One day on modern Earth.
I happened to be free, so I was browsing the free serialization section of the webnovel platform “Moonstopia.”
New works started serializing there every day, but most of them vanished without a trace, lost in people’s indifference.
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[Webnovel > Free Serialization > Fantasy, Fusion]
Title: Recap-Cisily Continent Chronicle
Episodes: 4
Synopsis: ~Recap-Cisily continent chronicle~ That world had two hearts. The beginning of an adventure to unravel the secrets entwined in the enigmatic continent.
“…What is this?”
At first, this unidentified novel seemed like the epitome of such works.
A outdated title that screamed ‘I’m a classic fantasy like The Lord of the R*ngs,’ and a superficial synopsis that made it hard to grasp what the content was about.
It looked like something full of superficial flair with no skill at drawing people’s attention.
That was my first impression of Reca Chronicles.
Based on my years of experience as a webnovel reader, the chances of such a story, showing not even a shred of trendiness, containing decent content were slim to none.
So, normally, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance. But that day, something drew me in, and I clicked on the prologue with zero views, then read all the way to the latest episode as if entranced.
And I became the novel’s first subscriber.
During the free serialization period, when I worried it might get dropped due to low performance, I posted seven recommendation threads for Reca Chronicles.
There were minor troubles, like being accused of manipulation and getting bombarded with reports from other board users, but the novel safely transitioned to paid serialization.
Even now, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it was, but Reca Chronicles had a unique charm that drew in a specific audience.
It was natural for a minor but highly loyal fandom to form, and thanks to that, the bond among the thirty die-hard fans who followed it to its disastrous ending was incredibly deep.
Personally, if I had to pick the most memorable reader among them, it would be the user with the chuunibyou-smelling nickname ‘Black Flame.’
One day, I neatly organized Reca Chronicles’ settings and posted them on the board. Other readers were speechless at the sheer volume of work and just admired it, but that user was different.
-Black Flame: The summary itself is excellent quality, but there are a few errors.
ㄴAiden: Where?
└Black Flame: In the explanation of Tisie Verdad’s unique skill. There’s something in the usage of Harmonious Resonance (U) that doesn’t match the main story description.
ㄴAiden: Oh… You’re right.
-Physics Mage: What? This is the first time I’ve seen Aiden admit he’s wrong so readily.
└KeepCrow: That’s because everyone else’s points were wrong until now lol
ㄴPhysics Mage: Oh ;;
He was the only setting otaku among the die-hards who could discuss Reca Chronicles with me on equal footing.
This rapport led to personal exchanges via DMs and one-on-one chats. He was a huge help in creating the timeline for Reca Chronicles later on, of course.
In a way, Black Flame’s contribution to building my database played a big part in my success after possession.
-Black Flame: Honestly, the heroine after Part 2 isn’t that Clara kid who goes missing and doesn’t show up, but Bisa who decided to follow Epio all the way to the Ciencia Continent next door. Part 4 is basically their honeymoon.
ㄴAiden: Bullshit ;;
└Black Flame: lol
└AngerManagementX: Stop the damn fighting in the comments you rotten water bastards seriously kill yourselves why do you two always speculate in comments and tag team nitpick it’s so fucking annoying please stop your bullshit
ㄴNiku: Anyway, only about 30 people read it these days, so who cares if we post some nonsense? There are even people posting cooking recipes in the comments now.
If not for our difference in opinion on the heroine, it would have been nothing but good memories.
The reason I’m bringing this up out of nowhere.
Is because I remembered the chat right before possession.
[NonameC: Thank you for accepting the proposal, Aiden. You really are the person I expected. I’ll entrust you with the most important role in the remake project, so please take good care of it.]
Right after possessing Aiden, I was too busy to think about anything, but now that I reflect on it, those words bother me a lot. Especially the part about the ‘most important role.’ If it’s the ‘most’ important, that implies there could be ‘less’ important roles.
I immediately considered the possibility of other possessors besides me… but honestly, based on the information I’ve gathered so far, that seems unlikely.
In places where I haven’t exerted influence, there hasn’t been a single deviation from the original history.
Moreover, even if there were multiple possessors, it clearly wouldn’t help with the remake project or MacGuffin collection that NonameC mentioned. It’d be lucky if they didn’t just fight among themselves over interests.
…This is tricky.
Am I just overthinking it?
“Aiden. It’s about time to head out.”
“Ah, yes.”
I snapped out of my thoughts at Arent’s words.
And we stepped out of the clan house together.
As the sub-master, to welcome a guest.
Blake Shaw, having wrapped up his life in the cabin, had finally arrived at the Blispiel Clan house.
“I heard in advance, but to actually recruit the Professor… Your skills are unbelievable.”
“Hoh. Aren’t you the kid who used to stick by the Thousand-Man Slayer? Long time no see.”
“Long time no see, Professor.”
Arent and Blake were acquaintances, connected through Regenshauer.
And from that day on, I began receiving formal instruction from the Professor.
Day 1.
After checking my skills through a spar, Blake looked extremely surprised.
“…Aiden, you said you’re sixteen, right?”
“I just had my birthday recently, so now I’m seventeen.”
“A year or two doesn’t matter. It’s an unbelievable achievement for your age. Moreover, I just got a similar vibe from you as that weirdo Julian Connelly. Have you learned the Brandish School’s harmony heart method?”
“That’s right.”
I replied while feigning composure, but inwardly I was shocked. Even though Blake had broad knowledge, I never imagined he’d figure out my main heart method so quickly.
“It seems you’ve already learned and harmonized a considerable number of heart methods? Reaching a realm beyond Julian in the future is entirely possible.”
“I got lucky.”
“Haha, if you chalk it all up to luck, who would bother working hard? Anyway, since the harmony energy has settled in your body, learning new heart methods shouldn’t be a burden.”
“Of course.”
“I personally think you need a heart method that generates thunder qi right now.”
As expected from the best mentor, he had also discerned the existence of my Thunder God Physique (S) trait.
In that case, things would move quickly.
“I want to learn the Dearside School’s dual heart method.”
“I expected you to say that.”
The Thousand Hands (S+) that Blake possessed was one of the evolved forms of Weapon Genius (A), a title trait obtainable only by mastering an innumerable variety of skills. It wasn’t a title that directly aided combat, but it had the merit of starting most skills at the ‘proficient’ or ‘expert’ stage upon first acquisition.
And among the skills he had mastered were the manuals and heart methods of the Dearside School, which the Sword Saint and Thousand-Man Slayer had learned.
That was a key reason I recruited him.
Though it didn’t appear in the original, the two peerless swordsmen had each prepared a trump card technique to defeat the other. To steal and learn those, I absolutely needed to master the Dearside School’s secrets.
“The most important feature of the dual heart method is that you can select two out of three different attributes and condense them into a single qi breath. It’s tricky to learn, but the power is guaranteed because of that.”
The rigid and destructive ‘fire qi.’
The highly variable ‘thunder qi.’
And finally, the swift ‘light qi.’
The qi that could be incorporated into the Dearside heart method were two out of these three.
Among them, light attribute had become mandatory after long research, so inevitably, those who learned the Dearside heart method were divided into two paths.
For example, the Sword Saint chose ‘fire-light,’ and the Thousand-Man Slayer chose the ‘thunder-light’ combination.
“I see. So the only combination I can pursue is ‘thunder-light.’”
Even with the same heart method, depending on which qi you chose, you specialized in either straight sword or variant sword—completely different fields. This foundation was what caused the Dearside School to split into two branches.
I turned to the red-haired boy beside me.
“You heard that, Epio? You, who handle flames well, should go for ‘fire-light.’”
“Got it.”
Epio nodded obediently.
The Silas School heart method he had learned recently suited him perfectly, but relying on that alone made it too unstable.
However, teaching him the Dearside School’s techniques could solve that issue.
In the original, Epio had briefly interacted with the Sword Saint and received instruction in the Dearside School’s secrets, and the compatibility had been quite good.
[Acquired Dearside Dual Heart Method (A)!]
[Acquired Dearside Variant Swordsmanship (A)!]
[‘Beginner’ stage. Effects are minimal.]
Crackle!
Under Blake’s guidance, through continued training, I became able to stably repeat the thunder-light qi breath.
Fundamentally, it was due to excellent compatibility with Thunder God Physique (S), but the effect of Blake’s Great Educator (S) was significant.
And not just that.
“That’s an extraordinarily mysterious footwork. But you have a slight bad habit in using it. Let me correct it.”
Blake, with his Astonishing Insight (A), terrifyingly pinpointed and fixed the flaws in our movements.
[The proficiency of Silent Realm (A) is ‘Expert’ stage. Effects greatly increase.]
[The proficiency of Mirvana Strong Wire Art (B) is ‘Expert’ stage. Effects greatly increase.]
Thanks to that, the proficiency of skills I already had also advanced at an absurdly fast rate.
It was around then that a visitor came to see me.
It was a fairy race with pointed ears, and the grass-like green hair was striking.
“Aiden. It’s time to go soon.”
No, the previous line was from earlier. Rephrase.
“I am Ailaro Arieldee, from the Great Forest. I greet you, first child of Nevia Lilu Arieldee.”
“Ailaro!”
“Long time no see, Linia.”
Linia brightened considerably.
<Ailaro Arieldee>
[Level: 25/29]
[Description: Age 37, fairy race of the Arieldee family. Currently affiliated with the Great Forest’s diplomacy department.]
I checked the character sheet, but no recollection.
A character who didn’t appear in the original.
I asked Linia.
“You know each other?”
“Ailaro and I served Lady Nevia together back in the Great Forest, when she was a high fairy.”
I nodded at that.
Right after joining the Blispiel Clan, I had contacted the Great Forest. Nearly a year had passed since then, so the reply was extremely late.
But this was still faster than expected.
The first pigeon I sent took months just to get a response. Now, I was merely the sub-master of a small clan. Compared to when I was seen as the heir to the Stroke Principality, the temperature difference was significant.
“Honestly, I expected it would take another 3-4 years for you to send someone separately.”
“Even if you’re a quarter, you’re Aiden, inheritor of a high fairy’s blood. We couldn’t drag it out that long.”
“So, does that mean I can visit the Great Forest?”
“Barahal Lakel Arieldee, head of the Arieldee family and one of the Great Forest’s Fifteen Divine Guards, has permitted your entry into the forest. However, there’s one condition.”
“A condition?”
“He said he has a personal request for you. He’ll tell you the details once you enter the Great Forest….”
Ailaro trailed off.
I furrowed my brow at the strange request.
“…Unfortunately, I don’t know what the family head’s request is either. He said to come to the forest and decide whether to accept or reject it. But depending on your answer, he’s willing to provide you with the ‘Blessing of the Great Tree.’”
With that, Ailaro handed me something.
It was a plaque engraved with a large tree pattern.
A one-time ID that allowed entry into the Great Forest.
She bowed deeply and left.
Soon, Linia asked me.
“What could it be?”
“It’s… not a trap, I think. There’s no merit in trapping me in the forest when I’m not even the heir to the Stroke Principality.”
The current family head, Barahal, was a high fairy. He was the grandfather of Aiden’s mother, Nevia, so my great-grandfather.
What could such a high-ranking person possibly need to request from me?
According to the timeline, there were two or three events happening in the Great Forest around this time.
But I’m not sure if they’re related to this.
“Anyway, I have to visit the Great Forest eventually. It’s best to schedule it now while I have some leeway.”
“Because of the ‘Blessing of the Great Tree’?”
“That’s one reason.”
“Yeah, receiving the blessing would greatly speed up your achievements as a warrior….”
No, it’s the opposite. This time, I plan to request the removal of the Blessing of the Great Tree from you, Linia.
“…What?”