The next few days were more of the same. I met with Isabelle in the mornings for magic training and sword practice in the afternoon with my dad.

My magic training had quickly improved. So much so that Isabelle questioned me on how much I trained in my free time. I told her, and she was surprised at the amount but said I had made amazing progress in such a short time. For now, I was just happy that I could absorb and cycle mana.

The feeling in my gut every time I cycle mana felt weird, my body tensed up each time I started and then got coated in a warm coat of energy.

I found out that there was a limit to how much mana I could keep in me at one time. One evening, when I sat on the floor trying to absorb, I hit a wall. The cycling stopped, and I felt full of energy, like I had drunk too many energy drinks after the perfect amount of sleep.

I was ecstatic until the feeling dampened. For now, I was told to keep expelling my mana to then absorb more. The part of my body that kept the mana was like a muscle, if I kept using it, the stronger it would get.

Throughout all this, I hadn't left my parents' or Isabelle's side, and it was driving me crazy. In my previous life, I had been an introvert who enjoyed my time alone… I was currently going crazy.

“Would it be a problem if I went out alone?”

My mom, Anna, looked at me for a moment as she was cleaning something Dad had caught the same day for tonight's dinner. “Where did you want to go? I can come with you if you…”

“Nono!” I said, interrupting her. “It's nothing special; I just want to go out and look around for a bit, maybe it will help with my memories?” I said, lying on the last bit. Even if I got my memories back, I doubted anything would change; I was here now.

My mom took another moment looking at me before agreeing, “Alright, that's fine, but make sure you are careful. You can go out tomorrow during the day.”

“Great! Thank you!” I said, smiling at her. Tomorrow was going to be fun.

—-

The next day, I was out as soon as I had finished breakfast. I had my sword with me as Anna wouldn't let me leave without it. It was still a giant wooden sword, but whatever, I had it on a strap on my back as I headed out.

I really wanted to find a private place for me to practice magic. Every time I did something in front of Isabelle or my dad, I got questioned on how I had cast it.

“Oh, you know, I have memories of a past life where I watched too much anime, and now I'm using powers that I saw there,” I silently muttered to myself as I walked towards the woods.

I had been told there were monsters in these woods, but I wasn't too worried. Apparently, my dad and the guards of this town took care of those that came too close. But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to try fighting one.

—-

After some time, I found a path that I followed that lead me to a large waterfall in the woods,

There was plenty of open space in the spot had found. I looked around the waterfall until I found a nice spot to start my personal training.

I took out my sword and started doing some warm-up swings that my dad had taught me.

I then moved on to some more advanced forms I had also been taught, trying to go faster and faster.

It started feeling good, and I felt it's going smoother and smoother. I made fewer mistakes like I did in the beginning, but I still had room for improvement.

One of the reasons I had decided to find a place for myself was so I could try using more magic while using the sword. My body-enhancing spell had gotten better, but I still couldn't focus on ranged spells while in melee combat.

Taking a stance, I started moving in a practiced and controlled motion,

swinging my sword back and forth until I didn't have to think about it anymore.

I felt my mind disconnect from what I was doing, and I started focusing on a spell. A ball started forming above the palm of my hand, spinning quicker and quicker until a torrent of wind was in my hand; I had tried making a copy of the Rasengan I had seen in Naruto.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I couldn't stop grinding as I kept swinging my sword and focusing on the spell. I swung my sword, moving closer and closer to a rock wall near me, and slammed the blue orb straight into it.

I saw the rock implode and twist with a loud “CRACK!” and the rest of the stone fell to the ground.

I steadied the sword on the ground and leaned on the hilt, still with a big grin on my face. I had so many more things I wanted to try out!

“Oh? What's this… little Elias all out on his own?” a smug-sounding voice said from the path behind me.

I turned and saw a group of older boys standing. They all were carrying short wooden swords on their hip and all looking down on me.

Oh, what the hell is this.

“We heard you hit your head and lost your memories, not much to lose, is there?” one of the bigger ones said.

They clearly wanted a reaction from me. Sure… I'll bite.

“You kids lost? Need me to lead you back home?” I pointed down the path, “town's that way, now bye-bye!”

“What was that?!” one of the boys responded, “you are still nothing but a loser, think we are going to go easy on you just because you lost your memories,” one of them said in a mocking tone.

I raised my eyebrows at them. “I have no idea who the hell you are, and I suggest you go back wherever you came from.” Elias, what the heck…. What did you do to these kids to get so much on their bad side?

From the back of my head, I felt fear leaking out, a reaction from Elias that I couldn't control, and I wanted nothing but to run…

Oh, so it was like that. They were the stereotypical bully who beat down those weaker than them to feel good about themselves, huh… I felt anger boil up from inside me. Elias was eight years old, and here we had these twerps much older acting all high and mighty, making me feel scared for a reason I didn't even know, and it pissed me off.

“Fuck it,” I said in a dark tone, “if you want to fight, bring it on, you losers.” The anger kept rising. For a moment I was confused where this came from? I didn't know these people, but my body reacted in such a way I had just spurted those words out.

The anger kept rising, and I felt my mana cycle.

“Oh, he thinks he is a mage now!” the taller boy said, raising his hand up, he was getting ready to cast a spell. “Water form into an orb and attack my foe.” He repeated the same chant a total of four times as a ball of water started forming.

What the hell? How is he this bad? Can’t he even focus on a water orb?

The orb of water shot out at me at what can only be described as… a pathetic speed. I let the ball hit me in the chest, and I did feel the impact as I was slightly pushed back, but this… this was cringe.

I looked at him with wide eyes, feeling my fear and anger lessen… “HUH?” I just spluttered out.

"That's right! How does it feel to face a mighty mage!” the boy shouted back at me, not even noticing my perplexed expression.

All of them laughed together when I had just gotten wet.

“Is… Is that it?” I asked them with my arms out to the side.

“Oh, you want more?!” one of the others asked sarcastically.

I blinked a few times before realizing. So, my parents and Isabelle calling me amazing weren't just to be nice then; this was normal for a kid, and I was the freak.

I put my face in my palms and just sighed deeply.

“Look, he is crying!” one of them said, pointing at me.

Okay, fine, enough of that, I raised my hands towards them and focused on the water around me.

If I could control the mana around me to create something, then I assumed it would be easier to use something that already existed.

I reached out, wanting to make the water from the waterfall shoot at them to wash them away.

I bent my mana and will on the water, turning the current; I heard the water behind me stop falling for a moment as I saw the boys' eyes widen. “Water burst!” I shouted as the water shot out at them in a flash; it struck them like a whip, sending them all off their feet.

I just stood there looking at them trying and failing to get back on their feet. “Ye-Yeah! That's what you get!” I tried with my voice breaking halfway through.

None of them even tried to dodge it. What the hell? Sure, I had taken their spell, but that was a pathetic ball that just hit like a bucket of water; I had turned the waterfall on them!

They had finally gotten on their feet looking at me with fear in their eyes. “Th-this is-isn't over!” one of them stuttered at me as they ran back into the woods.

I really hoped that would be the end of it, but I doubted it.