Chapter One: Transcendence (Please support the new book by adding it to your collection! Recommendations appreciated!)

“As expected, it’s not a dream!” Staring at the youthful yet handsome face reflected in the washbasin, Lando once again confirmed the reality of his transmigration. A week ago, after an exhausting day, he had returned to his rented room for rest; yet when he awoke, he found himself in this unfamiliar world, inhabiting the body of a twelve-year-old boy named Lando.

Fortunately, the perks of being a transmigrator had not been left behind.

“System!”

With Lando’s silent invocation, a translucent panel only he could see unfolded before his eyes.

[Name: Lando]
[Soul: White (94%)]
[Talent: None]
[Equipped Soul: None]
[Possessed Soul: Ironblood General (Green)]
[Recorded Talent: Advanced Life Energy Affinity (Green) (600)]
[Soul Essence: 5]
[Ironblood General: Advanced Life Energy Affinity (Green), Aura of a Hundred Battles, White Lion Combat Technique]

The entire system interface was fairly simple to operate. There were currently two ways to obtain Soul Essence: first, by accumulating it over time—about one point per day; second, by dismantling possessed souls, such as [Ironblood General]. He hadn’t tried the latter, so the specifics remained unknown.

When Lando first arrived in this world, his soul was White (93%). He had tried using a bit of Soul Essence and it increased by 1%.

“It seems I’ll be able to raise my soul to 100% today. Let’s hope things go as I anticipate.”

Closing the so-called [Soul Armament System], Lando began his daily training.

As for his status—he was not without distinction. He was the illegitimate son of Baron Vasili Moria, the lord of the castle. Only after his mother had recently fallen ill and passed away was he brought into the castle.

Of course, he could not inherit the baron’s surname, nor escape various duties. The only consolation was that every morning he received proper knightly training.

He had known this was no ordinary world the moment he first saw the knight instructor cleave a massive slab of bluestone in two with a single sword stroke. The light flickering on the blade, the neatly split stone—all made it clear. From that day, he was especially diligent in his lessons.

After morning training, dragging his weary body, he headed to the smithy, his daily workplace. If he wished to avoid hunger or a scolding, he needed to start work before lunch.

“Uncle Riley, I’m here.”

“Ah, young Lando! You look exhausted—take a rest before you get started.”

“No need, I’m not tired.” Lando’s tasks were simple: moving weapons, fetching water, working the bellows.

He glanced at the pile of broken weapons in the corner, all destined for the furnace. Among them was a greatsword that appeared unremarkable, but Lando knew it was an ‘antique’—it was from this blade that he had extracted his possessed soul, [Ironblood General (Green)].

Alas, there was no way to explain such things, and so he could only watch helplessly as it was melted down.

At dusk, after a day’s labor, he made his way to Mr. Carter’s study. Mr. Carter was a scholar employed by the castle who, each evening, would teach literacy and general knowledge to those who had completed their work and volunteered to learn.

“Mr. Carter, I’m here.” When Lando entered the study, four other boys and girls from the castle were already present.

“Lando, you’re just in time. Let’s begin.” Carter was a gentle, refined middle-aged scholar who would also share tales from his travels, opening Lando’s eyes to the wider world.

That night, instead of immediately collapsing into sleep, Lando opened his system, his spirits lifting at the sight of six points of Soul Essence.

“Whether I eat meat or drink soup depends on how powerful this golden cheat finger really is.”

With a thought, his [Soul: White (94%)] swiftly became [Soul: White (100%)].

A thunderous crash seemed to resound from the depths of his spirit. When Lando regained his senses, the system had changed dramatically.

[Name: Lando]
[Soul: Green (1%)]
[Talent: None] (Condensable: 1)
[Equipped Soul: None] (Equippable: 1)
[Possessed Soul: Ironblood General (Green)]
[Recorded Talent: Advanced Life Energy Affinity (Green) (600)]
[Soul Essence: 0]
[Ironblood General: Advanced Life Energy Affinity (Green), Aura of a Hundred Battles, White Lion Combat Technique]

Lando’s eyes brightened. He tried placing [Ironblood General (Green)] into the Equipped Soul slot. Instantly, he felt as if his soul were wrapped in armor, filling him with a profound sense of security, and more changes awaited his discovery.

[Name: Lando]
[Soul: Green (1%)]
[Talent: Advanced Life Energy Affinity] (Condensable: 1)
[Equipped Soul: Ironblood General (Green)] (Equippable: 0)
[Possessed Soul: None]
[Recorded Talent: Advanced Life Energy Affinity (Green) (600)]
[Soul Essence: 0]
[Ironblood General: Advanced Life Energy Affinity (Green), Aura of a Hundred Battles, White Lion Combat Technique]

“My strength feels so much greater. If only this crude panel could display attributes,” Lando thought, greedily.

Surveying his small room, he decided to postpone testing his newfound abilities.

The next day, after morning training, Lando could clearly sense the immense change within him. He no longer felt fatigued as before, and his training yielded remarkable results. The fundamental sword techniques taught by the knight instructor now came naturally, no longer feeling clumsy or awkward.

Instead of heading straight to the smithy, Lando found an excuse to leave the castle. He intended to test the other two abilities granted by equipping the soul.

Deep within the forest—but not daring to stray too far—he activated ‘Aura of a Hundred Battles.’ Instantly, all the chirping insects and singing birds in the forest fell silent.

“Conqueror’s Haki…? Cough, cough. Seems it’s a form of mental intimidation.”

Next, Lando picked up a branch and began practicing the ‘White Lion Combat Technique.’ After one set, his entire body was drenched in sweat, but he felt wonderfully invigorated, the effect far surpassing that of his morning training.

……

Over the following half year, Lando conducted various experiments.

He first helped out in the kitchen, claiming he wished to toughen his nerves, and worked as a butcher for two months. Yet, seeing no change in his Soul Essence, he gave up.

Relying on “experience,” he found all sorts of excuses to touch antiques around the castle. Apart from extracting one more soul by chance, nothing else happened.

[Scholar (Green): Eidetic Memory (Green)]

With the help of the newly acquired soul, he discovered that swapping equipped souls incurred no cost—it was simply plug-and-play, incomparably convenient.

On the recorded talents list, after Eidetic Memory (Green) appeared the number 100, which he guessed was the Soul Essence required to condense it. He was not eager to try it lightly.

Raising a Green Soul by 1% required 10 points of Soul Essence. Lando still wasn’t sure whether each 1% increment brought an effect, or if only reaching a new tier would trigger a change. Thus, he planned to wait until he had enough Soul Essence to boost his soul in one go to Green (99%) and observe the results.

Gazing at the Soul Essence tally—143—Lando’s face broke into the contented smile of a farmer at harvest.