So I'm truly in a world without hope or a future.
He let out a sigh while looking out his bedroom window.
'What a shitty life...'
He clenched his fists, pushing back the emotions that threatened to surface. No. He couldn't afford to break down. Not now. Not when there was so much to do.
He turned toward his desk, covered with books and scrolls he had studied for endless hours.
I have one month before academy's entrance exams.
One month to understand this world.
One month to find a way to survive without power.
One Month Later
During this month, Kaen had immersed himself in study.
He had learned how the duchy's politics functioned, the relationships between the four dominant species and the tensions with outside beings.
He had studied cultivation — even though he couldn't cultivate himself. He had memorized the theories about aura, mana, ether...
But when he tried to feel anything, he found only nothingness. No connection. Nothing at all.
He had read every book and encyclopedia about people without mana, but had never found a single case like his.
Pathetic.
He had even tried to meditate as Solvane had suggested — not because he believed it would work, but because he wanted her to stop worrying.
She worried. Always.
And the more she worried, the more he felt... uncomfortable.
Worry led to attachment. Attachment led to vulnerability. And Vulnerability led to death.
During this month, Solvane had tried to get closer to him. She often came to his room, bringing him tea, asking how his studies were going, trying to make him smile.
He answered politely. Briefly. Just enough not to seem cruel, but never enough to encourage her.
But sometimes, when she looked at him with those eyes filled with hope and sadness, something in him wavered.
Elisabeth, on the other hand, kept her distance. She spent most of her time managing the duchy's affairs and Stellaris Academy, but he occasionally ran into her in the hallways.
Their exchanges were always brief, cold and professional.
At least she understands. At least she doesn't try to breach these walls.
But he had noticed something — the way her gaze lingered on him when she thought he wasn't looking. An expression he couldn't quite decipher.
Worry? Suspicion? Regret?
He didn't care. Or at least, he told himself he didn't care.
Kaen descended the manor's enormous staircase, his footsteps echoing on the carpet that seemed almost royal.
He ignored the noise, looking instead at the portraits on the walls — former rulers of this once-glorious family, back when their parents were still alive.
Their parents. Not mine. I have to remember that.
He finally reached the end of the hallway, where he saw Solvane waiting for him.
She stood there, elegantly dressed, wearing a slightly forced smile.
She's trying so hard. Why are you trying so hard?
"Are you ready, big brother?" she asked softly.
"As ready as someone without any power going to take a mandatory exam can be," he replied with a sigh.
She rolled her eyes, but he saw the concern behind the gesture.
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm literally magically disabled in a cultivation world, Solvane. I think I have the right to exaggerate."
She tried not to laugh. He remained completely serious.
Distance. Keep your distance.
They crossed the entrance hall, accompanied by two maids carrying their luggage.
Outside the manor, a pair of guards bowed deeply.
A black carriage, drawn by two horses with silver manes, awaited them. The duchy's coat of arms — a star pierced by an arrow — gleamed on the door.
Kaen stopped for a second.
In my previous life, I would have given a kidney to ride in something this luxurious... and now it's just a taxi. Life is strange.
Solvane climbed in first. Kaen followed, sitting across from her.
The carriage started moving smoothly, its wheels crunching slightly against the stone path.
Kaen looked out the window, watching the manor disappear behind layers of ancient forest and a mystical veil of mist.
One month. An entire month of work, research, hope... for nothing.
Not a single gram of aura, not a drop of mana, not even a spark of spirit.
I'm not even a failure — I'm worse.
Solvane noticed his dark expression.
"Big brother..." she murmured, sad and gentle.
He didn't respond immediately. Then, in a carefully controlled voice:
"Don't worry, Solvane. I'm the big brother — I'm not going to burden you with my problems."
Even if part of me wants to. Even if part of me wants to let you in.
But I can't. Because if I do, you'll end up like my uncle. Or worse — you'll end up like in the novel.
She looked at him suspiciously, but didn't respond.
Silence followed for the entire journey until they reached the hotel where they would stay before going to the academy.
Tomorrow, they were to meet the other nobles but their older sister was busy and couldn't join them.
They got out of the carriage and admired the enormous fairy-tale hotel before them.
The hotel was so huge that it could rival the Eiffel Tower in size. The marble that covered every corner of the hotel was proof of its luxury, but it was not normal marble; it was imbued with magic, making it more resistant. And the huge doors—the only times Kaen had seen doors like these were in movies from his former life, when a condemned man walked through them on his way to be executed.
At the entrance, an old butler greeted them. Solvane and Kaen followed him to their respective rooms, then said goodbye to each other.
Kaen sat on his bed, his head heavy.
After an entire month, I thought I could forget what that man told me...
His uncle's killer. That mysterious man who seemed to defy the laws of physics.
"You'll discover one day, perhaps, if you manage to survive today."
Those words still echoed in his mind.
He couldn't forget. He had tried. He had pretended. He had lived in denial for too long.
He even dreamed about it every night — nightmares that haunted him relentlessly.
That bastard... another world, and he still haunts me.
Those words... he had powers. He knew what was going to happen. Is he the one who reincarnated me? Who sent me to this shitty world?
His fists clenched.
If revenge must become my first goal in this world , so be it. But first, I must survive. I must become stronger. Even if I can't cultivate, there must be a way. There's always a way.
The moment that thought crossed his mind...
A window opened before him.
A strange interface appeared, floating in the air as if it didn't belong to this world.
You have awakened the
??? System
First Mission: Kill an Awakening-level beast.Alone.Without assistance.
When he read those words, surprise crossed his face,
Then slowly transformed into a cold, sharp smile.
Finally. Something. Anything. A way to become stronger. A way to survive... No, not to survive but for revenge. That's all that matters.
He stood up from the bed, his eyes gleaming with icy determination.
"Alright, mysterious system. Let's see what you have to offer."
And if I must kill to become stronger...
Then let the hunt begin.