Mushoku tensei: A New Path

The soft morning light filtered into the room as Rudeus stood in front of the open window. A small sphere of water hovered above his palm, shimmering in the gentle sunlight. He concentrated briefly, and with a subtle flick of his wrist, the sphere shot forward and burst into mist midair. A satisfied grin formed on his face.

Almost a week of practicing chantless elementary water magic had paid off. His mana reserves had grown significantly, allowing him to cast nearly thirty Water Ball spells before the familiar wave of exhaustion would set in. This newfound stamina opened doors, and he knew it. Every day, he alternated between the privacy of the house's small garden and his secret training room, ensuring plausible deniability for the increasing amount of water scattered across his practice areas.

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As Rudeus leaned against the window frame, he began to mull over his next steps. His inner voice, sharp and analytical, took over:

"I think I'm ready to take on something bigger. Water Ball has been great for building mana reserves, but I can't stay here forever. Healing magic is the logical next step… but there's a risk. Even if it's elementary rank, there's a slight chance of causing damage instead of healing. What if I mess up?"

He let out a long sigh. The idea of casting a healing spell on himself made his stomach churn with unease. Still, he knew it was a skill worth mastering. Healing magic could save lives, his own included.

Rudeus had carefully observed the household's daily rhythm. Zenith and Paul's schedules were predictable—Zenith at the clinic and Paul often away on patrol. Lilia's routine was similarly consistent, with her afternoons occupied by household chores. This knowledge gave him the perfect window of opportunity.

He quietly made his way to the small indoor garden Zenith tended to. Rows of vibrant plants flourished under her care, their stems sturdy and leaves lush. Picking one carefully, Rudeus selected a stem that could be reattached without significant harm. With a deliberate tug, he bent the stem to the point of breaking but left it attached. He steadied himself, recalling Zenith's demonstrations, and chanted softly:

"Divine power is rich and nourishing. It offers the strength to rise again to those who have lost their strength. Healing."

A faint green glow emanated from his hands, enveloping the broken stem. Slowly, the damaged section knitted itself back together, leaving no trace of the injury. Rudeus exhaled deeply, his heart pounding. It worked.

A week passed, and by the end of it, Rudeus had mastered elementary rank healing magic—without chants. The small garden became his testing ground, and no plant Zenith cared for ever bore the scars of his experiments. His confidence soared as he realized the importance of his progress. Healing magic isn't just useful—it's essential, Rudeus thought. If my meta-knowledge is right, Protection-Class magic mastery could be critical later on.

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Months rolled by, and Rudeus's determination didn't waver. Through trial and error, he expanded his repertoire to include all elementary rank spells for Earth and Wind magic. The small magic spell book he had found in the house became his trusted guide.

A few weeks had also passed, during which Rudeus kept showing an advanced learning ability to his parents and Lilia, greatly surprising them. As per his assumptions, he was now almost 1 year and 7 months old. Despite their amazement, Rudeus continued to keep his magical abilities hidden from them. His reasoning was simple: he wanted to leverage his meta-knowledge. By revealing his magical prowess at the age of 2, like the original Rudeus, he hoped to gain the opportunity to meet the Saint-Rank Water Mage Roxy Migurdia and become her disciple.

Rudeus had already mastered Intermediate Rank Wind and Earth Spells from the magic book. However, he noted that the book only contained spells up to the Intermediate Rank.

"It makes sense," Rudeus thought. "These Intermediate Rank spells are powerful enough to destroy the house with just a few attacks. I can only imagine what Advanced Rank spells might do."

The Wind Ball spell allowed him to conjure small, invisible spheres of compressed air, perfect for precision. The Wind Slash spell created razor-thin blades of air capable of slicing through leaves with ease. For Earth magic, Rock Cannon let him hurl small, hardened stones at targets with surprising force. Every spell added another layer of mastery and understanding to his arsenal.

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Rudeus often reflected on his progress, comparing his path to that of the original Rudeus from the novel. His thoughts churned as he practiced:

Due to his meta-knowledge, Rudeus was aware of the existence of Unique Magic like Ran-Ma (Disturb), Gravity, Lightning, Summoning, Teleportation, Time, and Howling. However, he also knew that simply being aware of these advanced magics and mastering them were two entirely different challenges. He decided to focus on building his foundation first.

The original practiced water magic to grow his mana reserves. I'm doing it differently, focusing more on Wind. But the biggest gain isn't just my mana reserves. It's my growing understanding of mana and its flow within my body.

He paused to gather his thoughts before continuing: Ran-Ma, or Disturb-Magic, was one of the techniques the original learned. It allowed him to disrupt the flow of mana in an enemy's body, preventing spells from being cast. I don't fully understand how it works, but now that I've mastered chantless incantations for Earth, Water, Wind, and Healing magic, I feel like it's within reach. Maybe even Detoxification magic isn't so far-fetched. However, I've avoided attempting Fire magic altogether—it's far too dangerous. The threat of accidentally burning myself or hurting someone else isn't worth the risk, especially in a house filled with wooden furniture and people I care about.

The spell book's pages offered more insight. According to it, magic reserves were fixed by birth, a claim Rudeus scoffed at.

That's not true at all. My reserves have grown almost a hundredfold since I started. I can cast a hundred elementary spells now without breaking a sweat. But… it's becoming too time-consuming to exhaust my reserves. I'll need a better training method soon.

The book also described the two major branches of magic:

(1) Offensive/Elemental/Arcane Magic: Magic tied to the four elements: Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire.

(2) Defensive/Protection/Healing/Support Magic:

(a) Healing: Restores injuries.

(b) Detoxification: Removes toxins from the body.

(c) Divine: Targets spiritual beings.

(d) Barrier: Creates magical shields with varying properties, a domain tightly controlled by the Milis Church and kingdom.

Rudeus's eyes lingered on the descriptions, his thoughts swirling. So, this matches my meta-knowledge from the web novel. The division into elemental and protection branches, the hierarchy of ranks—it's all true. But I can already feel the restrictions creeping in. He sighed inwardly. I've hit a ceiling for now. Without advanced resources or proper training, improving beyond this level will be difficult. I need something—or someone—to help me break through.

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Rudeus folded his arms, leaning against the window frame. Unique magic… Ran-Ma, Gravity, Lightning, Summoning, Teleportation, Time, Howling—all of it exists. I know it does. But knowing about it and mastering it are two completely different things. He frowned, his thoughts sharp. Those are leagues beyond me right now. I can't even imagine how to start learning them. Focus on what's in front of you, Rudeus.

Over the past few weeks, Rudeus noticed how his parents and Lilia reacted to his learning ability. They're surprised, of course. Who wouldn't be? I'm not even two yet, and I'm breezing through things like I'm five. As far as they know, I'm just a gifted toddler. He smirked. But there's a reason I'm keeping my magical abilities hidden. The original revealed his powers at age two, and that's when he got the chance to train under Saint-Rank Water Mage Roxy Migurdia. If I play my cards right, I can make that happen too.

Rudeus glanced at the magic book lying on the table. Intermediate Rank Wind and Earth Spells—I've mastered them all. But this book doesn't go any further. It's limited to Intermediate Rank. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully. Makes sense, though. These spells are no joke. Just a couple of them could reduce the house to rubble if used recklessly. I can only imagine what Advanced Rank spells could do.

"It makes sense," Rudeus thought. "These Intermediate Rank spells are powerful enough to destroy the house with just a few attacks. I can only imagine what Advanced Rank spells might do."

As far as ranks were concerned, Rudeus had learned and confirmed that, just as described in the web novel he read in his past life, this world adhered to a strict ranking system for both Swordsmen and Mages in ascending order:

(1) Elementary

(2) Intermediate

(3) Advanced

(4) Saint

(5) King

(6) Emperor

(7) God

In the quiet moments of his practice, Rudeus felt a deep sense of accomplishment. His understanding of mana flow, chantless magic, and his expanding mana reserves gave him confidence. But his ambitions were far from complete.

I'm just getting started, he thought, his resolve hardening like tempered steel. If all this meta-knowledge is true, then the challenges, deaths, and suffering awaiting me as Rudeus Greyrat are also true. I need to prepare—failure is not an option. As the Marines say, "Semper Fidelis" (Always Faithful). Ooh-rah! The slogan echoed in his mind, fueling his determination to endure and prevail against the hardships that loomed ahead.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Rudeus's silhouette stood at the window, a young mage determined to carve his path through a world of endless possibilities.