"How handsome," Charles Barn murmured, admiring his reflection in the mirror. His sharp new features, now belonging to Robert Rous, stared back at him with unfamiliar confidence.
It had been a week since he'd been sharked—as they called it here—into this strange, magical life. Though he retained the memories of Charles, not Robert, he was starting to piece things together. Slowly.
This world was... different. One of the first and most shocking revelations? No one dies.
"How is that even possible?" he had asked his friend Isaac, the only person who believed he was suffering from something called amnesia—a term Charles had to explain because no one in this world had ever heard of it.
In this realm, duels didn't end in death. Instead, when one fighter was completely defeated, the winner earned the right to receive a Gana—a kind of wish. The victor could use it to transform the loser into anything they desired.
Isaac had rattled off a list of absurd transformations Charles (as Robert) had been subjected to.
"You've been turned into a chair, a tree, a slave… you name it," Isaac had said, half-laughing.
"There was a time Oscar turned you into a flower and gifted it to your crush."
Low blow, Charles had thought bitterly.
But it wasn't all jokes. Gana was the heart of power in this world.
There were ten rumored Gana levels, though only eight had been achieved in known history. Each level increased the amount of Gana a person could store—and the level of influence they could wield.
Level 1: 5 Gana
Level 2: 20 Gana
Level 3: 50 Gana
Level 4: 100 Gana
Level 5: 300 Gana
Level 6: 500 Gana
Level 7: 700 Gana
Level 8: 1000 Gana
The final two levels were thought to be myth—no one had ever passed the 1000 Gana mark. The current King, the most powerful being in the realm, had held 980 Gana for over a decade. The higher the level, the harder it became to acquire more Gana.
Gana wasn't just power—it was currency, status, and potential. Nobles and royals could trade it for immense wealth, making it easier for them to level up.
Levels 1–3 were considered beginners, limited to using Gana on others.
Levels 4–6 were intermediate, able to use Gana on both others and themselves—granting personal enhancements or resistances.
Levels 7–8 were experts, capable of overriding others' Gana, even forcing lower levels into submission. Only the Law Upholders and Elders had ever reached such heights.
Robert's father—no, his father now—had once been a Level 7, with 501 Gana. A betrayal by a close ally had left him in crushing debt. He'd been forced to sell most of his stored Gana to survive, plummeting to Level 4 with only 201 Gana. His mother had done the same, sacrificing over 100 Gana, dragging their noble family's name into ruin.
Now, Charles—living as Robert—was a Level 1, able to hold just five Gana. He had none.
But he was learning. In this world, it wasn't raw strength or royal blood that decided your fate.
It was imagination. It was creativity.
And Charles had both.