"Haah," I sighed once again; sighing had become my trademark since arriving in this world. Today's reason for my sigh? None other than that useless bot and Natalie. I'm convinced she was the mastermind behind these missions. I recalled what the robot had told me earlier:
"Don't forget: these missions are directly tied to your life. Failing even one of them will be disastrous and could become the source of your misery. That's Natalie's advice—she told me to emphasize that. And one more thing: you have only four months to complete all four missions. Failure to meet this deadline will lead to your utter destruction and doom."
Back then, I couldn't respond. The news had sent a shiver through me. It's only now that reality is sinking in, and I feel utterly lost. Three days have slipped by, and the robot entered hibernation right after dropping that bombshell—when I needed its help the most. I'm stuck, with no idea how to go from being a regular guy to someone who can access magic. And to make matters worse, Daphne, whose presence I both dreaded and anticipated in that white void, hadn't visited me in four days.
As I sat in silence, a loud *tock* from the room's clock jolted me back, tugging at a bittersweet memory of my previous world, making me feel nostalgic. My thoughts barely settled before a knock interrupted them. Every knock since I arrived in this world had brought nothing good, but still, I had no choice. "Who is there?" I asked, bracing myself.
A familiar, sharp voice responded, striking me like thunder. "It's me."
Nicholas. The last person I expected—or wanted—to see. Nicholas held a significant role in this twisted game, and his visit reminded me of the power he wielded. But if he thinks I'm the same Dominic he once manipulated, he's in for a surprise. Caution is necessary, though, especially with Daphne absent to temper him. At the very least, I would finally see his true nature.
"Brother, can I come in? I've been waiting at the door for quite some time now," he said, with a tone that conveyed both politeness and intimidation.
"Oh, forgive me, brother," I replied, feigning drowsiness. "I just woke up and felt a bit groggy. I'll unlock the door now."
As I opened the door, Nicholas greeted me with a polite smile and entered my chamber without hesitation. I closed the door, leaving it unlocked—a detail he didn't miss. He smirked, then asked, "Why leave the door unlocked, brother? Are you afraid of me? Or is it that you think I might harm you?"
Feigning confusion, I replied with a smile, "I don't know what you mean, brother. It was just a reflex." *But in my mind, I was alert: This guy is sharp; I can't fully trust him.*
Nicholas lay on my bed in a way that seemed both majestic and playfully dismissive. "I've been really busy and always tired. Sorry for not visiting these past few days. How's your health?"
Knowing his true intentions, I replied, "I'm improving. The doctor advised I take a month to recover."
Nicholas looked shocked. "Do you know why I'm asking?"
Pretending to be naive, I smiled. "Obviously, because you're worried about me. Why else?"
Nicholas's eyes narrowed in amusement before his expression shifted to something darker. "It seems amnesia has changed you. I don't hate that change." His smirk grew sinister. "In fact, it's quite amusing. I wonder, will this new attitude leave you in a better state than before—or one you'll dread?"
A chill ran through me, but I mustered a response. "Brother, have you gone mad?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Nicholas's face went blank as if processing my remark. Then, under his breath, he murmured, "Mad? Mad?" He seemed to question his very reality. "In twenty years, no one has dared call me that. Mad, you say?" A cold, calculating tone seeped into his voice. "Funny—I'm usually the one saying things like that. Give me a moment; I'm thinking of a reply that doesn't involve killing you."
Recalling Dominic's memories of Nicholas's tortures, my body tensed, and I quickly tried to recover. "Brother, you misunderstood me. I would never use such harsh words with my dearest and only brother."
Nicholas's lips curled into a mocking smile. "The whole world, you mean?"
*Well, not exactly—I meant this world and my own.* But I knew Dominic's lack of knowledge would make it easy for Nicholas to look down on me. This was my chance to soften him up.
"Oh, brother, I'm sorry," I said, feigning humility. "I'm not nearly as clever as you and sometimes can't even speak plain English properly." I lightly bumped my head with my fist, as if punishing myself. "What I meant was, I would never change due to my amnesia, because I know you wouldn't like it. I just expressed it wrongly, please forgive me."
Nicholas snickered at my display of self-reproach and murmured "Bootlicker" just loud enough for me to hear him, but at least he finally seemed appeased.
I erased every form of anger which was derived from my pride because deep down I knew that the person in front of me was much stronger than I was. Once the tension eased, I seized the chance to ask, "Brother, would you mind telling me… what level you're on?"
Nicholas paused, a glint of both shock and pride in his eyes. "Unfortunately, I'm still at Master I, but I'm going to soon break through to Master II."
I then replied with an exaggerated surprise, though I was genuinely impressed. "Wow, you're so cool, brother. I wish I was like you. Isn't Master level the second highest there is? Are you really on the second highest level?"
Nicholas met my praise with an arrogant gaze and said, "Who taught you that? Yes, the master level is basically the second highest, but that's not for people like us. We're royals, and we're different from the rest. Sure, the highest known level is Legendary II, but that's for people with regular cores, not us. As royals of Lumina, we're the only people who can use Light magic. But even with our enhanced cores and light magic, we can't access any other elemental ability but light."
"Speak for yourself," I muttered under my breath.
Nicholas interrupted himself, asking, "Did you say something?"
I quickly replied, "No, I didn't," then thought, *The robot said I have a dual-core, allowing me to access both light and darkness. Plus, with my universal affinity, I can learn or copy anyone's skill, no matter the element. But the skill would convert into my core elements—light or darkness. If I copied fire skills, they'd emerge as light or dark versions.*
My thoughts were interrupted by a flick of Nicholas's fingers. He looked at me suspiciously. "Where did you go off to? You were lost in space, but no matter. What's important is that you were thinking—you, of all people. You never think."
*What reply am I even supposed to give him? Why did Dominic have to be such a good-for-nothing?* I forced an embarrassed smile in response.
Nicholas shrugged. "Everyone wants to be like me, but no one's succeeded. I don't think you'll be the first."
*What's he even talking about?* I thought, then recalled, *Oh, I was buttering him up earlier. This guy really remembers every word of praise I throw his way.*
"But don't take it personally. I'm just saying the truth. I was already at Advanced I when I was your age."
I forced down my surprise. No matter how much I wanted to survive, I couldn't keep licking this arrogant guy's boots. I still had pride and dignity, so I simply asked, "And Daphne's level?"
He raised an eyebrow but answered, "Advanced III, though she's close to breaking through to Advanced IV. She's almost as fast as me and still nine months younger."
"Wait, so you're basically the same age," I said, "yet you always act like you're older?"
For the first time, Nicholas looked at me with a glimmer of emotion, though it was so hidden I couldn't tell what it was. "Ten months is still a big deal, alright?"
I laughed, "Yeah, yeah, big brother's always right."
But as I looked at Nicholas, a hint of suspicion crept in. *Why is Nicholas showing emotion? He must be planning something—I know that for sure. But what could it be?*
Nicholas noticed the look in my eyes but ignored it. "For you to ask me all this, it means you're interested in awakening."
I was about to retort, but he silenced me with a gesture. "I don't care what you were about to say, but if you want to awaken, you'll need to work hard. Remember that you're not like us, we're from entirely different worlds" He grinned
I immediately began to sweat. *Is he sure of my identity or is he just suspicious?*