The moment Liam died, there was no light.
No tunnel.
No voices.
No warmth waiting to receive him.
Only pressure.
Crushing. Relentless. Merciless.
It wrapped around his chest like an invisible hand and squeezed until his breath shattered apart.
Pain exploded.
His heart stuttered once.
Twice.
Then—
Nothing.
No final words.
No regrets spoken aloud.
No one holding his hand.
Just the steady beep of a hospital monitor flattening into silence.
That was how Liam's first life ended.
Alone.
"Hey—Liam. Wake up."
A sharp jab struck his shoulder.
"Come on. Wake up, idiot. We're gonna be late."
Liam inhaled violently.
Air tore into his lungs as his body jerked upright, chair legs screeching against stone.
Light stabbed his eyes.
Noise rushed in.
Heat. Smell. Sound.
Too much.
His hand flew to his chest.
His heart was beating.
Not weak.
Not unstable.
Strong.
Each pulse thundered through his body like proof that he still existed.
"…I'm alive?"
A sigh came from beside him.
"Obviously," someone said. "You planning to sleep through the awakening ceremony too?"
Liam looked up.
A boy stood next to his desk, brown hair messy, expression caught somewhere between annoyance and concern. His face was painfully familiar.
Daniel.
The name surfaced instantly.
And that terrified him more than dying.
Liam's gaze snapped around.
Rows of wooden desks. Tall arched windows pouring sunlight across carved stone floors. Strange runes etched into the walls, glowing faintly like breathing embers.
Students in identical uniforms filled the classroom, chatting casually.
No hospital.
No machines.
No Earth.
His throat tightened.
"What… year is it?" Liam whispered.
Daniel stared. "Okay, now I'm officially worried. It's the 317th year of the Arcanum Calendar. Same as always."
Arcanum.
The word struck like a hammer.
Memories surged forward—training halls, spell theory, combat drills, laughter shared after class. Not borrowed memories.
His memories.
This body's life unfolded inside his mind as naturally as breathing.
He looked down at his hands.
Young. Unscarred. Strong.
Sixteen years old.
I didn't return to my world.
I came to another one.
Daniel grabbed his sleeve. "Come on. If we're late again, Instructor Halvors will kill us with his stare alone."
Liam stood.
His legs didn't tremble.
His body felt whole—something he had never experienced before.
As they stepped into the hallway, shimmering banners floated overhead, glowing with sigils of mana. Excited voices echoed through the corridors.
Today.
The Awakening Ceremony.
At sixteen, every student awakened their Core—the source of all magical power. Rank decided everything.
Status. Future. Survival.
Liam placed a hand over his chest.
In his first life, his heart failed him.
It beat powerfully now beneath his palm.
This time…
I won't waste it.
The academy bell rang.
And Liam walked forward—toward a destiny he did not yet understand.
In his first life, he had been ordinary.
No talent.
No money.
No one waiting for him at home.
Just endless office work, sleepless nights, and quiet loneliness buried beneath routine.
Until his heart finally gave out.
A sudden attack.
A meaningless death.
No family by his bed.
No tears shed.
Standing beneath the towering pillars of the Grand Awakening Hall, Liam slowly clenched his fists.
This life would not end the same way.
I will not be ordinary again.
The Awakening Ceremony began.
One student after another placed their hand upon the massive crystal at the hall's center.
"Green Core. Average potential."
"Blue Core. Above-average."
"Golden Core. Exceptional talent."
Gasps rippled through the crowd with every golden glow.
Core ranks were absolute:
Yellow — lowest.
Green — normal.
Blue — elite.
Golden — genius.
And Red—
Red was legend.
Only one could appear in a generation.
If fate allowed it at all.
Liam watched silently.
If there's even a chance…
His fingers curled.
I'll take it.
Names were called.
Students stepped forward.
Cheers. Disappointment. Envy.
Until the final voice echoed through the hall.
"Liam Vale."
Whispers followed immediately.
"That sleepy guy?"
"He's weak."
"Probably yellow."
Liam walked forward calmly and placed his hand on the Awakening Stone.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then the crystal glowed.
Dull.
Faint.
Pale yellow.
Silence fell.
Instructor Halvors exhaled slowly.
"Basic Yellow Core."
Laughter erupted.
"Trash."
"Only yellow?"
"What a waste."
Liam withdrew his hand.
His chest felt hollow.
So that's it.
A second life… and still powerless?
He returned to his seat beneath mocking gazes, eyes lowered.
Extraordinary?
How foolish.
The ceremony ended soon after.
Students left in clusters of celebration and comfort.
Liam walked alone.
When he opened the door to his house—
"Brother!"
A small boy ran into his arms.
Warmth flooded him before he could react.
His little brother.
Someone who relied on him.
"Did your awakening go bad?" the boy asked softly.
Liam hesitated.
Then smiled.
"…A little."
That night, lying beneath the quiet ceiling, Liam stared at the darkness.
Yellow Core.
Trash talent.
In this world, weakness was a sin.
I can't live like before.
Not again.
At that moment—
A mechanical voice echoed within his mind.
[System initializing…]
[Host detected: Liam Vale]
His eyes widened.
[Condition Met: Extreme Disparity Between Will and Talent]
The air trembled.
[Hidden Function Activated.]
Pain exploded inside his chest.
Heat surged from his heart, racing through his veins as if something ancient had awakened.
He gasped, clutching his chest.
[Core Upgrade in Progress…]
Light burst behind his eyes.
[Basic Yellow Core → Legendary Red Core]
[Upgrade Complete.]
Silence returned.
Liam stared at his trembling hand.
Power pulsed beneath his skin—vast, sleeping, undeniable.
Slowly…
A smile spread across his face.
"…So that's how it begins."
Outside, the world slept—
Unaware that the only Red Core of this generation had already awakened.
And this time—
Liam would not die as an ordinary man.