Chapter 3 : Into the city!!

The carriage rattled along the dirt road, wheels creaking over stones as the scent of pine and damp earth drifted through the open window. Nicholai sat slumped against the cushioned seat, arms crossed, staring at nothing or so it seemed. In his mind, a storm brewed, sparked by that blue screen he'd seen beside Mira. It lingered in his thoughts, sharp and glowing, like something ripped from the pages of his childhood.

*So it's like those mangas I used to read,* he mused silently, a smirk tugging at his lips. Back on Earth, when he was a little boy he'd devoured isekai stories—heroes yanked into new worlds, armed with cheat codes to crush their foes. He ticked off the checklist in his head. *Transmigrated to a new world? Check. Got a system? Check. Unfair ability to trample enemies like ants?* He paused, grin faltering. *Not checked—yet.* But the potential was there, humming in that screen, and it set his pulse racing.

"Stats menu," he said aloud, voice low but firm, mimicking the protagonists he'd idolized—those cool, confident types who summoned their power with a word. He half-expected silence, a fool's hope. But the air shimmered, and there it was—blue text floating before him, crisp and real:

```

[Stats]

Name: Nicholai

Level: 1/100 (System upgrade will commence automatically when the host reaches level 100)

EXP: 0/1000

Stats Point: Nil

Race: Human

Mental Energy: 500/500

Mana : 78

Skill (Main): Akashic Sync (Incomplete): ?????

————————————

Sub-Skills:

- Codex Ex Nihilo (Lv 1): This skill allows the user to create something from nothing as far as the host can visualize what he's creating and has the mental energy to fuel it. At the moment this skill is limited to non-living creations.

- Eidetic Renewal (Lv 1): This automatically activates when the host has sustained an injury, it returns the injured part to a state before the injury occurred.

- Information Analysis: This allows the host to gather information on the surface level with just a glance. The more mental energy is focused, the more information is gathered.

- Cognisphere: This is a mental dimension that allows the host to store information and objects. Size of the space can be increased with mental energy.

[———]

```

Nicholai's eyes widened, fingers drifting to his chin, propping it up as he scanned the display. Across from him, Mira sat beside a lanky male servant—Tomas, a stablehand pressed into escort duty. Their heads tilted together, voices hushed. "Does the young lord seem… off today?" Tomas whispered, scratching his scruffy beard.

Mira shot him a sharp look. "Mind your business, Tomas." But her gaze flicked to Nicholai, lingering. He was truly different—sharper, somehow, like a blade pulled from rust. She'd seen him mope for years, a ghost after Lady Elara's death. Now? A spark flickered in those dark eyes. She smiled to herself. *Even if he's odd, it's good to see some life back in him.*

Nicholai didn't notice their stares. He was lost in the menu, heart thumping like a kid unwrapping a gift. *Akashic Sync. Codex Ex Nihilo. Eidetic Renewal.* The names alone sounded overpowered straight out of a power-fantasy manga. He scrolled mentally through the sub-skills, each one looked promising . Create anything? Heal instantly? Scan people like a living HUD? And that Cognisphere—a pocket dimension? He couldn't hold it in. A laugh burst out, loud and unhinged, echoing in the cramped carriage.

Mira and Tomas froze, heads snapping toward him. Their eyes narrowed, judging silently—half concern, half *what's wrong with him?* Nicholai caught their looks and clamped his mouth shut, but the grin stayed, wild and wide.

His focus snagged on one line: *Mental Energy: 500/500.* He frowned, tapping his chin. *What's Mental Energy?* Then it clicked, a theory snapped into place. *Maybe it's the system's version of mana.* He'd read enough manga to know the pattern every world had its power source, and this felt right. If it was mana, he had 500 a number that dwarfed Mira's 180, according to her stats. Nicholai's borrowed memories painted her as no slouch average, sure, but solid for a servant. Adept-level, maybe, with decent spells. Which meant…

He did the math, eyes glinting. *Three times her capacity. Two-and-a-half times above average.* A shiver ran through him, delight twisting into something darker. *I'm not weak. I'm a monster.* A smile crept up, slow and disturbing, the kind that'd make a villain proud.

"Driver!" he barked, leaning forward. "Hurry up! I don't want to miss the evaluation ceremony!" The carriage jolted as the driver—some grizzled man named Harrick—snapped the reins, muttering, "Yes, m'lord." The horses picked up pace, hooves thudding faster.

Nicholai sank back, trembling—not from fear, but anticipation. *I can't wait,* he thought, picturing it: the nobles, his siblings, his father, all those smug faces crumpling when he flexed this power. *Disappointment? I'll shove it down their throats.* The system was his edge, a cheat code in a world that'd written him off. He'd trample them all—ants under his boot, just like he promised himself .

Another laugh slipped out, sharper this time, a cackle that bounced off the wooden walls. He rubbed his hands together, fingers twitching like some cartoonish mastermind plotting doom. "Heh. Heh heh heh." The sound was pure glee, unfiltered and a little mad.

Mira and Tomas exchanged a glance. Without a word, they scooted to the far edge of their seat, pressing against the carriage wall as if Nicholai might sprout horns. Tomas clutched his cap tighter; Mira's smile twitched, half-amused, half-wary. The young lord was losing it, and they weren't sure if they should laugh or jump out.

Nicholai didn't care. The screen still glowed in his vision, a lifeline in this strange world. He traced the words again *Codex Ex Nihilo, Eidetic Renewal* and imagined the chaos he'd unleash. 

A sword from thin air. A wound erased. Knowledge snatched with a glance. And that *Cognisphere*—he pictured stuffing it with gold, weapons, maybe a whole library. The possibilities spun wild, fueling his grin.

The carriage rocked as it hit a rut, jolting him back to the moment. Mira cleared her throat. "M'lord, are you… feeling alright?" Her tone was careful, like she was coaxing a spooked horse.

"Never better," Nicholai said, voice bright, eyes gleaming. He waved a hand, dismissing the screen with a thought. It vanished, but the thrill stayed, buzzing in his veins. Tomas muttered something under his breath "probably mad as a hatter"—but Nicholai ignored it. Let them whisper. Let them judge. They'd see soon enough.

Outside, the forest thinned, giving way to rolling fields. Luminthrone loomed on the horizon—white walls and crystal spires catching the sun rays. The evaluation waited there, a stage for his debut. Nicholai flexed his fingers, feeling the ghost of power he hadn't yet grasped. *Not checked yet,* he thought, recalling his list. *But it will be.*

He laughed again, softer this time, a promise to himself. The carriage sped on, carrying them to the inception of Nicholai's story