Chapter 5: A New Body, A New Burden

A Harsh Awakening

I woke up feeling like I'd been run over by a carriage.

Everything ached. My muscles burned, stiff and sore as if I had been put through a week's worth of training overnight. My head throbbed, my vision blurred before settling into focus. For a moment, a familiar thought crept in—

Was it all just a fever dream?

The transmigration. The Eclipse Vision. The academy.

Maybe I was still back on Earth, trapped in that hospital bed, my body too weak to move, my mind spinning with fantasy novels to pass the time.

But then I shifted.

And immediately regretted it.

A groan escaped my lips as I forced myself upright. My body felt… wrong. Not in a painful way, but in an unfamiliar way, like wearing clothes that didn't quite fit.

It took me a second to realize why.

This wasn't my original body.

It was Alden Blackwood's.

And last night, I had forced it through something it wasn't meant to endure. Awakening the Eclipse Vision, breaking past my natural limits, and jumping from F- to E- rank in a single night.

The result?

My body hadn't caught up with my mind.

I clenched my fist, testing my control. There was a slight delay—just a fraction of a second—but enough to throw off my reflexes. It made sense. Back on Earth, I had spent most of my life bedridden, my body weak, my movements sluggish. Now, I was suddenly stronger, faster—but my instincts hadn't adapted.

This wasn't just a rank-up. It was a complete shift in how I moved.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair—only to pause.

Something felt off.

My hair was longer.

Not by much, but definitely enough to notice.

I scrambled to the small mirror on my desk, my pulse quickening as I took in my reflection.

Crimson eyes.

Even in their normal state, my previously dull black irises now held a faint red tint. My hair, once neatly trimmed, had grown slightly wilder. My facial structure was sharper, my features more defined.

"The hell…?" I muttered.

Had the Eclipse Vision physically altered me?

It made sense. The Eclipse wasn't just an ability—it was a bloodline power, something that changed a person at a fundamental level. Since I had forced its awakening through a ritual instead of a natural evolution, my body was adapting in ways I hadn't accounted for.

And this was just the beginning.

Understanding the Power Gap

I needed to gauge my strength now that I had ranked up.

Power in this world wasn't measured arbitrarily—it followed a strict system, divided into ranks:

Power Ranking System

F-, F, F+ → Complete weaklings. Barely more than ordinary humans.

E-, E, E+ → Marginally stronger. Capable of basic combat.

D-, D, D+ → Trained fighters—low-tier knights and mages.

C-, C, C+ → Elite adventurers and noble warriors.

B-, B, B+ → A cut above normal humans. Capable of small-scale destruction.

A-, A, A+ → A massive leap. Only high-level knights, mages, and assassins reach this tier.

S-, S, S+ → Beyond human limits. A single S-rank could annihilate entire battalions.

SS-, SS, SS+ → The pinnacle of power. Legends are born at this level.

SSS → A realm beyond even myth. Only a handful in history have reached it.

Right now?

I was at E-.

Stronger than before, but still a bottom-feeder in the grand scheme of things.

And the worst part? The gaps between ranks weren't linear.

The difference between F+ and E- was small. But the difference between A+ and S- was monumental. A single sub-rank at higher levels could mean the difference between victory and utter annihilation.

In the game, S-Class characters could tear through armies alone.

And the protagonist?

He would eventually reach SS+—a walking calamity.

If I wanted to survive, I needed to climb the ranks as fast as possible.

Immediate Problems

1. Mana Drain – Eclipse Vision was a mana-hungry ability. Right now, my mana pool was barely enough to keep it active for more than a few minutes. Without more capacity and recovery speed, I'd be useless in a prolonged fight.

2. Physical Synchronization – My new strength meant nothing if my body lagged behind my mind. If I hesitated in battle for even a second, I was dead. I needed training—fast.

3. Low Combat Ability – Perception alone isn't enough. I could see attacks coming, but dodging and countering them required actual skill. I needed to learn how to fight.

4. Hiding My Powers – The last thing I needed was attention. If word spread that I had awakened an unknown version of the Eclipse Vision—or worse, Voidstep—I'd be hunted. The church, the royal family, even the protagonist's party would see me as either a threat or a tool.

The Plan Moving Forward

I had exactly six days before classes started.

I needed to maximize every second.

Day 1-2: Mana Training

Increase mana capacity and recovery speed.

Find methods to stretch my endurance without exposing my abilities.

Day 3-4: Combat Training

Strengthen my physical coordination.

Sharpen my reflexes to match my increased stats.

Day 5-6: Ability Testing

Experiment with illusions—see how subtle I could make them.

Test Voidstep in controlled settings to measure its limits.

At the same time, I had to stay low-profile.

If the academy's instructors—or worse, the student elites—noticed something was off, they'd start asking questions. Questions I did not want to answer.

I exhaled heavily and let myself collapse back onto the bed.

"…This reincarnation thing is way more exhausting than I thought."