Chapter 2: Dimensional Magic Cube

Chapter 2: Dimensional Magic Cube

Riezel Brynhart was a genius.

Not because of his keen insight or exceptionally high innate skill, but simply because the world had favored him, giving him a natural advantage over many others.

He wasn't some influential figure with a background that reached the skies. On the contrary, he hailed from the ignored countryside, where generations of his family were farmers, and even his grandfather was a slave. One can easily imagine how humble his origins were.

Yet, Riezel was undeniably fortunate.

He was born with an abundance of magical energy.

Recognizing this, unwilling to be just a farmer or a slave, he abandoned the plan to be handed over to a lord by his grandfather and family. Escaping from the obscure rural territory of his childhood, he made his way to the estate of a great noble. There, he participated in the entrance test for the National Magic School, which happened to be held there.

His naturally powerful magical energy effortlessly caught the attention of the higher-ups at the magic school. He was smoothly ushered into the continent's most prestigious academy, becoming a sensation in the renowned institution.

Riezel Brynhart's reputation as a genius stemmed precisely from this.

His insight wasn't extraordinary, and his innate skill in magic wasn't exceptionally high. Still, because of his outstanding innate magical energy, he became the envy of many.

All of this was because in this world, though everyone had magical energy, its quantity was a natural talent determined at birth and couldn't be changed through effort later.

In other words, the amount of magical energy one's body possessed at birth determined their magical ability throughout their life.

This meant that many people were destined from birth to never become magicians, no matter how hard they tried. Conversely, some who were blessed with an abundance of magical energy could effortlessly become magicians, performing high-rank, high-powered magic that others could only dream of, making them so-called geniuses.

Riezel Brynhart was one such person.

He was praised by many.

He was complimented by many.

People gathered around him, and even some highly influential figures tried to win his favor. The kingdom itself valued him greatly; it was said that even the king remembered his name.

Now, the question arises.

What happens to a humble, inexperienced country boy, who has been living a simple life, when he comes to the big city and is showered with compliments, support, and praise from everyone? After experiencing the temptations of the dazzling world, what does he become?

Will he, like the main characters in some novels, strive hard, resist all temptations, and become the strongest, fundamentally changing his fate?

No.

At least, Riezel could confidently say one thing.

—In this kind of environment, the possibility of a person turning bad is countless times greater than the possibility of turning good.

The original owner of the body knew this well.

Amidst the praise, compliments, flattery, and support from those around him, the original owner easily forgot about hard work, forgot about diligence, and fell into the sugar-coated bullets of others, unable to free himself.

The result was that the original owner became completely ignorant and incompetent, relying on the so-called 'talent' as an excuse. He spent his days indulging in pleasure with some noble children. Although he didn't reach the point of bullying and oppressing others, he gradually became so arrogant that no one else mattered. He became self-conceited, thinking he had surpassed everyone else, unwilling to associate with those of humble birth, and spent his days fooling around with a group of noble children.

Finally, the calamity that would wake the original owner from his dream arrived.

On a night just a month ago, after fooling around with a group of noble children and preparing to return to the academy, he was attacked. He not only suffered severe injuries but also had the 'Gate' in his body destroyed, rendering him unable to use magic.

From here, the fall from grace of this genius began.

Understanding this, the original owner met a tragic end.

His final thoughts were not of regret for everything he had done so far, but rather an unwillingness to accept the future of returning to the days as a lackey.

With that, Yuri gracefully moved away, leaving behind a faint fragrance as she exited the room.

Riezel watched her depart, but his mind was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

'Who could it be?'

He tried to recall the original owner's memories, suspecting one person after another among those the original owner knew. Nobles and commoners ignored by the original owner, even the people from the countryside when the original owner was still living there—all fell under suspicion, yet without any concrete result.

'The clues are too few.'

The original owner's memories might not be reliable.

Maybe, the mastermind behind the scenes was someone the original owner had overlooked, perhaps a person so easily forgettable that he didn't even bother to remember.

'If it was me, I would never allow such a thing to happen...' Riezel thought to himself.

Life experiences from his previous life had instilled in him the habit of suspecting anyone, never intentionally ignoring anyone. Also, because of these experiences, he deeply understood one thing.

'The other party surely hasn't given up; they will continue to target me, sending people to kill me again and again...'

Yuri's identity was prestigious, and the environment she was in was extremely sensitive and crucial. The fact that the other party was willing to send someone to assassinate him showed their strong determination.

This lack of security left him, who had similarly suffered from such situations in his previous life, feeling very uneasy.

'Next time, who will they send?'

'Will they be more powerful than the last assassin?'

'Will Yuri be able to come to my rescue in time?'

Each question told Riezel how unstable and unsafe his current situation was.

Moreover, Yuri saving him wasn't without reason.

If not for some reason, given the lack of interaction between his body's original owner and her, who even seemed to be in a somewhat formal relationship, she would not have sheltered him for a whole month for free, considering it good enough to save his life when he was near death.

Riezel didn't want to entrust his life and death to someone else's hands.

He had to protect himself.

He had to find a way to escape this powerless situation.

But this was a difficult task.

With his 'Gate' completely damaged, Riezel couldn't even use the most basic magic. In this world of swords and magic, how could he protect himself?

Fortunately, he wasn't entirely helpless.

Closing his eyes, Riezel sank his consciousness into his mind.

In a trance, he seemed to see something in the ocean of consciousness.

A shining, dazzling 'Magic Cube' radiating a brilliant glow, transparent throughout.

He allowed his consciousness to make contact.

The next moment, a thought was directly sensed by him.

[Dimensional Magic Cube, Start.]