The carriage ride was safe, as usual it seems. The clops of the horse were almost washed away by the sounds of the hustle and bustle of Resilt. Many species, major and minor, roam the city, dealing in trades, smithing, anything that's usual in a fantasy world like this.

Hm. So this is Resilt eh? Much more hustle and bustle as it seems... Oh? Would you look at that. The hold is right there... And it seems that's housing, and this is the commercial area... Yup. This is a real fantasy city, stone bricks lay the floor, and what seems to be magic, I presume, fills the lamps. It is close to evening after all.

Eventually, the carriage stopped in front of a somewhat huge manor. The manor resides outside of Resilt, and is surrounded by smaller buildings and nature in general.

"Your stop." The driver said.

Luo and Jema got off the carriage, and was met with a huge "HELLO!" Someone said at the entrance.

"Ah. You must be Leo's kids! Welcome!" A man said. "Ah, right. I'm Illon. It's nice to meet you two, let's get you acquainted and all of that, yeah? Come, follow me."

Someone had took Luo's and Jema's bags and promised to get them to their rooms. After that, the both of them followed the uncle into the home.

The home was looked great. Marble walls and columns lined the halls. Statues, paintings, and just art could be seen everywhere. There were also some pictures as well, depicting the previous owners of the home.

Illon toured then around. To their bedrooms that were right next to each other, the library, which Luo quietly enjoyed. The library was well-decorated, with many floors of books, and lights that seem to resemble Mana Crystals.

"Our family, the Adagnis, pride ourselves on the amount of knowledge we have collected over time. You can read almost every one of these books."

Luo gave a confused look. "Hm? Why 'almost'? Uncle Illon?"

"There are some books that have been cursed and the like. And things you can't read... Yet. I'll get to that later. Now then, let's move on."

Eventually, the trio made it over to the training yard. The training yard was state-of-the-art. At this time period at least. A place to practice Archery, another for swordplay. Pretty much everything a fighter needs. Jema, though she doesn't speak much, expressed joy.

"Wow! This, this is pretty nice." Jema said, little excitement in her voice. "This place has everything, from training golems, to- wait, who is that?" Jema had asked.

"Oh, this is your cousin, Gallaya. She had been training to become a knight for the royal familiy. She's... Probably about two to three years older than you? Go talk to her if you wish, but right after we show you your bedrooms." Illon explained.

And so they followed. Illon showed them to their rooms.

"Here they are. What you will see inside your rooms, well... You'll find out for yourself. I'm terribly sorry for interruption, but I have a schedule to follow. Ta ta!"

With a dark flash, he disappeared into... somewhere. Must be some sort of teleportation magic, probably. Jema wasn't surprised, so she went into her room, but Luo waited outside for a bit.

This place is amazing... I wonder what type of people the Adagni family are like... Well, I can't worry about that too much. I'll just take a look around the manor and such.

Luo explored the manor, trying to find any secret rooms, or just rooms not explained in the tour. Some other rooms he found were an observatory, the servant's quarters, an office, and other various storage rooms. Plus, there was what seemed to be a cafeteria.

Luo went outside. He saw both Galleya and Jema.

Hm? Guess Jema's pretty much done with the room? It seems like they're both practicing, guess Galleya's helping Jema out in her training? Well... It gives me a good way of sneaking around and not having my true power being revealed I guess. Let's see what's around here...

After a little bit of exploring, Luo found...

"A garden?" Luo said out loud.

Weird... It seems rundown, no one uses this? This might be good practice for me.

Luo grabs a book out of his inventory, it's a book about plants and herbs and the like.

Hm. So according to this book, this herb should be...

He flips through the book.

Ah! Treyva Weeds. Judging by the description in this book, it makes a good bug repellent? Hm. Seems to be useless then. But I'll keep it just in case I guess.

<> Skill Learned: Analyze<>

<> By using knowledge you have learned/figured out, it places a description on almost any item throughout the world. More detailed descriptions as you level up this skill. <>

So... If I just grab the Treyva Weed out, maybe I can see a description?

Luo grabs the plant out of his inventory. "Analyze." He says. A notification box appears.

<> Treyva Weed<>

<> An insignificant plant, however, useful for farmers starting out as it can be burned to create a bug repellant.<>

This... This is not a bad skill, this'll really help me on my journey, eh? Well... At least I know this garden is here. The ground seems pretty fertile too... This may be useful for me in the future. Now, I should explore the rest of this place before holing up in the library. Looking at the sun, it seems that it's... Noon, probably.

Luo spent the rest of the time looking around, he found a river, a cave entrance, and really just explored around. After he explored around the perimeter of the manor, he went back inside to the place he now has to call 'home.' Once he was inside, he saw Illon waiting there.

"Aww... It's little Luo." Illon says as he picked Luo up.

"How do you like it here?" Asked Illon.

Hm. This place is pretty nice. It has everything I need. That is to say, it has a library, though the garden could seem to be really helpful too. Oh wait, Illon expects a reaction, uh...

"It's really cool!" Luo said.

"Isn't it? Ah, you have your uncle to thank for that, or step-uncle... I guess." Illon laughed.

"Now you three-"

Three figures flashed in outta thin air.

"Don't worry, we kept him safe." One of them said.

"Ah, come to think of it, we had subjugated those monsters a day before, maybe that's why there's peace?" Another one said.

"Doesn't matter, I'll take all the peace I can get." The last one said.

"Well, good. Oh, right. Luo, these are 'your' three main guards. First one is Freta, the one with the blue hair. She specializes in Ice magic, and is usually the most serious one." Illon said, laughing as he finished the last sentence.

"Hey... What's that supposed to mean?!" The third one said.

"Nothing, maybe. This one is Spice. She specializes in fire, and usually clashes with Freta every now and then. And the last one is-"

"Cogni. Nice to meet you Luo."

"Ah... Yes. His name is Cogni. He's the brightest one in the team, and I specifically appointed him as the leader of this whole group."

"Hm. Still not fair." Spice said, she looked away.

"Well, I did meet all the qualifications." Cogni replied, happily getting the last word.

Hm. Cogni, Spice and Freta? Spice and Freta are both elves... Cogni... Looks like a fairy/elf mix? I hope I can trust them in the future. Anyway, I should head to the library. I need to learn more things about this world.

Luo asked to be put down, as Illon was still carrying him.

"Well, I'm off!" Luo said with a smile.

"Where are you gonna go?" Illon asked.

"I'm gonna visit the library." Luo replied.

"Then I'm gonna go outside and train!" Spice responded, as she ran out the door.

"Hmph. I'll go to my room then." Freta said as she simply walked away.

"I guess I'll be the only one watching you, eh? Alright. I have some books I would want to read too." Cogni responded.

Luo and Cogni headed toward the library, Luo was interested in what was there. Cogni simply followed.

"Ah. The library. I'm going to explore around, alright Cogni?" Luo asked.

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"Sure. Just don't get too far, this is a pretty giant library, and you may get lost." Cogni remarked.

"Ah, don't worry." Luo replied.

"Oh, the children's books are over-" Cogni couldn't see Luo. "Ah well. The librarian will take care of him. Time to read a book or three."

Man, this place is amazing. It has all the books I would ever want to read and more! Hm? What's that?

Luo walks over to a strange book, just like before. It was a book decorated with gold... and a purple gem in the middle to boot.

I've seen a book like this before. Heh. No one else is around, so I might as well just use it right? First, let's read the engraving on the back.

"Ah, nice to meet you again. So I went exploring through your mind again. What are memes? Anyway, I keep finding new information that's very interesting. I enjoy digging through them. What do I have for you today? Use the skill and find out yourself."

Well, can't argue with that logic.

Luo used "Strell's Gift" on the book. And received much more than just a few skills.

<>Skills Learned: Starlight Technique , Soul Access. <>

<>Items Gained: Customized Phone, Solar Charger.<>

Oh. Thank Strell in all his glory. A PHONE! Hm.. Though, as I look around this, there aren't any games... Whatever. Soul Realm Access? What's that? Hmm... Let's take a look.

<>Soul Realm Access<>

<>You can now access your soul realm, as well as peer into other's soul realms as well..<>

<>Starlight Cultivation Technique<>

<>Able to learn Star-based attacks. Using this skill furthers your soul realm. Works better in a place where Starlight shines. Half as potent in the daylight, as the sun blocks other starlight in the day.<>

Soul Realm? What's that?

A faint but familiar ding is heard.

My phone? Oh. There's a notification on it. Seems to be a text from... Strell? Wonder what's on it.

"Ah, Right. As you can tell, Soul Realm Access gives you access to, well, Soul Realms. First of all, Soul Realms are basically another form of power. What does this mean? Well, let me explain. First of all, Soul Realms determine which element is more compatible, and can usually be determined by a soul test. Second of all, your mana pool exists within this realm, so you do your best to train it. Use the Starlight Technique skill to be able to learn some of my skills, if you want to. Also. I hope you enjoy your stay as much as I enjoy viewing your memories. -Strell."

That... Okay. So, My soul realm seems to be pretty important here. I should use Soul Realm Access right away to find out how much power I have so far.

"Soul Realm Access." Luo said quietly. After those words were remarked, a quick darkness covered his eyes, and after a little, a small white light appeared.

Is this... My soul? I don't know, but I guess I'll give it a quick Analysis.

A small notification box appeared.

<> Luo's Soul Realm <>

<> Soul Power: 10<>

<>Soul Color: White<>

<> Soul Form: Undefined<>

<> Remnants of his old life, the memories and experiences he had back then led to this color.<>

Well... Okay. Not sure about that description, but I at least know how strong I am now. Let's get out of here.

The darkness faded away from him.

I should find more information about Soul Realms. It seems to be a central part of this world.

Luo looked up and down the library for information about Soul Realms.

... Ah, this book. Aptly named : Soul Realms for Beginners. Let's see. Oh? Souls can be different colors? From weakest to strongest, there is Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue, and Cyan. There's no mention of white... How can this be? Well, anyway. Soul Realms can be improved through "cultivation" techniques. So, kinda like the other skill I learned. By increasing the Soul Realm, it increases the more mana you can hold, as well as Soul Power, which leads to Stronger Soul Attacks. For me, I guess those would be skills.

That seems to be it. Sounds basic, kind of like a whole different leveling system. Weird. Anyhow, I guess I should learn more things about this "Cultivation."

Luo spend the rest of the afternoon, reading about cultivation books until suddenly.

<>Skill Learned: Basic Cultivation Efficiency<>

<>Cultivation Speed +50%<>

Oh? That's handy? I guess. You know, judging by the clock on the wall, which has thirteen hours instead of twelve, it seems like it's almost night. I should go tidy up.

"Hey Cogni!" Luo exclaimed. As if by command, Cogni appears behind him.

"Yes?" Cogni questioned?

"I'm leaving to my room, so if Illon asks, just say I'm there." Luo commanded him.

"Ah, I'll just wait outside your room then, wouldn't that be efficient?" Cogni responded.

"... Creepy, but understandable. Just don't die of hunger." Luo said to compromise. "Then, Let's go."

Luo walked to his room, noticing the magic lights that filled the halls. They seem to be representing the colors of souls. Luo presses on to his room, with haste. When he got there, he closed the door to his room, and Cogni patiently waited outside, with a few books in his hands.

Finally. Wait, wha- What is this room? Hmm... It's empty, weird... Oh? There's a table with what seems to be a pamphlet on it. Let's see...

"Think and it shall appear." -Illon.

If you say so Illon. Let's think of a bed, and I don't know, a table?

A bed and table appears out of nowhere.

No chair. Heh. This... This can be used to my advantage. Wonder if I can think of...

A dome appears on the roof, concentrating starlight.

Ah! Perfect. Now, I have a place where I can cultivate. To be able to cultivate, I need to get into a position to meditate... I'll just lean against the guardrails leading up to it. Alright. I'm in position.

"Starlight Cultivation Technique." And the power flew in.

Agh. I can feel power flowing into me. But, it feels nice but it also kind of hurts. Well, let's just amass power anyway.

Time had passed before Luo heard a bell ringing.

"Dinner time!" A familiar voice said. It was Spice.

"Alright... I'll come down!" Luo replied.

I've amassed up to 30 soul power. As such, I think I've gotten stronger. Let's see.

Luo opened up his stats menu.

Oh? STR and VIT is 21 now. I guess half of the soul power can be converted into STR and VIT. AGI seems to be a little bit higher though, at 25. I wonder why? This is pretty good... Well, I should keep going.

Luo chants the skill once more until suddenly.

<>WARNING! Continuing to use this skill will cause permanent physical damage or death.<>

<>Solution: Train your body and exercise to handle the soul power.<>

So that pain wasn't abnormal after all... I'll need to exercise and train myself some more then.

A dinner bell rings. "Everyone! Dinner is ready!" It was Spice.

Luo got ready and went downstairs. He was greeted with a huge feast. It included the family, as well as the servants.

Luo took his seat, and waited for Illon to speak up, as he seemed to be the head of this party. He finally stood up.

"HELLO EVERYONE!" Illon shouted, reverberating through the halls. "We hold this party to invite two of our young family members from afar. Luo and Jema!"

Everyone clapped.

"Jema, would you like to introduce yourself?" Illon asked.

Jema stood up.

"H-hello everyone. I'm Jema, and it's nice to meet you all." She said in a quiet voice.

Illon picked Luo up, "And this is Luo! Say hi."

"HEY IT'S ME LUO." Is what Luo wanted to say. But he just shouted a quick "Hello" before asking to be put down.

And so the feast starts. There were many commodities on the table. Luo tried to grab something, but he was stopped.

"Ah. Hold up there Luo. Most of the meat here come from monsters. Eat the wrong thing, and the soul power that lingers within can kill you. Here, I'll grab everything that you can eat." Cogni explained.

Illon grabbed the safest things, Luo used Analysis on the food.

<> Slithering Snake Steak<>

<>Created by: Head Chef Silva<>

<>This steak was cooked almost to perfection, the animal was found near the forest near: Adagni's Manor. It was also cut into tiny sized pieces. It is still fresh.<>

<>Stroi Salad<>

<>Created by Sous Chef Agui.<>

<>This salad was created with the herbs found near the forest near: Adagni's Manor.

It is still fresh.<>

<>Willow Wine<>

<> Even though this was fermented using the same old method for wine, it has no alcohol content. Willow Grapes have this ability. It has been aged considerably.<>

Luo tastes the wine.

Willow Wine eh? Tastes like the wine back home. Bet they would be jealous, but I guess some people love the kick.

Luo takes a bite of the Steak.

What the- The texture, the taste... It's kind of like the Filet Mignon back home as well. Let's dig in!

Luo ravenously eats the steak, Illon and in the background Silva enjoyed his smile.

And of course. With eating something fresh, he gained a new skill, or three.

<> Sense Presence <>

<> This skill allows you to detect enemies. In this case, It'll create a mini-map for the user. <>

<> Snake Eyes <>

<> Allows the user to see better. <>

<> Poison <>

<> Allows the user to produce poison from any part of his body. Costs 5 Mana per drop. <>

Not gonna complain about that. I have a mini-map now? That's amazing. Snake Eyes and Poison may be useful in the future as well. Ah. Now, for the Stroi Salad.

Luo takes a few bites of the Stroi Salad. Slightly slower as the quality of it was not as good as the steak, but was still pretty good. He got a skill from finishing the salad.

<> Antidote <>

<>Allows the user to create an antidote from any part of their body. To do so, you must be afflicted with the poison itself to create the antidote. Costs 5 Mana per Drop.<>

Interesting, wonder why they- Oh. So that's why I got the poison skill. The snake still had some lingering poison in it. They probably didn't want to kill me on purpose, hence why I got to eat the Stroi Salad. Well, I'm finished with my food, there are plenty others who have finished it as well. Do I want to go and meet them? No, probably not. To them, I'm just a little kid after all. No, I should just go to my room, can't really use the Starlight Cultivation Technique. As is the Strength Requirement. Yeah... Let's go to sleep. Sleeping early's just gonna help me in the future.

Luo quietly excused himself from the table, and went up to his room. He pulled the covers over himself and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow's probably gonna be another good day.

And then he went to sleep.

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