Lucien Vale had already accepted death once.
Lying on a hospital bed, tubes connected to his thin arms, the ceiling lights blurred into pale halos above him. His body was weak—always had been. Cancer had stolen his teenage years, his strength, his future.
The only thing that kept him alive was fiction.
Light novels.
Fantasy worlds.
Heroes who rose from nothing.
His favorite among them all was Eternal Arcanum: Rise of the Human Emperor.
He knew every arc.
Every boss.
Every betrayal.
And every character who died meaninglessly.
Lucien Vale was one of them.
A third-rate villain, a noble's son who lashed out in rage, challenged the protagonist early, and died like trash—used as a stepping stone to show how "cruel the world was."
He hated that character.
Not because he was evil.
But because he was wasted.
Death That Shouldn't Have Happened
The irony was cruel.
Lucien survived cancer.
Then died crossing the street.
A blaring horn.
A flash of headlights.
And weightlessness.
So this is it…
Darkness swallowed him whole.
Warmth.
Air filled his lungs violently, forcing a gasp from his throat.
Lucien's eyes snapped open.
Silk sheets.
A high ceiling carved with arcane symbols.
The smell of incense and old books.
He bolted upright.
"This isn't… a hospital?"
His hands—stronger.
His body—healthy.
No pain. No weakness.
He stumbled toward a mirror.
Silver-black hair.
Sharp crimson eyes.
A noble's face.
The memories crashed into him.
Lucien Vale.
Duke Vale's second son.
Age: 15.
The same Lucien.
The same third-rate villain.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
SYSTEM AWAKENING
A cold, mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
" Awakening Window Detected "
" Age Requirement Met: 16 Approaching "
" Pre-Awakening Status Displayed "
A translucent blue panel unfolded before his eyes.
STATUS WINDOW (PRE-AWAKENING)
Name: Lucien Vale
Race: Human
Rank: F
Titles: None
Affinity: None (Locked)
Strength: F
Agility: F
Endurance: F
Mental Endurance: F
Charm: F
Mana: F
Talent: None (Unawakened)
Physique: Normal Human Physique
Bloodline: Vale Family Bloodline (Dormant)
Sword Style: None
Lucien stared.
Slowly.
Then smiled.
"So this world runs on rankings too…"
He remembered the rules.
In Eternal Arcanum, everyone awakened at age sixteen—
Talent.
Physique.
Affinity.
Bloodline.
Until then?
Everyone was Rank F.
Even the future Human Emperor.
Even monsters in human skin.
Lucien clenched his fist.
"The academy starts in one year…"
Thirty chapters before the academy arc even begins.
Thirty chapters of home life, political tension, noble pressure, and silent preparation.
He remembered the timeline perfectly:
Chapter 75 — First boss (Human)
Chapter 150 — Second boss (Human)
Chapter 300 — Demon King
Chapter 350 — Transcend Path
After that… even the gods moved.
And Lucien?
He was supposed to die before Chapter 40.
Lucien looked out the window of the Duke's estate.
The sky was calm.
Peaceful.
A lie.
"This time… I won't be a stepping stone."
His eyes hardened.
"I'll survive the academy."
"I'll surpass Rank S."
"I'll reach SSS."
"And when the Transcend Path opens…"
A faint smile curved his lips.
"I'll walk it—even if gods try to stop me."
All characters currently Rank F
Awakening occurs at age 16
Academy arc begins at Chapter 30
Lucien has future knowledge but no power yet
System rules established
Fate officially diverging