Mizuki and I had finally bought a house in this strange new world. It was massive, far larger than anything I had imagined for just the two of us. After securing the house, we also purchased some furniture to fill the empty rooms. Then, we began taking on guild quests. Surprisingly, it was fun—battling E-rank monsters like slimes, baby goblins, and wild boars gave a strange sense of satisfaction and adventure.
Two months had passed since we moved in. Over that time, I had completely mastered controlling my mana and gathering it wherever I wanted. What had once taken me twenty-five to thirty minutes now required only seconds. The books Rika had given me had been invaluable. Three thick volumes: one on the history of Humanlords, and two devoted entirely to magic and mana control.
I had also learned several basic spells—"Fireball," "Windblast," and "Waterjet." Learning them had not been easy; I still remembered the sting and burns on my face from failed Fireball attempts. Mizuki had patiently taught me enhancement spells too, like "Speedboost" and "Musclebuff," which allowed me to take on low- to mid-level monsters with ease. Each day of training had pushed me closer to the limits of my strength and endurance, but the progress was exhilarating.
In just a few days, Renji had trained himself to the level of an A-rank adventurer. Confident in his abilities, he went to see Hotaru, requesting admission to Eryndralis Academy.
"Did you learn magic?" Hotaru asked, his eyes narrowing with curiosity.
Renji unleashed his mana, letting it flow visibly around him. Hotaru's jaw dropped. "This boy... surely will surpass my brother," he whispered under his breath.
"Huh? Did you say something?" Renji asked, blinking.
Hotaru shook his head. "The entrance exams are coming next month. You'd better gain as much knowledge about this world as you can."
Renji nodded politely. "Sure, thanks a lot, uncle," and turned to leave the house.
"Hey, Renji," Mizuki called from inside him as the door closed behind him.
"Um-hum?" He replied.
"What do you want to do now? We've got plenty of free time," she asked, her voice calm but tinged with curiosity.
"Let's go to the library," I said, already feeling a sense of excitement.
The Hoshizora Library greeted us with a serene atmosphere that immediately drew me in. Tall wooden doors opened to reveal shelves stretching endlessly toward the ceiling, each row packed with countless books and scrolls. The faint scent of old paper mingled with polished wood, and a whisper of incense drifted through the air. Sunlight filtered through paper-paneled windows, scattering gentle patterns across the tatami mats laid out for reading. Low tables, neatly arranged for study, reflected the soft light.
A middle-aged librarian sat behind the reception desk, glasses perched on his nose and hands busy stamping a neat stack of books. When he noticed us, his face lit up with a polite smile.
"Good morning," I said, bowing slightly.
"Good morning, young man. Are you here to register for a library card?" the librarian asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Yes, please," I replied.
He handed me a simple form. "Fill in your details. The registration fee is 5 gold coins."
Carefully, I filled out my name, date of birth, and registration number, then handed the form back. The librarian stamped it with precision and handed me a small laminated card.
"Here's your library card," he said. "With this, you can borrow books and access the restricted sections. Please remember to return all books on time."
I held the card in my hand, feeling a surge of excitement. This small piece of laminated paper was now my key to a treasure trove of knowledge.
With registration complete, I ventured deeper into the library. Rows upon rows of neatly arranged books beckoned me, their spines whispering secrets of magic, history, and forgotten knowledge. A soft hush of turning pages and quiet footsteps filled the space, creating an almost sacred atmosphere. At the far end, a sliding shoji door with a golden insignia hinted at a collection of rare magical texts, hidden and protected from casual readers.
My heart beat faster. Adjusting the library card around my neck, I felt the weight of possibility settle in. Every shelf, every scroll, every volume seemed to invite me closer, as if the library itself knew I was ready to learn.
I took a deep breath, stepping forward with determination, ready to dive into the endless sea of knowledge that awaited me at Hoshizora Library.
Over the course of the entire month, Renji devoted himself to study.
From morning until night, he buried himself in thick historical records and racial encyclopedias, memorizing every detail about the beings known as Humanlords.
The term wasn't merely political or symbolic.
It wasn't just a title.
It was a declaration of superiority.
"Humanlord" referred to a family of six dominant races—species that stood at the peak of civilization, strength, and magical capability. Every nation, every kingdom, every major war in history has been shaped by them.
They weren't simply inhabitants of the world.
They ruled it.
The six races were Humans, Elves, Plantees, Vampires, Barbarians, and Beast-humans.
Each one possessed abilities that ordinary creatures could only fear.
Beast-humans closely resembled humans at first glance, but animal traits—ears twitching at the slightest sound, tails swaying with emotion—gave them away. Some had feline features, others canine, rabbit, or wolf. Their senses were sharper, their reflexes faster, and their bodies naturally stronger. Even without formal training, their physical strength easily surpassed that of normal humans.
They were born warriors.
Elves, on the other hand, were masters of mana.
Their control over magic was so refined that even basic spells looked elegant in their hands. Mana flowed through them as naturally as breathing. Despite their slender builds, they possessed surprising physical strength—often rivaling or even exceeding Beast-humans. Their long lifespans allowed them centuries to polish their skills to perfection.
Their pointed ears had become a symbol of both beauty and pride.
Among them existed several sub-races: Dwarf Elves, Dark Elves, and the most common Belevish Elves, each with their own culture and specialties.
Then there were the Barbarians.
Monsters in human form.
Their muscles were dense as iron, their bones like steel. They didn't rely on spells or incantations because they couldn't use magic in the traditional sense. Mana did flow through their bodies, but instead of casting spells, they converted it directly into raw physical enhancement.
The result was terrifying.
Every step cracked the ground. Every swing could shatter armor.
Though not all Barbarians could manipulate mana this way, those who could were said to rival entire battalions alone.
Vampires carried a darker reputation.
Elegant, pale, and unnervingly beautiful, they possessed a natural charm that drew others toward them. But beneath that beauty lay their instinct—the need for blood.
They often drank from the arms of those they trusted or loved, treating it almost like an intimate ritual. But on the battlefield, they showed no mercy, feeding on their prey without hesitation.
It was also recorded that if a member of another Humanlord race consumed a vampire's blood, the result was unpredictable—either death… or transformation into a vampire.
Few were willing to test which fate awaited them.
Plantees were the most peaceful among the six.
They lived in harmony with forests, rivers, and soil, their bodies and mana deeply connected to nature itself. Healing magic came to them effortlessly, and their plant-based spells could entangle enemies, grow barriers, or restore life to dying land.
They were often called the world's caretakers.
There were two primary sub-races within the Plantee category: Drauds, who lived deep within the wild rainforests of the Nocian Islands, and Druids, who resided in the vast plains of the Grass Kingdom.
Both rarely involved themselves in wars unless nature itself was threatened.
And finally—
Humans.
The most ordinary.
Yet the most abnormal.
Unlike the other races, humans didn't specialize in just one field.
Instead… they adapted.
Where Beast-humans had strength, humans could train to match it.
Where elves mastered mana, humans could learn it.
Where Plantees healed, humans studied healing magic.
Even the enhancement techniques of Barbarians could be replicated through practice.
Their growth had no clear limit.
Their mana flow was exceptionally flexible.
Their potential was unpredictable.
Individually, they might not seem extraordinary.
But collectively—
They were considered the most dangerous race of all.
Because humans could become anything.
And that made them the strongest.
Renji learned all that bu reading books at the library. But little did Renji know, the world he had just begun to understand was far bigger than he imagined—hiding something far older, and far more dangerous, than any Humanlord.
Aside from the six known races of the Humanlord family, there existed something else.
Something that wasn't recorded in books.
Something scholars never spoke of.
Something even Renji knew nothing about.
They were called Nulls.
Not because they were weak—
—but because they were nothing.
No fixed form.
No defined race.
No biological structure that could be studied or categorized.
Their bodies had no permanence. No true shape.
At will, they could twist their flesh, stretch their limbs, or completely reconstruct themselves into something else. A man. A woman. A child. Even a monster.
To see a Null was to question what "life" even meant.
They were few. Painfully few.
But quality had always outweighed numbers.
One Null alone could rival entire armies.
While other races trained for decades to control mana, Nulls wielded it as naturally as breathing. Their mana flow had no restrictions, no bottlenecks, no waste. It was endless. Pure. Terrifyingly efficient.
They didn't age like normal beings.
They didn't weaken like normal beings.
And they didn't die easily either.
Some ancient records—fragments buried deep in forbidden archives—claimed that Nulls weren't born at all.
They simply appeared.
As if the world itself had made a mistake.
Or perhaps…
a correction.
For now, however, they remained nothing more than a forgotten whisper in history.
A truth hidden far beyond Renji's knowledge.