One second, Zane felt his consciousness pulled into darkness.
The next, he opened his eyes to a world unlike anything he had ever seen.
He looked around, stunned. Everything felt like a hand-painted canvas—vivid colors dancing across the sky, clouds that shimmered like brush strokes, a glowing sun sharing space with a translucent moon. Purple mountain ranges hovered in the distance, and a river shimmered like liquid glass. The trees swayed gently, their colors ever-shifting, unreal.
And yet, it was awkwardly quiet. No birds. No wind. Not even the rustle of leaves.
"What is this place?" Zane whispered.
Ding!
[Welcome to the Soul Space of the System.]
[This world is composed entirely of mana.]
[Host, you are going to practice Mana Control using a Special Technique.]
Zane knelt down, touched the smooth stones and soft grasses. "They feel... real," he murmured.
Just to be sure, he pinched his arm.
"Ouch! So I'm physically here?"
