For 500 years, the Imperial Palace of the Valerius Empire had endured.
Grey granite walls, scarred by rift fires, were patched with mismatched stone. Towers curved to deflect mana surges, and stained glass windows were replaced with reinforced panels etched in abstract patterns—faint echoes of old royal portraits visible only to a careful eye.
The great hall had become a command center. Ancient carvings glowed beneath fiber-optic strands, medieval banners rested in display cases, and digital flags streamed across massive screens. The oak throne was gone, replaced by a circular station where the emperor could watch the empire unfold in real time.
Outside, terraces stretched across the grounds: a robotic-tended rose garden, a lab for rift energy, and a landing pad for transport ships—modern heirs to horse-drawn carriages
All these changes were thanks to Fedor Aleksandr Sokolov, who used his power to travel to other dimensions and adapt their knowledge to the Empire, making Valerius the most advanced empire on the continent.
....
The office of Emperor Viktor Sokolov was quiet save for the scratch of pen on paper, soft discussion among his aides, and the distant hum of the palace's mana-powered lights. At 53, the weight of the crown showed on his face—lines etched deep around his eyes, silver streaking through his dark hair from years of serving his people.
A soft knock broke the silence.
"Enter," he called, not lifting his gaze from his documents.
The door swung open to reveal Prime Minister Henituse, her white hair pulled back in a tight bun, a tablet steady in her hands. Selena Henituse was a former A-rank Esper from the Clarkston Guild; since the Sokolov dynasty took power, her family had served them for generations.
"Your Majesty," she said, bowing deeply. "Prince Avgust will enter the red rift at Aqua Beach on Monday."
"I see," Viktor replied, setting down his pen and leaning back in his chair. "Any changes in the rift's status?"
"Nothing significant—though mana consistency is slightly stronger than a normal red rift, so it will need to be sealed once it expires."
The emperor nodded, then paused. "How about the crown prince's training? Any improvement?"
Henituse opened her tablet, swiped across the screen, and placed it on the desk so he could see. "This is His Highness Prince Alphonse's latest mana training session. He has just leveled up to 20, and his trainer says A-rank is within reach."
Espers can raise their rank by leveling up to 25. Two methods exist: first, completing system-given missions- each grants 30 EXP, though missions are difficult and require entering rifts, with higher-grade rifts yielding more EXP. The second method is absorbing energy stones (as espers did in medieval times) and training continuously. While safe and straightforward, energy stones cost one hundred million lucre (or 1,709,080 dollars) each which unaffordable for most, and the progress is slow.
Viktor tapped his desk as he watched his son train. Despite Henituse's positive report, he was unsatisfied—his fourth son, Avgust Sokolov, had reached S+ rank at just 19 years old, while Alphonse was 27 and still not A-rank.
"Should I let him lead an expedition?" he mumbled.
Selena shook her head firmly. "It might speed his progress, but it's far too dangerous—especially with rifts growing more unpredictable by the day."
Viktor fell silent, sighing as he stood and walked to a sword hanging on the wall. He stared at it intently.
Forged from the bone of an S-rank golden dragon, with a hilt made from its hide, the blade had been heated in the beast's own extracted flames. Its most striking feature was the flame symbol engraved in the hilt's center—glowing orange, blue, and purple in turn.
"If only Avgust hadn't turned down the crown prince title, I wouldn't have to push my oldest so hard."
Silence fell again; Selena had no words to offer.
Then, without warning, the emperor's system flashed to life. His eyes widened, and he staggered back as he read the message. He was not alone--Selena and his aides received the same alert:
["Bow to the Crown Prince who returns to the land of Gaea. The Blessed of Gaea walks among you once more.
We shall celebrate as he returns to protect the empire."]
Selena stared in disbelief as aides burst into discussion. Outside the palace, chaos had erupted.
...
Across the Empire—from the bustling capital to remote outposts—espers stared at their systems in terror, awe, or confusion. Screens in the Thrive Guild's command center flashed the message on repeat; even in taverns and marketplaces, every esper's system displayed the same words. Uproar followed, as old tales of the Hildebrand line flooded backstories of crown princes who controlled holy flame and sealed rifts with their bare hands.
Some speculated that the missing first Crown Prince, Mikhail Aleksandr Sokolov, had finally returned.
...
2 hours earlier...
["Praise to the son blessed by Gaea and the flame that guides the Valerius Empire - Crown Prince Jullian Konstantinos Hildebrand.
Do you want to open your system?"]
Jullian stared at the message with a solemn expression. It had been centuries since anyone had called him by that title, and seeing it now left him uncertain how to react.
Mikhail floated closer, narrowing his eyes as if inspecting the words.
"So your full name is Jullian Konstantinos Hildebrand--but what do 'blessed by Gaea' and 'flame that guides the Empire' mean?"
"How would I know?" Jullian answered, pulled from his thoughts. "Maybe the system is ooutdate- I never opened it before."
"Maybe you're right," Mikhail agreed, floating back to his shoulder. "Now let's open it already-I want to see how low your stats are," he added excitedly.
Jullian complied, looking at the screen again. "Yes."
The system erupted in blinding golden light that spilled even outside his apartment.
"What is happening?!" Mikhail yelped, covering his eyes.
The light faded quickly, revealing Jullian's stats on the floating screen.
"Seriously! that fancy entrance and blinding light?" Mikhail complained, rubbing his eyes. "I thought I'd go blind!"
Jullian ignored him, staring at the display:
╔═════════════════════════
GAEA SYSTEM
BLESSED EDITION - ACTIVATED
Lvl. 215
NAME: Jullian Konstantinos Hildebrand
ATTRIBUTE: Fire Element
TITLE: Crown Prince of Valerius | Blessed of Gaea
RANK: SS-Class Esper (Sealed - 20% Active)
╠════════════════════
BASE STATS:
├─ HP: 99,999 / 99,999
├─ EXP: 99,990/ 99,990
├─ MANA: 85,000 / 85,000
├─ STRENGTH: 9,500
├─ DEFENSE: 8,800
├─ SPEED: 9,200
└─ LUCK: 5,000
╠═══════════════════
UNIQUE TRAITS:
├─ Gaea's Blessing: Mana regenerates 5% per second | Immune to poison and curse
├─ Fire Affinity: increases damaged 15% when using flame skills
└─ Cautery: Can cure Espers on the brink of berserk | Can replenish comrade's mana by 2%
╠═══════════════════
ACTIVE SKILLS:
├─ Blaze Sword [S rank]
├─ Flame Thrower [A rank]
├─ Ring Fire [S+ rank] (Locked)
├─ Fire Bomb [S rank]
├─ Fire Dash [S- rank]: Speed increases 50%
├─ Flame Wings [S rank]
└─ Royal Shield [A+ rank]: Summons golden barrier blocking 90% of attacks
╠═══════════════════
PASSIVE SKILLS:
├─ Mana Sensing (SS rank)
├─ Gaea's Eyes: Can see rift depths (A- rank)
└─ Superhuman Reflexes (S rank)
╠═══════════════════
ULTIMATE ABILITIES:
├─ Blazing Sun [A- rank] (Locked)
└─ Hephaestus Flame [S rank] (Locked)
╠═══════════════════
MISSION:
Enter a rift and kill the rift boss
REWARD: 10% EXP
╠═══════════════════
SYSTEM STATUS: UPDATED TO LVL. 1
NEXT UPDATE: Requires 10,000 Mana
╚════════════════════
"W-w-what are these ridiculous stats? There aren't even any B-rank skills listed!" Mikhail stuttered, backing away.
For the first time, he felt threatened. He had known Jullian was strong since childhood, but never imagined this level of power.
"Is this what surviving the Black Rift does?" he wondered, turning to Jullian - who looked more amazed than anything.
Jullian let out a low whistle, a habit he'd picked up from Jeffrey. "SS-rank? Not bad! Looks like all that training and monster-fighting finally paid off." Still, parts of the system confused him.
"So what's this system actually for?" he asked.
"It's essential for Espers--guides them in rifts, detects monsters, tracks HP and mana, rewards missions," Mikhail explained. "It's got tons of uses."
"I see." Jullian nodded, then looked at him curiously. "By the way, I've never seen you open your system. Why not?"
"Oh - after the curse, almost all my mana and my system were sealed. I can't use either anymore."
Jullian studied him. Even as Mikhail spoke casually, frustration and jealousy shone in his eyes as he looked at the screen. Jullian scratched the back of his head, then gently patted Mikhail with his forefinger--startling the tiny prince.
"Don't worry--we'll find a way to get you back to normal."
Tears welled in Mikhail's eyes. Jullian hadn't changed at all--still the strict but reliable leader he and his brother had always admired.
After composing himself, Mikhail perked up again. "Yosh! Let me teach you how to use every part of this thing!"
...
In his own office, Avgust stared at the message before him--surprise clear in his red eyes, with a hint of something deeper: nostalgia. He crushed his cigar in his hand, ash scattering across his desk.
"Jullian Konstantinos Hildebrand," he muttered. An image flashed through his mind -- a 13-year-old boy grinning wildly, full of life. "So you really are alive."