Images of a past life flashed through Ryan's eyes.
Of all the death.
Of all the pain he suffered.
Of all the people he lost.
He stood silently in front of the apartment window as he relived these horrible moments.
The city stretched out below him—quiet, steady, unchanged— for now.
Streetlights cast soft pools of light across empty roads. A few distant headlights moved lazily through the streets, and somewhere far below, the faint hum of late-night traffic drifted through the glass.
Nothing looked out of place.
Nothing felt wrong.
But none of this protected Ryan from his memories.
The horrors he lived through, and have relived every moment of his life since.
If someone stood where he was now, they would see nothing more than an ordinary night.
Calm.
Predictable.
Safe.
But Ryan's gaze didn't soften.
Because he knew—
the horror that would befall Earth in the coming days.
Ryan's reflection stared back at him from the darkened glass.
Cold.
Focused.
Older than the body he now wore.
Because he knew.
He knew his time was limited, he knew that he didn't have any time to waste.
In less than forty-eight hours—
Everything would fall apart.
Not gradually.
Not slowly.
All at once.
Ryan exhaled slowly.
Then turned away.
The apartment behind him was no longer the same.
Boxes lined the walls.
Stacked high.
Canned food.
Bottled water.
Fuel containers near the door.
Medical supplies.
Everything he had managed to gather in a single day.
Ryan stepped into the space, his gaze moving across it all.
His preparation had begun.
But there wasn't enough time.
Forty-eight hours wasn't time to prepare.
It was time to choose what you were willing to leave unfinished.
If only people would believe him if he warned them.
Even if just the people he wanted to protect believed him.
But none would.
That's why he didn't even try.
He rubbed the back of his neck as he walked toward the bedroom.
His steps slowed slightly as he crossed the threshold—
And stopped.
The mirror.
Ryan stood there for a moment, staring at his own reflection.
"I almost forgot…"
His voice was quiet.
"This is what I used to look like."
The man in the mirror was tall—just over six foot two. Broad shoulders. A decent build.
But…
Soft.
Unrefined.
Nothing like what he remembered.
In his previous life, his body had been carved by battle.
Hardened.
Efficient.
This one—
Belonged to an office worker.
His cheeks were slightly fuller.
His skin uneven in places.
A faint yellow stain lingered near his lips.
Years of smoking.
Ryan raised a hand, brushing his chin.
The motion felt… familiar.
Too familiar.
And with it—
The craving came.
Subtle at first.
Then sharper.
An itch at the back of his throat.
A restless pull in his chest.
Ryan scoffed under his breath.
"Pathetic."
He had ruled the world.
Faced creatures that could flatten cities.
And yet this body still clung to habits he had abandoned decades ago.
Still—
A quiet sigh escaped him.
"If only I had some Clearleaf…"
The name lingered.
Clearleaf.
A plant that had appeared after the Awakening.
One that battles were fought over.
Once processed, its leaves calmed the mind, stabilized mana flow, and sharpened control. In the early days, it had been priceless—something many awakened relied on just to keep themselves from losing control.
But before the Awakening—
It didn't exist.
Or at least…
That's what everyone had believed.
Ryan's expression shifted.
A thought surfaced.
Slow.
Careful.
What if it does…?
Ryan lowered himself to the floor.
Cross-legged.
Still.
He closed his eyes.
His breathing slowed.
Steady.
Measured.
Inhale.
Exhale.
In his previous life, mana sensing had come much later.
An accident.
A discovery born out of desperation.
Now—
He reached for it deliberately.
The world around him faded.
The room disappeared.
The weight of his body softened.
Until—
There was only awareness.
The space around him.
The air.
The unseen.
Minutes passed.
Then—
There.
A flicker.
Ryan's heart skipped.
Tiny ripples drifted through the darkness of his mind.
Faint.
Almost invisible.
Like mist rising from heated water.
Mana.
Weak.
Barely there.
But real.
Ryan's instincts took over immediately.
A hundred years of experience guided him without hesitation.
He inhaled slowly.
In his mind—
He pulled.
The first attempt failed.
The mist scattered—slipping away from his grasp.
Ryan adjusted instantly.
Refined.
Focused.
Then pulled again.
The faint blue mist shifted.
Drifted closer.
Then—
It touched him.
A cool sensation spread through his veins.
Subtle.
Refreshing.
Alive.
And in that exact moment—
A voice echoed inside his mind.
[First connection made with mana]
Ryan's eyes snapped open.
"What the hell—"
The voice continued.
[Partial system upload commencing]
Ryan shot to his feet.
"What is this—"
Pain exploded inside his skull.
Not like a headache.
Like something breaking through—
Forcing space where there wasn't any.
Sharp.
Violent.
Like something was forcing its way into his mind.
Ryan dropped to his knees.
His vision blurred instantly.
The room twisted.
Sound distorted.
Before he could even react—
Darkness swallowed everything.
***
[Partial system upload complete]
[System integration with Ryan Hale complete]
***
Ryan's eyes opened slowly.
Morning light spilled through the window, soft and steady.
For a moment—
He didn't move.
Then—
A groan escaped him as he pushed himself upright.
"Shit…"
His body ached.
His head throbbed faintly, like the echo of something that had already passed.
"What the hell was that…"
Then—
The voice returned.
Familiar.
Light.
Almost amused.
[I thought I'd make things a little easier for you this time.]
Ryan froze.
"…Iris?"
A soft chuckle echoed in his mind.
[Who else would it be?]
Ryan rubbed his temples, letting out a slow breath.
"…You could've warned me."
[Where's the fun in that?]
Ryan shook his head slightly.
Typical.
[I've given you a system interface.]
Her tone shifted—lighter, almost playful.
[If you want to view it, just think or say 'Status.']
Ryan blinked once.
"…Status."
A translucent screen appeared in front of him.
[Host: Ryan Hale]
Age: 25 (Mental age 125)
Race: Human
Rank: Lower-Earth
Level: 1
Strength: 11
Agility: 6
Vitality: 6
Intelligence: 10
Mana Capacity: 0 / 100
Skills: Absorption — Mid-Earth Rank
Ryan stared at it.
"…This looks like a game."
Iris sounded pleased.
[Where do you think I got the idea from?]
Ryan's gaze scanned the numbers.
A grimace tugged at his lips.
"These stats are terrible."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Was I really this weak?"
A soft laugh echoed.
[They're not that bad.]
[Your strength is slightly above average.]
[Your intelligence is… perfectly average.]
A brief pause.
[But yes. The rest are quite terrible.]
Ryan let out a dry chuckle.
"That tracks."
His eyes lingered on the screen.
Then narrowed slightly.
"What does rank mean?"
He stood and moved toward the bathroom.
The day had already started.
And he had already lost hours.
The shower turned on.
Steam slowly filled the space.
Iris answered calmly.
[Your world exists within the Mortal Realm.]
[Within it, there are three primary ranks.]
[Earth. Sky. Heaven.]
Ryan stepped under the hot water.
The heat washed over him, grounding him slightly.
"And I'm at the bottom."
[Lower-Earth.]
[Which means you are still, fundamentally… mortal.]
Ryan huffed quietly.
"So barely better than a normal human."
[Not quite.]
[The difference between ranks is significant.]
[And your skill gives you an advantage.]
Ryan ran a hand through his hair.
"And skills level up how?"
[Use them.]
[Understanding and repetition increase proficiency.]
Ryan nodded slowly.
"In my previous life, I had to figure all of this out from scratch."
He turned off the water and reached for a towel.
"Mana control… skill usage… everything."
[You won't have that problem this time.]
Ryan pulled on fresh clothes.
Simple.
Functional.
"But I still need to understand it myself."
[Yes.]
[The system will assist you—]
A brief pause.
[—until you reach Heaven Rank.]
Ryan stopped.
"…And after that?"
[You're on your own.]
Ryan nodded once.
Good.
That suited him better.
He grabbed his keys from the table.
"Earlier, you mentioned realms."
"What exactly does that mean?"
A pause.
Then—
[I can't tell you much.]
Ryan frowned slightly.
"And why not?"
He opened the apartment door.
[I am restricted.]
Her voice softened.
[If I reveal too much… the consequences won't fall on me.]
Ryan stopped.
"…They'll fall on me."
[Yes.]
Ryan exhaled slowly.
He didn't like that.
Didn't like unknown limits.
But—
For now, he let it go.
"So what else can this system do?"
Iris's tone brightened instantly.
[Glad you asked.]
Ryan raised an eyebrow as he stepped into the hallway.
[Aside from assisting with your growth—]
[I can use my authority over space-time to locate items.]
Ryan stopped mid-step.
"…Locate?"
[Yes.]
[As long as they are not living.]
Ryan turned slightly.
Interest sharpened in his eyes.
"So you can search for objects… or plants?"
[Correct.]
His pulse quickened.
"What range?"
[With your current mana… approximately one hundred miles.]
Ryan's expression shifted.
Focused.
Calculating.
If mana already exists—
Then…
Time wasn't just running out.
It was something he could use.
His voice lowered slightly.
"Search the surrounding area."
A beat.
"For a plant called Clearleaf."
Silence.
Brief.
Then—
Ryan smiled.
Slow.
Certain.
Because if Clearleaf already existed—
Even in small quantities—
Then everything changes.
He stepped forward again, pulling out his keys.
"It looks like…"
His grin widened.
"…we're taking a detour."