Alex stood before the mirror, studying his reflection.
Long, silken white hair cascaded past his shoulders. His silver eyes, sharp and piercing, mirrored the world like glass. He smirked.
At least I'm handsome now.
Alex Starborn was a lady-killer, no doubt about it—the type who could turn heads with a glance. Let's not talk about that.
But that was then.
This time, he would do anything to survive. Most importantly he has his system.He will use it to survive in this hellish world.
After freshening up, Alex stood by the window, gazing out at the vast Starborn estate.
The morning sun bathed the land in gold. Countless training fields, lush gardens, and towering marble structures stretched as far as the eye could see. A home befitting one of the Four Great Families.
And yet...
This world is extremely dangerous .
Alex had only read the first 100 Chapters of the novel before he died. But what did he know? It hooked him immediately.
A world governed by mana. Shaped by monsters, dungeons, and war.
Centuries ago, gates appeared across the world, spilling forth creatures of nightmares—goblins, orcs, dire wolves, dragons, undead. Every horror imaginable.
But the gates bought something else, too.
Mana.
A mysterious energy that awakened human potential, granting them supernatural abilities.
With this power, humanity fought back. But they weren't the only ones who changed. Mana also led to the rise of other races—elves, dwarves, beastmen, and demons.
Rather than uniting, these races divided the world, each claiming their own continents. An uneasy peace followed.
Except with the demons.
They were the real enemy. They loved war. They loved chaos.
And so, the other races banded together, creating an academy to train their most promising talents. A place where all races coexisted.
The same academy where john —the protagonist would attend.
...
The power progression in this world was straightforward.
At twelve years old, every child awakened their innate talent, graded from F-rank to SSS-rank.
F-rank? Utterly useless.
SSS-rank? A god among humans.
After awakening, they were officially recognized by the Universal system —a mysterious system governing strength and recognition. It recorded every action, every achievement, and if you did something truly remarkable—whether heroic or villainous—it rewarded you with an achievement title.
And titles weren't just for show.
They granted real power.
The rarer and more powerful your titles, the stronger you become. Because in this world, power wasn't just about talent.
It was about the soul. And only by gaining achievements and titles can your soul be elevated.
When your soul reaches a certain threshold, the Universal system would grant you a choice.
The best example? Force.
To reach A-rank, one had to awaken their Force—the manifestation of an individual's presence and energy. This could be achieved through years of rigorous training or by accumulating enough achievement titles. Because once your soul reached a certain threshold, the Universal system would present you with a selection of Forces based on your achievements and the path you had forged. Needless to say, the more powerful and unique your path, the more absurd the options.
The same principle applied to S-rank, but instead of Force, one awakened their domain —a deep, personal understanding of a specific concept so profound that it can influence reality itself.
As for SS-rank and beyond...
Alex had no idea.
He never read that far.
But one thing was clear—power could be earned.
If you were smart, bold, and insane enough, you could force the Universal system to acknowledge you.
And that was the loophole he intended to exploit.
Because unlike everyone else…
He had a system. And a unique one at that.
Just as he was about to plan his next move—
Knock. Knock.
"Young Master, may I enter?"
A familiar voice.
Noah turned to the door. "Yes."
The middle-aged maid from stepped inside, her posture stiff, eyes downcast.
Alex immediately understood why.
His predecessor had been a spoiled brat, tormenting the servants because he knew his father would never punish him.
Now?
They were terrified of him.
Annoying.
He sighed. "Do you need something?"
The maid flinched at his tone before stammering, "T-The Family Head is waiting for you in the dining room."
Alex nodded. "Guide me."
The maid froze. "...What?"
He frowned. "Do I have to repeat myself?"
"Ah! N-No, Young Master! Right away!" She practically fled into the hallway, trembling.
Alex followed, sighing internally. I feel bad for her... but I have no idea where the hell the dining room is.
If only he had inherited his predecessor's memories.
⸻
The dining hall was vast yet eerily empty.
A long mahogany table stretched across the room, but only two chairs sat at either end.
It made sense.
The Starborn family consisted of just two people.
Noah and his Father.
And his mother?
Unknown.
Not that it mattered.
"Greetings , Father."
Seated at the head of the table was a middle aged man with an impulsive Aura.
Alexander Starborn.
One of the strongest men in the Empire of Eden, One of the rulers of the human domain.
A terrifying existence.
he smiled, "Ah, you are here. Are you feeling well now? I heard you were ill this morning. Did something happen?"
Alex hesitated.
"Nothing Father.I just felt unwell this morning.But it's all good now"I said with a smile.
Alex's father paused for a moment, then said, "Listen, son. You don't need to stress too much about the awakening ceremony. Even if you only awaken a C or B Rank talent, that's more than enough. I have an affinity crystal—it can enhance your talent. With it, we can raise your rank to S without a problem."
Affinity crystal.
That's really rare. Even the royal family don't have many of them. An affinity crystal can enhance and evolve a person's existing elemental affinity.That's why it is very important for Human race.
'Does he think I'm going to commit suicide or something if I don't get a high-level affinity during the awakening ceremony?'
"Father, you don't have to worry about it. I am really ok now. I am not worrying about the awakening ceremony,"I said.
After some time we began to eat. It was my first time eating with someone. It was not really easy. After some time it was the time I should tell him.
"Father, I want to go to the lightheart family for a visit," I said.
"Hmm, Why? We don't have any relatives there" he said with a puzzled tone.
"No, Father, I just want to meet my friend I met in the past." I said.
"You made a friend in the Lightheart family?" he said, clearly doubting my words.
"Ok, I will not peek into your metters. You can go but you have to take Erick with you. He is an S rank Knight. He will be your protector." Alexander Starborn said.
"Thank you, Father," I said with a small smile.
Alex went back to his room.
'John we will be meeting tomorrow. I hope you are ready'
The night passed.
...….
The Next Day
I woke up and got out of bed. When I opened the window, a howling wind swept in from the east.
"What a nice day it is?"
Knock Knock
"Who"
"Young master, a Knight came to meet you" A voice came from behind the door.
"Let him come"
After a moment a Knight With silver armor came and vowed.
"Young master, I will be your escort for today's journey by the order of the family head.And we will be leaving when you are ready."
"Okay" I said with a small nod.
After five minutes. We were before the carriage.
"So, Let's go to the lightheart Family"
"Yes Young master"
—--------------End----------------