Long for a human, short for an elf.  9 Years later.

The years gently rolled by in the forest. The seasons changed in a cycle just like on Earth's temperate climate. Winter began on the first frost of the year. Winter gave way to spring when seasonal rains took over. Spring became summer when the flowers started growing and the summer became fall when the leaves changed color on the trees. It was a relaxing lifestyle and it was Belnan's tenth year in the world of Levander.

To a human, ten years in the forest would seem long. People would call you a recluse or a hermit. To an elf, ten years was but a moment in a lifetime that spun, on average, over eight hundred years. Belnan, being a half-elf, shared in some of that longevity. The average lifespan of a half-elf on Levander was about four hundred. After advancing his Identify special skill, Belnan was able to uncover more details on his status to include his godly protections granted by the beautiful trio in the heavens.

From Cedona, the Greater Goddess of Life and Death, Belnan's life span multiplied tenfold. It also allowed the sacrifice of his godly protection one time to instantly return him to life. It was a very powerful protection needless to say. The major part of this protection was that unlike an elf's eight hundred plus years, Belnan's lifespan could easily surpass four centuries so long as he was not violently killed in some fashion sometime past four hundred years. This was a mind blowing discovery to him. There was nothing back on Earth that could live this long. Even for an elf, this was a long time. The prospect of living that long was hard to fathom so Belnan just packed it away in his mind.

From Tearea, the Greater Goddess of Time and Space, Belnan always knew the time and date. This was like wearing an internet synced smartwatch back on Earth but all in his head. He was granted a special skill called Spatial Awareness which allowed him to easily maintain his orientation in multi-dimensional space. After a discussion with his mother, he realized that to powerful magic users who employed Space Magic, this was amazing. Space magic could literally teleport a person if someone were to master it to sufficient rank, or so he was told. Tearea's Blessing made learning space magic easier for him and his mother was considerably skilled in it. Belnan mastered enough space magic that he even obtained the infamous 'Item Box' of Earth's light novels.

From Iris, the Greater Goddess of Magic, he was truly blessed beyond recognition. He remembered that she mentioned ten years ago that she had never blessed anyone before. Belnan now knew why. It could be summed up in one word. CHEAT! Literally, it was life on easy mode. Iris's protection granted easy learning and access to all magic types. You would think that is enough but hell no! It granted Sense Magic skill which Belnan picked up before he even turned the age of one. The ability to sense magic was vital to how he was able to observe and learn magic from his mother. And last but not least, it reduced the mana costs by half for all magic in the form of the granted Title, Apex of Magic. It was shear lunacy now that he was competent enough to know how ridiculous that protection was.

To an elf, ten years would have felt like a short time, but to a former human like Belnan, it was a very long time. After training magic with Soliana, she moved on to other ranging topics. These included much about the forest, the surroundings, politics, and a host of other things. She was a very experienced Mithril rank adventurer and an accomplished magician. Most could never hope to have such a teacher. It was a massive life experience transfer and he was only ten years old.

Their discussions were no longer head nodding and observation. The wisdom of Earth and the yearning for unanswered questions sprang forth like a geyser over the past few years once Belnan could properly form words. Soliana did her best to teach her young son all that she could offer. She knew her son was clearly a once in a millennia genius. You would think that people would call it crazy to live in the woods for years but to Soliana, these were joyous times which she relished with her son.

[Status]

Name: Belnan Whitmoor

Gender: M

Age: 10 (1 → 10)

Race: Half-Elven (High Elf)

Level: 1

Physical Energy: 255/255 (45 → 255)

Magical Energy: 5100/5100 (4800 → 5100)

Health: 3410/3410 (610 → 3410)

Strength 17 (3 → 17)

Dexterity 18 (4 → 18)

Constitution 17 (3 → 17)

Intelligence 17 (16 → 17)

Wisdom 17 (16 → 17)

Charisma 20 (18 → 20)

Occupation: Feral Child *New

Everyday Skills:

Animal Handling 1 *New

Riding 1 *New

Housework 7 (6 → 7)

Cooking 6 (5 → 6)

Sailing 5

Survival 6

Swim 6

Etiquette 3 *New

Healing 3 *New

Fishing 3 *New

Merchant 3 *New

Combat Skills:

Command 2 *New

Martial Arts 2

Swordsmanship 4 *New

Spearmanship 4 *New

Archery 8 (7 → 8)

Throw 3 *New

Magic Skills:

Sense Magic 6 (2 → 6)

Fire Magic 1 (Novice)

Earth Magic 4 (Master) (1 → 4)

Wind Magic 6 (Legend) (4 → 6)

Light Magic 5 (Heroic) (4 → 5)

Space Magic 5 (Heroic) *New

Chantless Casting

Elemental Combination *New

Elemental Recombination *New

Spells Known:

Fire Magic → Flame

Earth Magic → Stone, Earth Break, Extract, Summon Earth Elemental

Wind Magic → Air, Wind Slice, Wind Armor, Summon Air Elemental, Suffocate, Air Burst

Light Magic → Light, Heal, Remove Poison, Cure Disease, Mass Heal

Space Magic → Float, Item Box, Blink, Space Lock, Dimensional Door

Combination Magic → Earth Wall, Sand, Stone Skin, Gust, Lightning, Tornado, Regeneration, Levitate

Recombination Magic → Trench, Crystal, Shield, Stone Spike, Gale, Virtue, Hurricane, Resurrection

Crafting Skills:

Forestry 1 *New

Forging 5

Carpentry 5

Herbalism 1 *New

Procuration 1 *New

Bowcraft 1 *New

Architecture 5

Forging 5

Materials Processing 5

Hunting 6

Gathering 6

Construction 5

Masonry 5

Resistance Skills:

Sleep Resistance 8

Special Skills:

Status

Language Comprehension

Darkvision

Keen Hearing 6 (4 → 6)

Acute Smell 4

Identify 8 (5 → 8)

Titles:

Reincarnated

Apex of Magic

Spatial Awareness

Ultimate Door Stopper

Protections:

Protection of the Greater God of Life and Death, Cedona

Protection of the Greater God of Time and Space, Tearea

Protection of the Greater God of Magic, Iris

Notes:

3rd Child of Hubert Whitmoor (Father)

1st Child of Soliana Leovaris (Mother)

Great-Grandson of the Elven High King (Tornan Imperium)

Equipment:

Short Bow (Common)

Wooden Short Sword (Common)

Wooden Spear (Common)

Cloth Shirt (Common)

Forest Panther Leather Quiver / 20 Stone Arrows (Uncommon/Common)

Forest Panther Leather Pants (Uncommon)

Forest Panther Leather Shoes (Uncommon)

Star of Tornan Pendant (Mythical)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Belnan looked over his status feeling the past decade as one of immense growth. It was his tenth birthday today and he always looked forward to it as it usually came with a present. Each year he would get an item made by his caring mother. It was usually a wooden weapon or clothing, but the fact that she made them by hand was worth more to him then if they were gold. He spent all these years around a small clearing near a river. His prior life allowed him to truly concentrate on the things that interested him. Magic and skills were taught to him in the forest similar to home schooling. He never ventured far as his mother took care of the hunting.

He built another small hut himself when he was five that he uses till this day. It was similar to the one his mother made using the same skills she used a decade ago. He always wanted to build a secluded cabin in the wood back on Earth, and even though this was another world, he still checked the box on his former bucket list. He also built a small root cellar and a storage shed for materials.

It was the morning of his tenth birthday and Belnan was making arrows. He would give them to his mother so she could use them while hunting. He always made more than she used, but he like to help where he could. Soliana came back with another Trokos Bird. It tastes something similar to chicken but it was the size of a large goose. The feathers made decent arrows. She handed the bird to Belnan who started gutting, cleaning, and defeathering the thing while his mother took care of the fire pit and table. There was no need to speak in such a common scene. They had lived together for a decade. Once the food was ready, they ate their fill and buried the waste in a magic hole ten feet deep.

[Happy birthday my dear Belnan. You have truly amazed me every year that goes by. I am as proud as any mother could possibly be. Before you were born, as you know, I adventured across many lands. I did not want to settle down but I met your father on a mission and I was later gifted with you. Truly gifted. You are my treasure. I think you are old enough now to know who he is and if you want to see him I won't stop you. He is a human, so he does not have the time that we do. I fear that if we continue on here, even though you are still very young, then you will never know him and that is a sad thing.]

Belnan stared at the table in contemplation. He knew not to interrupt her when she was instructing, birthday or not.

[I have taught you many skills I learned throughout my life and your magic, frankly, I have nothing more I can teach you. You are a stellar magician and even if you lack combat experience, I can read your temperament and I know that such things will not hinder you. Elves do not typically adventure out at such a young age, but you are Half-Elven which means you are physically mature as a hundred year old elf. I can take no issue with you adventuring out with your mature, serious, inquisitive, and thoughtful nature. What are your thoughts Belnan? Do you wish to see him?]

He sat there without speaking for a good minute. He pondered her words like he always did. He was raised like an elf, so he had such a temperament now. He was not quick to decide things. He had lost a bit of that hectic human nature of his previous life. Belnan understood her worries well. He would live for a very long time but his father would be nothing but dust in the long stretch of time. What is twenty to fifty years to him now? He could always rejoin his mother later. She was strong and still young for an elf, having maybe reached a third of an Elven average lifespan. She was two hundred and twenty five if he remembered correctly.

[Mother, what will you do if I go? How will I find you?]

[So you have decided. I was once an adventurer and can be once again, however it has been nearly a century since I went back to the Imperium. I will head there to speak to our family about you. It will probably be a scandal for a few decades but it should be alright in the end. You must come see me in Tornan when you are done with your father. You will come to Leovaris castle and present yourself. If I am not there I will leave a message for you with your grandparents.]

He nodded in confirmation. He did not know where Leovaris Castle was nor had he ever been to the Tornan Imperium but he would find it.

[The last I saw your father was almost eleven years ago. I believe he should be about fifty-five now. This is quite old for a human. When I knew him, he was not only an adventurer, but was the Baron of Whitemoor. His lands included a large town and the surrounding countryside. I can not say what his situation is now, but if he is still alive, he will be there most likely.]

Casting 'Item Box', Solaria pulled out an old map. She pointed to a spot in the Rivia Empire, one of the human nations in the south west of the eastern continent. In the woods between distant towns she tapped the map.

[We are around here between the human towns of Rosewater and Dragongrave in the northern forest of the Rivea Empire. Yes, we have been in the human lands these past ten years but in a very remote location. The river flows downstream to Rosewater and eventually past the city of Westhelm to the ocean. South of Westhelm is the town of Whitmoor and your father's lands. On foot it would take a month assuming you don't get lost along the way or encounter bad weather. But you are a wonderful space mage blessed by the gods. You will have no issues finding such a place. Take a day to copy the portions of this map that you will need. I have parchment and ink for you in my item box. Maps of this nature which show such detail are very rare. They are essentially national strategic items. Do not share your map with others if you can.

[Yes, Mother. I will miss you greatly. I have enjoyed our quiet years in the place. I will come find you in the Imperium without fail. I do not know what father can teach me but I will, at least, speak with him. He probably does not know of me. Will you write a letter to him?]

[I have already done so. There is no need to prove your lineage to him. It will be easily known. I spoke to you about the Status stones. The stones are present in most churches, the adventures guild, and the merchants guild. They will read your status information and it will be stored on a magical identification that is difficult, if not impossible, to replicate. You will obtain one of these when you can. It will allow you to show some or all of your status information to others. The priests will not look if they are the ones using the stone, so I suggest this first before going to one of the other options. Keep your identify close, and only give it out when necessary. When you leave this place you will take my family name with you as your middle name. This may protect you at some point. I grant this as your mother and Princess of the Imperium.]

[Yes, Mother. I will miss your great wisdom and our talks.]

He looked down at the table again with a sad face.

[My son. I love you. May Windros guide your steps.]

She kissed him on the forehead and went to her cabin. For his tenth birthday he did not receive a physical present. He received the chance to see his aging father. His mother could have gone with him but he sensed some hesitance. It is possible his father was married now or with other children. It was more than possible. It was probable. He was a noble. It is the duty of those in power to continue on their line. This is the way of nobles. If things do not work out, Belnan decided he would just go his own way. With a mental age of nearly fifty himself, he would manage. After finishing copying portions of the map, he slipped the map into his mother's cabin and went to sleep.

The next morning a package was left in his cabin. It contained dried meats, fruit, and other provisions. A small pouch was next to the package which contained a few different coins. A letter with a familiar seal was placed on top of the bundle. This was the letter to his father. Leaning against the wall next to the door was a gleaming short sword. It looked like a magnificent piece and was, no doubt, left for him. Belnan placed the provisions, the letter, the coins and his old wooden weapons in his item box. He would keep these till they rotted away in time. They were toys for a child given by a loving mother. He strapped on the new sword to his belt and inspected it with Identify.

Elven Sword of the Wind (Heroic)

Type: Short sword

Description: This sword was crafted by the Elves of the Tornan Imperium. It reduces expenditure of mana by half when imbuing it with wind magic. When imbued, it can cut through steel like butter. Gifted to Belnan Leovaris Whitemoor from his mother, Princess Solaria Leovaris. It is engraved with the Leovaris family emblem.

Stepping out the door, Belnan looked around at the rustic buildings and living space he had called home until now. His mother had already left in the early morning on her own journey. A deep feeling of loneliness permeated the area. He wanted to cry but he stopped himself. He had his own journey to make. For the first leg, he would follow the river downstream to the town of Rosewater. He had not spent any time with humans in Levander and was a bit anxious.

[Well, might as well get to it.]

He walked down to the river and faced downstream. About a hundred paces from there was as far as he had ever gone in this world. Methodically, he put one foot in front of the other.