Maximus Bloodthorn stood on the balcony of his grand castle, staring at the sprawling world of darkness he had once ruled. The cold night wind brushed his face, carrying the scent of wet earth from the distant valleys below. The kingdom he had built—with blood, fire, and sacrifice—lay vast beneath him, enveloped in the silence of the pitch-black night. Every building, every street, and every shadow reflected the power he had held for years.In his eyes, the castle was a symbol of strength and dominance. Like his own sturdy body, surrounded by magical protectors, the fortress stood tall, untouched. Yet, tonight, something was different. Something slowly creeping into the air, once full of triumph."This world is mine," he murmured quietly, his voice deep and firm, but somehow foreign, as though there was a hollow space inside him."You will not have it anymore." The voice came from behind him, calm yet deadly. Maximus spun around, his eyes narrowing sharply. The figure stood amidst the

Isaac, though still a baby, was unlike other children. His sharp eyes could not be hidden, and his constantly active mind was clearly mismatched with his tiny body. Amid the bustle of the house and the laughter of his parents, he preferred to remain silent, watching, and thinking about everything he saw."He’s different, isn’t he?" his mother whispered softly to his father, watching him as he sat in the cradle. Isaac, with his big, dark eyes, stared at his mother without blinking. "I feel... like he already knows everything."His father smiled faintly, appearing more serious. "Our child, besides being smart, seems to have great potential."Isaac listened to them; his small body could only squirm, but his mind worked far faster than it appeared. They didn’t know that I’m more than just a baby. I am Maximus Bloodthorn, the Demon Overlord reborn...However, despite his mind being full of strong memories from the past, his frail body limited every movement. It felt like controlling someone

Two years old. Isaac’s hair had grown thicker now, jet-black curls falling messily across his forehead. His eyes were sharp—too sharp for a toddler. Behind those round, innocent-looking eyes, a storm blazed. And this morning, that storm decided to move."Today… we begin," Isaac whispered, sitting cross-legged on the carpet of his bedroom.The room was silent. Only the ticking of an old wall clock and the chirping of birds outside the window could be heard. Sunlight reflected softly off the wooden floor, making the atmosphere feel warm and calm—too calm for what was actually happening."Focus. Breathe in. Feel… the mana."He closed his eyes, calming his thoughts. But inside, his brain worked like a war machine. He visualized the mana pathways, scanning his body from head to toe. He was trying to sense that vibration again—the one that had nearly made him faint the day before."Mana isn’t just power. It’s about will. And I’ve mastered it once… in another life. There’s no way I’ll fail in

The Ackerman family library stood like a silent fortress on the east side of the mansion. Its high, dark walls were lined with wooden shelves that soared up to the vaulted ceiling, holding thousands of books, most of them dusty. The bright morning atmosphere barely softened the dark shadows cast on the cool stone floor. The morning sunlight sneaked through the stained glass windows, creating a kaleidoscope of colors on the cold floor.A small child with a serious expression, Isaac, was hiding in the corner of the room, between the shelves that seemed barely touched. Outside, the soft sound of rain whispered on the tightly set tiles. The servants were busy with household chores, seemingly unaware of Isaac's unspoken fascination with every page of the books around him.In front of Isaac, an old shelf creaked softly as he skillfully climbed it. His small hands touched the dust that clung to the corner of the shelf, causing him to cough slightly. "There must be something here," he murmured

Isaac slumped in an old chair near the window covered with thin curtains, his red eyes staring blankly outside. The evening breeze that drifted in brought the fresh scent of the garden located just below his bedroom. He could feel the flow of mana gently circulating around the room, but his body—too fragile, too weak—wasn't capable of grasping it perfectly yet. Even the intensive meditation techniques he had used earlier felt too heavy for his small frame."Hhh," he sighed, closing his eyes. Think of something else.Isaac straightened his back, trying to ignore the pain pressing on his muscles. He had to keep moving, keep practicing. Patience. Patience.In the silence, his mind returned to the new method he was trying to develop—passive mana absorption. Without movement, without active magic. Just feeling and absorbing the natural energy around him. He had tried this several times, every morning when dawn broke, or when dusk darkened the sky. But it wasn't easy. Each drop of mana he ma