The journey through the portal was surprisingly smooth, Oh, you're not following? Allow me to explain then. As previously stated to traverse the void and navigate its complexities, one must possess a deep understanding of fundamental concepts. And the greater and more complex concepts hold immense authority and maintain equilibrium within the folds of the void.
While these concepts and laws can be manipulated by the will of realities, there exist concepts that cannot be shaped according to reality's desires. They assimilate inferior concepts and adapt, yet their essence remains unchanged, much like the fiery rebirth of a phoenix, intertwined with life, death, karma, fire, and light, each concept intricately connected. More will be revealed in the future if our soul encounters those creatures with fiery wings.
As I was saying, the smoothness of the act is owed to the individual's comprehension of these concepts. With comprehension, they can even beckon the assistance of the very fabric of space or any other concept they require for a seamless application. When space itself aids you, there are no obstacles to hinder your progress.
Gradually, he traversed numerous creations of different realities, always turning towards the distant reality to which the Origin Tree had guided him. After an uncertain length of time, he arrived at a remarkable reality, remarkable in its vastness and fortified by a powerful protective barrier. In truth, every reality possesses such boundaries, where the void meets the perspectives of countless other realities.
Without significant power, one would never discern their existence, as they appear boundless to ordinary beings. Only those who stand at the very limits of their realities, whether to safeguard them or pursue future advancements, have knowledge of these boundaries.
Approaching the boundary of this reality through the concept of space, our soul came to a halt. And an astonishing sight unfolded, as the protective wards encasing him until now unravelled and transformed. Countless runes shifted and formed a connection with the boundary, opening access to the realities reincarnation plane. The soul entered the recarnection plane seamlessly, his destination? Reincarnation River!!, for your convenience, let's refer to it as "Strix."
Crossing the boundary into the Reincarnation plane and then venturing into the Strix River, our soul went unnoticed by the reincarnation administrators or the overseeing deity. Now understanding the intricacies of causality, fate, and Reincarnation is essential. Otherwise, you may perceive this as an ordinary occurrence.
Reincarnation occurs when one possesses an abundance of good karma or has contributed positively to reality as a whole. Otherwise, one's will is erased, and they are reborn as a new, untainted soul. It may be a subject of debate, but ultimately, your reality decides. Manipulating this system is far from simple.
As our soul was untainted, it flowed smoothly through the Strix River, The river's gentle embrace carried our soul through the veil of existence it judged him as a new untainted soul, and proceed as such, transforming him into a new life, and such our soul turned into a new budding life coming into being in his mother's womb.
The mother, weary from a day of toil, sought solace within the confines of her room in a medium-sized wooden house situated outskirts of a village, in a country where you can find many people of different races, all of this happened in a planet mostly abundant with lush greenery, nestled within the vast conglomeration of universes in that reality.
The soul unaware of all continued his slumber, he didn't know he is in a new reality that was vastly different from his previous one, or of the system that had become a part of him, it quietly worked to establish a foundation during his unconscious state, during this process, his will continued to assimilate the concepts and energies, unbeknownst to him that he will probably be reborn soon.
Time flowed and seasons passed in the new world, bringing both joy and complexities to the lives of its inhabitants. The couple, a young woman in her late 20s and her husband in his early 30s embraced a fulfilling life. They managed a small tavern, tended to their modest but sizeable plot of land, and hunted animals for meat. Additionally, the husband would gather herbs from the nearby woods when he would go out hunting, which found their way into both their home and the wife's delicious recipes at the tavern.
Villagers and visitors who stopped by their tavern for various reasons often marvelled at the wife's cooking. Though nothing extravagant, the use of fresh meat, herbs, and homegrown vegetables resulted in satisfying meals. As time passed, the wife began to notice changes in her body, and she soon realized that the cherished moments spent with her husband may have borne fruit. Excited, she shared the news with her husband and together they decided to visit the village healer, who attended to the villagers with her healing magic, potions, and herbal remedies.
After a thorough checkup and spending a silver coin for magical confirmation, it was confirmed that she was indeed pregnant. A new member would soon join their household, bringing both happiness and worries. This was a new experience for both of them and while the wife found the idea of a life growing inside her to be beautiful, the husband felt a mix of happiness and concern. Having lost his parents in a beast invasion years ago, he was unfamiliar with the intricacies of pregnancy. Nevertheless, they expressed their gratitude to the village healer and returned home.
The couple engaged in numerous discussions about what they should do next. The husband worried about his wife's well-being, knowing that expectant mothers required extra care. Lamentably, he lacked knowledge in this area, having become independent after surviving the aforementioned beast invasion and spending his late teens and twenties adventuring.
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It was during one of these adventures that he met his wife in a village, and their love story led them to this new place. They had chosen this village as their future home when the kingdom was establishing new settlements and trade routes, offering affordable land and opportunities. The wife's parents had decided to stay in their distant village, which is a journey of 4-5 months by carriage.
Understanding the importance of his wife's health, the husband resolved to take on most of the responsibilities himself, allowing his wife to rest. She insisted on contributing, especially during the early months of her pregnancy, but he knew better than to argue with her.
However, he made it a point to monitor her activities and stepped in whenever he noticed her engaging in strenuous tasks. As her belly grew larger over time, she naturally grew tired even during lighter chores. Her husband reassured her that it was perfectly fine and did his best to shoulder the workload.
Word spread among their customers that the innkeeper's wife was pregnant, and occasionally, the inn had to close for a few days. The couple embraced this new chapter of their lives, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their child while continuing to navigate the challenges of running their tavern and maintaining their home.
As time elapsed, the soul transformed. Within his mind, he eagerly absorbed countless concepts, while his soul effortlessly intertwined with his newfound little body. The system diligently monitored and analyzed every aspect of this extraordinary experience.
As the fateful day of his mother's anticipated labour, our soul finally regain consciousness. Yet, he found himself devoid of sight, replaced only by a keen awareness of his physicality, he could feel the rhythmic beating of his heart. Such a sensation was alien to his previous ethereal existence, and it instilled a sense of worry in his newfound consciousness.
He yearned to survey his surroundings, but all attempts were futile, leaving him engulfed in a disorienting sense of drowning, mingled with an odd serenity. A lot of questions plagued him—where was he now, and what had become of his vision? He was confused.
Amidst his contemplation, the melodic strains of a soothing voice, gently singing lullabies, occasionally reached his ears. A peculiar comfort enveloped him during these moments, lulling him into slumber. Though he yearned to move, he found himself bound, and as days turned into weeks, he gradually comprehended his current abode: his mother's womb.
Hope for the future surged within him, accompanied by an insatiable curiosity. What awaited him upon his birth? Was he destined to be human, male or female? Would he step into an entirely new world or return to the one he once knew? What kind of parents would he have? And what would his purpose be? Visions of a vast, enchanting realm, filled with magic and mythical races, akin to the tales he devoured in books, danced through his thoughts.
While attempting to fathom these mysteries, his small form involuntarily tensed, and his heartbeat is accelerating. In pursuit of tranquillity, he ventured into his old practice of meditation, though such a practice felt strangely awkward within his infantile vessel. The lack of full motor control in an environment where you are kind of floating posed a considerable challenge, demanding unwavering effort to calm both body and mind.
And so, he whiled away the hours, listening to the comforting cadence of his mother's voice, occasionally accompanied by his father's, all while grappling with meditation in this new embodiment.When with only a few weeks remaining until his birth drew near, he achieved a breakthrough during one of his meditation sessions. Witch in itself an achievement nonetheless, those aeons of meditation definitely showed some usefulness, as before he emptied his mind and started to think about the good memories that he have.
What's different is this time his mother's lullabies are one of the things that keep his peace, as time passed like that he envisioned feeling the world, as he tried at some moment, he encountered a vastly distinct energy—a nourishing essence pervading every aspect of existence. It permeated through him, his mother, and the world at large, though his perception of it remained faint.
Absentmindedly, he willed this energy to flow within him, yet direct absorption from the atmosphere proved elusive. However, over time, as he meditated the energy coursed through his mother's body first and then seamlessly assimilated within him. It was at this moment that he received his first notification from the system.
*ding*
“Flowing mana has been detected in the host’s body”
“Mana absorption skill archived”
“Host has acquired his first skill”
He was dumbfounded, and his meditation stopped. When he regained his senses, he saw a small sapling-like icon blinking in the corner of his vision. It was the only thing he could see now, so it was not hard to find. As he focused on it, a panel appeared with a golden border and a tree and leaves pattern. There were some options on it as well.
He was gawking at it, with a multitude of questions on his mind. What was this? A system? How? Was this really a privilege that reborn people got, like the novels said?
As he racked his little brain, he noticed the design of the UI and immediately thought about the massive tree. He didn't know anything about what happened after he touched it, but the only thing he knew was that he now had an instinct about a whole lot of things that he couldn't explain because he didn't have the knowledge to do so. And he was a baby in his mother's womb. So where did the system come from?
After thinking about this for a long time, he relaxed. There was nothing he could do about it if he didn't know anything, right? So he decided to check out the options in the system. He called out in his mind, "System," and the UI popped up.
There were the options of "Status" and "Eternal Plane." And a blinking leaf icon on the corner, When he thought about what the Eternal Plane was about, information about its uses popped into his head as if he had known all along. When he found out that it could hold infinite animate and inanimate objects, he was thrilled. He could think of a lot of uses for it that he had read about in his previous life. After mulling it over for a bit, he checked out the "Status" feature as well. As before, information about its meaning popped into his head. As he thought, it was about all the information about him.
He thought to check his status then. He wanted to know about himself—his race, and definitely his gender, as he didn't want to think about those gender-bender stories he had read about. As he focused on the "Status" option, new information came to him.
He couldn't check his status because he was still unborn, and his body would develop. So before he was actually born, he couldn't check it. He was frustrated about this for a while, but he decided not to think about it after a while, as that was a valid reason. So after messing with the UI for a while, he decided to meditate again.