I awoke to a pale gray light filtering through the heavy velvet curtains of my chamber. It wasn't the usual sunrise, but that faint glow that precedes true dawn in the Verton estate—as if the manor itself resisted the coming of day. My body still carried the pleasant weight of last night's feast, and a faint smile touched my lips as I recalled the legendary flavors I had tasted. For a moment, I felt content. Almost at peace.
But that feeling didn't last.
When I fully opened my eyes, I noticed something strange. Silence. Not the typical quiet of the Duke's son's wing, but a silence laced with tension. The servants who usually moved with soft efficiency at this hour were absent. Even the air seemed to be holding its breath.
I rose from bed, still carrying the scent of griffin feathers and moon-silk. I threw on a black silk robe draped over a nearby chair and walked to the door. I opened it cautiously. The hallway was empty. Unnervingly so.
"Strange," I murmured to myself.
Then I heard footsteps—faint, quick—approaching. Not the usual confident stride of a servant, but someone trying not to be heard. A young servant, one of those who had attended to me during the feast, emerged from the corridor's corner. His face was pale, his eyes darting with worry. As soon as he saw me, he rushed forward and bowed deeply.
"Young Master Nir!" he whispered, voice trembling, "You must… you must know."
"Know what?" I asked with forced calm, though a bad feeling began crawling inside me.
"Lord Alastair... he's... he's furious. Very furious." The servant swallowed hard. "He summoned Monsieur Julian, the head butler, Master Elias, even Lady Armand… early this morning. The voices were loud. I've never seen Lord Alastair like that before."
I froze. Alastair. Of course. I should've expected this. The extravagance I'd indulged in yesterday wasn't just a whim. It was a statement—a declaration of change. And a change like that, in a family like Verton, never went unnoticed. I had spent enough to feed a small army for a month, or perhaps rebuild an entire village.
"Those bastards," I thought angrily. "I knew they'd cause a scene. But I didn't expect it this fast."
"And what did Lord Alastair say?" I asked, trying to appear composed.
"I didn't hear everything, sir," the servant said, still shaking, "but I caught words like 'irresponsible excess', 'unforgivable waste', and 'undermining the family's authority'. Then... then I heard him say your name. He said he wants to see you. Immediately."
Damn it. Worse than I expected. If Alastair was this enraged, it could reach the Duke himself. A confrontation with the Duke of Shadows over a gourmet meal wasn't part of my plans.
"Very well," I said to the servant. "Thank you for telling me. You may go."
He bowed again and hurried off like he was fleeing the plague.
I returned to my room and shut the door behind me. Now, I had to think fast. Facing Alastair now meant a long interrogation, reprimands, and possibly restrictions on my newfound financial freedom. That was unacceptable. What I needed was time—time to understand this new body, this dormant power, and this mysterious "system" that had appeared to me.
"I have to escape," I decided. Not a permanent escape, but a temporary disappearance. A few days, maybe a week—enough to come up with a plan. To start training. To understand what it means to have a "Magical Rank: Sealed".
"Yes, I must focus on strengthening myself," I thought, pacing. "Nir, the original, was very strong with both sword and magic, according to the novel. He was considered a prodigy, even though he never fully showed his potential—distracted by his foolish romantic fantasies. And there's that mysterious system... ‹Special Abilities: [Inactive]›... What are those abilities? And how do I activate them?"
I opened the system interface again in my mind:
‹Identity: Nir Verton›
‹Age: 16›
‹Lineage: Pure Human (Noble bloodline of House Verton)›
‹Inherited Trait: "Eye of Truth"›
‹Magical Rank: Sealed›
‹Special Abilities: [Inactive]›
"This system was never mentioned in the novel... Was Nir hiding it? Or is it something new that came with me?" The questions kept piling up.
"And if I'm not mistaken, less than a week remains until the novel's events begin. Those events begin with the arrival of a giant beast of extremely high rank that attacks the northern provinces." I suddenly remembered. Though the novel was heavily romance-centered, it did contain catastrophic events that formed the backdrop of the supposed love story. And that monster was the first.
"I need to recall the power system of this world." I closed my eyes, trying to retrieve the details from memory. "Yes… there were twelve ranks of power—both for humans and monsters. Each rank represented a massive leap in capability."
Human Ranks (spiritual and physical development):
Awakened: The first spark of power, faint awareness of surrounding energy.
Refiner: Can channel energy primitively, slight body enhancement.
Spiritual Warrior: Mastery of one weapon and basic energy fusion.
Lesser Master: Capable of basic magical and combat techniques.
Advanced Master: Master of several combat/magic arts, limited environmental influence.
Grandmaster: Peak of traditional human mastery, can destroy small armies solo. Possess terrifying auras.
Half-Ascendant: Transcended human limits, capable of altering terrain and invoking natural forces. The Duke of Shadows and the current Emperor are in this rank.
Transcendent: Rare beings said to touch the world's laws. No humans reached this in the 400 chapters I read.
Celestial: Living legends, said to walk among the stars.
Eternal: Nearly immortal beings who witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations.
Law Incarnate: Can embody one of the universe's fundamental laws.
Essence: Pinnacle of existence, merged with reality's fabric.
"Yes, the Duke of Shadows and the Emperor were both Rank Seven—Half-Ascendants. That's what made them the strongest in the known world. In the 400 chapters I read, only two other beings reached Rank Seven—and they were legendary monsters, not humans."
Beast Ranks (monstrous development and threat level):
Germ: Small, weak, more nuisance than threat.
Hazard Carrier: Slightly larger, dangerous to untrained civilians.
Predator: Hunting beasts, threats to small groups.
Minor Tyrant: Leaders of lesser beasts, require a team to handle.
Dominant Beast: Very powerful, capable of destroying small villages.
Savage Lord: Rulers of their regions, with intelligence and tactical prowess.
Calamity: Legendary beasts, their appearance means widespread destruction.
The two Rank Seven beasts were of this type.
Overlord: Capable of threatening entire kingdoms. The upcoming beast in the story was this rank. Yes, an Overlord.
Doom Herald: Beasts that herald new dark ages.
Worldbreaker: Rare mythical beings whose power defies logic.
Cosmic Terror: Entities from other dimensions, breaking the rules of reality.
Embodied Void: The end of everything.
"The beast that's coming... an Overlord. Rank Eight. That means it's a full rank above my father and the Emperor. How was it dealt with in the novel?" I tried to remember. "Ah, yes. It required an alliance of several powers, immense sacrifices, and the intervention of an ancient artifact... and Nir and Ayla were somehow in the heart of that chaos. Their 'love' supposedly helped weaken the beast or something like that. Ridiculous!"
But now wasn't the time to mock. If a Rank Eight beast was truly coming soon, I was in real danger. Even as the Duke of Shadows' son, my magical rank was "Sealed". I didn't even know my true rank.
"Escape is necessary. Training is even more so."
I began planning. Verton Manor was a fortress, but I knew some of its weak points—or at least, some unorthodox ways out. Nir's original memories, though muddled with romantic nonsense, held useful knowledge about secret servant passages and old tunnels beneath the estate.
First, clothes. I couldn't escape in silk pajamas. I opened the massive wardrobe and ignored the silk coats and luxurious leathers Master Elias had brought yesterday (probably part of Alastair's fury). I searched for something practical—dark, inconspicuous. I found an old black leather jacket Nir used during sword training. Simple but durable. Dark trousers. High leather boots.
Next, supplies. I couldn't take much. A small pouch of gold coins—enough for a few days. Some dried fruits and jerky I found stashed in a desk drawer (clearly a secret habit of Nir's). A silver dagger that had been mounted on the wall as decoration—sharp and well-balanced. A small water flask.
Destination? There was an old, abandoned tunnel said to lead beyond the estate's walls, reaching the black forest surrounding Verton territory. Nir had stumbled upon its entrance as a child but never fully explored it. Perfect.
I looked at myself in the mirror. Pale, handsome face. Black eyes. I no longer looked like the pampered Duke's son. I looked like someone preparing for a dangerous mission. Good.
I waited until the manor quieted completely—near midday, when most servants were either preparing lunch or on break. Then, cautiously, I slipped out into the corridor.
The halls were still. I avoided main routes, moving through narrow servant paths, filled with the scent of dust and old food. Every creak made my heart race. I wasn't afraid of Alastair—I was afraid of missing this chance to understand this world and its system.
Finally, I reached an old cellar beneath the forgotten parts of the manor. The air here was damp and cold, the scent of mold heavy. In a dark corner, behind old barrels and cobwebs, was a small stone door—barely distinguishable from the wall. This was the tunnel's entrance.
It took effort to open. The hinge was rusted. The stone heavy. But it finally gave way—revealing pitch blackness and the scent of ancient earth.
"Let's go," I whispered, lighting a small candle I had brought.
I stepped into the tunnel and closed the stone door behind me. Darkness swallowed me. My footsteps echoed unnaturally in the absolute silence. The tunnel was narrow, low, the walls damp and sticky. I had to crouch in places to avoid hitting the ceiling.
I walked for what felt like hours. The candle cast dancing shadows on the walls, making strange shapes seem like lurking beasts. Every sense in my body was alert. I heard dripping water. Scuttling insects. Smelled earth—and something faintly metallic.
Suddenly, I felt a shift in the air. Less humid. Colder. I saw a faint light at the tunnel's end.
I hurried. The light grew brighter. And then—I emerged.
I found myself in a small cave, overlooking a dense forest of towering black trees. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting golden patches on the forest floor. The air was crisp and clean, scented with pine and damp earth.
I'd done it. I had escaped. Temporarily, at least.
I snuffed the candle and tucked it into my pack. Then I sat on a rock at the cave's edge, breathing deeply.
"Now, the real work begins," I said to myself. "I must uncover the secrets of this body… and this system. I have less than a week before hell descends."
I looked at the system screen again. "Magical Rank: Sealed." How do I unseal it? Does it require training? A quest? And what are these "Special Abilities: [Inactive]"? Are they linked to the Verton bloodline? Or something else?
I remembered Nir's skill with the sword. I stood and drew the silver dagger. Not a sword, but better than nothing. I began practicing basic movements I recalled from novels and films. My moves were clumsy at first, but I felt the body responding. There was muscle memory—waiting to be awakened.
I spent hours training, regaining Nir's original strength and agility. Sweat poured down my face. My muscles ached. But I didn't stop. With each move, I felt more control.
As the sun dipped low, and the forest grew dim, I returned to the cave. I lit a small fire, ate some dried fruit and meat.
"Tomorrow, I'll explore magic," I thought, watching the flickering flames. "Nir had an affinity with shadow magic—like his father. I must see if I can access that power."
I looked again at the system and focused on "Special Abilities: [Inactive]". Then, aloud, I asked:
"System, can you give me any information about these special abilities?"
Nothing happened.
"System, how can I activate my special abilities?"
Silence.
"Damn," I muttered. "This system is more cryptic than I thought. Doesn't seem to respond to direct commands."
Maybe it requires conditions. Or, as in some novels, experience points or specific achievements.
"I'll figure it out," I said with resolve. "I'll uncover everything. And I'll be ready when that Overlord beast comes. I won't just be a background character in this ridiculous story. I'll be a major player."
I closed my eyes. Exhaustion and determination swirled inside me. Escape was only the beginning. The real battle hadn't started yet. But I was ready—or at least, I'd make sure I would be.
And in the silence of the black forest, under a sky filled with stars unlike any I had seen before, my true journey began. A journey to discover power. To unveil secrets. And perhaps… to rewrite my fate.