed with people—squires in training, scholars with their scrolls, and artisans who kept the estate running.
As Axis walked down the center aisle, his father stood up, his voice booming through the hall to command attention.
"Today is a great day of joy for all of us!" Kael announced, his gaze settling on his only son.
"My son, Axis Elen, will now have his first card bestowed upon him by the Planet Consciousness!"
The crowd erupted into a brief cheer before falling into a respectful silence as Kael gestured toward the floor.
"My son, come to the square formation in the middle of the hall," Kael said with a firm but encouraging tone.
"Since you have already turned ten, this formation will help you connect to the planet and acquire your card early."
Axis nodded silently and stepped into the center of the intricate geometric patterns carved into the stone floor.
Kael raised his hand from the throne, and a vibrant green card manifested in his palm, glowing with an inner light.
With a flick of his wrist, the card floated through the air and settled into a specific slot within the floor's formation.
Immediately, a visible stream of Mana began to flow from Kael's hand, surging into the card and activating the runes.
A bright, brilliant white light exploded from the center of the room, so intense that everyone was forced to cover their eyes.
Axis felt a strange, cold sensation in his chest, as if something vast and ancient was looking directly into his soul.
As the light receded, the hall fell silent, and a single card appeared, hovering just above Axis's outstretched palm.
Kael leaned forward, squinting at the card, and eventually nodded his head in approval.
"A white card," Kael declared. "It is a balanced card, which means you can grow your attributes equally in the future."
He stepped down from the dais to stand before his son, his expression becoming that of a teacher.
"Listen well, Axis. This card is the foundation of your life as a warrior," Kael began, his voice serious.
"Every time you upgrade your level, the planet will give you 5 points to distribute among your attributes."
"You must choose carefully between Strength, Endurance, Defense, Health, Mana, Will, and Intelligence."
"There are 100 levels for a card warrior, giving you a total of 500 points to shape your destiny."
"How you allocate those points will decide if you become a shield for your people or a sword against your enemies."
Axis listened to his father's explanation with a calm face, showing none of the shock brewing in his mind.
After the ceremony ended and the guests had finished their congratulations, Axis retreated to the safety of his room.
He locked the door and sat on his bed, taking a deep breath before manifesting his card once more.
He had not told anyone the truth, for what he saw in the center of the hall was not what the others had seen.
To the crowd, the card looked like a common white rank because of his low level, but Axis could see its true nature.
The card was a brilliant, shimmering diamond color, pulsing with a light that felt far more powerful than his father's green card.
But the most shocking part was not the color; it was the data that only he could see appearing in his mind.
"Seven points," Axis whispered, his heart racing against his ribs. "I get seven points for every level I gain."
In a world where the absolute limit for even the most talented geniuses was five points, he had been given seven.
This meant that by level 100, he would have 700 points—enough to maximize every single attribute to its peak.
He sat in the silence of his room, his mind racing with questions he knew he couldn't ask anyone else.
Was this diamond card a result of his two souls—one from Earth and one from this world—fusing together?
Or was there some other reason the Planet Consciousness had chosen to break its own rules for him?
He did not know the answer, and he realized that trying to guess would be useless at his current level.
As he grew stronger and explored more of this infinite planet, he might one day find the truth behind his awakening.
For now, he would hide his strength, play the role of the balanced heir, and wait for the day he could truly test his power.