Inside my room, I'm deeply engrossed in a video game on my computer.

Click clack, goes my mechanical keyboard as my fingers move rapidly to eliminate my enemies. My heartbeat quickens, my breathing becomes faster, and I start to sweat. Finally, the victory screen pops up, and I slump in my chair with a breath of relief, followed by a victorious cheer.

This is my life for the past seven years. A middle aged man still living in his parent's home and living off their wealth, doing nothing but playing video games and watching anime until late at night.

Reaching for a can of energy drink on the table next to me, I'm disappointed to find it empty. I walked over to my mini fridge only to see that it was also empty.

With a frustrated groan, I got up and slipped on my hoodie and some jeans. I then walked towards the door, but not before nearly tripping on an empty can on the floor, and I kicked it away.

I flipped the light switch on as I stepped into the spacious living room. It was completely empty and silent. In fact, the entire house is empty.

Looks like my parents are away again. As I check my phone for messages, sure enough, my father has texted me this morning saying that he and mother are away for another business trip.

***

I stepped outside and started to walk to the convenience store since it was only a few blocks away.

I stopped at the crosswalk as it was red. I then notice a girl on the other side of the road, waiting for the crossing light to go green as well. She is wearing a high school uniform, I wonder what she is doing outside so late at night?

I didn't have to wait long until the light turned green, and both me and the girl started to cross the road, until I saw a huge truck speeding towards her, showing no signs of stopping.

Without any second thoughts, something compelled me to run towards her as fast as I can. Despite my lack of athletic capabilities, the sudden rush of adrenaline helps me reach her just in time.

*CRASH*

I opened my eyes to a world spinning in a haze of pain and confusion. The acrid smell of smoke filled the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood as I struggled to make sense of my surroundings. My body felt like it had been torn apart, each movement sending jolts of agony coursing through.

I tried to move, but every attempt was met with searing pain and the sickening crunch of broken bones grinding against each other. My limbs refused to obey my commands, twisted and contorted into grotesque shapes by the force of the collision.

I wanted to cry out for help, to plead for salvation from the agony that consumed me, but the words caught in my throat, drowned out by the cacophony of my own suffering.

As darkness threatened to engulf me once more, a race of thoughts echoed in the recesses of my mind, a prayer whispered into the void, a plea for redemption in the face of overwhelming despair.

Please... let me live...

There's still so many things I want to do... to experience...

My breathing gradually slows as I feel my consciousness drifting away.

The weight of my regrets bore down upon me like a suffocating blanket, each unfulfilled dream and missed opportunity a dagger in my heart. The world around me faded into oblivion, the distant wail of sirens and the flickering glow of emergency lights swallowed by the void as my consciousness slowly wavers.

And with that, I slipped away, leaving behind nothing but the echoes of a life unlived and the faint scent of regret lingering in the still night air.

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A Fanfiction by: Corrupted839

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Mushoku Tensei: My Precious Life

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As consciousness slowly dawns upon me, I find myself enveloped in softness and warmth, a cocoon of comfort unlike anything I've ever experienced. The gentle sway and rhythmic sound of distant voices soothe me, pulling me from the depths of unconsciousness.

Opening my eyes, I blink against the soft light filtering through sheer curtains, my vision adjusting to the world around me.

Voices, muffled yet distinct, echo around me, their tones filled with excitement and anticipation. I realize I'm lying in a cradle, surrounded by opulent fabrics in hues of gold and crimson, like an infant nestled within their folds. Slowly, I comprehend that I am that infant, reborn into this unfamiliar realm.

Thoughts swirl in my mind as I gaze upon the faces of two strangers who seem both familiar and unknown, speaking to each other in an unfamiliar language. Their smiles radiate warmth and affection, their eyes alight with joy at my arrival.

They are my parents, the connection forming almost instantly in my mind. Both draped in silks and adorned with jewels, their gaze towards me filled with pride and love.

Holy shit... This can't be real, I think to myself, but the sensations are all too real, and the memory of the crash is still vivid in my mind. Not only that, I still have all of my memories of my prior life.

Through consuming countless pieces of media and fiction, mostly anime, video games, and light novels, I quickly come to the only explanation for the bizarre situation I find myself in.

I'm reincarnated...

The realization washes over me, mingling with a sense of wonder and bewilderment.

I felt light all of the sudden, and I realized that I was picked up by my 'mother', who then held me close. She is a beautiful young woman with silky smooth blonde hair and a pair of green eyes.

She whispered something to me, which somehow calmed me and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead before holding me close again, pressing my head to her soft chest.

I heard my 'father' uttering something to her before kissing her cheek. He looks slightly older than 'mother' having short brown hair and blue eyes.

This whole situation should be alarming to me, maybe I should be panicking. Some people might freak out at suddenly being reborn, reincarnated. The whole idea is crazy and unbelievable.

But somehow, I felt calm. Maybe it's the fact that I've accepted my death, or maybe it's because of this comfortable, warm embrace.

And so, I only closed my eyes and let out a breath, feeling all tension wash away as I enjoyed the embrace of my new mother.

***

To think that I have been reincarnated. There's no mistaking it.

It's something that I still can't believe even to this day. Even now, I thought that any day I would wake up back in my room, but that hasn't yet happened even a year after I awakened in this infant's body.

Since then, I've been slowly learning this unfamiliar language just by listening to my parents talk and observing their actions. The first words I learned are the ones they repeatedly used to address me.

It's a bit weird, being called something other than my name. But I guess being reborn to a different family means having a new name. And here, I'm called Alexander Arias Asura... Quite a long name, but I have to get used to calling myself that now.

Another feat I've accomplished within the year is walking. Although, I keep losing my balance every now and then, probably because my body still hasn't developed completely. But nevertheless, it is an ability I use often to explore my surroundings, curious about this new place I call home.

Judging from the way my parents dress, and the small army of servants that are under their beck and call, I have concluded that my new family is rich and is of a high status. And the big fancy house only supports my conclusion.

The whole house is a symphony of opulence, with intricately carved furniture adorned with gilded accents and tapestries. Silken drapes billow gently in the breeze, casting ethereal patterns of light and shadow.

Through labyrinthine halls and winding staircases, I discover towering libraries filled with ancient tomes to sun-dappled courtyards perfumed with the scent of blooming flowers, reveling in the splendor of my new surroundings.

Of course, I'm not yet able to explore the entirety of the vast mansion, not when even climbing and going down stairs felt like a mountain trek, but with each passing day, I feel more at home amidst the grandeur of my noble abode.

But what are the chances, huh? Even back in my prior life, I was fortunate enough to be born to a rich family, with a business that is worth millions. And now, I'm reincarnated to another wealthy family.

"Alex, there you are." The familiar voice of my mother, Aveline said as she walked over from behind and picked my small body up. "You shouldn't wander around on your own, it's dangerous."

"Let the kid do what he wants. The servants are keeping an eye on him anyways." My father, Galen, was much more composed and he often had a carefree attitude when it came to raising his child.

My mother sighs and places me back into the bedroom and closes the door shut. Once again limiting my freedom.

I turn towards the window next to me, seeing my faint reflection on the glass. Seeing my small two year old body, blond hair and sapphire blue eyes made it clear to me, that I had indeed been reincarnated.

There is another thing I've discovered during my time here. The utter lack of any modern necessities such as electronics, and modern household appliances suggests that I have been reborn into a time period where those haven't been invented yet.

And judging by the glimpses I had of the outside world, I'm in an area more akin to medieval europe or something similar. Furthermore, the house seems to be situated in a rural area in the countryside.

And that's the extent of what I know as of now.

Slowly but surely, I'm adapting to this new body, as well as this new world.

That night, just before going to sleep, I stared blankly at the ceiling above, and I started to think about my present situation.

To think that I've been given a chance... A second chance at life... A restart... Guess those isekai animes aren't some made-up bullshit after all. Regardless, I'll make sure I won't waste this opportunity.

Back home, I was a complete nobody... I didn't do anything... I never really have any purpose for living... I just lived... And I died, just like that. No one would know I even existed, who I was.

I swear... It won't be like last time... I will make a change... I'll do what I was unable to do in my old world... I'll do my very best. This must be the reason I've been given a second chance... So that I can change who I am...

New world, new me...

***

Another year passes, and I've practically mastered the once unknown language, putting together sentences with ease. Reading and writing is also not a problem after my countless hours spent at the library and with the occasional lessons from one of the servants.

Quite a lot has happened since then, I've been enjoying life as a carefree child, but other than that, after all this time, I can confidently say that I'm no longer on the Earth I knew. This is a completely different world, I didn't just get transported back in time like I had previously thought.

Another thing that pretty much removed any doubts I had in my mind was...

"Divine power is rich and nourishing. It offers the strength to rise again to those who have lost their strength... Healing!"

After I've just injured myself by falling down the stairs, I know, embarrassing, but I am a literal toddler so give me a break, my mother quickly tended to my side and held a palm towards me before starting to utter some sort of chant that seemed like it came straight out of an anime.

But I soon noticed my mother's hand shone with a dim light, and all the pain I felt was instantly gone.

That was my first experience with this tiny little thing called magic, and it is what cemented my initial hypothesis. I am not on Earth, at least, my Earth. This is a full blown fantasy world of swords and magic. That would explain so many things like the unfamiliar language and the lack of modern essentials.

That leads to where I am now, in the library completely absorbed in a book called 'Magic Manual', which I found by asking my mother about it.

She probably didn't think much of it and I doubt she believed I could ever understand its contents, but she pulled the book out of the bookshelf and placed it down on the study desk for me anyways, probably just wanting something to keep me occupied with.

Nevertheless, I have spent most of my time in recent days studying the book, which has taught me some of the fundamentals.

First, magic came in three types: Attack magic, to do battle; Healing magic, to treat wounds; and Summoning magic, to call things forth. Any magic you use will fall under these three categories.

There seemed to be lots of other things you could do with magic, but according to the textbook, magic was something developed in battle and conflict, and therefore not used much outside of combat or hunting.

Second, you needed magical power, or in other words, mana, in order to use magic, meaning, anyone could use magic so long as they had magical power. There were two ways of doing this: using one's innate magical power or drawing on the magical power imbued in an object.

Third, there were two ways of performing magic: incantation and magic circles. This didn't need too much explanation: It simply referred to reciting words or inscribing mystic patterns to cast a spell, respectively.

According to the book, in the old days, magic circles were the main source of magical power, but in modern times, incantations were far more commonplace for Attack and Healing magic.

For the more complex rituals involved in Summoning magic, where greater efficiency wasn't attainable, magic circles remained the primary means.

Four, the amount of magical power someone had was pretty much determined at birth. In your typical RPG, you gain more MP as you level up, but things didn't work that way in this world. Almost everyone was stuck where they were. Almost everyone, which implied that some people changed over time. I wondered which group I'd fall into.

The book also said that one's level of magical power was inherited. So if I'm interpreting this correctly, my magic potential is basically set in stone at birth. I knew my mother was able to use Healing magic, so maybe it was alright to have some expectations for myself. Still, I felt a bit uneasy. I wasn't sure my own genes would be up to the task.

But, you never know unless you try.

And so, I went outside to the garden to finally try to use magic.

There were an abundance of spells documented in the book, and I've chosen the simplest one of all, called Waterball.

I stood at a mostly empty area of the garden and I held out my right hand forward. I took a deep breath, mostly to brace myself as I recited the incantation I had memorized from the book.

"Let the great protection of water be on the place thou seekest. I call a refreshing burbling stream here and now. Waterball."

I felt a warm sensation gathering in my right hand, and then, a sphere of clear water, about the size of my fist manifested itself just in front of my open palm.

I gasped at the sight and flinched in shock, causing me to lose concentration and the ball of water soon dropped to the ground.

I didn't know why I flinched. Maybe the sight of water magically appearing out of thin air was still an unbelievable sight for me. The very idea of magic was absurd. It goes against my very understanding of the world, but I have to remember, I'm no longer in my world.

And so, I took another breath, held my hand out again. I plan to drill the procedure in my head again and again until it becomes second nature to me akin to breathing.

I closed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.

Concentrate... Picture it in your mind...

Waterball... ball of water... water... hydro... H2O...

There's that warm feeling again, which I assume is the mana gathering at the palm of my right hand.

I opened my eyes and was about to chant the incantation again, but...

There's a ball of water right there, floating just in front of my palm.

"What the-?"

I blurted out and in my moment of shock, the ball of water drops to the floor again.

What just happened? I haven't even uttered the incantation yet, have I? No, I've merely pictured the spell in my mind. Then how? Was the incantation not necessary after all?

Although the book has never specified that it was absolutely necessary to recite the incantation, there was nothing about casting spells without incantation. It also explicitly states that there are only two ways to perform magic, incantations and magic circles, and I did neither of them, so what's going on here?

I've read the book thoroughly and read it from start to finish multiple times, so I'm sure this is not a case of me interpreting it wrong. Is the book just outright wrong? Or was the information outdated?

Or maybe... I'm just special. It might sound cheesy, but maybe I'm just built different, or something? Am I the main character?

Calm down... Before I got too carried away, I took a deep breath and released. Let's look at this with a more level head.

Perhaps the incantation was an activation trigger for the spell, where uttering the words would create the effect without having to focus on the energy coursing through your body and picturing the spell. It was a tool. Sort of like the difference between doing math using your head and using a calculator.

For simple arithmetic like two plus two, it's way faster to just count in your head than to type in numbers on a calculator. But more complicated problems which involve more variables, using a calculator is faster than counting in your mind.

Same with spells. Simple beginner level spells could be quickly performed without incantations while more complicated spells could be performed faster by incantations. Or something like that...

But still, I could hypothesize all day, but that still wouldn't get me anywhere without doing some actual experimentation.

And so, I stood once again with my hand raised and... Huh?

My hand felt heavy, and I'm starting to feel light headed. I haven't felt exhaustion to this extreme even when I spent the whole day exploring the house. Is this what happens when someone is running low on mana?

I knew better than to overwork myself, so I headed back inside the house with a disappointed sigh. I wanted to experiment more, but I don't know if there are any dangers to messing around with magic while being low on mana, and I rather not take the risk.

***

The next day, I went out to the garden to continue my experiment.

Just like yesterday, I held out a hand and concentrated, picturing myself performing the spell in my mind and sure enough, I was able to cast Waterball without incantation.

I wanted to try my hand on other kinds of spells too, however, I figured that I best stick to water based magic. All of the other types, fire, earth and wind, are more destructive by nature and might damage the garden.

But something changed today. I no longer felt tired after my second Waterball. And so, I conjured a third, a fourth and a fifth. It wasn't until the fifth one that I started to feel the exhaustion.

"Huh?"

It seems that I'm now able to use magic more than I did before. How? Had I been more tired yesterday because it was my first time? Had the spells consumed more mana because it was my first time casting them?

Furthermore, the spell felt easier and faster to perform now, so perhaps my abilities would grow further the next day. All that's left to do now is to wait and see.

***

The following day, my Waterball count increased significantly. Now I am up to twelve. If this continues, then my theory should be correct. Using the spell more frequently allows me to cast it more. My mana is increasing.

But how is that possible? The book stated that one's magical reserves were determined at birth. What's the deal now? Another discrepancy? Maybe I shouldn't put all my trust in the book after all.

Someone's magical power can indeed grow over time and practice. Like exercising to develop the body's strength. Which meant there was only one thing for me to do: continue

honing my skills as best I could while I was still young and developing.

***

I've made another discovery today. Before, the Waterballs I cast would appear in front of the palm of my hand and just drop to the ground, which I found weird. After all, the book describes Waterball to be a spell which materializes and hurls a mass of water, so why wasn't it doing it, I thought. And through trial and error, I finally figured it out.

The process goes from materialization, shaping, set speed and then execution. It's a bit like programming computer code, only that it's performed in my head. Every variable needs to be defined in order for the spell to be complete and function correctly. In this case, I hadn't set the variable for speed, which was why the sphere of water only drops to the ground just after materializing.

So now, I was shooting Waterballs all around the garden like a child that has just gotten their first water gun. Well, in this instance that is what's literally happening.

Over the next few weeks, I only did Waterball repeatedly to drill the process into my head and get used to the feeling. As I mentioned before, I wanted it to become second nature, and there's no better time to train and learn since my brain is still developing.

***

Now that I have the Waterball spell down pat, I figured I should move on to other spells. Mostly because I'm impatient and I've gotten bored of shooting around Waterballs. I hoped to master all four schools or branches of Attack magic before long, that being Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. Mastering their beginner spells should be a good place to start.

By "Beginner spells," I meant the most basic spells that could be used for offense. This included spells like Waterball and Fireball, as well as other even more entry-level spells.

Spells were broken up into seven levels of difficulty: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Saint, King, Imperial, and Divine. Typically, trained magicians could use the Advanced spells from the discipline of magic they focused on, but could only use Beginner or Intermediate spells from the other schools.

Once someone was able to cast spells of a rank higher than Advanced, they were acknowledged as a Fire Saint or Water Saint or whatever, depending on their chosen branch. Saint-tier magic. I kinda hoped to be that good someday. My magic textbook, however, only included fire, water, wind, and earth Attack spells up to the Advanced level, so unless I get a new book, or maybe a teacher, I'll be limited to Advance level spells.

No, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll just focus on trying out other spells and practice what I can for now.

***

I'm now in the middle of my third year of being reborn.

My daily routine basically consists of practicing magic and occasionally spending time with my new family.

My progress has been steady, I've already achieved my goals of learning the beginner spells of all four branches of Attack magic and being able to perform them without incantations quite easily. My mana reserves have also grown quite significantly now.

That is why, on this day, I decided to finally move on to Intermediate spells.

I held the 'Magic Manual' in my left hand and held my right hand up forwards and took a deep breath as I began to recite the incantation to a spell called 'Water Cannon'.

"Supple spirit of water and princess of streams that flow through the earth, sweep away all things with your hidden inner might. Water Cannon."

Soon after, I realized I made a mistake as a large mass of water appeared in front of me, bigger than I could have ever imagined, and there was nothing I could do as it proceeded to launch forwards and blast a large hole into the brick fence in front of me. In my shock, I fell over and dropped the book on the ground.

Thankfully, it was just the fence and not the house itself, but that did not stop the noise from alerting everyone inside.

"What was that? Alex, are you okay?" Mother, knowing where I was, was the first to rush outside towards me.

"Are we under attack?" Father comes next, along with a few of the guards. "Secure the perimeter." He said to the pair of guards behind and they saluted in acknowledgement.

Seeing that I was unharmed, mother turns her attention to the wrecked wall. "Goodness, what happened to the wall?"

Not wanting to put them on false alert and escalate the situation, I decided to own up to my mistake.

"No, father, it was me." I spoke out, gaining the attention of my parents.

"What do you mean?" He asked, puzzled.

Mother then noticed the book next to me and the page it is opened to. "Oh my. Alex, did you read this out loud?"

"Y-Yes... I'm sorry..." I lowered my head and

"That's not possible. This is an Intermediate level spell." Father uttered with a hint of disbelief, looking at the open book.

"What else could explain that hole in the wall, and the puddle of water?" She reasoned. "Our son is a genius, dear, I just know it!" She spoke with excitement gleaming in her eyes. "Let's go get him a home tutor right away!"

I never saw my mother get this excited before. This must be a big deal to her.

"Well, hold on, he's still young."

"Which is better!"

They then continued back and forth, debating whether or not it is good for their three year old child to be taught magic. But eventually, they slowly come to an agreement.

"Fine..." Father breathed. "But, we'll ask for the teacher's opinion first. If they're against it, we'll have to call it off."

Mother excitedly held his hands. "We'll get him the best teacher in the kingdom! Maybe someone from Ranoa?"

She proceeded to list various places and people unknown to me. It's clear now to me just how big of a deal this was. I guess I should be expecting a magic teacher soon enough...