I carefully took out the three items.
The first item was a strange book, its cover buried beneath a thick layer of dust. I brushed the dirt away, and a title slowly appeared before my eyes.
"Memoirs of an Old Man."
Out of respect for the memories of those who came before me, I slipped the book into my coat pocket and decided to read it later.
I reached into the box again and pulled out a white scroll.
The moment I held it tightly, the corner of my mouth twitched.
This was one of the treasures I had come here for.
At the center of the scroll was the drawing of a golden eye.
"Eye of Truth."
A low voice escaped my lips as I recalled the information about this skill.
Yes... it was a skill.
Its other name was The Golden Mana Eye. As the name suggested, this eye allowed its user to see mana directly. In addition, it enhanced perception, analysis, and eyesight itself.
It was the perfect skill for me.
"Rip."
I could no longer contain myself and tore the scroll open.
The scroll shattered into countless golden particles.
"Huh?"
The particles began to form waves and drift toward me. They circled my body, and before I could react, the golden current rushed straight into my right eye.
"Damn —this hurts like hell!"
I grabbed my eye immediately, struggling against the sudden pain.
That only confirmed one thing.
No matter how much pain I experienced, I would never get used to it.
As I clutched my eye, the pain slowly began to fade with each passing second.
What had felt like dozens of knives stabbing into my brain gradually turned into a mild headache... then disappeared completely.
As the pain vanished, a strange vitality spread through my body and gathered in my eye. I had unconsciously begun channeling mana into it.
Carefully, I lowered my hand from my right eye.
"Huh...?"
The sight before me stunned me.
I had never seen the world with such terrifying clarity before.
Although the Eye of Truth had settled in my right eye, both of my eyes seemed enhanced.
Everything was unbelievably sharp, as if I were looking through some absurdly powerful telescope.
As I moved my gaze around, I noticed something that made my mind freeze.
Particles.
Countless particles of different colors floated through the world around me, weaving through the air as if they were creating reality itself.
They were beautiful.
More beautiful than anything I had ever seen.
A warm liquid began to run from my right eye, but I ignored it.
The sight before me was worth dying for.
Red and blue particles drifted slowly through the air. Green particles moved swiftly between them, passing like wind. Brown ones stayed close to the ground like timid creatures, while others floated alone like proud kings.
"Mana..."
I stared at the magnificent painting before me—the very foundation of the world.
Then—
"AAAAAH!"
The vision in my right eye vanished, and my brain felt as if it had been set ablaze.
I had neither the right nor the ability to witness the secrets of the universe yet.
That was the thought that remained in my mind before it was drowned by pain.
This time, I was drowning in fire.
Sweat poured from my body. Thin smoke began to rise from my skin.
I watched in horror as my pale flesh slowly turned red, like someone being burned alive by something sacred and insane.
I had no idea how long the agony lasted.
I truly thought I was going to die.
Maybe I had set a record for the man who came closest to death during the first steps of his second life.
Time passed.
As I held my head, the turbulent mana inside me slowly calmed, and the burning sensation gradually faded.
My skin returned to its usual pale color.
Once the pain had settled, I raised my head slowly.
"That's better..."
The sight in my right eye, which I had lost after seeing mana, was returning little by little.
I adjusted my posture and wiped the sweat from my face.
"I really thought I was going to die again."
No ordinary person could look directly at mana.
If the limit of living beings was to become powerful enough to approach the Absolute Ruler...
Then what was mana?
The threads that wove the future, the past, and even the present.
The foundation of power for all true beings.
The force that created this universe... and dimensions beyond it.
What exactly was mana?
I sat there as a strange calm slowly spread through me.
The novel had never answered those questions.
Even Raven's memories held no explanation.
I closed my eyes and rested for a moment.
Secrets had always annoyed me.
Whether I was Jin... or Raven.
"Mana? Whatever it is... I can't understand it yet."
I opened my eyes and cleared my thoughts.
A steady light shone from them.
Why was I wasting time thinking about things far above me when I was still only Rank E?
I stopped myself.
"Status."
There was no point thinking about useless things now.
Those mysteries would reveal themselves when I became stronger.
The silver glow in my eyes deepened, and a spark of determination slowly ignited within them.
[Name: Raven Klainte]
[Condition: Vitality Consumption / Mana Disorder (Minor Effects)]
[Vitality: (-E) E]
[Endurance: +E]
[Strength: E]
[Speed: +E]
[Mana: -D]
[Ability (1): Locked]
[Ability (2): Locked]
[Element: Inactive]
[Skills: Combat (2), Rationality (2), Mana Control (3), Swordsmanship (2), Firearms (2), Eye of Truth (1)]
[Rank: E]
I smiled as I looked over my skills.
Eye of Truth had been added.
One of the reasons I came here had been fulfilled.
But something else shocked me even more.
[Rationality (2)]
[Firearms (2)]
I had not expected those two skills to evolve.
A grin spread across my face.
"Well then... the last item."
I slowly stood up.
This time, I felt strength and vitality flowing through my body.
Even if nothing had truly changed...
Everything felt different.
I reached into the silver box once more and pulled out a ring.
A black ring.
It looked as though it had been woven from darkness itself.
It reflected no light.
As if it had been forged in the abyss where no ray had ever reached.
Thoughts swirled in my head as I held it.
This was a truly valuable item.
Slowly, I slipped it onto the little finger of my left hand.
"Shh."
"Hm?"
With that strange sound, something even stranger happened.
The ring shrank slightly and tightened around my finger perfectly.
"Binding? The author never mentioned that either."
Once again, I cursed that unreliable author.
Still, I ignored it.
But when I tried to remove the ring, it refused to budge.
Cold sweat rolled down my forehead.
"Haha... was I a little too hasty?"
I stopped trying to remove it.
"Fine."
No use wasting time.
"Huff..."
I slowly closed my eyes and poured mana into the black ring.
This ring was a weapon.
And it had two abilities.
First—it could evolve by absorbing metals and mana.
Second—it could change its shape into anything I desired.
A wide grin spread across my face as I watched the ring melt into liquid darkness, rise into my hand, and transform into—
"A sword."
It took the familiar shape of my katana.
But now it was cursed black, with a blade so sharp it looked capable of cutting through anything.
"The theft... succeeded