Transmigrated into another world with the strongest core

Chapter 2: A World Not My Own

The forest slowly fell silent.

What remained of the creatures lay scattered across the ground as piles of ash, carried away by a light, unnatural breeze. The air was still warm, heavy with the scent of smoke and lingering magic. Lucas stood where he was, his sword hanging loosely in his hand, unsure whether to drop it or cling to it like a lifeline.

His heart was still racing.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings for the first time since waking up. The trees were taller than any he had ever seen, their trunks scarred with deep slashes as if they had endured countless battles. The sky above carried a pale, silver tint, as though the sun itself shone through a thin veil. Nothing about this place felt familiar.

Nothing about this place felt like home.

“Are you hurt?”

The voice was gentle. Lucas turned and saw the white-haired girl walking toward him, her steps light, almost soundless against the forest floor. Up close, her presence felt even stronger calm, controlled, and overwhelming in a way he couldn’t explain.

“I I don’t think so,” he said, though the words felt strange in his mouth.

She studied him closely, her silver eyes narrowing slightly. “You don’t sound certain.”

Before Lucas could respond, the muscular man let out a low grunt as he wiped dark residue from his blade. “You froze up back there,” he said bluntly. “That’s not like you.”

Lucas stiffened.

Not like you.

“I hit my head,” Lucas said quickly, the excuse forming before he could stop himself. “Everything feels… off.”

The man frowned but didn’t push further. “Tch. Figures,” he muttered. “Try not to get yourself killed next time.”

The girl shot him a sharp look. “That’s enough, Gareth.”

“I’m sorry, Madam Elara,” Gareth replied.

She turned back to Lucas, her expression softening. “You scared us back there.”

Lucas nodded slowly, committing the names to memory Gareth. Elara. They said them like they mattered, like he was supposed to know them.

But he didn’t.

As Elara spoke, a dull ache pulsed behind his eyes. Images flickered through his mind training fields soaked in sweat, the weight of a sword swinging with practiced ease, laughter that didn’t belong to his memories. His grip on the hilt tightened instinctively.

This body knew how to fight.

“I think something’s wrong with me,” Lucas admitted quietly. “I remember things but they don’t feel like mine.”

Elara’s expression changed not fear, but concern. Real concern.

“Soul shock,” she murmured. “Or memory suppression.”

Lucas didn’t know what either of those meant, but they sounded bad.

“We shouldn’t stay here,” Gareth said, scanning the trees. “More Grimlings could be drawn to the residue.”

Elara nodded. “We’ll head back to Eldoria. You can rest there.”

Eldoria. Another name that meant nothing to him.

Lucas hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He didn’t have a better option, and staying alone in this forest was the last thing he wanted.

As they began walking, Lucas glanced down at his hands. They were steady now. Strong. Alive.

“You haven’t forgotten me, right, Lucas?”

The voice was soft, but there was clear irritation in it. He turned and saw the girl from earlier the one who had first shouted his name. She looked visibly annoyed, though he couldn’t understand why.

“No, I haven’t forgotten you,” Lucas replied. “Thanks for shouting my name back there. I wasn’t feeling well, and without you, I might have died.”

As he spoke, a strange thought crossed his mind. Lucas must have been someone like this confident, reliable.

If only I had been like that in my former life.

The girl blinked, confused. The others looked equally surprised.

“You must have hit your head really hard,” she said, smiling.

“You’re finally acting like an elder brother,” Gareth added with a grin.

“Surely this is a new development,” Elara said lightly. “Iris, you must be happy.”

Iris? His sister?

Lucas’s thoughts raced. So Lucas has a family… then how do I ask about all this without sounding suspicious?

“Lucas,” Elara said gently, “is something wrong? You look confused.”

He looked up at her. She always seemed worried about him. Why?

Are we close? Friends? Something more?

“Lucas,” she repeated, concern evident in her voice.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m feeling a little dizzy. I just need to rest, I think. You don’t need to worry.”

She smiled softly. “Don’t worry. When we get to Eldoria, I’ll check your magic essence. You’ve just reached the Adept tier your Aether may still be unstable.”

That only deepened his confusion. Magic? Adept tier? Am I really that strong? Are there others like her?

Then he saw it.

A towering structure gleaming with gold rose in the distance as the forest thinned. They had reached the forest’s edge. Beyond it stood a magnificent city.

“So that’s Eldoria ” Lucas whispered.

“We’re finally here,” Gareth said.

As they stepped closer, Lucas took it all in crowded streets, people walking and talking, horses pulling carriages, merchants selling goods along the roadside. There was no sign of technology. It looked like something straight out of a movie.

“Now let’s get back to school and report our trip to the professor,” Elara said.

Lucas turned to her. “School?”

“Yes,” she replied. “The Magic Academy of Eldoria. We’ve been attending since we turned sixteen that was a year ago. Don’t you remember?”

He smiled. “Of course I do.”

She smiled back. “Then let’s go.”

Lucas followed them into the city, his mind spinning.

I’m more confused than ever but answers are coming.

First school.