The Royal Palace of Astheria was filled with a suffocating tension. Today was the day of the 'Mana Awakening' ceremony, the moment when the magical potential of the royal heirs was measured.
"Kaito Asci! Mana Capacity: 0. Class: Disqualified (Mana-less)!"
The Royal Mage's cold announcement echoed through the grand hall, followed immediately by an explosion of laughter from the courtiers. Kaito stood frozen, his head bowed. He was the fourth prince of this kingdom, yet in a world where magic was everything, he was a hollow shell. His half-brothers smirked from the balcony, their eyes filled with mockery.
"Kaito, are you okay?"
A firm, comforting hand landed on his shoulder. It was Hiroshi, Kaito's eldest brother. Despite his stern warrior's face, his eyes were clouded with worry. In this palace of snakes, Hiroshi was the only one who didn't treat Kaito like a stain on the royal lineage.
"Don't listen to them," Hiroshi said, his voice low and steady. "Even without magic, you can prove yourself through the blade. I will personally train you."
Kaito gave a weak smile. "Thank you, brother." But he knew the truth—in this world, a sword could only do so much against a fireball.
As he exited the hall, a frantic figure caught up to him. It was Kenji, Kaito's childhood friend and the caretaker of the Royal Library. Adjusting his glasses, Kenji whispered, "Kaito, don't let them get to you. I found something... strange. In the deepest basement of the library, there are ancient scrolls. They aren't magical, but they are filled with bizarre mathematical symbols. I think you should see them."
The next morning, Kaito met Kenji in the dim, dusty corner of the library. Kenji pulled out an old, leather-bound book with no title. Its cover was etched with strange dots and dashes.
The moment Kaito touched the book, a jolt of electricity surged through his mind. In his previous life on Earth, Kaito was a top-tier white-hat hacker. To everyone else, these symbols were gibberish, but to him, they were Binary Code.
"Kenji... this isn't a spellbook," Kaito muttered, his heart racing. "These are logic gates. This is a system manual!"
Kaito began to scan the pages with feverish intensity. His past knowledge of hacking and the cryptic information in the book began to synchronize. Suddenly, the air in front of his eyes began to ripple. A shimmering, blue light flickered into existence, forming a transparent screen that only he could see.
[System Booting...]
[Unauthorized User Detected...]
[Bypassing Security Layer 1...]
[Accessing Local Library Database...]
Kaito gasped. Floating before him was an Invisible Holographic Interface.
"Kaito? Why are you waving your hands in the air?" Kenji asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Kaito quickly dropped his hands, realizing Kenji couldn't see the screen. He took a deep breath, his mind spinning with possibilities. "It's nothing, Kenji. Just... just keep bringing me books like this. Anything with these symbols. I think I've finally found my path."
Kaito turned back to the invisible terminal. He typed a mental command: ls -all.
Instantly, the metadata of every single book in the library began to scroll past his vision. Titles, dates, and even hidden contents were laid bare before him.
Everyone thought he was powerless. But Kaito knew better. He wasn't a failed mage; he was the only 'Virus' in a world of rigid code. He would study, he would code, and slowly, he would hack the very foundations of this world.