I had been brought back. I was alive, breathing, free from war, at least for now.

  I despised the idea of stagnation. In my eyes, to remain the same was the worst fate imaginable.

  I had always dreamed of moving forward, of growing stronger.

  So I did not waste time lying on the ground.

  I pushed myself up and strode toward the fallen beast, gripping the hilt of my sword.

  With a sharp pull, I wrenched it free, allowing the lingering mana within the creature to flow into me.

  A faint warmth spread through my body, my core healing ever so slightly. I let out a quiet chuckle.

  In my previous life, I had only ever felt this sensation when I was on the brink of death.

  Yet now, armed with the knowledge of my past life, I was already becoming attuned to mana in a way I never had before.

  A core, our inner vessel of strength and will, was formed by a blend of mana, stamina, and mental capacity.

  It was what allowed humans to wield mana without being crushed beneath its weight.

  In my past life, I had barely been able to coat my sword in low-level attunement, let alone use magic. But now, I could feel the difference.

  If I tried hard enough, perhaps I could enhance my body beyond my past limits.

  Smiling to myself, I turned and began my walk back to town.

  Falbrook.

  A small town near the northern outskirts of Lionah. My birthplace. My home.

  My father, a blacksmith, had raised me alone after my mother passed away shortly after giving birth to me.

  Now, I lived alone, making my way through life as a hunter, selling what I could for coin.

  After some time, the flimsy wooden walls of the town came into view. They barely qualified as a defense, more like an afterthought.

  Two older men stood by the entrance, clad in mismatched armor.

  They gave me a brief nod as I approached.

  Just before stepping through, I stopped and turned toward them.

  “I killed a giant bear about an hour’s walk northwest of here. Make sure I get my fair share.”

  They both nodded. In this town, there was no room for lies or deceit. Survival depended on trust, so I had no reason to doubt them.

  Falbrook was larger than most towns, almost the size of a city.

  But it was mostly abandoned, its funding dwindling to nearly nothing.

  With no noble lord to govern it, the kingdom had long since disregarded its needs.

  They still collected taxes of course, but they no longer sent aid or resources.

  For years, we suffered.

  That all changed five months ago when a gold mine was discovered. The sudden influx of wealth had pulled us back from the brink.

  Yet despite the newfound prosperity, I was not planning on leaving. No, I could not leave.

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  As I made my way through the streets, familiar faces passed by.

  Merchants stood by their stalls, bargaining with the few travelers passing through.

  Children ran and laughed, weaving through the crowds.

  Falbrook was not a bad place, nor was it a particularly good one. It was simply home.

  Eventually, I reached the edge of town where my house stood.

  A large wooden cabin, secluded from the bustle of the main streets.

  A stone path led up to it, the dimly lit windows greeting me like an old friend.

  I smiled.

  The scent of wood lingered in the air, warm and familiar.

  I took slow steps toward my door, my clothes stained with blood, my body aching with every movement.

  But no one spared me a second glance.

  This world did not allow for such concern. People could not afford to care.

  Still, as I pulled open the door, a wave of nostalgia struck me.

  The first room was small, holding a simple wooden table and a worn-out couch.

  Seated by an arch was my kitchen, in the corner sat my refrigerator, powered by a mana core.

  Mana-powered machines had only been invented ten years ago, a relatively new advancement that was still rare in places like Falbrook.

  The fridge itself was mostly empty. Food was expensive, and preserving it took effort.

  I also had a counter there, it was small though. With some cabinets.

  Beyond the main room was my outhouse, which had been built as an extension to the cabin.

  While I did not have a sink, I did own a bath.

  The only downside was that I had to refill it manually, bringing in buckets of water whenever I wanted to use it.

  My bedroom was just as modest.

  A bed with plain white sheets, a small wooden shelf holding a single book written by my father, and a broken longsword resting beside it.

  I smiled again, setting my sword down by the door.

  Stripping off my tunic, I let out a sigh and collapsed onto my bed.

  This was it.

  My life. My home.

  The thing I had wished to protect.

  It was not perfect, nor particularly joyful. But still, anything was better than the war.

  I rested my arm over my eyes, thinking about what I needed to do. If I wanted to prevent the war, I would need to rise in rank.

  And if I wanted to protect this town, becoming a knight might be my only option.

  I could request to be stationed here, and in doing so, I could shield the town from any danger.

  Lionah was the central kingdom, holding the majority of the continent's heart.

  We had been at odds with Dellah for years. Dellah lies far to the east of us.

  There had been many skirmishes, but soon it would escalate into full-blown war.

  It wasn't a war we would necessarily lose, but that didn't matter.

  In war, there are no true winners, only those who survive. The only real losers are those who lose their lives.

  To fight for the safety of my home, to fight for the safety of others, that was the only true tragedy in war, the loss of family, friends, and lovers.

  I wanted to protect just one place from that tragedy.

  And if I was going to do that, I would need to grow strong. But I wasn’t particularly gifted.

  My skills weren’t great, and I was well aware of my lack of talent. But why should that matter?

  Why should I give up because I had no natural ability? Instead, I would work hard.

  I would grow into someone who could be something, someone who could reach out, grasp the stars, and smile.

  I scoffed at my thoughts and sat up. If I were going to start this little plan, I had an annoying problem to take care of first.

  Just a little northwest, there was a small bandit camp. They would attack in a week, and that was my chance to stop them.

  It was a chance I wasn’t going to let slip away.

  I looked at my palms and realized what I needed to do first.

  I had to strengthen my body. Despite all my effort, I was weak right now, barely able to lift that bear.

  Once I’d improved myself, I’d meet with a good friend, who’d prove to be a valuable ally. But before all that, I’d eradicate those bandits.