I'm gonna take a break...

You readers must have noticed the difference in title layout, right? I'm doing that on purpose.

No, it doesn't mean I'll be breakdancing.

'Break Wallkin' is just me taking a break...

I won't even remember the things I said in this break period, because it's technically non-canon.

Either that, or the omnipotent author is showing his power over me, this world's omniscient narrator.

Damn the Author and his 'artistic liberties'...!

Anyway...

This will be the first in my introductions to new characters, with the first being 'Alex Stuman'.

Consider this the Prologue after the first chapter...

The insight that will let you have a better understanding of 'The Joker' of my narrative.

Someone destined to flip the tables...

That sounds like mess, doesn't it? Who in the world puts their Prologue AFTER their first chapter?

After all, it breaks the flow of narration.

Here you are trying to immerse yourself into the character perspective, and here I am breaking it.

Like I'm prying you from his point of view...

But that's necessary for me...

Actually, this isn't your normal Portal Fantasy where someone gets transported to another world.

In fact, this was different from the very beginning.

Notice the constant jests I was making at my main character's expense. What did it make you think?

Of course, you readers may think it was bad taste.

To hit a main character down while they were at their lowest point... was a low blow for a narrator.

But you readers yourselves were worse than me.

From what I was told by the Author, there were readers who thought reincarnation was enviable.

Those guys had no idea what they're talking about!

Even when a loser like Alex reincarnated, he was instantly thrown into a bad situation with poor luck.

Though that was normal for your average protagonist, I ask you to look at him 'humanely'.

What kind of life did a 'Protagonist' live? How was living in a world of swords and magic like anyway?

Nothing 'enviable', I assure you readers of that.

Learning magic may seem like a wonder to many at first, but it would eventually get old one day.

The same could be said for the scenery.

Even on Earth right now, there were people who didn't care for new sights. They had the Internet.

Since they already saw a picture online, it became less impactful. The same happened in this fantasy.

Alex had found living in his new 'reality' a chore.

It was too foreign, too illogical, nonsensical, and even flimsy. This was after studying the world itself.

He was self-aware enough to see it how it was...

Carrying the burden of being the only 'foreigner' in this new world, he grew up feeling melancholic.

Ignoring the tragedies that happened to him just because he was a 'Protagonist', his life was empty.

Even in another world, one could not ignore laws.

Unless one was powerful and inhuman enough, any and all 'foreigners' would have the same feeling.

You could have the freedom of having no parents telling you what to do, or even have the freedom to go wherever you want, but if going back home wasn't an option, then it was no freedom at all.

None would be able to understand Alex's pain...

The youth cried whenever he remembered his strict but loving dad, or smart yet awkward mom.

His tears flowed down endlessly whenever he was struck with homesickness. He was just a teenager.

How long could he stay away from his family?

Perhaps there was a time he was glad about being able to live a new life, but it didn't last for long.

Like a Joker in a suit of cards...

Like a Protagonist on a Hero's Journey...

He was always met with troubles and situations that would be reversed thanks to his presence.

Such a 'reversal' wasn't always in his favour...

If having an exciting life meant that nothing would stick to his plans, then wasn't that hell already?

A prolonged state of happiness would always lead to sadness, even if the opposite was also true.

Life had many up and downs, but sometimes the life of a 'Wild Card' wasn't always the best one.

The only thing that never got old to him was the study of magic, and the wonders of 'Magic Skills'.

Even while being untalented at first, he was able to bring himself up through applying his wisdom.

But that wasn't the point...

The important part was: Do any of you readers ever feel the thirst for knowledge when ignorant?

Perhaps so, but not to THIS extent...

So what's the point I'm getting at? What was all the words I narrated leading to? What was the payoff?

In short: It was that even dogs had their days, and even losers could sometimes become the winners.

Alex didn't know if hard work make for talent, but he felt his 'personal narrative' was an underdog.

Rising up to the occasion and flipping the script...

He was unknowing of his existence as a 'protagonist', and that his true nature wasn't that.

However, a strong personal narrative could sometimes affect the greater narrative overall.

It was rightly called: 'Having a purpose in life'.

And as this story's narrator, I knew my purpose.

It's because I have a purpose that I exist. In fact, all characters in stories come from the same place.

There's always a reason for them to exist.

However, Humans in real life tended to be way more complex. They existed, therefore they had purpose. Some may not know what that purpose expressly was, but others realised it eventually.

And those who did come to this realisation ended up becoming those who stood out from the crowd.

Usually, in terms of fighting, those who found their obsessive drive to become stronger were the so-called 'Losers' of competitive fighting. Those who brag about working harder than others, even though rewards weren't only given to hard workers.

Effort doesn't betray you, but working hard was a steep climb that sometimes wasn't worth the effort. If you had no talent in fighting, then it was better to work at something else for a satisfying life. It's about weighing the costs and benefits.

Why work hard for years trying to sharpen your craft? Everyone has infinite possibilities...

You can become a boxer, or you could become a cook. It's common sense that the easier one you can succeed at becomes what you come back to later on. Success was much better than failure.

Perhaps only people like 'him' were different.

Alex Stuman had always been an Anomaly. Even as someone adopted into a special family of fighters.

Genuine combatants of old...

They were the hidden 'Internal Martial Artists' of the modern age. People who passed on their craft.

From the very beginning, the frail youth had no inclination towards succeeding in Martial Arts.

His body was too weak. To grow it enough for him to have the potential to learn 'Internal techniques' required perseverance and effort on the level of risking his life, but he desired to master this craft.

He had two reasons...

The first was the phrase: "You are only part of our family once you mastered your own personal 'Art'."

Initially, he didn't feel that alienated from the famous 'Dragon Family' he entered into. Despite it being known to the modern Pugilistic World as the bloodline that produced many geniuses of martial arts each generation, he had always felt at home.

At least, that was until his abusive older brother told him the difference between the two of them.

It was at that moment, Alex became a 'complete' person who both existed and had an inner drive.

Because of that incident, his older brother became the second reason he wanted to get stronger.

Not in a positive way. In fact, the young boy kept on challenging and losing against him over the years.

But because of his obsession, his skills started to improve regardless of what his initial limits were.

He lost again and again. So he challenged his brother again and again. His 'fire' was intense...!

This carried on even in his next life... The drive he had in the past was what had once sustained him.

Perhaps one day, surely, that 'devil' would be brought down, and he would finally succeed.

In front of his father's 'Dragon Impact'.

In front of his brother's 'Devil Break'.

His own personal technique, mixing his fighting style and Internal Energy, would be a lot better...!

The young boy's strong sense of purpose could practically move mountains with its sheer might.

He became an individual who sought perfection!

Much less of a 'Protagonist', he had become an 'Antagonist' that moved his story forward himself.

That was the benefits of a 'personal narrative'.

Sadly, he died without ever having achieved it...

Alex lost his life in an accident at school, and like in those novels he read, was transported into a fantasy world that ran on RPG logic. As you readers already know, he tried to brush everything off.

Using 'the META' as an excuse, he tried to forget everything that had lead up to that exact moment.

Hiding a deep melancholy. Those who didn't know him wouldn't find out that his heart had broken.

His sense of purpose had been meaningless...

In the first few years after reincarnating into another world with a new life, he had been chained by the embarrassment he felt from dying... despite having gone through so much backbreaking effort.

This was the start of his 'homesickness'...

It nearly sent him into depression just thinking about it. The vexation and self-ridicule was...

...to put it simply: 'Overwhelming'.

And yet, the embers of that flame that once existed in his heart couldn't be erased by such feelings.

Just as his body had been reborn, so was his heart and soul. He continued to search for his own 'Art'.

He dabbled in many forms of magic, went on a perilous adventure with a friend by his side, and continued honing himself further. Now, without a frailty holding him back, his talent had bloomed.

He gradually forgot about his older brother to fulfil at least one of his goals; what he'd once lived for.

One day, his efforts finally came to fruition. The fruits of his labour finally manifested himself.

[Silver Art- Arcane Fingers!]

His mastery of magic and martial arts created a new technique never before seen in two worlds.

But things didn't end there...

Once he finished that move, it was as if he went through a metamorphosis. Feeling that this much wasn't his limit, Alex pushed further and further until reaching the enlightened state of 'The Zone'.

A ball of energy appeared in his hands and charged up before being released into a linear energy blast.

This move was called...

[Divine Art- Dragon Breath!]

Finally, he reached the end of his road. The burning desire within him had been quenched, albeit imperfectly. Even if he couldn't defeat his brother in hand-to-hand combat, he fulfilled his 'mission'.

So... what could he do now?

For fifteen years in his past life, he'd spent it fighting his older brother. For another fifteen years after gaining a second chance, he went on adventures and finally finished his unique 'Art'.

This caused a rush of fatigue to permeate his entire existence. Eyes becoming hollow over time.

He had a lot of money, a mansion, cooking skills, mastery of magic and martial arts, and 'freedom'.

After finally completed his purpose, Alex... lounged around while tinkering with gadgets in his basement. He was so bored he even created a machine that recreated the flavour of potato chips.

It was a sad and meaningless way of existing...

He even created an Android that did all the menial chores for him and started to become real isolated.

Scratching his stomach while watching the otherworldly version of a Television set on Earth, it looked like nothing would ever happen, but little did he know that... his life was never so 'simple'.

Forces of the past, future, and present were gathering at this moment without his knowledge.

They would definitely make his life 'interesting'.

That was how the life of someone who'd once driven himself further than his 'archetype' lived...

Even now, after moving his stuff to a new mansion in Lancia, his feelings were the same as before.

Perhaps he just wanted to live a noble life this time.

He wasn't really 'driven' this time...

One day, I believe this will have a negative impact on him. A slowly unravelling tragedy in the making.

But for now, I'll let him be...

Let us both observe him in the meantime. What kind of shenanigans can he get himself into?

What was his conflict with this 'Cult' in his past?

Who were the other people who'd have their fates crossed with his own? Many questions were left.

So let's read on and wait for each answer...