The phrase meant "four heavens and nine pillars." It was also the name of the organization to which the thirteen strongest beings who ruled over the continent belonged.
Those who never changed through the ages were called the Four Heavens, while those who shifted, rose, or fell from time to time were the Nine Pillars.
And—
His mother's name was Daisy Kaftalen. She was clearly of noble lineage, belonging to the great magic family counted among the Nine Pillars.
No wonder her hair was purple and her eyes were red…
One of the most distinctive traits of the Kaftalen family was their violet hair and crimson eyes.
But what shocked him even more was—
My father's from the Reinhardt clan.
A descendant of the "Northern Sky," the Northern Sword Duke and Grand Duke of Winter, one of the Four Heavens, was living as nothing more than a humble hunter.
How in the world did these two people even meet and end up married?
Normally, marriages between houses of such power would greatly influence the balance of the continent. There was no way the likes of him, in his previous life, wouldn't have known about it.
That was how absolute the might of the Four Heavens and Nine Pillars was, and how delicate the balance they maintained.
Still, there was one thing he could infer from the circumstances and surroundings.
At the very least, they're not living with the support of their families.
For the heirs of two great clans that ruled the continent to be living in a small hut and surviving through hunting—there was no way that made sense.
It was obvious there was some unknown secret or reason behind it.
Perhaps they fled from their families, or even cut ties altogether before marrying.
If that were the case, everything suddenly made sense.
"..."
But truthfully, that didn't matter much right now.
"Aruru, peekaboo! Ruin, come on, say 'Mama.' Don't just keep calling for Papa~."
Perhaps out of some strange competitive spirit, the woman kept trying to get him to say "Mama."
"You've been drinking again, haven't you?"
"Ah, n-no. Brion just insisted we have a drink—just one—"
"I told you to go easy when you're with Brion, didn't I?"
"S-sorry… I won't do it next time, I swear."
The great hunter, head bowed like a scolded child before his wife.
Why he was born to these people, he still had no idea.
But no matter what, I will kill Roben Paterion, the Butcher of the West.
Whether it was fortune, or the heavens granting him a once-in-a-lifetime chance—he didn't know. But this new life he had been given, he would devote entirely to one goal: to take that man's head and achieve his revenge.
Right now, nothing was more important to Ruin than that.
Though…
It is a little disappointing, isn't it? If I was going to be reborn, it would've been better to come back as a true heir of one of those houses…
If he had awakened as the official successor of Kaftalen or the direct bloodline of Reinhardt, his revenge on Paterion would have been so much easier.
But Ruin quickly shook his head.
No, I can't think that way. Just being given another chance at life is the greatest fortune imaginable. And besides…
—Heaven's Perfection (Cheonui Mubong, 天衣無縫).
The ultimate mastery of Ganel the Thousand-Year Sword, hailed as the greatest under heaven.
A man said to have subdued tens of thousands of warriors singlehandedly, standing alone at the peak of the continent, gazing down upon all men and all creation.
And the one insight, the sole legacy, he left behind.
"Alright, you've had a long day. Sleep well, our Ruin."
As his mother Daisy laid him down in his soft feather crib, Ruin closed his eyes without resistance.
It's still within me.
The wondrous fortune he'd gained in his past life as Subject 1872—it was still there.
The soft current he felt pulsing near his heart was unmistakably Heaven's Perfection.
It was said to make everything complete, flawless…
The cultivation method still lingered clearly in his mind.
It grows with the practitioner's comprehension and spirit, molding them into the most perfect body.
Just by breathing, one could grow stronger—an utterly broken ability.
Given enough time, it meant limitless growth.
And then—
Ding!
User access confirmed.
Credentials verified.
Synchronization complete.
Ding-ding!
You have mastered the flawless, pure power that touches the heavens: Heaven's Perfection.
Unique ability Heaven's Perfection has been created.
You have achieved your first milestone.
It qualifies as a "Legend."
As a reward, all effects are doubled.
What?
Before his eyes, several translucent screens appeared, hovering in the air.
What the hell is this?
While he stared, dumbfounded, the floating text continued to change.
The effects of Heaven's Perfection have strengthened your body.
Bonus effect: your body has grown even stronger.
You now possess a body that no child should be able to have.
The effects of Heaven's Perfection have clarified your mind.
Bonus effect: your mind has grown even sharper.
You now possess a clarity of thought impossible for a child.
The effects of Heaven's Perfection have reinforced the link between body and spirit.
Bonus effect: the link has grown even stronger.
You now possess the perfect bond between mind and body.
With body, mind, and spirit united at their peak, a special ability has been created.
Special ability Union of Mind and Body (심신일여, Simshin Ilyeo) has been created.
The effects of Heaven's Perfection have greatly enhanced your comprehension.
Zap!
"Ugh!"
Ruin clutched his forehead as pain seared through him.
Between his brows, a white sphere of energy appeared, then twisted, hollowing out into a ring that spun rapidly.
And then—
BOOM!
"Argh!"
The explosion of force rippled through his tiny body, and Ruin lost consciousness.
Even then, the translucent screens continued to update.
The special ability Union of Mind and Body has altered your physical traits.
Your status has evolved from Normal to Immaculate.
…
How long had he been out?
Creak.
The sound of the door opening, followed by familiar voices.
"Is Ruin still asleep?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down."
"Alright, alright. Don't hit me."
His father, Kavel, and mother, Daisy—an ordinary exchange.
Then—
Thunk!
The door shut again.
Ruin opened his eyes at last, muttering to himself.
"What… just happened?"
He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious, but judging from the darkness outside, it was already late at night.
He sat up, closed his eyes, and examined himself inwardly.
And—
"...!"
A child's body should have had some impurities, though far fewer than an adult's.
But now—
It's completely pure. There isn't a single trace of filth or corruption inside me.
Breathing, eating, living—any of it inevitably brought in unwanted toxins.
But thanks to Heaven's Perfection, his body was flawless, in the truest sense of the word.
And this is only at First Star…
Heaven's Perfection consisted of five stages.
Meaning, five more times he would undergo earth-shaking transformation.
He could hardly imagine what heights he might reach once he achieved completion.
"My revenge… will be that much easier."
His tiny tongue still struggled with pronunciation, but his intent was firm.
"What? Even if I didn't have this, I'd still get by?"
He recalled the sneering voice of Roben Paterion, echoing in his ears at his death.
"Heh. What a joke."
With such an overpowered ability as Heaven's Perfection, how could anyone say it didn't matter?
Smirking to himself, Ruin turned back to the translucent messages still flickering before him.
Union of Mind and Body? That means my body and mind have become one? And… my body's immaculate now?
It was hard to grasp the full meaning just from the names, but he could at least guess.
Still, is this display itself… part of Heaven's Perfection's power?
No matter how much he waved his hands, the screens wouldn't vanish. He tilted his head in puzzlement.
Creak.
"Ruin, are you awake?"
His mother Daisy entered, smiling warmly.
Immediately, Ruin pointed at the messages with his chubby finger.
"Mama, there!"
"Hm?"
Her gaze followed his pointing—but she only smiled softly.
"What are you looking at? Oh, that drawing?"
So she can't see them.
Realization dawned instantly, and Ruin nodded, pretending to agree.
"Uh-huh."
"My, my. Our little Ruin's already interested in pictures? Here, this is one Mama had when she was young…"
And so began Daisy's long, meandering explanation of a painting.
As his patience thinned, a new message appeared.
User's condition has changed.
Please check the Status Window.
"Status window?"
He muttered unconsciously.
And then—
Name: Ruin Reinhardt
True Name: None
Title: None
Traits: Immaculate (Body), Curse of the Sword, Mana Insensitivity (Weakened)
Abilities:
[Unique]
???
Heaven's Perfection (1st Star)
[Special]
Union of Mind and Body (1st Star)
Tap for more details.
An endless stream of information scrolled before his eyes.
And among them—
"What? A curse?!"
"Hm? Ruin, what did you say?"
Startled by his outburst, Daisy tilted her head.
"Uhh… j-just babbling, hehe."
Ruin hurriedly strung together nonsense to cover his slip, making her chuckle.
"What are you saying, my adorable little Ruin?"
While she smiled, Ruin fell into heavy thought.
So that's why I couldn't sense mana… I actually had Mana Insensitivity? And what's this Curse of the Sword?
Annoying, troublesome traits piled up on his window, making his head throb.
He secretly tapped them for details.
Curse of the Sword: All swords reject you. (Maternal inheritance) – Your swordsmanship talent is drastically diminished. However, your magical aptitude is greatly increased. (Gained: Supreme Magical Talent)
Mana Insensitivity: You cannot sense mana. (Paternal inheritance) – You are unable to feel mana, but your swordsmanship talent is drastically increased. (Gained: Supreme Swordsmanship Talent)
Due to your Immaculate Body, this condition has weakened. You can faintly sense mana.
Damn it, both of them inherited?!
The Curse of the Sword was infamous—it was the Kaftalen family's most well-known affliction.
But Mana Insensitivity… that was a rare condition, rendering its bearer unable to sense mana. Famous across the continent as one of the hardest afflictions to live with.
And it just happened to be the Reinhardt inheritance.
I never expected that.
The Reinhardt and Kaftalen families—renowned for producing unmatched geniuses and warriors.
But clearly, even they had their hidden flaws.
Still… it's not all bad, is it?
The saving grace was that his Immaculate Body had already weakened his Mana Insensitivity.
And more importantly—
The Curse of the Sword and Mana Insensitivity actually complement each other.
What's more, with Heaven's Perfection, he was confident he could one day cure both entirely.
After all, the Kaftalens had long since found ways to overcome the Curse of the Sword. And Mana Insensitivity wasn't an incurable disease in the first place.
Instead of whining about the curses, I should be grateful for the talents they've unlocked.
Curses they might be, but they also bestowed upon him unparalleled potential in both magic and swordsmanship.
Having calmed himself, Ruin tilted his head at one last line on the screen.
But what on earth is this "???"?
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T/N:
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