Edward's mind had been shut off in time, he hadn't experienced being breastfed.
Not that he would necessarily find it unpleasant, but Eliza was his mother now, and he didn't want to start having wrong ideas about her.
When he opened his eyes after that temporary moment of darkness, while his mind was inactive, he found himself in a place that was both beautiful and unsettling.
Above him stretched a night sky dominated by a golden aurora borealis. The ground was a mirror-like pool of water, reflecting a blurred version of the golden aurora.
Despite it being night, the lights kept the surroundings illuminated.
The horizon stretched infinitely, with nothing but the mirrored floor and that golden sky in sight.
"Where have you taken me?" Edward was surprised to hear his own voice.
This made him realize he was no longer in a baby's body. He had reverted to a younger version of himself, around 18 years old, when he had just entered the cadet academy.
"This is your Mental Realm," the System's feminine voice replied.
Now, she didn't speak inside his mind; he heard her with his ears.
"Could you give me a more detailed explanation?" Edward asked.
"That would require explaining several other concepts," the System's voice responded.
"Do we have time for a longer lecture?" Edward didn't mind a lengthy explanation; in fact, he preferred it.
The System's voice began:
"In this world, there are three types of energy capable of shaping reality, producing magic."
As she finished that first sentence, three circles appeared in the air, interconnected by a fourth.
"For simplicity, we can call these energies: Ether, Chakra, and Qi."
The three circles, previously golden, changed color as she spoke, blue for Ether, red for Chakra, and green for Qi.
"Ether is the energy tied to your intellectual existence, interacting with your physical body through your mind."
An illustration of a brain appeared in the blue circle representing Ether.
"Chakra is the energy tied to your emotional or spiritual existence, however you prefer to understand it. It interacts with your physical body through your heart."
An illustration of a heart appeared in the red circle.
"Finally, Qi is the energy connected to your physical existence. It interacts with your body primarily through your muscles."
An illustration of a male's muscular anatomy appeared in the green circle.
"The fusion of these three energies forms what is known in this world as Mana."
The golden circle linking them all began to glow.
"There is an existential plane linked to each of the three energies: the Physical, Spiritual, and Ethereal planes."
The three circles are realigned horizontally into three layers.
"Everything that exists can inhabit all three planes simultaneously, or just one or two."
Edward clearly couldn't fully grasp this yet, so the System's voice continued:
"Somewhere in this world, there might be a sword possessed by an evil spirit, for example."
A sword shrouded in dark energy appeared in the air.
"It is a sword, thus, a physical existence, and it has a soul, making it a spiritual existence. But it has no mind."
Edward could now imagine many examples of things that might have only one or two forms of existence.
"This place we're in is your Mental Realm, the dwelling of your intellectual existence. It's a concrete, comprehensible manifestation of your mind."
Okay, now Edward understood where he was.
"So, is there an equivalent place for my spiritual existence?" Edward asked.
"Yes and no. The spiritual plane is fundamentally different from the intellectual plane. So yes, there is an equivalent, but it wouldn't be accurate to call it a 'place,'" the voice replied.
"Spiritual existence is abstract, so it's impossible to create a concrete representation like this one?"
Edward asked.
"Yes, you're not wrong."
Edward was satisfied with the explanations.
"What exactly are you? Do all people in this world have a System?"
He began probing other questions he wanted answered.
"Others in this world don't perceive their guardians as 'Systems,' but yes, everyone capable of manipulating mana has a System, or guardian. They just understand it differently," the voice replied.
"So, the 'gamification' of this world is a consequence of how my mind perceives reality?" Edward asked.
"No. But I can't give you more details. It would affect the balance, and you're not yet powerful enough to handle the consequences."
Though vague, the answer gave many clues about this world's true nature. It was gamified, not just a construct of his mind.
"Why do people in this world have a guardian or System?" Edward pressed.
"There's a limit to how much the body, mind, and soul can handle the energy required for magic."
Edward already suspected this; the guardian was some kind of auxiliary system running in the background, ensuring safe magic manipulation.
"We guardians are an extension of the user, aiding in mana control. We also serve as a communication bridge."
Communication with whom? Edward didn't need to ask, the voice continued:
"The gods are always watching and interfere when necessary to maintain balance."
"Can a god force you to act against me?" Edward asked, concerned.
"No. I am an extension of you. Acting against the Host would mean acting against me, it wouldn't make sense."
Still, Edward wasn't entirely convinced.
"The gods can grant knowledge, like everything I'm explaining now. Prophecies, divine relics, quests, rewards… There are many ways the gods can incentivize a Host to act on their behalf."
Edward wasn't 100% reassured, but at least he seemed to have some free will.
"You said I needed to give you a name," Edward changed the subject.
"Yes. To complete my formation, I need a name."
The voice was feminine, so despite not knowing if it had a gender, Edward chose a feminine name, honoring the person most important to him, the one he'd miss most after dying and reincarnating: his sister.
"Nana. Your name is now Nana."
As soon as he spoke, a golden orb of energy formed before him.
Suddenly, a human figure began taking shape within it.
When the process ended, a beautiful, feminine figure stood before him, short golden hair, a slender body, angelic features. She appeared around 18, clad only in a white silk robe that didn't quite do its job of covering her.
Edward immediately regretted naming her after his sister.
"Glad you like my appearance. But before you get any wrong ideas, we still have work to do."
Now that she had a name, Nana seemed to have fully developed her personality.
"Right… of course. What's next?" Edward replied awkwardly.
"We need to define my class," Nana explained. "Normally, a guardian evolves gradually alongside the Host. But your case is different."
She approached Edward and opened a System menu displaying available classes.
Her arm brushed against his as they stood side by side, sending shivers down his spine.
"You know I'm part of you, right? Falling for me would just be pure narcissism," Nana scolded.
Edward felt ridiculous for acting like an inexperienced teenager.
"Will you be able to manifest a physical body and fight alongside me?" He quickly changed the subject.
"Yes. You'll be able to summon me."
"Then the best class for you would compensate for my athletic build, right?"
"Yes. But we also have a large mana pool, it'd be a waste not to have a more balanced class."
"A close-combat class that also lets you use mid-range spells and support when needed?"
"Exactly. Spellblade Knight. I think it's the best option."
Edward selected the class, and Nana began transforming, once again enveloped in golden light.
When it faded, she wore light golden armor over a blue tunic. Her skin was now mostly covered, but she still radiated an angelic sensuality that Edward found very appealing.
At her waist were two swords, one medium, one short, both lightweight dual-blades designed for agility over brute strength.
"We also need to choose a beast form. If I manifest in human form from the start, people will suspect you."
Nana spoke casually, as if this were common knowledge.
Seeing his confusion, she explained:
"Most people can only manifest their guardian's first form. If you start by manifesting me in my third form, they'll grow suspicious."
Edward still didn't understand, so Nana elaborated:
"Guardians have three forms: Material, Spiritual, and Intellectual."
That alone wasn't enough, so Edward asked for clarification.
"In the first form, Material, the guardian is summoned as an object: a sword, a staff, etc. The most common. In the second, Spiritual, the guardian manifests as a magical beast familiar. Finally, in the third, Intellectual, the guardian takes the form of an intelligent being: a fairy, a dragon… or in your case, a human."
Edward now understood the three forms, but she continued:
"The vast majority only manifest the first form. A small group achieves the second. Rarely does someone reach the third."
Now Edward saw the risk of flaunting Nana in human form.
"That's why most people aren't even aware of guardians, since they can't reach the third form, all communication happens through instinct."
Was that why he perceived Nana as a System? Before he could ponder further, she added:
"If I manifest only as an object, it won't help you much. So the best option is to pretend I'm just a familiar spirit, uncommon, but not too rare."
If Nana materialized in human form in front of everyone, Edward would be seen as an aberration.
"Okay, but why do we get to choose all this?" Edward asked.
"During evolution, the user and guardian make unconscious choices that determine their growth. But you evolved all at once, skipping those choices, so now you get to decide."
"What magical beast do you want to be?"
"You choose. But pick something beautiful, to match me," Nana replied.
Edward scrolled through the list before deciding.
This time, the transformation wasn't immediate, but once complete, Nana shifted to show him his choice.
Golden light enveloped her again, and when it faded, a stunning white fox stood in her place.
Nana moved to admire her reflection in the mirrored floor.
After a moment of self-appreciation, she returned to human form.
"Alright, I'll admit, you chose well."
"Anything else?" Edward asked.
"Now we can begin your training."
Edward was eager to learn more about this world.
He couldn't wait to wield magic.
His mind buzzed with ideas, all the things he wanted to recreate from his old world using this new world's magic.