SWNOVELXO Chapter 3: Memory
As much as he was surprised, Luxer didn't know what to do. He found himself in a situation where he felt powerless. Just as he thought he couldn't do anything, memories suddenly flashed in his mind, almost drowning him.
Different scenes began to flood his thoughts, memories that didn't belong to him as Luxer, but to someone else. The pain in his head grew intense, making him want to cry.
The memories kept coming, as if his head was splitting open, forcing heavy thoughts into his small brain. In that moment, he couldn't contain the pain any longer and let out a wail.
"Uwah! Uwah!"
Displeased with his crying, the woman who appeared to be his mother lowered him back down to the side of her bed, showing no concern for him.
'What the hell is this pain? These memories of two different people! Why are they coming to me?'
Crying in agony, Luxer's displeased mother ordered a maid to take him away. She was not only unhappy with his mana-void body, but also with how noisy he was.
And just like that, he was taken to a different room, smaller and uglier than the previous one. Dimly lit, Luxer continued crying in pain until, slowly, the agony faded, leaving him in shock at a discovery he could hardly believe.
These two sets of memories... they were from two entirely different people in different worlds.
One was from a man named Frain Liuse, a Mage Warlord from a continent called Dysvrio. He was a powerful mage, admired by many, but he had met his end at the hands of his cunning territorial enemy. His life was consumed by revenge for his family, unjustly executed under the suspicion of treason. His name had become renowned across the Dysvrio Continent for his remarkable prowess, capable of matching an entire army of soldiers.
Not only did he earn the title of Mage Warlord because of his magical strength, but also for his success in invading various territories during the Great Imperial Reclamation.
The second set of memories came from a man named Noire, an exorcist from another world. He was known as the strongest in his field, drawing the envy and fear of others. He met his demise at the hands of his own disciples, who had been hired by the very Empire he once served.
Noire's life had been spent slaying demons, earning him high rank and prominence in his field. He was famous for his unique ability to cast techniques instantly, while others took several seconds to do the same. Some of his spells only required three seconds to activate.
He was also known as the ruthless leader of a guild called the Exorcist Union, but in the end, he too was betrayed and met his downfall at the hands of those he trusted.
The memories of those two people were confusing. They made his head ache, but he had a sense that they might be useful, though he couldn't quite understand how at the moment.
To him, they could be the memories of real people or just illusions conjured by his newly formed mind. There was also the possibility that they were errors from his reincarnation.
'I'm a baby now...' he mused, glancing around the dimly lit room that resembled a storage space. 'Am I going to be discarded? I heard my mother call me useless. Or, at least, that's what it seemed like. The look on her face definitely showed she hated me. I don't know why.'
With no clear idea of what to do after this sudden reincarnation, Luxer decided to bide his time, hoping to better analyze the memories he had received. Who knew, perhaps there was something valuable in them.
As he waited, he continued to observe the room, taking in more details of the items around him. He recognized the style of craftsmanship. The room had a distinct Western style, giving him the idea that he had been reincarnated into a world at least somewhat similar to Earth.
Luxer then attempted to move his body, but could only muster enough strength to shift his weight for a brief moment before losing control. He felt powerless but wasn't about to give up. He kept trying until he finally managed to tilt his newborn body, allowing him a better view of the space behind him.
As soon as he saw the space, something felt off about this reincarnation. He recognized some of the materials piled in one corner. They were so familiar that they stirred memories from his first life. He knew exactly what it was.
Then there was a sword—crafted with intricate but unappealing design, its blade dull and ugly, stashed away in a forgotten storage room. He knew this sword because it resembled an image from a famous novel he had read on Earth, a story he had liked so much that he had become intimately familiar with its visual depictions.
'Is that the Dull Sword of Imagination?' he recognized it. He double-checked but was sure of what he was seeing. Then a realization hit him. 'Have I been reincarnated into the web novel Strongest Swordsman is a Mage?'
The thought made him pause, and he clenched at the sudden realization that this was a dangerous world.
This world was full of monsters, and there were arcs in the novel where the monsters nearly took over, forcing humanity into brutal wars. Those parts had made the novel popular, especially because of how cleverly the protagonist navigated through that chaos.
Luxer winced at the thought. If this really was the world of that novel, he could easily die. But why was that sword here, lying in a storage room with nothing else around? He pondered the significance of its presence.
'This room could have been forgotten or repurposed. I'm not sure, but at least I have some idea of which era I've been reincarnated into. It's safe to assume the Great World War hasn't started yet, and the sword is still undiscovered.'
He let out a sigh, but even that didn't ease his worry. Surviving in this world would be anything but easy.
'But… that will only be true if I'm a weak character… Who am I? What kind of character have I been reincarnated as?'