The Legend of Lingpeng

The lecture hall's ceiling loomed high, magical beads flickering against twilight-blue stone. Stained-glass windows displayed battles and arcane discoveries, casting violet, gold, and crimson light across the white desks stacked steeply toward the back.

At the front, the professor behind the podium closed his strange book. Behind him, a blank chalkboard stood.

"Thanks for your hard work this semester. See you all next term." 

His voice echoed as he snapped the book shut and strode out, the heavy doors creaking behind him.

The room buzzed with murmurs and laughter. Students gathered near the exit, magic sparking to life as they practiced spells from the exams. Some discussed their test results, while others joked and chatted. The scent of burnt parchment and incense lingered in the air.

One student stayed behind, staring at the spot where the professor had stood. 

It was none other than Lucy Lingpeng.

The room felt emptier, the magical lights dimming as if reflecting her mood.

Milia Sirin, a classmate and friend, approached with a grin. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind."

Lucy didn’t respond.

“Is it because of last night?” Milia teased. “I told you not to overdo it.” She nudged Lucy’s arm.

Lucy slightly swatted her away, forcing a smile. “Just got a lot going on.”

“No party, then?” Milia’s grin faded.

“I just want to be alone.”

Milia shrugged as the last of the students left, taking the fading magic with them. "You're acting weird, but okay. Let me know if you change your mind."

Lucy waved her off. None of it mattered.

When Milia was gone, the hall felt bigger, quieter, and colder. Lucy sat, alone with her thoughts. The energy that had once filled the room was gone.

“Me? The reincarnation of Alberto Ghornthail Mesmo, the Monsterized Knight…?”

The memory of the “Monsterized Knight’s” death felt too real to dismiss as a dream. Lucy remembered the sensation of magic missiles and other spells that had engulfed her, and in that moment, the knowledge of her past life had burned itself into her mind.

Memories of Alberto Ghornthail Mesmo, the Warlord of Monsters. His endless wisdom and vast knowledge now seemed imprinted onto her very soul.

“Except for the part where it felt like my head was splitting open…”

Lucy ran her fingers through her thick, silken hair, massaging her scalp. Her head throbbed from the flood of memories—a side effect of absorbing so much information all at once. Even now, fragments of Alberto’s past echoed in her mind. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts.

That was then. This is now.

She was Lucy Linpeng in this life. She lived here, now—not in the past. As the fog in her mind cleared, new questions began to surface.

But something didn’t add up.

When her clone died, her soul should have returned to her original body. Lucy absentmindedly ruffled her bangs in thought. Someone as powerful as she had been would have needed to expend massive amounts of mana when the clone was killed. That was the price of using a clone to gain the upper hand in a fight against someone as powerful as the Great Wizard.

In her previous life, she had split her soul, allowing her clone to bypass restrictions on moving between lower-tier continents like Elarvis. The clone was much weaker than her true self, but its death should have only halved her soul and power. Her true body should have remained intact.

Yet, when the Great Wizard killed her clone, her soul should have returned to her original form deep in Nithium’s depths. Instead, she had reincarnated.

Lucy clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling the unfamiliar weakness in her current body. There was no doubt—she was human now. And female. Completely and utterly human... and oddly sociable, at that.

Then there was the other oddity.

The Great Wizard... might not have died. It was only a suspicion, but Lucy had a strong premonition that the one who delivered the final blow in her past life—the Great Wizard—was still alive. Critically injured, perhaps, but far from dead. If her hunch was correct, then the history books claiming both the Monsterized Knight and the Great Wizard had perished together were nothing more than fabrications.

Too many things didn’t add up.

Lucy let out a long breath and leaned back. Overthinking this was pointless right now. In fact, it was counterproductive.

She decided to stop pondering. Sitting in a dimly lit lecture hall wouldn’t solve any of these mysteries. It was better to let them unravel in time. Instead, Lucy focused on something more pressing—

—her body. Her current, frail body, so optimistic and yet so underwhelming.

To her war-trained eyes, it was painfully lacking. This body might look full of potential, but by her past standards, it was fragile. Fragile enough that even a C-rank monster could tear it apart with little effort. Physically, she was insufficient. And her mana core? Disappointingly average.

Monsters were born with the innate ability to sense, touch, and manipulate mana. They absorbed energy from their surroundings effortlessly. But humans? Most couldn’t even detect it. And if they could, after years of rigorous training and study, they barely managed to gather a small reserve of mana. Only a select few could store significant amounts, and among them, only the naturally gifted could consistently expand their cores.

Monsters are born able to sense, touch, and breathe mana, naturally storing energy from their bodies and surroundings. They manipulate it as easily as moving their limbs. But humans? Most can’t even detect it. After extensive training and hardship, a few might learn to sense mana. But then they face even more rounds of training—trials, errors, lectures from professors, studying grimoires, and endless inspiration—to grasp the basics of drawing in energy. And then, there’s another level of training just to form a core to store that energy. Even after all that effort, they’re lucky to store only a few specks of mana.

In other words, only a select few humans can store a significant reserve of mana. And among those, only the naturally talented can continuously store more and expand their cores.

Mana—the fuel for magic—is incredibly difficult for average students or slow learners. It requires both immense physical and mental effort. On Elarvis, a distant and isolated continent, few wizards, adapters, and even fewer common folk have awakened the spiritual strength—the mental fortitude—to attract mana, shape a core, store it, and wield it.

In this life, she had sensed mana, shaped a core, attracted it, and stored some—though insignificant by her past life’s standards. She had even harnessed it to a certain extent.

But now… that’s changed.

The memories of the Monsterized Knight, Alberto, were burned into her soul. Lucy inhaled deeply, her focus sharpening.

Her body could barely comprehend mana—but her soul, once at the height of power in her past life, had a deep understanding, second only to the Great Wizard. Lucy closed her eyes and sat in a lotus position, exhaling slowly. The moment she concentrated, mana stirred within her core. Warmth spread through her veins, arteries, and senses as it circulated through her body, slowly reaching her hair follicles. Pressure jolted back through each section of her body, the warmth intensifying into heat. Sweat began to seep from her skin.

Her heartbeat quickened until she could hear it echo within her. Her breath steadied, and blood pulsed rhythmically. As the mana completed a second cycle, her mind began to grasp the mana generated by the heat in her body. It materialized more clearly in her awareness, joining the flow and circulating alongside the rest of her energy.

With one deep breath, all the accumulated mana surged back into her core.

[You have comprehended a new concept of Mana Bodily Absorption.]

[You have done a great feat only few could. Requirement fulfilled.]

[Commencing Second Awakening.]

[Connecting to the Akashic Record of the God of Machine.]

[Searching for a suitable server for an appropriate trait for the Second Awakener, Lucy Carlona.]

[You have been granted “He, who transcends genders and time”.]

[Server 649326319 universal status system activated.]

The unfamiliar voices jolted her awake, and Lucy's crimson eyes flew open, wide with shock.

Wait—what? She had… re-awakened?

At twenty-three years old, Lucy LingPeng, an aspiring magic swordmaster—or Adapter—at Arcane Academy, one of the most prestigious magical institutes in Elvaris, was stunned. Not only had she regained the memories of her past life, but she had also undergone her second awakening.

— — — — — 

After returning from the Academy, Lucy walked back to her rented cabin—a modest 250 square feet space—nestled near the outskirts of Elavris' capital. The thirty-minute walk had left her feeling slightly worn. She took a shower, ate what she had brought on her way back, and changed into her casual clothes.

Standing before the mirror, her expression bemused, she stared at her reflection.

"This can’t be real," she muttered.

Before Lucy could even wrap her head around being reincarnated, she had somehow experienced a second awakening—just from comprehending and absorbing mana better.

Is it supposed to be this easy? she thought, a bitter smile curling her lips.

Adapters and Wizards—those able to shape a core, absorb mana and connect to one of the Akashic Records—usually gained traits from these mystical "servers" based on their first significant achievement. These traits suited their disposition and soul. Some were chosen by a specific Akashic Record during their first awakening, while others, like Lucy, weren’t selected until their second.

Only fifty percent of Adapters and Wizards worldwide experienced a second awakening. Of that group, only half had the mental and physical strength to become what people called "those who fight monsters."

The world craved this power, yet Lucy had stumbled upon it effortlessly.

[Adapter Lucy Carlona can access the Status Window.]

[The Server 649326319 Status window is your unique ability of “He who transcends genders and time”.]

[Call up the “Status window” now to check your traits.]

The Akashic Records urged Lucy to check Server 649326319. She felt the pressure build, and of course, she would comply.

"Status window," she murmured, her cherry-red lips barely moving.

A dark screen with a red border flashed before her eyes, words scrolling across her vision.

[Name: Lucy LingPeng. 

Level: 1 Race: Human Class: None. 

Stats

Strength: 12  Agility: 14. Endurance: 15 

Mana: 11 Senses: 9]

Trait 

[He, who transcends Genders and Time.]

Description: Your accumulated deeds have bent the rules of origins and Time. Hunt monsters and gain Experience points to increase proficiency.]

Skill 

[Void eye]

Grade: S+ 

Restriction: He, who transcends Genders and Time.

[Access to other Servers within Akashic Records to view information on any target, living or nonliving.]

Out of all the self-diagnoses flashing before her, the most striking was the trait: He, Who Transcends Genders and Time.

‘He, Who Transcends Genders and Time?’

This trait allowed Lucy to earn points by killing monsters and leveling up, letting her increase any stat she desired. The potential was incredible—monstrous, even. By simply hunting monsters, she could grow stronger, faster, and more efficiently.

In her past life as a Monsterized Knight, such convenience had been unthinkable. For Adapters and Wizards, there were always limits to growth. Even the most gifted Second Awakening Adapters and Wizards struggled to break those limits.

But she was different.

With “He, Who Transcends Genders and Time”, Lucy could shatter those boundaries. Leveling up would let her exceed the limits of the human race. The realization made her heart race, a faint smile curling on her lips.

The instincts of Alberto, the Warlord of Monsters, surged within her as she clenched her fist in determination.

‘I can become strong.’

In her past life, Alberto had only one goal: to grow stronger and dominate more regions. Now, thanks to the Akashic Records, Lucy had a way to surpass every limit.

"Hunting monsters will increase my stats… How surreal is that?" she chuckled.

Humans were weak compared to monsters. Even an elite human Adapter would be no match for a noble-ranked, B-ranked monster.

But she was different.

In the past, she’d barely survived fighting a D-rank monster—bleeding and nearly dying from critical injuries. But now, she could break those rules.

Her first step: absorbing and strengthening her mana core. Right now, her mana stat was laughably low, likely due to her newly elevated standards. But it had increased slightly.

Absorbing and strengthening her mana would become far more efficient if she continued like this.

In her past life, Lucy had been one of the four Warlords of Nithium. She knew countless ways to boost her mana. The rest? She could handle that with her new trait.

Lucy walked over to the wide, comfortable bed in the corner of the room. She collapsed onto it, cuddling a pillow to her chest. Delving into Alberto’s memories, she searched for the answers she needed.

Of course, she thought. She needs to master Weapon-manship. This ancient, organized way of using a weapon was a technique Alberto had learned on a distant continent.

The warriors of that land, known as the Sword Empire, practiced a unique way of harnessing mana through their weapons. Their methods relied on rhythmic patterns and a warrior’s comprehension and talent.

They called themselves Gosu.

Their techniques were remarkable, absorbing mana through their hair follicles and forming energy circuits within their core, much like Adapters or Wizards. In fact, their methods rivaled even high-ranking Adapters, Wizards, and monsters, surpassing them in some ways.

During her time there, Alberto not only mastered Weapon-manship but refined it, creating techniques more powerful than anything from the Monster Continent. His rise to power had been thanks to that.

In hindsight, she thought, maybe her path was always clear.

With her Second Awakening, the Akashic Record, and her new trait, now was the perfect time to practice the "Seven Formation of Twilight Breathing Technique."

This technique harnessed the energy of one’s sea of consciousness—called Trace—by engraving schematic tattoos that automatically absorbed mana from the atmosphere.

It was the method that had elevated Alberto to the pinnacle of monsterkind. However, it required deep comprehension, mental fortitude, and physical strength to be effective. Reaching its peak would take considerable time and effort.

She gazed out of the wide-open window as the wind fluttered through her room. The sun was setting, shadows lengthening as the afternoon light faded. The moon appeared faintly on the dim side of the sky, with stars scattered across the heavens.

Leaning closer to the window, Lucy watched the twilight descend. The stars began to glow, their energy seeping into her soul without the interference of the sun.

This is the perfect time to begin the Breathing Technique.

She had plenty of time to immerse herself. Gulping down a mouthful of water, Lucy sat in the center of the room in a lotus position. Letting out a deep breath, she closed her eyes, focusing deeply.

The "Seven Formations of Twilight Breathing Technique" began to flow as the Trace markings imprinted themselves on her skin, glowing with a brilliant light…