I have spent my whole life in one room. One dark, terrible, lonely room. I was born with a condition referred to as “Photosensitivity,” essentially a sun allergy. Whenever I venture outside, one of two things will happen: A rash will appear where the sun touches me (uncomfortable) or I will go into anaphylactic shock (death, probably uncomfortable).
As I sat in front of my computer, poring over the latest case as an armchair detective, I wondered if I would ever experience the outside world. It was a tantalizing prospect, but one that I knew was impossible due to my condition. I had no choice but to make the best of my situation and hone my skills as a detective through online resources.
The current case was a tough one. A serial killer was on the loose, and I had been assigned to the case as a consultant due to my reputation as an excellent detective. The victims had no apparent connection, and the killer left no clear evidence behind. As I scrolled through the images they sent me, I muttered to myself, “Perhaps I should investigate more into the victims.”
Suddenly, my attention was drawn to a small note sticking out of a nightstand in one of the crime scene photos. I didn’t see anything about a note in the report, so I knew I had to contact the head of police to see what it said. It could be very important, but how could they not have noticed it? I stood up from my chair, my mind racing with possibilities.
“I’m going to need some coffee for this,” I said, walking to my kitchen. After looking for a minute, I was disappointed. “Dang it! Guess Mom used the last of it.”
I pondered for only a moment. Mom wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, but I needed coffee now. I decided my best bet was to hope for the best and order DashDoor, it should be fine if just my hand sticks out. When the coffee finally arrived, I stuck my hand out to grab it. As I sipped the hot, bitter liquid, I glanced out the window and saw a man being mugged by two men. Without thinking about it, I ran out to stop it. Maybe it was foolish of me, but I couldn't stand by and watch someone be hurt.
I would have been regarded as a hero if it weren’t for the fact that I went into anaphylactic shock by the time my feet hit the pavement.
“Target locked, activating reincarnation protocol,” a robotic voice rang out above me, or was it in my head? I wasn't sure where the voice came from.
“Host is far weaker than the average human of this world, activating handicap protocol. Skill unlocked, skill unlocked.”
I slowly blinked my eyes open, but the bright light nearly blinded me. I quickly turned my head away from the source and took in my surroundings. The room looked like it belonged in a doctor's office, but everything appeared to be at least forty to fifty years old. The strong smell of almost-dried blood hung heavily in the air, reminiscent of a jar of pennies.
As I scanned the room, I noticed a boy in a white coat. He looked like a doctor, but that didn't seem quite right. He appeared to be no older than sixteen, too young to be a doctor. He was tall, standing at around 5'9", with short, dirty blond hair and kind gray eyes. He was jotting down notes in a notebook and seemed lost in thought, a small smile playing on his lips.
Suddenly, he looked up and locked eyes with me as if he had heard something. As he stood up, I caught a glimpse of a sword hanging from his waist. It was an unusual sight for a doctor's office, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Despite the strange circumstances, the boy's kind demeanor put me somewhat at ease.
“Ahh, Quinn good to see your finally awake,” He said to me,
“How do you know my name?” I questioned, surprised
He blinked slowly for a moment, “I mean you come here at least twice a week, I hope I would know your name.”
It was then that I remembered what the voice had said. If it was true I had been reincarnated, I tried scanning through the memories of this body. I could only find bits and pieces, but that was enough for me. I already had a plan.
“Sorry Cain. I guess I was hit harder than I thought,”
He laughed slightly, “That’s okay, glad you caught up eventually. How are you feeling?”
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“A lot better thanks to your help,”
“Good to hear. Are you good to return to your dorm?”
“Of course, I’ll head there now,”
I was lying, of course, I had no time to rest. This Quinn had spent her first year at this magic academy slacking off and skipping class, if I was to survive I needed to learn quickly. I was always good at pulling all-nighters, though I usually had some form of caffeine. I followed the memories of the original Quinn down to the library, I was surprised she even knew where it was. As I entered the library it was completely empty, perfect for me. I walk through the shelves grabbing everything I might need.
“History Of Magic, History of The World, Basics Of Performing Magic.” I read out the names as I walked, “That should be good for a start,”
I walked to a table, sat down, and opened up the first book. As I began to read a message appeared in front of me, “Skill Active: Learning Curve. While reading about unknown topics in a library, information will be absorbed 25% faster.”
I, of course, didn’t notice the message as I was far too busy reading through the books. By the time I was done reading, it was early the next morning. I learned many things from the books which I began categorizing in my mind as I walked to the dorm room. I have summarized my learnings in three points.
1. Magic has always been in this world. It was created by the gods who originally gave magic to special individuals
2. There exist three different humanoid species in this world, all of which are not on amicable terms.
3. In this world, magic is separated into different “schools” and a student is expected to only focus on one of those schools. Though there is no explicit penalty to learning multiple schools.
To further elaborate on point two, those three races are Humans, Elves, and Beastmen. Elves are rumored to be far more beautiful than the other races, but this is simply a rumor because few people survive their encounters. One thing that is concrete is that elves are physically weaker than other races, it is believed that their bones are incredibly brittle. To counteract this the Elves are incredibly proficient in magic, generally containing twice the amount of Mana when compared to a human of the same level.
On the other hand, the Beastmen are physically strong but weak in magic. They can transform into a more beast-like state, though the weaker ones may only be able to gain ears or tails. I immediately determined that it would be crucial for my plan to have a Beastman on my side. Preferably female… with cat ears… and maybe a tail… for no particular reason.
Though my progress is temporarily halted as there is more to consider. I should begin learning spells as quickly as possible, but spells require a spellbook which requires money. Sadly I have no money and no clue what exactly is used as currency in this world. I am sure I can use some of my skills to earn money, but I need to find the quickest way. On Earth, I would have considered tutoring, but I am unsure if any of my Earthly knowledge would be of use here.
As soon as I finished that thought I was in my dorm. Sitting on my bed I continued to think. I chose now to focus on the strange message I heard in my head at the beginning. It would be quite useful to have some sort of screen, maybe an interface, to allow me to see the skills it mentioned. As soon as I thought of the word “Interface” a screen appeared in front of me. It listed four categories: Stats, Skills, Spells, and Quests. I began by checking my stats.
HP
5/5
Level 1
EXP
0/50
Mana
15/15
Strength
2
Intelligence
15
Agility
6
Quite low physically but that is to be expected, I don’t have a baseline for what is average or below average. For now, I will assume that a 15 in intelligence is good. I move on to skills, the first skill that appears is the one that was used in the library. After that is one titled “Scene Of The Crime” but where the description of the skill should be, it instead says: “Skill descriptions are not unlocked until the skill is used for the first time.”
I tried to activate the skill, but nothing happened, there is likely a condition for it just like “Learning Curve.” From now on I should expect each skill to come with a condition I will need to meet to learn and use the skill. I move on to spells, and as expected nothing is there currently. That just leaves quests, moving to that window I see only one quest.
“Learn Your First Spell - Time Limit: None - Reward 50 EXP”