I returned to the dark waters once more after I had died. A bright orb of light floated in front of my eyes. I began to wander around, looking for a way out of this place.
However, unlike before, I wasn't as afraid of this situation. I figured it might be because the orb of light near me gave me a sense of calm.
I walked for quite a while, but found nothing. I started to think it would be better to just give up. But then, the orb of light that had been beside me suddenly drifted away in another direction.
Panicking, I immediately chased after it. There was no way I could let the only source of light I had disappear just like that. I ran after it, gasping for air, until we arrived at a stage built above the water.
The place was lit with a fair number of lamps. The orb of light I had been chasing stopped right beside me. When I looked at the stage, for some reason, it reminded me of the one I performed on during a play when I was ten years old.
That was one of my happiest moments in my past life.
But as I was lost in that memory, my gaze shifted. Someone wearing black clothing and a black hood sat in the audience seats, at the front right corner.
I was completely startled by what I saw. The figure dressed entirely in black seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness. But strangely, I wasn't too afraid of the situation.
I slowly walked toward the figure to get a closer look. As I drew nearer, I reached out my hand to tap his shoulder.
But before I could do so, the man turned around. And I suddenly woke up from my sleep.
It turned out to be a dream. Yet somehow, it felt too real. I couldn't forget what I saw at the end of that dream.
The faceless figure dressed all in black had shocked me so deeply when he turned to face me. His pale skin, void of any facial features, terrified me to the point that it jolted me awake.
I thought I'd probably lose my appetite for the next few days. I got up and brewed myself a cup of tea, watching the students training on the field outside.
Then I thought, maybe it would be better if I trained too. Even though I had no idea where to start. Perhaps I should begin by improving my stamina through running.
I spent my morning exercising, running laps around the field. After I felt it was enough, I headed to the cafeteria to grab some cold water and a few pieces of bread. I figured I couldn't handle heavy food for now, not after that dream killed my appetite.
I returned to the dorm to clean myself up. Once done, I thought about checking that mysterious book again.
As I expected, the third page had been filled in.
Before anything else, there it was again—a new message on the third page.
---
Hey, how can you relax while your friends are training?
Are you actually confused about how to train?
If that's the case, I'll help you.
Try looking for a book called "Reversal Composed" in the library.
It's a bit old, but it'll help you figure out what you need to work on.
---
This time, the writing on the page was longer than before. They were scolding me like a mother would.
Reversal Composed, huh? Honestly, it sounded a bit suspicious, but there was no harm in looking for it.
Upon arriving at the library, I searched high and low for the book. But it was nowhere to be found.
I asked the librarian about it. Apparently, the book had been removed from the shelves long ago because of how old it was, and no one read it anymore.
Because of that, the book was stored away in the library's storage room. I felt a bit puzzled—why would they recommend a book that was practically treated like trash? Could it really help me?
I went to the storage room to look for the book. After some searching, I found it buried beneath a pile of other old and dusty books.
I cleaned it off and brought it back to my dorm.
Reversal Composed—a black, ancient-looking book with golden carvings of old runes decorating its cover. Once I cleared off the dust, it actually looked quite elegant.
I began reading its pages one by one.
The first chapter described the history of this world—how sorcerers, knights, and others first came into existence.
Originally, the world was divided into five major continents, each inhabited by various races. The continent I currently lived on was called Salvadoras. It was located in the center of the others.
It all began when the five continents united to carry out a massive expedition in search of new natural resources. The expedition team consisted of twelve individuals from various races.
King Greakh of the Kingdom of Visalas from the continent of Aether was appointed as the leader of the expedition. He was known as the strongest human at the time.
Their journey took about a year and a half as they explored untouched lands. However, all they found were barren lands with few resources.
They needed to find a land rich in natural resources for the expedition to be worthwhile. Eventually, they arrived at a new continent at the edge of the world.
There, vast green fields welcomed them. Many fruits and plants they had never seen before grew abundantly.
They explored further in search of other resources. Their journey led them to a large cave. With the help of torches, they ventured inside.
What they found shocked them. Gem-like stones were embedded in the cave walls.
But the most surprising discovery was an ancient tomb. A massive stone bearing inscriptions stood behind it. Twelve artifacts surrounded the tomb—it was the tomb of an ancient god.
The stone behind the tomb contained ancient writings. Fortunately, the dragon and elf races who were part of the expedition could translate them.
The inscriptions detailed information about the twelve artifacts that encircled the tomb. Each artifact had unique information and symbols that served as its identity.
They brought the artifacts back, along with the natural resources.
Back home, they began studying and understanding the contents of the artifacts. These artifacts held information on what mana was, how to use it, and how it could be applied.
Each artifact offered a different method of learning. These twelve artifacts would go on to revolutionize the world and become the foundation of the twelve classes.
The twelve classes were: Gatekeeper, Slayer, Knight, Bishop, Archer, Ironclad, Blacksmith, Scout, Sorcerer, Lancer, Alchemist, and Summoner.
Now, each of the twelve artifacts is stored in different regions, each protected within an altar built to house them.
Along with that, the continent they discovered was later named Arkterk and became the sixth continent in this world.
The continent is now permanently closed off and sealed with great force to prevent outsiders from entering.