The cold bit into Lucius Asturias's skin, seeping into his bones. His right hand clutched his chest, and he felt as though he were about to die. His body suddenly collapsed to the floor in the middle of the main hall of the Asturias Mansion.
He didn't know if the cold seeping into his bones was that of the harsh winter or that of the words of his loved ones.
Slowly, darkness engulfed him. It gave him the warmth his forlorn soul needed; but it threatened to take his life. Red and black blood spurted from his mouth, mixing and turning a deeper crimson, staining the two certificates on the floor.
Across the room, Valerius Asturias stood up. "As of today, Lucius Asturias is no longer my son, and the engagement with the Casteliers is off. His name will be erased from my family's history books just as a dirty stain is wiped from clean clothes."
The coldness of his words struck Lucius's mind, as he fought for his life at the feet of his fiancée, his brothers, and his own father.
The contempt. The humiliation and shame turned into a stake driven into his heart, causing him to let out a cry of agony.
[Fractured Core in Critical Condition, Life-Threatening!]
The vision of a gray, dying world flickered before Lucius's eyes. But he could do nothing. Suddenly, he felt a million swords piercing every organ in his body, and with an internal explosion, his body collapsed to the ground.
Valerius watched his son in agony, but he did not move a muscle. Instead, he felt shame.
The prestige of the Asturias had been shattered by his own hand; he must die!
Even if he is his son, he must die!
He felt not a shred of compassion, and coldness invaded his heart.
The weak die every day, but to die because your fiancée rejected you and because you were exiled from the family must be one of the most shameful deaths ever seen.
Just then, as if by a twist of fate, the announcement that flooded everyone's vision and settled over every city in the world shook them to their core.
"Is The Mage Lucius, dead? Can that supremely powerful man truly die?" exclaimed Darius Asturias, the youngest son of Valerius Asturias.
Elara was in shock as well. "What a coincidence…"
Valerius frowned. "What a contrast. On the day of the Great Lucius's death, that trash Lucius dies too. Though you remained a disgrace until the very end, at least you died on the same day as a legendary figure." He sneered with a cold gaze at his son's corpse.
Elara felt exactly the same way. She'll never understand why her father betrothed her to him, but at least she'll be able to joke with her friends about the deaths of both Luciuses.
Shudder!
Suddenly, Lucius's body jerked.
"Huh?" Elara took a step back in complete shock, and Valerius, who had been about to turn and leave, looked back at the corpse.
Everyone in the room was filled with fear.
"Didn't he die?" Darius Asturias stared at him, dumbfounded.
Lucius suddenly sat up; his body aches terribly. His muscles twisted continuously as he struggled to stand.
When he opened his eyes, they shone with a peculiar golden hue.
"L-Lucius?" Elara took a step back in fear the moment their eyes met.
Lucius frowned and looked down at his hands. They were stained with blood, and the pain inside him was unbearable.
Suddenly, a series of system messages appeared before his eyes.
[Internal System Announcement: Soul Reconnected.]
[The soul of "The Mage, Lucius" has resonated with a dying soul and has been reconnected to life.]
["The dust tries to rise once more; but it remains dust."]
At the same time, an avalanche of information began to flood his mind, causing him to frown slightly.
[The Link System: User Profile]
User: Lucius Asturias (reincarnated).
Status: Exiled from the Asturias Family / Outcast.
Title: N/A.
Rank: F (Unstable).
Local Ranking: #12,450,905 (Last).
[]
[The System has detected an error.]
[Integrity Alert]
Anomaly Detected: Fractured Mana Core in critical condition.
Mana Dissipation Rate: You lose 98% per hour.
Warning: Using abilities will cause immediate organic collapse.
[Status: Unfit for Combat.]
The numerous system messages were not overshadowed by the information flooding into Lucius's mind.
He stared intently at his status window.
'Last? This body is a disaster.' That the legendary Mage Lucius would be in last place on the Ranking of a small Civilization Island would surely give his friends plenty to talk about.
'Friends?' Lucius clenched his jaw, and a faint smile played across his face. 'Damn you, Kael… I'll tear you to pieces. And you too, Seraphina.' He muttered under his breath before looking ahead.
In front of him, in a state of shock and fear, Elara stared at him.
'The ex-fiancée…' Lucius's gaze swept over Darius, his younger brother, and then landed on his father, where it finally came to rest.
'An A-Rank.' Lucius frowned. He was still trying to understand the state of his new body; he couldn't even think about facing a guy like this.
"F-father." Lucius struggled to call him that.
"Father?" Valerius stood up with a snort. "I'm not your father. Someone get him out of my sight—I don't want to see him anymore. Take him to the Iron Suburbs and throw him in with the trash."
"I'll take care of it, Father." Darius stepped forward with a chuckle and, in a single motion, moved to Lucius's side. "Dear older brother…" He put his arm around his neck.
Lucius shook him off immediately and looked at him coldly. "Older brother? Don't you dare call me that again. Just as you heard, I'm not your brother."
Darius froze, and shame washed over him, rising up to his neck.
"You… Bastard!" he shouted furiously.
Lucius didn't even look at him again; he turned his gaze back to Valerius.
"You're casting me out? Very well. One day I'll make you come before me on your knees, begging me to return to your disgusting family."
It was an oath sworn on the blood that had been spilled in this place; an oath of black blood. And an oath sworn on the divine mana of a man who had once had it all, but who had now fallen into the mud.
He glanced briefly at Elara… He had fond memories of her, despite everything. Although she was cold and distant, she wasn't like the others, whose unfounded contempt made almost no sense. Despite that, she had made a mistake.
Lucius simply looked away indifferently and walked off, limping all the way to the mansion's gate, where he was finally grabbed by the guards and taken to the lower district, better known as the Iron Suburbs.
"You little piece of trash, remember to hide in the alleys when you go to die. We don't want you infecting poor passersby with unknown diseases," said the guard, trying to kick him out of the car, but Lucius stepped out just then, so the kick missed its mark.
As he stepped outside, Lucius frowned when he tried to breathe. His nose clamped shut almost immediately as he felt the foul air trying to invade his nostrils—something he couldn't hold out against for long and was forced to inhale.
"What horrible air." The smell of rusty, damp metal filled his nostrils. It made its way through and reached his injured lungs, causing him even more pain.
It was nothing like the fresh air he'd breathed up above.
Looking back, he saw that the car was already gone. Dozens of cars floating inches above the ground zipped back and forth at high speed along the long highway.
On the other side of it, a techno-magical barrier divided the sectors. Elegant, clean, and immaculate buildings with minimalist decorations caught his eye.
The air felt pure; breathing it could add years to your life.
He turned again and looked at his new reality. "This, on the other hand, could kill you."
Lucius sighed, knowing that his reality had changed. From breathing the purest mana on the planet, to breathing mana of high purity, to breathing the most impure mana…
He shook his head and looked at the massive blocks of old concrete—buildings covered in copper pipes through which an unstable current of electricity flowed, occasionally sparking.
The contrast with the beautiful buildings on the other side of the barrier did not move him. With a firm and determined stride, he walked through the dirty streets littered with drunks and drug addicts, eager to get to know his new temporary reality.