Chapter 1: Welcome to Arcadia
This world…
Chris had always thought it was strange.
Not just because of the magic, the essence, or the mana that flowed like air across the land — no, it was stranger than that.
Because Chris?
Chris was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, he was… average. Maybe a bit above average on good days. He had a peaceful life, a mundane one — the kind where you wake up, go to work, browse the internet until 2AM, and repeat.
Until the day he saw a girl and a cat about to be crushed by a truck on a rainy highway.
He reacted before thinking.
Pushed them both away.
He smiled as the headlights swallowed him whole.
"Ah... maybe I'll get isekai'd."
That was the last thought he had.
And then — tada!!
He was reborn as a baby.
A newborn in a world called Arcadia.
Arcadia was like something out of a game. Literally.
A world where status panels were real. A world where magic, skills, and combat stats existed and defined everything — from people to objects, even abstract concepts like air or emotions could be analyzed... if you had the right ability.
Everyone was born with a skill called [Inspect].
A basic skill.
A fundamental right.
A peek behind the curtain of reality.
[Inspect] Lv.1
Allows basic identification of beings, objects, and phenomena.
Talented individuals were born with more.
Rare skills. Passive boosts. Unique traits. Things that could shape a destiny from the cradle.
Chris? He had [Inspect].
And a whole lot of confusion.
In Arcadia, power was everything, and society reflected that.
There were three main castes:
1. Nobles
Nobles weren't born — they were forged by achievements. Titles carved into history granted not only political power, but bonus stats, exclusive skills, and the right to rule. A noble could burn a forest down with a sneeze if their title was strong enough.
2. Hunters
Hunters were professionals who battled monsters for profit. They were ranked by power, and each rank granted greater rewards — not just money, but stat multipliers, loot privileges, and secret arts.
Bronze(lowest)SilverGoldDiamondHeroicMythical(highest)
Mythical Hunters were legends. Cities would stop wars just to hire one.
3. Medians
The common folk. Farmers. Blacksmiths. Bakers. Traders. Teachers. The vast majority of Arcadia — without them, nothing would function. But in a world run by stats and power levels, they were easily overlooked.
But not unimportant.
Chris wasn't born into nobility.
He wasn't born into a hunter family.
He was born to Medians. Just plain, honest, powerless folk.
But that was fine. He'd already lived a life.
This time, he wanted to explore. Learn. Maybe even enjoy things a little more.
But fate?
Fate had other plans.
Because the moment Chris was born, something else was born with him.
An eye.
A dark, floating eye that hovered near his crib, invisible to others, bound to his soul. A whisper in the air only he could hear.
[Eye of ???] has chosen a new host.
And so began the second life of a man once average — in a world that would soon learn his name.