Chapter 2
The man's voice echoed through the wind. Renzai turned around as soon as he heard it. A tall man—taller than him—with long, wavy blue hair was staring at him. His eyes sparkled, and a gentle smile curved on his lips. Dragon‑like horns rose from his head, and he wasn't even standing on the ground—he looked like he was walking on air and the mist of the forest.
"So you're the newcomer? I'm Soryu! Welcome to Nira!... Oh, seems like you can't control your clones, huh? Since I'm supposed to be your guide, let me help you."
Soryu slowly descended and touched the ground. He wore a blue and white changshan, paired with white and gold boots. He calmly walked toward Renzai, giving him a quick up‑and‑down glance.
Then he stopped in place and began explaining.
"First of all, the land of Nira is the land of memories—here, you never know what's illusion and what's real. So stay sharp! Rule number one of using magic: your magic depends on your imagination and how well you can visualize. Take a deep breath and imagine they're not here."
"I… don't understand what you mean… but fine."
Renzai breathed softly, then took a deep inhale and closed his eyes, trying to imagine. The illusions were still out of control and shattered his focus. Soryu spoke again:
"Relax. You have to focus."
Renzai tried again—this time, imagining clearly, and the illusions slowly faded away. When he opened his eyes, Soryu was already smiling at him.
"Oh, nice! That was great! Alright kid, if you want to stay alive, you need to know a lot more about this world. This place is ruled by the God of Water and Memories. First thing—never mess with the gods. It won't end well for you."
Renzai only stared at him in confusion.
"Wait—how did I even get here? ...Don't tell me I died in the real world?!"
Soryu chuckled softly.
"Maybe. But not everyone reincarnates because of death. Anyway, let me explain. The world you've reincarnated into is Eilindors, an ancient multi‑element, multi‑continent world formed by the Ten Foundational Gods."
Renzai sighed and muttered in his mind:
"Funny how none of this was explained in the story…"
He was lost in thought when Soryu's voice brought him back.
"Alright! Since you still can't control your clones, you need training. I thought we could start with a rank‑D monster, but you can't even form stable illusions. So… rank‑F it is!"
Renzai's eyes widened as he stared at Soryu.
"Did you just say monster?! I'm definitely gonna die here!"
Soryu sighed.
"You really have no confidence. Don't worry, I'll turn you into a master. And most importantly, you must believe in your magic. But since you can't start training yet, we're heading to the village—Aronthil—to get you a sword. They've got lots of sword masters there. Now hang on, I should switch to my human form."
In one swift move, Soryu transformed into the appearance of a village resident. Renzai still looked at him in disbelief.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Aren't you coming?"
Renzai snapped out of it and followed him.
---
(Present Time – Village of Aronthil)
After nearly thirty minutes of walking, Soryu and Renzai arrived at Aronthil. The houses were built with wood and stone, a small marketplace buzzed with life, and the village lay beside a river with fields and farms.
"It may be a small village, but it's the best in Nira!"
Voices of villagers filled the air. Children were playing not far away, while swordsmen and warriors trained in the distance.
Soryu approached one of the sword vendors and bought only a wooden sword.
Renzai glanced at it.
"Wait—just a wooden sword?! Are you trying to get me killed?!"
Soryu gave him a look.
"Oh please. Did you expect to jump into battle right away? You need to learn swordsmanship first. We'll stay here in the village for now. After your training is done, we'll head to the capital so you can join the warriors and get officially ranked—"
Before he finished, a deep roar thundered across the village!