Chapter 1 1

Chapter 1

The gentle sunlight filtered softly through the windows of the 50-square-meter room, piercing the ornate curtains and caressing the face of the young man lying on the white bed. His eyelids trembled, and he turned slowly in his sleep. He pulled the white blanket over himself, mumbled incoherent words, and tried to fall back asleep. But suddenly, he opened his eyes, his pupils widening in sheer shock. He sprang from the bed, his eyes darting around the room in disbelief.

He immediately raised his hand to his face, feeling his smooth skin. His eyes widened further, his trembling hand tracing his features—examining his mouth, cheeks, and nose—but he did not find what he had expected. He lowered his hand slowly and whispered in a raspy voice, "I didn't die?"

His memories were still vivid; only seconds ago, an ordinary soldier with a dirty face and yellow teeth had driven his spear into his face. He felt the warmth of the blood and the sharp pain piercing his being. His face twisted in pain as he relived those cruel memories. He slowly placed his hand on his chest, gripping the edge of his white shirt and the pendant hanging from it. He whispered to himself in a faint tone, "This thing saved my life."

He still found it hard to believe, but he felt the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze filtering through the window, caressing his skin. He felt the air filling his lungs with every breath and the blood pulsing in his veins. Everything felt real, but death is not something easily surpassed. It wasn't easy for him to regain full consciousness; he stood there for a moment, looking around in a daze. When he saw the large wooden wardrobe to the left of the room, he remembered the desk next to it, the old painting hung a few centimeters away, and the usual green wall color. Even the lavender scent in the room was exactly as it was in his memories.

It was hard to believe, but easy to accept. He slowly threw the white blanket off his body. He was wearing a thin white shirt and light pajama pants; his clothes were no different from what he wore every night before sleep in his youth. He put his hand to his head; it throbbed slightly, so he gently wiped his forehead. The memories didn't overwhelm him all at once; he felt dizzy as if drunk, so he began to piece everything together slowly. He whispered, "I didn't die, and I'm sixteen years old again."

He knew he was sixteen because the exhilaration he felt was rooted in the grand birthday celebration held the day before in the clan. His father, Henry, had gifted him the old pendant the previous day. The Fei Clan had found this pendant during an army expedition; it was discovered in a cave in the Magic Mountains, an area located northwest of the Fei Clan, right next to Lake Vito. Every year, the Fei Clan made it a habit to kill magical creatures in the Magic Mountains before winter, to reduce their numbers and ensure the safety of the towns located on the shores of Lake Vito during the winter season. Each year, some ancient caves were discovered in the mountains; sometimes great treasures were found, and other times the army returned empty-handed. This year, they had seized a much larger quantity of treasures compared to previous years.

Nicholas had carried this pendant for years; it was the last memento left from his father. He never imagined it would save his life one day and grant him a second chance. He clenched his hands firmly as he rose from his bed, and his memories flowed as he contemplated his life. He was the son of the Fei Clan leader, a genius the clan had never seen before, incredibly talented. He learned quickly and applied what he learned, but he was negligent, sarcastic, and lazy. Despite being born into the Fei Clan, he didn't value it. His life, which began at the peak, turned upside down with the death of his parents. The new leader of the Fei Clan expelled him from the clan despite the objections of his aunts, but that was not a sufficient lesson. He began working as an apprentice to an alchemist his eldest aunt, Leila, knew, but even after four years of work, and after he had learned everything, the great alchemist Iter fired him due to his negligence.

This time, his youngest aunt, Marisa, helped him, and he trained as a spy alongside Mia, who worked for the Fei Clan and was considered the best intelligence officer on the continent. His spy training lasted two years; he spent a year collecting intelligence before being sent on spy missions, but his negligence completely ruined a project that had been underway for many years. Mia had to remove him. At twenty-two, he found himself alone again, but this time, Alex, the leader of the Fei knight army, helped him. After two years of grueling military training, he began leading an elite knight unit as the Grand Saint of the Fei knight army. The result was catastrophic again; he failed to send a vanguard while crossing enemy territory, lost his entire elite unit in an ambush, and survived by a miracle.

Between the ages of twenty-four and twenty-five, he wandered the mountains, and this time, he was accompanied by the Sword Knight Alvaro, his father's close friend, from whom he received three years of fencing training. After his training ended, he and Alvaro were on their way to the Magic Mountains to kill a newly discovered Master-level magical creature, but while walking, he almost fell off a cliff because he didn't pay attention to his steps. The Sword Knight Alvaro rushed to save him and pull him back, but he himself fell off the cliff and met his death.

At twenty-eight, he found himself alone again. Bad luck and negligence became the nightmare of his life. He left the Fei Clan's territory and set off on a journey, during which he had countless adventures over two years. Although what he learned helped him survive, it didn't guarantee him a prosperous life. At thirty, he joined the army of Olivia, the Goddess of War, and fought as a captain leading a thousand soldiers in the war against the Holy Empire. He died at the age of forty-nine, and he was one of the oldest officers in the army, but he still held the rank of captain.

His life, which started at the peak, ended suddenly. Bad luck, negligence, and procrastination turned his life into hell. Despite being a leader for 19 years, the fear caused by his past prevented him from taking any bold steps, so he was never promoted. He was born as Nicholas Fei, but he died simply as Nicholas.

He vowed to do his best to seize this opportunity. "I know everything that will happen in the next thirty-three years. The new spells that will be discovered, the new treasures that will be unearthed, the wars that will be fought, and everything else. I have everything I need to make the most of this opportunity!" Nicholas said, clenching his fist with determination and resolve. His green eyes shone with determination and self-confidence. He was an alchemist, a spy, and a great saint who fought alongside the elite. When he died, he was a knight who had reached the Master rank.

He knew the path ahead, aware of its dangers. He was destined to rise to higher ranks in life. Over nineteen years, he fought countless battles and killed countless men; perhaps as a brave officer, he didn't expose his soldiers to dangerous situations, but he didn't lose a single unit in any battle. He employed everything he learned in the elite unit to train his soldiers, and now everything was in his hands.

Nicholas suddenly jumped from his bed and headed to his wardrobe. He put on the thick white shirt and leather pants he found there. After putting on his long green robe and black leather boots, he left the room. After years of not seeing his family, his top priority was to see them, then without wasting any time, he would start improving himself. Even though he wasn't yet sixteen, he was far behind his peers; because he had neglected his education for years, he hadn't yet reached the rank of Saint.

He walked down the wide stone hallway until he reached the door at the end. Two guards stood at the door, bowing and wielding their long spears, and they stood at attention when they saw Nicholas. Nicholas nodded quickly in a military salute, then grabbed the metal door handle and pushed it. As soon as the door opened, the scent of food reached him, but he ignored it and looked at the large table in the middle of the hall.

Henry sat at the head of the rectangular table, his face covered with many scars, his hair receding, and his green eyes staring sternly. To his right was his mother, Akira, with her long dark hair reaching her waist, her slender face, and her noble appearance. She was wearing her usual white robe, with blue fabric hanging over her sleeves, and the Water Witch's crown on her head, along with her graceful figure, which made her look as wonderful as ever. Directly opposite her sat Alvaro, the Sword Saint and close friend of clan leader Henry. Nicholas felt embarrassed to see him. Next to Akira sat her sister, Leila, wearing her usual red dress as a Fire Witch. Her appearance was almost identical to her older sister Akira's; next to her was young Marisa, about twenty-five years old. Her steel armor covered her shoulders; she wore a tight leather blouse with a V-neck and red leather pants. Her tight dress revealed all her curves; she was as charming as ever.

Nicholas's eyes trembled as he looked at his family. He stood there in front of the door, watching them. He tried hard not to cry; seeing his family again after years of suffering and loneliness was incomparable to anything else. He wanted to hug each one of them individually, but he restrained himself because he didn't usually do that.

At that moment, Akira was the first to speak, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Nicholas looked at his mother's face; her eyes were as calm as ever. Akira's gaze had always been sad since he had known her. He said with a smile: "Nothing, I just love this view."

His voice was sad, but despite his attempt to hide it with a smile, everyone at the table knew him. Henry shifted his gaze to Nicholas, who was sitting next to Alvaro, and asked him in a concerned tone: "You look different today." Nicholas smiled and nodded in agreement, then said quickly: "Yes, I made some decisions last night." Everyone at the table was surprised, especially Henry, whose eyes widened. He stared with his green eyes at Nicholas, raising his eyebrows.

He asked: "Some decisions?"

Nicholas said: "Yes, I have been very lazy and negligent until now, but I will change myself from now on." If he changed his behavior without explanation, his family might suspect him. Although the situation had reached a stage they didn't expect, Nicholas didn't want to face many problems in the future.

Contrary to expectations, neither Henry nor his mother Akira was the first to react; it was his aunt Marisa, the Spear Saint, who sat on the other side of the table, smiling sarcastically. She said: "I saw him drinking wine secretly last night. I think he is still drunk!" then she chuckled. Hope quickly faded from Henry's eyes, and even Akira frowned. Alvaro and Leila sighed in disappointment.

Henry said sharply: "I knew something was going on! You and work, you are complete opposites!" Akira fixed her sharp gaze on Nicholas.

She said: "As a mother, I regret saying this, but I am not surprised." It was clear from her first sentence that no one at the table trusted Nicholas.