Kaito's body trembled from the intense training session. His breathing was heavy, and he couldn't stop the sweat that dripped down his face. Holding his breath for five minutes had felt almost impossible. As his lungs burned for air, he finally managed to stagger back and stand.
"Finally…" Kaito muttered to himself, his face flushed red.
His master's voice echoed in his mind, calm and measured. "That training is not enough."
Kaito looked at the glowing system window in front of him, too exhausted to understand. "What? That was all I could do!"
"I will train you more, but first, claim your reward," his master instructed.
Kaito's eyes drifted to the flashing [Claim] button on the system screen. He clicked it without hesitation, and immediately, a strange sensation coursed through his body. His stamina increased by 10, and 100,000 yen was added to his account.
"Wow," Kaito breathed, amazed by the unexpected reward. He didn't know how his master had set this up, but he was grateful for it.
"Now I will train you," his master's voice continued, firm and commanding. Before Kaito could react, the book his master had used earlier glowed brightly, and Kaito was sucked into it.
The world around him shifted, and within moments, he was no longer in his familiar training room. Instead, he found himself lying on a soft patch of grass in an unfamiliar landscape. The air smelled fresh, and the sky was an unusual shade of blue. The ground was cool to the touch, and Kaito sat up, feeling the weight of the sudden change.
"What's happening?" Kaito whispered, but there was no answer. Only the sound of wind rustling through trees.
"Hey, kid. This is our training," his master's voice echoed around him. Kaito jumped at the sound, scanning the area but seeing no one.
"Training?" Kaito asked, still trying to make sense of his surroundings.
"This world will be your new training ground. Welcome to Arcanis," his master said, his voice resonating like a deep vibration in the air.
"Arcanis?" Kaito repeated. He stood up and looked around, still uncertain. The landscape stretched for miles with rolling hills and green plains. It almost felt like an RPG game—a place where magic, adventure, and strange creatures could exist.
"Yeah, it's called Arcanis," his master continued. "It's a world with magic and many dangers. But before you dive into the adventure, I need you to learn how to survive."
Kaito nodded. He was still recovering from the intense training, but his curiosity got the better of him. "So, what now?"
"You will travel to the nearest town, which is two hours away. And you'll do it alone."
"Wait, alone?" Kaito asked, looking at his master, who had given him no other instructions.
"You'll figure it out. I'll be watching," his master replied. Then his voice faded, leaving Kaito in the stillness of the strange world.
Kaito started walking, his body still sore from the previous training session. The journey seemed to stretch on endlessly, and as the hours passed, he began to feel the effects of his exhaustion. His legs grew heavy, and he was starting to doubt if he could make it.
"I'm tired," Kaito muttered under his breath, dragging his feet.
"You can do it, kiddo," his master's voice suddenly echoed in his mind again. "Don't give up now."
Kaito clenched his teeth and pushed through the pain. As the sun began to set, he saw a small town in the distance. It was modest—nothing like the grand cities Kaito had seen in his previous life, but it was something.
"Finally," Kaito sighed with relief.
As he approached the town, his master's voice returned. "Check your bag, Kaito."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. He hadn't checked it since arriving. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out 10 gold coins. His eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected any sort of currency.
"Ten gold coins?" Kaito muttered, counting them. "What's this for?"
His master's voice explained, "The currency here works like this: 1 gold coin equals 9 silver coins. 1 silver equals 9 copper. And 9 gold coins make 1 platinum coin."
1 gold = 9 Silver
1 silver = 9 Copper
9 gold = 1 Platinum
"Okay," Kaito said, nodding. He didn't fully understand yet, but he was sure he'd learn more as he explored.
"Your first task: Find the Adventurer's Guild and then find an inn. Get some rest for tomorrow," his master instructed.
Kaito nodded, glancing around for any signs. It didn't take long before he spotted a large building with a wooden sign hanging above the door. Adventurer's Guild was etched into it. It was a typical guild hall from the RPG games Kaito had played back in his old world.
"I found it, master," Kaito said, his excitement building up.
"Good. Now go inside. But be careful. There's a lot more danger in these towns than you think."
Kaito took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Inside, the guild hall was bustling with adventurers talking, preparing for quests, and drinking. It was much livelier than Kaito had expected, but the atmosphere seemed heavy, as if everyone had an unspoken mission.
He approached the counter where a young woman was standing.
"Can I register as an adventurer?" Kaito asked politely.
The receptionist gave him a skeptical look. "Sure, but we'll need to test your mana first."
"My mana?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Dark mana is forbidden in this world. It's used by necromancers and evil beings. We need to check to make sure you're not one of them," the receptionist explained. She handed Kaito a glowing glove. "Place your hand on this."
Kaito hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on the glove. As soon as his palm made contact, the glove began to glow—not just one color, but two. One was blue, and the other was white. Kaito's eyes widened in shock.
"Two colors?" the receptionist gasped. "How is this even possible?"
Kaito was equally surprised, his heart racing. "Is that bad?"
The receptionist looked at him, then at the glowing glove. She was clearly puzzled but quickly regained her composure. "No, it's just... rare. Most people only have one color. I've never seen two colors at once."
She paused for a moment before asking, "What combat style do you follow? Mage? Warrior?"
Kaito thought for a moment before replying, "I'm a fighter."
"A fighter? That's unusual," the receptionist said, clearly intrigued.
Kaito couldn't help but smirk. Yeah, "a fighter. Not another sword master like the ones in every anime I've seen."
The receptionist leaned forward and whispered to him, "Listen, you need to hide your power."
Kaito blinked in surprise. "Why?"
"If anyone finds out what you're capable of, you'll attract unwanted attention. There's a lot of people in this world who would want to control your abilities," she explained softly. "Trust me, it's better to keep it hidden."
Kaito's master's voice filled his thoughts. "Two colors, huh? You have potential, kid."
Potential? Kaito thought. It sounded almost too good to be true, but part of him believed his master. He'd come this far, and he couldn't give up now.
"Yeah, I guess I do," Kaito replied quietly, more to himself than to anyone else.
"Be careful," his master added, his tone serious. "Don't trust too many people. After our task, we leave this world."
Kaito nodded. "I understand."
The receptionist handed him an adventurer's card. "Here's your registration. Be careful out there."
"Thanks," Kaito said, slipping the card into his pocket. As he turned to leave, a thought occurred to him. "System, open!" he commanded.
But nothing happened. The system didn't respond.
"What?" Kaito whispered, confused.
His master spoke again. "The connection is broken. This world is mine, I created it inside the book."
Kaito's eyes widened. "So that's why the system isn't working here?"
"Correct," his master confirmed. "But I can create a new system for you. It will only work in this world."
Kaito paused. "Okay."
His master's voice lightened. "Hey, Kaito, say 'Mamma mia' in Italian."
Kaito chuckled. "Mamma mia? That's creative, master!"
"I know, kiddo," his master replied with a laugh.
Kaito smiled and said, "Mamma mia!" as instructed. And with that, the system appeared before him.
Name: Kaito Ishida
Age: 3 (In this world, 1 year = 5 years)
Powers:
Ultra Instinct (Not mastered)
Steal Body: Invincible for 1 minute
Magic Fighting Style: Punch combined with raw power and magic
Infinite Growth: Gains strength every time he fights
Berserk: Power increases dramatically when enraged, but loses control
Stats:
Strength: B+
Agility: B-
Speed: A+
Durability: C+
Overall: B++
Level: 10
Kaito looked at the stats, amazed.
"Wait, what? These powers are crazy!" he said aloud.
His master responded, "Yeah, I told you. You've got some serious potential, kid."
Kaito looked at his stats again and smiled. "I can't believe it. This is just like a game!"
"You're not wrong," his master said. "But remember, this world is full of danger. You need to train harder if you want to survive."
Kaito nodded. "I'm ready, master."