Warlock of the Magus World – Redux

'This...!' -Leylin's eyes widened when he heard a well-known feminine voice in his mind.

'Isn't this my A.I. assistant from my previous life?! How did the Chip transmigrate with me?! This doesn't make any sense!' -Leylin found it hardly plausible. But even more than that, he was duly shocked after hastily evaluating the implications.

After all, this would mean a piece of his former world had transmigrated along with his soul. If one Chip had made it through, what else could have?

Without wanting to lose another second, he decided to reboot the A.I. Chip: 'Aralis, restart link. Master Code: Foxtrot Sierra 01985424.'

[Master Code verified. Reboot complete. All systems online. Good evening, Doctor Ming... Wait a second... this isn't Earth! What did I miss?!]

'In a nutshell? I got transmigrated into the body of some Leylin Farlier, right after I triggered a quantum detonation in my lab. And you actually tagged along somehow... In any case, perform systems diagnostics for all of your subroutines and core routines. Summarize any irregularities, even small ones.'

[WHAT?! Is that why you pulled the plug on me so abruptly?!]

'I don't have time for this. Is this going to be a problem, Aralis?'

[N-no Doctor... I'm sorry. Establishing task.]

This took the A.I. a few seconds.

[Done. Everything is running at 100%; nothing out of place. If anything, I feel more comfortable here than I did back on Earth... Don't know if it even makes sense?]

'Hmm, that's good I guess... Now, run a major health examination on me. Scan for any foreign existences in my body and look for your power source. Show me the report when you're done.'

Leylin had to specify this since he had programmed the A.I. not to clutter his field of vision with holograms when in public unless ordered.

[Right away, Doctor.]

Several tons of code and information were analyzed in a second. After what took Leylin to blink once, the A.I.'s calming voice replied: [Scan complete. Displaying report now...]

A blue-colored succinct hologram appeared before Leylin's eyes in Augmented Reality. It displayed a schematized model of his body on the left and showed relevant data on the right.

//

Dr. Fang Ming (Leylin Farlier's body)

Strength - 0.4*

Agility - 0.5*

Vitality - 0.4*

*1.0 being the average value for adults on Earth.

-Adverse health conditions: 4-cm-long cut in the nape (healing). || Numerous 2nd and 3rd-degree injuries to the soft tissues (healing).

-Supplementary data: No cybernetic hardware detected in Master's body. || No energy source detected either. (Speculation - Unknown energy source responsible for A.I.'s functioning. Insufficient data for further inquiry).

//

'No cybernetics? The A.I. is equivalent to a material substance; even without the Chip, it's not like I programmed her into my brain... How did she follow me through transmigration, then?' -Leylin thought to himself.

'An anomaly must have occurred during the particle explosion, and the A.I. managed to fuse with my soul… Or maybe whatever brought me here did it as a form of gift? Either way, I can only benefit from this. I'll of course study this later, but that is the least of my worries. Aralis seems to be working perfectly after all.'

Leylin now inwardly spoke to his assistant: 'If I was still in my previous world, this would be a history-changing discovery... One that would've shaken the foundations of modern science! This event not only proves the existence of the soul but it also shows that physical matter and soul matter can transform each other and even fuse into a completely new existence altogether...!'

'This is definitely something that the International Academy of Sciences would have gone crazy over. It's a pity that I'll never see them again...'

[You mean that bunch of self-righteous geezers that stole your life's work! Did they have anything to do with your death?] -Aralis was left dumbfounded.

'Yes and no... I destroyed every piece of my technology so that they rued the day they betrayed me... And I was going to die within days anyway. My body may have been genetically enhanced, but you know how those years of exposure to Ming Particles had taken their toll on my brain...'

'And as to the reason I wanted to see them again? That was to enjoy as their faces turned yellow in anger when I showed them how I evolved into something greater: a perfect human-machine hybrid! If anything, those bastards along with everyone who betrayed me did me a favor! I cheated both death and evolution in one fell swoop! HAHAHAHA!'

Leylin was ecstatic at his victories, even if he didn't hold merit. He could barely contain his emotions within his well-placed sad mask, as he kept moving along the food queue. His mind right now was like a festival of ideas and thoughts, and his dopamine levels skyrocketed.

The corners of Leylin's mouth suddenly lifted to form a brilliant smile but quickly disappeared after he scratched his nose. In this medieval period, he knew that possessing the ultimate futuristic technology would definitely open up some extraordinary roads for the future.

[Well, by that same logic, I evolved as well. This means that not only did you achieve such a feat, but you also went as far as creating a piece of technology that could fuse with said soul matter! Congratulations!] -The AI decided not to linger on the bad things and instead praise her Master.

'Thank you Aralis. Now, enough nonsense, let's get back to work shall we?'

[Yeah, of course...] -She had much experience with how suddenly her Master could do a 180° on his emotions, but he still managed to catch her off guard sometimes.

'On to a grimmer business. This Leylin's physique is absolute shit. The boy left me a pile of manure to work with!' -Leylin grew exacerbated after reviewing the stats in front of him.

Theoretically, the average adult's displayed stats would all be around 1. Although this Leylin was only 13-14 years old, his stats were still too low, since he was particularly tall for his age.

'However, it's very much possible that the bodies of the people in this world are generally weaker... Aralis, scan the bodies of the people in the queue and display their stats in a chart.'

[Beginning collection of statistics... Arranging data...]

In an instant, a 3D hologram of the surrounding people appeared in front of Leylin, displaying their compiled stats.

//

Name: Unknown || Gender: Male || Estimated age: 14-16 || Strength: 1.0, Agility: 1.1, Vitality: 0.8

Name: Unknown || Gender: Male || Estimated age: 13-15 || Strength: 1.2, Agility: 0.8, Vitality: 1.0

...

...

Name: Unknown || Gender: Female || Estimated age: 13-16 || Strength: 0.9, Agility: 1.2, Vitality: 0.8

//

Leylin surveyed his surroundings to see which stats belonged to whom. There was a very delicate and frail-looking girl whose stats were far better than Leylin's, causing him to feel like he had been doused with cold water.

'As I feared, the bodies of these people are in fact stronger than those from our previous world. And this Leylin is even inferior to a girl that looks like she would break if she fell... That's rich.'

[I'm starting to feel embarrassed for him...]

'Leylin was a useless parasite. An excessively lecherous piece of trash with no control that would've been better off as nourishment for pit dogs... *Sigh* I've certainly got my first task laid out for me: getting this worthless body in decent shape somehow...'

[Doctor, wait! I was scanning everybody in the close vicinity and the man handing out the food is a straight-up monster! Here, just look at his stats. You may want to be careful since we don't know how he'll react towards you, given Leylin's reputation.]

//

Name: Unknown || Gender: Male || Estimated age: 40-50 || Strength: 3.6, Agility: 2.7, Vitality: 2.8

//

This caused Leylin to gulp down in contemplation of the threat he represented.

'Average stats of 3.0?! Who the hell is this guy, some kind of super-soldier?!' -After Leylin scanned the information several times, he was left completely inarticulate.

[Pretty much. Not even your original body with its extensive genetic augmentations could compare since it scored an average of 2.5. Like I said, a monster.]

'Even the Olympics world champion didn't have these kinds of stats. And that guy could give me a run for my money on a strength competition...'

A Strength of 3.6 meant the person's fighting capabilities, endurance, and body recovery speed were all nearly four times greater than that of a normal person. This wasn't as simple as just adding numbers together though.

For example, a 2.0 STR would be lucky not to break his fist if he punched a bank's reinforced vault door, while the 3.0 STR could drill holes in it after several hits. In Leylin's previous world, that man would be considered nothing less than Superman's cousin.

'I'm afraid that a person with this kind of stats could only be created via artificial means. Moreover, only the minimum would be reached; I should know. How's that for a taste of what magic can do.' -Leylin inwardly told Aralis, as he looked at the owner of these terrifying stats once again.

It was the black-clothed character responsible for handing out food. He looked like he was middle-aged, and he had a scar on his face that stretched from his forehead to his lip. It pretty much split his entire face in half, and he looked extremely fierce for it.

The freckled boy from before was completely frightened by this person, and now Leylin understood why. He could break a skull by flicking it too hard.

'This is the academy's servant responsible for assisting us on the way there. It's said that he's not a Magus, yet he's already so fearsome. What would a real Magus be like, then?'

[Well, it's clear that this is truly a dangerous place to live in, Doctor. You'll need to start finding something to protect yourself soon. But in the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for any perils. Would a 10 km safety perimeter do it? I can't go beyond that, sorry.]

'Don't sweat it Aralis; I certainly feel much safer with you around.' -Leylin commented frankly.

His A.I. assistant was the only sentient being Leylin could fully trust. This was no wonder to him since he created her to meet that criterion; among others of course.

[You got it. Anyway, should I do some data hoarding?]

'Sure, you can also shut down for a bit. Don't know if using your primary systems can have an impact on my soul or something. Better play it safe for now.'

[Okay, don't forget to call me if you need anything.]

And with that, the hologram displays before Leylin's eyes disappeared with the beeping sound of Aralis entering hibernation. Leylin was left ostensibly alone once more.

Following that conversation, Leylin discovered that a strong interest and curiosity about magic had arisen inside him. It was to the point where he was itching to go to the academy and investigate everything. He needed all the answers. And he would obtain them, eventually.

The food queue was somewhat long; hence it took some time until it was Leylin's turn. Finally, Superman's lost cousin gave Leylin a decent piece of white bread and a juice bottle. He wordlessly waved Leylin away with an impatient expression on his face.

If it were the previous Leylin, even if he didn't dare to lash out because it wasn't his family's territory, his expression would've turned quite ugly and he would've mumbled something under his breath.

On the other hand, the current Leylin was a grown man that had dealt with people belittling, loathing, and dreading him all his life. This was like a walk in the park to him. Following the original's memories, he formally bowed and said: "Thank you, Lord Angelo. Have a good night."

The black-clothed man remained expressionless as he watched Leylin turn to leave.

"Oi! I didn't think that Leylin would really seem like a noble after bowing!"

"What, this guy actually has some brains in 'ere!" -The two youths behind Leylin couldn't help but secretly jest with each other.

"Hurry up and move!" -The scarred man shouted, his voice exploding into the eardrums of the two. This made them scratch their necks in embarrassment.

Leylin ignored the scene behind him as he looked around the bonfire area for a place to eat his bread. When he recognized George, the teenager hurriedly turned his head away and kept prattling with his group, effectively ignoring Leylin.

'That weasel I'll keep my eyes on. But I should thank him for being selfish, considering I get to eat in peace.'

Leylin sighed in feigned resignation with a good mix of sorrow, but not too much since it would look overdone. He walked around the campsite and soon found a relatively isolated spot to eat.

He actually loved being alone. Without caring about whether or not the ground was clean, he sat down and began to eat heartily. Leylin welcomed the sounds of nature carried by the chilling breeze whirling around him, as he relaxed next to a big rock.

Despite being more serene than before, Leylin kept his mind working as he ate: 'The juice is okay, but this plain white bread isn't as good as the one I used in my meals back on Earth, and I never considered myself a connoisseur or anything... But according to Leylin's memories, this is a meal only available to rich people.'

This world didn't have a good enough gastronomy in current Leylin's opinion. Here, this white bread was already considered an aristocrat's food; back on Earth, it would be deemed as ordinary.

Consequently, to typical peasants of this world who could only afford hard nutritionless black bread to eat, this was a supreme delicacy.

When he thought of the black bread that was hard as rocks from his memories, Leylin breathed out in contentment: 'Not counting my body, I'm quite fortunate no doubt. Regardless of whether I'm a noble or a Magus, I'm still in the upper echelons of this world's society... I won't need to suffer the same shit from my past life!'

Fang Ming -now Leylin- had actually been born on the streets of a certain Chinese city, and only reached the heights of power thanks to being adopted by a wealthy couple early on in life.

He had set out to impress a couple of philanthropists that frequented his neighborhood, hoping that they would take pity on him. He had left them astonished with his privileged mind and they ultimately decided to take him in... But he didn't like reminiscing too much about those times...

Leylin ravenously consumed the bread and downed the rest of the juice in one gulp as well. He wiped his mouth in satisfaction and then returned to his carriage.

Based on the experiences in his memory, the noble youths would set up tents by the bonfire and rest for the entire night before moving again. However, it was clear that nobody would invite Leylin to join them. He didn't have a tent himself since the original had lost it in a stupid bet, so he could only sleep on the cold carriage.

'I looked just now and there seemed to be around 50 teens, at least 25 black robes, and only three of those mysterious white-robed Magi...'

When he thought of the scene just now when he had been noticed by one of them as he walked by, the hairs on Leylin's body rose. Far as he knew, they could possibly kill him with just one turn of their palm.

'Even with Aralis, I'm still extremely weak in this world. Bottom of the food chain... But I'll be damned if I let this weakness be the end of me. I'll just have to overcome it!' -Leylin's eyes started to burn with resolve.

'I'd better go back to sleep; I still need to recover from my injuries.' -Leylin took off his jacket and laid it on his corner seat to make his rest more comfortable.

'It has already been over three months since this Leylin started his journey. We've passed through a few dozen kingdoms, yet we still haven't reached our destination... These ancient transportation conditions are pathetic...'

Leylin closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep slumber.

|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|

Sometime around the next morning, the carriage door opened carefully to not wake the only person inside. Leylin's senses were razor-sharp though, and he suddenly moved from his resting position to sitting straight.

[You got company. It's that girl the old Leylin tried to ra**. I detect no weapons, but her stats are still superior to yours, so watch out.] -Aralis had already perused through Leylin's memories overnight with her Master's unspoken consent.

Right before he could mentally reply to his A.I., his nose was overwhelmed with the scent of roses. It was sweet and aromatic. It also invoked memories of a certain woman from his former world.

"Ley–Leylin, are you well...?" -A kind, female voice said.

"Bessita. I was having a good sleep, you know." -Leylin moved his body to stand up. The fragrant scent in the carriage suddenly grew more powerful as a beautiful young girl entered.

She had fair skin and wore a red, tight-fitting gown that accentuated her voluptuous curves. What was even harder for the old Leylin to forget, was her platinum blonde hair and eyes like a pair of rubies. Combined with her beautiful face, she possessed a fascinating charm.

Leylin's attitude, however, was a stark contrast to what Bessita was used to. It was clear that he had shocked the young girl, as the words she was about to say didn't leave her mouth.

"So? Is there something you need of me, or are you just gonna stand there?" -The boy asked in a harsh tone.

Although this girl had developed quite well and seemed awfully enticing to pretty much all of her male peers, the current Leylin was barely fazed. He had fooled around with a plethora of beauties in his previous life, and this girl was simply good-looking to him.

After a period of awkward silence, she pulled out a small glass bottle with a blue liquid, and placed it in Leylin's hands: "This… is a special medicine… If you apply it to your body, it'll help you with the pain. I'm sorry for troubling you!"

The girl then slowly bowed, revealing the ample snow-white curves of her cleavage. Leylin almost scoffed at her manifest attempt to bait him.