Will currently resided in Oak Village, a small settlement tucked away in the northernmost region of the vast continent of Aris.
The world consisted of only this one colossal landmass, an expanse so large that even after tens of thousands of years of development, no race had reached its true borders.
Beyond Aris stretched an endless ocean, or so the maps claimed. None who had ventured past a certain point ever returned, leaving the rest to speculation and myth.
Oak Village was rural, peaceful, and quietly alive with human life. It fell under the jurisdiction of the Riverdale Empire,few of the strongest empires, it was surrounded by forests, mountains, and scattered frontier settlements.
To most people of the empire, Oak Village was a place forgotten by time, an insignificant dot on the map, producing little more than wood, herbs, and hardworking villagers.
But to Will, it had been his sanctuary.
This world's history bore similarities to Earth's, yet also vast differences. Ten thousand years ago, an apocalypse had descended upon humanity here as well but unlike fragile Earthlings, the people of Aris had already mastered mana.
They wielded spells, enchanted weapons, and ancient runes. Because of that, their adjustment had been swift.
Races that had spent centuries at odds were forced to unite against the common enemy - demons.
The world Will found himself in was shaped by those ancient wars. Here power ruled everything.
And according to his past-life memories, the same continent he stood upon was the setting of the novel Saga of the God Slayer. The protagonist of that story was human, born and raised within the Riverdale Empire.
Meaning Will was currently in the same empire… and the protagonist of the story was nearby, living his ordinary life without realizing the storm that would soon swallow him.
Will had already decided on his first course of action.
Place a binder on the protagonist.
Then would come the major arc villains. After that, he intended to target the secondary male and female leads.
Currently, Will sat in his small hut.
The windows rattled softly with the northern wind. A wooden table stood before him, covered in papers, ink smudges, and notes he had scribbled down from memory.
He jotted down the timeline of events from the novel relative to his current age. He listed out the protagonist's past, his personality, his awakening, and crucially - his current location.
Will knew for a fact that the protagonist would not begin training or awaken any power until the orphanage he lived in was destroyed by demons.
That tragedy was still a few months away. Until then, the protagonist was just a wimpy, innocent child easy to approach.
Will needed to bind him before that event occurred.
Maximizing the benefits was essential.
As for the villain of the first arc, Will wasn't worried. The boy was the arrogant young master of a famous clan in the imperial capital, a nuisance rather than a threat. Will knew exactly where that brat liked to hang out and how to corner him. Arrogant villains were the easiest to manipulate.
His real focus lay in the long-term plan, placing as many binders as possible before he turned fourteen. That was the age when talent awakening ceremonies began, followed by the World Academy Trials an year later at fifteen.
To participate, every youth was expected to know basic reading and writing skills something Will excelled in due to the uncanny coincidence that the language of this world was English. He still found it bizarre… but convenient.
He snapped out of his thoughts and tied together the stack of summarized notes. With a soft sigh, he stood up and glanced at the old wooden chest partially rotted by termites. A warm ache bloomed in his chest.
This was the inheritance left behind by the old couple who had raised him. Just two days before her passing, his grandmother had told him of this chest hidden behind the closet wall, buried under packed soil. It had taken Will hours to dig it out.
Now he approached it reverently.
Kneeling down, he carefully opened the lid. Inside were several small boxes—some wrapped in velvet, others so old they released a faint musty smell the moment the lid lifted.
The first item resting atop everything was a scroll. Will picked it up with trembling fingers and unrolled it.
Inside was a short-handwritten letter—filled with emotions so gentle and heartfelt that Will's throat tightened.
His grandparents told him to live bravely, to beware of the world's dangers, and to seek out certain trustworthy individuals they listed below if he ever needed help.
His grandfather's handwriting grew slightly crooked toward the end. He spoke about the noble house of Draconia, where he had served as a knight for over thirty years. He told Will to bring his amulet to the lord of the house, someone who would help him acquire a place among the knights.
Then came the part about the chest's contents and the inheritances he left behind. And finally… the confirmation that Will had always known in his heart:
He was adopted.
The villagers' whispers throughout his childhood had long hinted at this. Will felt no shock, only quiet acceptance and gratitude.
The letter ended.
Silence filled the hut.
Taking a steady breath, Will looked through the rest of the inheritance.
The first thing that caught his eye was a sack of gold coins, shiny and unexpectedly heavy. He blinked, surprised. Yet considering his grandfather's long service to a prestigious noble house, it wasn't unreasonable. Will counted them carefully.
Fifty gold coins.
Enough to support a simple lifestyle for five years if used wisely.
His chest warmed again. Not only had the old couple raised him, cared for him, and given him love, they had even prepared for his future despite having so little themselves.
Will whispered under his breath,
"Thank you… for everything."
His gaze shifted to a small velvet box. Inside lay a striking blue amulet with a silver dragon etched into the back. Its craftsmanship was exquisite.
(A/N: Readers, note these details—they may connect to future events.)
Will slipped the amulet around his neck and tucked it beneath his shirt.
Next, he opened a brittle old box. Inside was a plain-looking metal ring.
A storage ring.
He willed it to open — and his vision flickered as he sensed the interior space.
Five cubic meters.
Before he could appreciate it further, the system chimed in.
[that ring is low-tier]
Will twitched. "Oh? Then why don't you give me an infinite inventory?"
[you can purchase it from the shop]
Will froze.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"… Of course. Figures."
Even a system had capitalism embedded into its soul.