Reincarnated With a Cheat System

Chapter 2: The First Step 

The Nishiki estate's library was a towering hall of knowledge, its bookshelves stretching toward the ceiling, filled with tomes of history, magic, and the lore of the world. Phyro sat at a large wooden desk, a thick book open in front of him, his eyes scanning the ancient ink that detailed the lands beyond his home. Though he had inherited the memories of the original Phyro, there were still gaps in his knowledge—things a child would not have fully understood or remembered.

He traced his fingers along the pages of a map, his crimson eyes narrowing in focus. The world outside Argenia was vast to the north lay Polaris, the Snow Country, a frigid land of endless winter, where warriors trained in the harshest conditions. It was said that their royal family possessed a bloodline talent that allowed them to wield ice magic with frightening ease. To the west was Involia, a nation built on trade and diplomacy, its lands rich with resources and its people known for their ingenuity. Further south was Trivilia, a kingdom famed for its warriors and knights, a land where swordsmanship was as revered as magic itself.

These nations, along with Argenia, shaped the balance of power in the world. Wars had been fought, alliances made and broken, yet none of them had fallen to ruin. Argenia itself was a land of both magic and martial prowess, ruled by a wise and powerful monarchy. Though not as militaristic as Trivilia, nor as mercantile as Involia, it had carved a place for itself as a well-balanced nation.

Phyro closed the book, exhaling. This world was so much bigger than he had initially thought. He had been born into a noble family, but that was merely a small piece of a much greater picture.

Next, he turned to magic.

Flipping through another tome, he sought to understand how it worked beyond the surface-level knowledge he already had. Magic was not as simple as just learning spells—it was deeply tied to one's mana core, a reservoir of energy within the body. While every person had the potential to wield magic, those with a strong affinity for an element could cast spells of that type with ease, while others would struggle to use them.

Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning—these were the primary elements, but they were not limitations. Even someone with an affinity for fire could learn to use water magic; it would simply be more difficult and require far more mana than someone naturally attuned to it. Beyond the elements, there were rarer forms of magic, such as light and darkness, and even unique variations known only to specific bloodlines or ancient teachings.

His mind wandered back to his magic lesson earlier that day, when he had struggled to cast even a basic fireball. That failure now made sense—his body's mana core was still underdeveloped, restricting his potential. It would take years to fully mature under normal circumstances.

A chime echoed in his mind, pulling him from his thoughts.

"New Quest Assigned: The First Hunt."

Words appeared in his vision as if projected onto the air itself.

"Objective: Defeat three beasts. Reward: Status Upgrade and Skill Unlock. A marker has been placed on your map."

Phyro sat up straight. His first real quest.

A small glowing marker appeared in his vision, pointing toward the nearby forest. He could already feel his heart pounding with excitement.

"Well, this is a perfect chance to test my abilities," he muttered, rising to his feet. He closed the books and left the library, his mind already set on the task ahead.

The forest beyond the Nishiki estate was vast, its towering trees casting long shadows as the evening sun began to dip below the horizon. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and leaves, the distant chirping of birds the only sound accompanying Phyro's footsteps. His wooden sword rested in his hand, a simple weapon, but more than enough for what he needed.

The marker in his vision pulsed as he moved deeper into the forest. He was close.

A sudden rustling in the undergrowth made him stop.

Something was watching him.

Slowly, he turned his head.

A pair of glowing eyes stared at him from the shadows.

Then—

A Horned Wolf leaped from the bushes, fangs bared, its muscular body moving with terrifying speed.

Phyro barely had time to react. He threw himself to the side as the wolf's claws slashed through the air where he had been standing just a moment ago. The beast landed, skidding across the dirt before turning to face him again.

His grip on the wooden sword tightened. This was a real fight—no instructor, no practice drills. Just him and the beast.

The wolf snarled and lunged again.

This time, Phyro was ready. He sidestepped and swung his sword downward. The wooden blade cracked against the wolf's skull, sending it crashing into the dirt. The beast yelped but quickly scrambled back to its feet, shaking off the blow.

"Not bad. It's tougher than I thought."

A second rustling caught his attention. Then a third.

Two more wolves emerged from the darkness.

Now it was three against one.

His heart pounded. If he let them attack together, he'd be overwhelmed. He needed to take the initiative.

Before they could lunge, he rushed forward. His wooden sword struck the nearest wolf across the jaw with a loud crack, sending it tumbling backward. Without pausing, he spun around just in time to dodge the second wolf's claws, retaliating with a downward strike that slammed into its side.

The first wolf recovered and lunged again.

Phyro met it head-on, raising his sword and bringing it down with all his strength. The impact sent the beast collapsing to the ground, unmoving.

One down.

The second wolf snarled and leaped at him. He dodged, rolling to the side, but the third wolf was already moving in, its claws grazing his arm. Pain flared through his body, but he gritted his teeth and swung upward, striking its exposed belly. The beast let out a strangled yelp before crumpling to the dirt.

Two down.

Only one left.

The last wolf hesitated now, watching its fallen packmates. Phyro locked eyes with it, steadying his breath. He had already won this fight—it just didn't know it yet.

The wolf growled, then lunged one final time.

Phyro didn't retreat.

He stepped forward instead.

His sword swung in a perfect arc, meeting the beast mid-air. The impact sent it crashing onto its side, the force of the blow knocking it out cold.

Silence.

Then—

"Quest Complete."

A wave of energy surged through his body. His vision flashed with new information.

"Strength increased. Agility increased. New Skill Unlocked: Combat Instincts."

He let out a slow breath, lowering his sword. His first real battle, and he had come out victorious.

Looking down at the fallen beasts, he couldn't help but smirk.

"This world is going to be fun."

End of Chapter 2