ONLINE IN ANOTHER WORLD

In this world, there are those that are fortunate and those who are not. Ethan Bellrose is neither; he is cursed. At nineteen, he has lived his entire life sheltered in his home as his fragile body blisters under sunlight, breaks under the slightest impact, and falls to any sickness. However, the arrival of a world-changing digital service catches the hopeless young man’s eye: “Reincarnation Online”--a virtual reality experience that gives a new fantastical life to those who are unfulfilled with their current path. For Ethan Bellrose, the choice is simple. Without hesitation, he orders the virtual reality headgear, choosing to abandon his current life and live forevermore in the world of fantasy, magic, and endless adventure–”Arcadius.” Though what he finds is a world not full of leisure and trivial triumph, but a world just as alive and full of darkness, glory, and grandeur as Earth–if not greater. Starting from square one as an infant, given a new name and family, this is the eventful life, full of dreadful lows and exhilarating highs, of “Emilio Dragonheart.” [...Booting System…] [Welcome to Reincarnation Online.] [You will henceforth by the recipient of the Dragonheart System.] [Please, enjoy your stay.]

“Reincarnation Online: The Second Life of Fantasy, Excitement, and Wonder.”Seeing the title of the “VR” product–a “Virtual Reality” game–he felt it resonate with something within him as he stared at his monitor.However, virtual reality had evolved from just an ocular augmentation to something that was able to completely augment all senses of a person’s mind, allowing them to fully immerse into new settings.But, even above that, “Reincarnation Online” was touted as an experience that was quite literally a new reality.Reading the article, it seemed like less of a game and more of a ticket into another world entirely. As he scrolled down the page, he clicked on video embedded on the page:

It was entirely black.There was no body he possessed, as if solely inhabiting a consciousness amidst a void bearing nothing but total darkness.For a moment, it was nothing but complete silence in this void; deprived of all senses, his thoughts felt hazy.What…is this? He thought.

Over the past few months, he adamantly tried to conquer his status as an “infant”, though it was more difficult than he gave it credit for.He was mostly left to the whims of his parents, only able to cry out when needing something as his small tongue and vocal chords weren’t developed much yet.Walking was a difficult task with his uncoordinated baby body, but he didn’t mind it–this ended up with him being carried by Treyna a lot, who always kept him close to her chest.There was nothing that could ruin his joyous bliss in this new life–after all, he had a functional body.

There wasn’t much to do at his young age; his parents were still overly protective of every little action he took, though he didn’t blame them nor did he really mind it.While sitting and reading a book, Julius watched in surprise, witnessing his young son studying away at the text.“…You can read already, Emilio?” Julius asked, kneeling down beside him.He nodded with a smile, “Yeah.”At first, this language seemed foreign to me, but I picked it up quickly. I wonder if it’s a special skill or something? He pondered.“That’s amazing!” Julius laughed proudly, “I knew a son of mine would be amazing!”

[Three Years Later | Age 10]Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.“C’mon, Emilio! Swing back!”Julius called out, swinging the wooden sword rapidly as he held his own training blade up like a shield, being pushed back as he backpedaled across the front yard.“Ngh–I can’t when you’re being so aggressive!” He whined.

It was easy to tell why magic was so difficult for people to grasp: there were hardly any real, tangible instructions given.The very first entry in the grimoire was the pre-information needed to understand magecraft itself.‘Mana is no different than one’s own life essence. It’s drained when we’re exhausted, it’s filled when we eat. Just as we burn through energy by tending to a field or swinging a sword, we burn through mana to manifest magic. The incantations are engrained with the true visualization of a spell; they help one to completely imagine that which they wish to manifest. However, it’s possible to bypass the need for words bringing your magic to life. However, that’s something one should focus on much later in their tenure as a mage.’Still, the knowledge flowed into his mind seamlessly as he glanced over the first page that caught his mind:“Wind Blast.”

“Your mother and I discussed it, and if you want to take your training in the art of magic to the next level, you’re going to have to also become a half-decent swordsman!”“I don’t understand…why?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.He could tell the discussion that Julius had with his mother was likely more of the eccentric, brawn-for-brains man convincing her to have him undergo this training.“Balance is key! Sometimes, a sword is going to come in handy over magic! Having both options will make you a twice as powerful combatant!” Julius told him, “Now, if Veldalla here passes you by the end of your lessons in six months–you can get your magic tutor!”It was a deal, or rather, a challenge issued to him.