In this Second Chance at Life, where I can see skills as clear as day, everything feels like a breeze. And to make it even better, I’m spending my days joyfully with my First Love. - Chapter 2

Back in high school, after failing to join a club and gradually isolating myself from others, I turned to two main activities: part-time jobs and working out. While calling part-time work a “hobby” might be a stretch, strength training quickly became a passion of mine. It reminded me of long-distance running, something I enjoyed for its meditative rhythm, but had the added advantage of being weatherproof—you could do it anytime, anywhere.

This morning, after my father dragged me home following my collapse from overexertion, I was promptly grounded. Stuck indoors, I decided to pass the time with strength training. Squats, widely praised for engaging 70% of the body’s major muscles, seemed like a logical choice, but I’ve always had a soft spot for push-ups. Regardless, I planned to do a mix of push-ups, squats, and crunches for balance.

“Hah… thirty… done!”

Even after completing just 30 reps of each exercise, with two-minute breaks in between, I found myself out of breath. This six-year-old body was far from capable. Back in high school, I could knock out 100 reps of each exercise without breaking a sweat. Then again, years of office work and neglecting exercise had left their mark, so maybe I wasn’t in peak condition even before I returned to this body.

Name: Sashima Yasushi
Level: 1
Job: None
Skills: [Appraisal Lv. 2], [Agility Boost Lv. 3], [Stamina Boost Lv. 4], [Strength Boost Lv. 3]
Unique Skill: [Repetitive Trial]

“Yes! My skills are improving!”

I couldn’t help but grin as I noticed the changes. The system rewarded my effort with a new skill and level-ups. Even my father’s disapproving glare, silently reminding me why I was grounded in the first place, couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm.
The addition of [Strength Boost Lv. 3] made sense. My younger self had spent countless hours training, and it seemed those efforts carried over into this life. The stamina and agility improvements might also have been influenced by my past or my unique skill, [Repetitive Trial].

As I admired my progress, I noticed something new—a small arrow symbol (‘▼’) next to my name. It hadn’t been there before. Perhaps my upgraded [Appraisal] skill had unlocked it. Curious, I focused on the symbol.

Name: Sashima Yasushi
HP: 7/12
Strength: 5
Magic: 1
Agility: 5
Level: 1

A more detailed status screen appeared. HP was straightforward, likely representing my health. Agility seemed related to speed, while Strength probably combined attack and defense capabilities. But Magic? That one caught my attention.

Magic: 1

The number stood out. It wasn’t zero. That meant magic wasn’t just theoretical—I had at least some capacity for it. My thoughts immediately split into two possibilities:

1.This is a parallel world: If magic exists, then maybe “magic arts” or some form of magical techniques are practiced here. The idea alone was thrilling. As a lifelong gamer, the concept of real magic was irresistibly exciting.

2.Magic existed in my previous life: Perhaps it had always been there, unnoticed or unused. After all, in a world of smartphones and the internet, it would’ve been impossible to hide the existence of magic entirely.

Given the lack of evidence for magic in my past life, the second theory seemed less likely. If magic users existed, surely someone would’ve uploaded a video by now. Still, the one undeniable truth remained:Magic exists.

The discovery reignited my determination. I had to find a way to use it. For the rest of the day, I alternated between meditating to sense magic, examining objects with [Appraisal], and returning to strength training when I got bored. At one point, I even rolled in dirt outside in desperation—only to earn a scolding and a smack from my mother.
When night fell, I checked my progress one last time.

Name: Sashima Yasushi
Level: 1
Job: None
Skills: [Appraisal Lv. 2], [Agility Boost Lv. 4], [Stamina Boost Lv. 4], [Strength Boost Lv. 4], [Super Recovery Lv. 1]
Unique Skill: [Repetitive Trial]

“Super Recovery? That’s awesome!”

My relentless effort had paid off. [Super Recovery] was likely a reward for pushing my body to its limits, and my agility, stamina, and strength had each improved further. But as much as I was pleased with the results, something still bothered me.
“This isn’t what I was aiming for! I want magic! Something like magic manipulation!”

“Quiet down and go to bed already!” My mother stormed into the room, delivering a sharp smack that sent me tumbling toward my futon.

Despite my frustration, fatigue quickly overtook me. Within seconds of lying down, I was fast asleep, dreaming of new ways to unlock the mysteries of magic tomorrow.