Lucas's POV My head felt like it was drowning… as if I were floating in a sea of fog.
I didn't know how much time had passed, but something was coming back…Pain.
That was the first thing I felt. Not sharp, but heavy.
Then I heard distant footsteps… Slap
.I felt it before I heard it.I opened my eyes. Dim light… a corroded metal ceiling, rust, cobwebs.I tried to move… but my arms wouldn't respond. Something was binding me.I looked down… my feet were tied too. The chair was cold. Hard.
"Where am I..." I saw them after a few seconds.
Two bulky men standing beside a guy who looked in his twenties. His eyes had that irritating gleam… the gleam of either arrogance or madness.
I couldn't tell. He smirked and said,"Welcome back to reality... We have so much to talk about." My throat was dry… my tongue heavy. But my eyes said everything. Fear? Maybe a little.Anger? A lot.But more than anything, I felt—Lost. Who were they? Why was I here? What did they want? The whole scene was blurry… but something deep inside told me this night… would not end easily.
The young man leaned in, hands in his pockets, his face now inches from mine.
He smiled with mockery and said:"Do you know why you're here?"
His voice was too calm… like it was all a game to him.
I didn't answer. My eyes were still searching their faces—for logic, for a reason, for anything to tie this madness to the real world. He circled me, still smirking:"No? No problem… we'll give you time to think. But believe me, Lucas, you're important to us." A cold shiver crept down my neck.Important? Me?The boy ignored by his father, forgotten by his mother, invisible to everyone? Why me? I swallowed, barely, and muttered:"If this is about ransom… I'm worth nothing. No one will care." "Ransom?" he laughed as if it were a joke, then glanced at one of the men behind him. "No, Lucas... what we want isn't money." What do they want from me? And why now?Why... just when I thought I didn't need anyone… does someone show up claiming I'm 'important'? I looked at their faces again.They were empty… yet filled with something I couldn't grasp. What do you want from me? The young man chuckled darkly, then gave me a look of pity masked with rage:"We? We want nothing, Lucas. Don't fool yourself." He stepped forward, gestured to himself and then to the two men behind him:"We're just pawns. Moved, used… discarded when our time runs out." He paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly:"And now... you're one of us." His words were heavy. But I wasn't focused on them. I was focused on something else. Slowly, without them noticing, I was twisting my left wrist, feeling the rope fibers loosen slightly... Slow breathing technique. Show no pain. No tension.Just time.Buy time. I whispered,"You're playing a game you don't understand…" He raised an eyebrow."Oh? And do you?" I smiled. Half a smile—not mocking, but solid with confidence."At least I know when to get out of it." Just then, I felt a slight give in the rope. I didn't move yet. I waited... for the right moment.The guy turned away, speaking to one of his men.Perfect. Suddenly, I jerked my wrist hard—swift, sharp, painful—Snap. The rope broke. My hand was free—then the second. "Shit!" shouted one of the men, but it was too late. I sprang forward like a storm, my face grim, eyes sharp. No thought—just survival.I kicked one of them in the chest—he flew back, crashing into the metal wall, unconscious. The other lunged at me, but a clean punch to the jaw sent him reeling. The air was thick. Sweat dripped from my brow. But I didn't stop.I ran for the iron door— Just as I reached for the handle… He appeared. The young man. Not panting. Not angry.Just… smiling. In a flash, he grabbed my throat, lifted me off the ground, then threw me into metal crates. "Think you're in an action movie?" he said, walking toward me, calm steps."You're nothing. Just a possibility in a bigger game," he added, madness glinting in his eyes. What nonsense is he talking about? I don't care. I'm getting out. I tried to rise—But a kick to my stomach slammed me down. Then a slap smashed my head into the floor. He grabbed my hair, dragging me across the ground. "You know?" he whispered in my ear,"I was like you. Rebellious. Stubborn. Thought the world would kneel for me…But it crushed me. Just like it'll crush you." Then he flung me again—my back slammed into the wall. I collapsed, broken. My body was done. Every part hurt. Blood dripped from my forehead, my vision blurred, my heart racing… But I was still conscious enough to hear his footsteps drawing closer. He crouched down, his twisted smile back, and whispered: "Good luck on your next journey…Because you'll need it.Hahaha!" His laugh wasn't real—it was death's whistle. Or madness wearing a human mask. He stood, pulled a black pistol from under his coat. His face was momentarily serious—but the madness still burned in his eyes. "Oh, right… I forgot to introduce myself." He tilted his head, like talking to an old friend: "My name is Damian.Remember that name… if you want to survive." Then without hesitation— He pointed the gun at Lucas's forehead. Silence fell. Boom. Lucas died. Luka POV Is this your life, Lucas...?Or… will it become our life? How similar we are. Heh.The words echoed in the void, in a voice with no body—just a drifting awareness. Luca floated above the corpse, watching from above. The lifeless body… the blood… the cold factory floor.Everything seemed far away, like a nightmare with no end. He wasn't scared. Just… heavy. Then suddenly, he was pulled—as if an invisible hand yanked him away. Falling.Into a place so dark... It wasn't just the absence of light—it was as if light never existed.No ground. No sky. No direction.Just him. And there, Lucas stared into the void. Lucas's POV So... I really died. That's fine. I have nothing to regret. Is this the afterlife? Just endless empty darkness? I told myself that—until I heard a sudden sound. Ding. What the hell is that noise? A transparent screen appeared in front of me: ---- Loading Destiny System ---- 1% I didn't know how long passed… here, there was no sense of time.No feeling. No smell. No sound.Nothing. Just darkness… and that slow-moving screen. And during that time, I began to see flashes of memories… not mine. At first, I thought I was going insane. But gradually… I started to recognize them. They were memories of a character from a game I used to play with Mark… An RPG set in a world of noble families, politics, wars… all that. But this game was different. The characters were deep. The side stories often more powerful than the main plot. The best part? You could play as any character. But there was always one "main" hero: Eden. And now… I was seeing the memories of Luca de Verg. That bastard. The character I hated more than any other. At the start, if you messed with him, his grandfather—one of the game's strongest characters—would kill you. If you let him live… he'd become a nightmare. He gets kidnapped, experimented on, and turned into a weapon for the enemy. And in the end… he's the reason the main heroine dies—his maid and the former heir to the Hydrin family, one of the great northern houses. I saw him as foolish. Annoying. A dramatic obstacle… …Until I gained his memories. Lucas's POV I don't know how long passed. All I saw was that screen, slowly reaching— ----------------100%---------------- Destiny System Loaded. You have died… but you have another chance. Do you want to merge? Your memories and soul fragments will be merged with Luca de Verg. [Yes / No] I stared at the screen. [No] I pressed it without hesitation. I didn't want anything. No second chance. Just… peace. But the screen didn't disappear. Are you sure?[Yes] I pressed again, stubbornly, and said: "Screw you… this is my life. I just want to rest." But the response wasn't what I expected. Error.Rejection not allowed As punishment, you will remain in this void until you accept. It felt like the air disappeared.I sighed, looked at the endless void, and started walking... No goal. No direction.Just endless footsteps in the nothing. Time passed… hours? Days? Months? Nothing changed. The same silence. The same darkness. Until… Ding. The screen appeared again. But this time, it didn't ask a question. It showed a scene. A sunset bathed the sky in a pale orange. The wind whispered through the trees, brushing the leaves as if speaking to sleeping souls. A girl stood by a grave. Her face soft, mature—still carrying traces of the child she once was. It was Mia. In one hand, she held white flowers. In the other, a small child… with dark brown hair and bright eyes that resembled only one person. Behind her stood Mark, his hand gently on her shoulder. Mia knelt, placed the flowers, smiled softly, and said— Mia paused, then took a deep breath and continued: "It's been ten years... ten years since you left." She looked at the gravestone and gently brushed her hand across it. "I've grown up. I'm not the little girl who used to hide behind you anymore." She smiled, her eyes shimmering: "I achieved my dream, Lucas. I became a lawyer, just like I always told you I would." Then she looked at the child in her arms and said: "And this... this is Lucas. We named him after you. You know, he's a lot like you—stubborn, clever, and always defending the weak." She laughed a little as she looked at him: "Sometimes I feel like you came back to us through him." Mark stepped forward and sat beside her, placing his hand over hers. "Mark opened a small restaurant. Not fancy, but full of love." She looked back at the grave, tears gathering in her eyes: "Mark and I... we fell in love and got married." Then, in a trembling voice, she whispered: "You'd laugh if you saw how he confessed to me." She chuckled, then silence returned for a moment. "I hope... I really hope you've found peace, Lucas." She placed her hand gently on the gravestone and said: "We never forgot you. And we never will." They stood quietly and began to walk away. But Mia turned back for one last glance and smiled. "Goodbye, brother... I'll see you in my dreams." Lucas smiled.A smile that didn't carry pain this time, but pure warmth… and sincerity. "So… you became a lawyer, Mia,"he said, feeling something bloom in his chest. Then he chuckled softly: "And that idiot really confessed to you…? My god, how did he even do it?" He shook his head, whispering to himself: "I'm truly happy for you, Mia… happier than I've been in a long, long time." He didn't know how long passed—the time here wasn't counted by minutes or hours, but by the heartbeats passing through his soul. Then suddenly— The scene changed again. This time, it wasn't peaceful. It opened to a new vision. But it wasn't blurry… It was crystal clear. And painful. He saw his father standing there, in front of a simple grave that bore his name: "Lucas Alaric." The man approached, hands in his pockets, his face pale, as if exhaustion had carved extra years into his features. "Hello, Lucas…"he said with a broken voice, but there was a faint warmth in it. Very faint. Then he gave a sad, sarcastic smile: "I know… you probably don't want to see me." He paused, sighed, and continued—his voice mixing confession with regret: "I came to say… I'm sorry.Sorry for everything I did to you. And to Mia.Sorry I wasn't the father you needed.When you were gone… I finally woke up." He placed his hand gently on the gravestone, as if patting a shoulder that no longer existed. "I got remarried.She helped me see the truth…Helped me realize how far I'd fallen.How blind I was." Then he smiled, tears glistening in his eyes: "Oh, and Mia… Mia became a lawyer.I'm proud of her. So proud.She visits me every week…We have dinner together every Saturday night." He fell silent for a while, then whispered: "I wish you were with us, my son…" "And I'm proud of you, too, son," he finally said—the words Lucas had always wanted to hear when he was alive.Chapter 5: The Fusion Lucas's Perspective I stood there... or rather, I hung between an incomplete death and a voice that couldn't be heard. I saw him. My father.Standing by my grave, his eyes heavy with exhaustion, and his voice... broken for the first time:"I'm proud of you, my son." The image of the frozen man I knew shattered like glass.Time, air, and I—all froze in that moment. A burning rage exploded within me. A wave of anguish clawed its way from my chest to my throat: "Why? Why didn't you tell me this before I died?" My words dissolved into nothingness. Nobody heard them.Then I whispered with sorrow: "Why now? When I've become nothing but a name carved into cold stone?Where were you when I needed you... to look at me? To smile at me? To say anything—even one word?" I stepped toward him... the distance was minimal... yet uncrossable. "When I burned from the inside, when I begged for a look of pride... where were you?" My father remained silent for a moment before finally saying in a low, broken voice: "I'm sorry... sorry I wasn't the father you needed." I took a deep breath and stared at him in a deadly silence. Something in me shattered—or perhaps... was freed. I lifted my head calmly and spoke once more: "Goodbye, Father... you were too late." The moment I spoke, something inside me receded—the anger, the pain, the yearning... began to dissolve. The emptiness around me remained silent, but only for a heartbeat.A familiar mechanical voice pierced the void, this time with a unsettling intimacy: "Hello... where are you?" I shut my eyes and murmured angrily: "I know what you want, System..." I took a step in the darkness, as though confronting an unseen presence: "You want me to give up my world... to forget all I have been, all I lived, all I was... to turn into someone else." A hollow laugh escaped: "Fine... let me be blunt... I succeeded." My voice firm: "Yes... I abandoned myself... Lucas Aldric... the boy who died in a rusted factory on the city's edge—a place that never cared if he existed." I stared into the colorless sky: "I will merge the souls—or whatever madness you cook behind your screen...But I will do it on my terms." I whisper with resolve: "I won't be just 'Luca de Verg.' Or another pawn in your game...I'll become something new... something you never saw coming." I raised my arms to embrace the screen as it reappeared: csharp [Soul Fusion in Progress...] [Initializing...] In that instant, I was no longer just 'Lucas.'Nor had I fully become 'LuKa' yet.I was both... more than both, born from us together. "I AM LUCA" Then the screen lit up again: [ Logging in...] ... [Login Successful] [Current Host: Luca de Verg] I snapped sharply: "First, what is your goal? What do you want?" [SYSTEM OBJECTIVE: Guarantee Host Survival. To rewrite fate, you must confront it.] System Overview: A series of destiny missions tied to the Host's life. Completing them awards Fate Points. Fate Points are used to: • Upgrade the body • Unlock new skills • Influence key decisions • Avoid dark endings Mission 1: [ Survival – 10 Years] [ Remaining: 10 Years] [ Host's original survival rate:] <0.3% Fusion Complete Fate System Activated Shared Consciousness Expecting temporary personality instability [STATS] • STR: 16 • SPD: 12 • END: 18 • INT: 11 • PER: 5 • CHA: 8 • MANA: 0 • MAN A.CTRL: 0 • PSY STAB: 3 [Bloodline] De Verg – Purity SS (Dormant) I stared at the stats and smiled: "Good... solid numbers for someone not yet Awakened.With this, I could take down a newly Awakened person with ease." It wasn't empty boasting. The screen didn't lie—I'd exceeded human limits before Awakening.Impossible… except the System made it possible.To "Europa," I wasn't an exception... I was a glitch, to be exploited or eradicated. [Transferring Host: Luca de Verg...] I whispered, breathing deeply: "Finally... I can leave this damned darkness behind." "Finally..." muttered Luka—or perhaps Lucas—as a faint, genuine smile crept across his lips for the first time in a long while."Finally, I'm leaving this damn darkness." But before the smile could fully bloom, he felt something—A force, immense and undeniable, pulling him from the depths of the void. The darkness around him began to crack.To fracture.To shatter like glass under pressure. And then—Light. Blinding. Sharp. Painful. A faint cry escaped his lips as he opened his eyes wide.He was lying on a velvet bed, cushioned by deep, dark silk pillows. Above him, the ceiling was adorned with golden patterns.The walls were lined with aristocratic paintings and ornate décor. The room was... luxurious. He slowly sat up, pressing a hand to his forehead.The new memories were still clawing their way into his skull, carving new paths through old thoughts. He rose and stepped toward the mirror. And there—reflected back at him—was the face of a fifteen-year-old boy. Jet-black hair.Eyes of deep, intense blue. A gaze filled with defiance, pain…and something else—something he couldn't name. A soft knock echoed through the room. "Master Luca, your meeting with the Family Council is in thirty minutes." The voice was calm, formal... yet held a hidden warmth. The door creaked open. [Survive the Next Ten Years]Objective: The host must survive without being killed, kidnapped, or turned into a tool.Reward: One wish granted.Penalty: Death / System Reset. Luka read the message on the screen silently.Then, with a faint, almost amused smile, he muttered: "Alright... let's play your little game." And she entered—Reina. A girl of sixteen or seventeen stood with quiet grace, as if she'd been raised among royalty.Her silky golden hair flowed down to the middle of her back, catching the morning light and gleaming like threads of pure gold.Her eyes, deep brown, carried a glint of stubborn wit and subtle empathy. She stood with confidence, her posture flawless, and her gaze sharp—yet gentle. There was no doubt... this girl wasn't a simple maid.She was something far more. In the game, Reina had been one of the hidden heroines.Her side story? Tied to a pivotal moment in Luca's past. "Good morning, Master Luca," she said with a graceful bow. Luca didn't answer immediately. He stared at her—into her features—his mind racing through overlapping memories of past lives and pixelated cutscenes. Finally, he smiled. A real smile. "Good morning… Reina." She blinked, visibly surprised. How long had it been since she last saw that smile? "Master… you're late. Lord Ragnar is already waiting." She spoke with gentle rebuke but suddenly paused. Her eyes locked on his. His eyes… Before, one had been blue and the other brown.But now… both were an intense, glacial blue. "How…?" She stepped closer with hesitation. "Did you put on contact lenses?" she asked, her curiosity cautious but genuine. Luca paused, then replied with mild indifference: "Yes." He wasn't in the mood to explain the complexities of soul fusion and cosmic systems. "No worries," he added. "I'll be there in five minutes." He glanced up at the ornate ceiling, sighed deeply, and asked inwardly: "System… how long was I gone from this world?" The response came instantly, in that same mechanical, emotionless tone: [Host's absence: One hour and three minutes.] Luca blinked. "One hour?" A faint smirk played at the corner of his lips. "All that darkness… those memories… everything I went through… in just one hour?" He tilted his head slightly and whispered: "What a strange world…" Suddenly, a quiet voice called from beyond the door: "Master Luca… if you don't come out now, I'll come in myself." Luca chuckled under his breath. "All right, all right… I'm coming." He stepped out, his boots clicking softly against polished marble floors as he walked through the grand halls of the de Verg estate. Golden chandeliers shimmered above, and the walls were lined with antique weapons and paintings of ancestors with sharp eyes and sharper legacies. But Luca paid no mind. His thoughts raced. How will I grow stronger?What must I do next?And more importantly…How do I avoid the Academy at all costs? That place…The Academy, where the elite and the awakened are trained.Where the so-called "Hero's Party" would soon form. If I enter the Academy... I won't leave it alive. It wasn't fear.It was certainty.Fate, written by someone else's hand… and he had no intention of following that script. But therein lay the problem. All noble heirs were required by law to attend the Academy. No exceptions.No escape. And as the heir of House de Verg, his name was already etched into the incoming class. Sure, he could renounce the title.Give up his birthright.Live in the shadows, unnoticed. But the cost? He would lose the protection of the strongest man he knew. As these thoughts consumed him, he suddenly found himself standing on the palace balcony—one that overlooked vast gardens stretching to the horizon. And there...A man stood. Broad-shouldered. Still as stone.He looked like a general plucked straight from a battlefield. His posture was perfect, back unbowed. Not even time dared weigh him down. His hair was dark, save for the silver streaks at his temples.A short beard framed his sharp jawline.His eyes—cold, deep, black—held the weight of countless wars. They weren't eyes you could look into for long. They weren't eyes many dared to meet. And yet... they were familiar. The man didn't turn, but his voice carried across the balcony: "So. You've come." Luca froze. That voice… That presence… He whispered under his breath: "Ragnar de Verg…" The head of the family.His grandfather.A living legend. Ragnar de Verg…The name alone could silence a room.But for Luca, it was more than just a name. It was blood. It was history. It was the weight of a legacy he didn't ask for. Ragnar was one of the few people in the world whom no one dared challenge directly.A man ranked SSS-, one of the top ten powerholders on the continent.And the youngest to ever reach that rank — at just 53 years old.They called him , The Iron Wolf, The Sword Without Mercy. But to Luca... He was simply "Grandfather." Luca's voice trembled faintly as he repeated the name again—this time in his heart. "Ragnar de Verg…" In the eyes of the world, he was a cold and ruthless commander. But Luca knew better. He was the only one who ever truly cared. When Luca—back in the timeline of the game—had stormed and destroyed the main facility of Europa, the secretive, brutal organization… no one had dared lay a finger on him afterward. Not even Europa's own leader. And when Luca mysteriously disappeared soon after… It was Ragnar who had ordered the entire Academy shut down for fifteen days. No one dared question it. Because everyone knew:The one who vanished…Was his grandson. Ragnar didn't speak at first.He just stared out at the horizon, arms behind his back. His presence was heavy—like a mountain that had seen a thousand winters. Luca stood still, not out of fear…But respect. He knew what the man beside him had sacrificed. Both of Ragnar's sons were gone. The first—Luca's uncle—assassinated under mysterious circumstances still unsolved to this day.The second—Luca's father—slain on the battlefield during the Northern War, body never recovered. And so… Luca was all that remained.The last carrier of the de Verg bloodline. "The last wolf of a fading pack…" he muttered in his mind. Ragnar finally spoke, voice deep, calm, yet carrying a buried storm: "You've changed." Luca blinked. No greeting. No questions. Just… that. And somehow, it was enough. "A lot has changed," Luca answered. His voice was steadier than he expected. Ragnar turned his head, just slightly.His sharp eyes scanned Luca from head to toe.And then—briefly—paused on his eyes. The two matching blues. He said nothing. But a flicker of thought passed behind those dark irises. Recognition? Suspicion? Approval? Luca couldn't tell. Then, Ragnar spoke again—this time, with unmistakable weight: "Whatever you've become… remember this: You carry my name. Don't tarnish it." His words weren't a threat. They were a bond. A reminder. And perhaps… the only form of love Ragnar knew how to give. Luca stood frozen for a moment, feeling the wind brush through his dark hair.His heart beat steadily—but inside, emotions tangled like wild vines. So much had changed.And yet… "I'm still… me," he whispered."But I'm no longer just Luka… and I'm not only Lucas either." He clenched his fist tightly. "I am what neither of you could become alone." He took a breath and stepped forward.