A sharp gasp tore through the silence.
Kael Drayven's body jerked upright, his lungs burning as if he had been suffocating just moments ago. His fingers dug into the damp bedsheets beneath him, his heartbeat hammering in his ears.
This wasn't right.
He was supposed to be dead.
Memories of his last moments flooded back—the treacherous disciples, the poisoned tea, the agonizing pain as his body collapsed in his own chamber. A lifetime of mastery erased in an instant. But this place… this wasn't his world. The air smelled different. The energy around him lacked the essence of cultivation he had known.
He turned his gaze to his hands—thin, pale, unfamiliar. These were not the hands of a warrior who had spent centuries refining his body into a weapon.
His chest tightened. Who am I now?
A sudden wave of pain surged through his skull. He clenched his teeth as fragmented memories that weren't his own forced their way in.
Kael Drayven. Firstborn heir of House Drayven, a noble lineage in the Eldorian Empire. A failure—unable to awaken a Class, ridiculed by his family, deemed worthless. His engagement to Seraphina Valtoria, the Sword Saint's daughter, was nothing more than a political farce.
And yet, despite all this, he was alive again.
A small, cold chuckle escaped his lips.
"Fate truly has a twisted sense of humor."
His mind was still stabilizing when a sudden metallic chime rang in his ears.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
[WELCOME, KAEL DRAYVEN.]
A transparent blue screen appeared before him, filled with glowing text.
Name: Kael Drayven
Class: None (Unawakened)
Level: 1
Stats: Strength: 3 | Agility: 4 | Intelligence: 6 | Endurance: 3 | Willpower: 2
Skills: None
Titles: [The Useless Heir]
Kael narrowed his eyes. A System? He had never encountered something like this in his previous life. His world had been governed by cultivation realms and martial paths, not levels and stats.
His gaze landed on his Title.
[The Useless Heir].
He let out a dry laugh. "How generous."
But something wasn't right. If the System dictated strength, how was he supposed to survive? He refused to accept being weak. Even if this world had different rules, he would find a way to break them.
And then—another ding sounded.
[UNIQUE SYSTEM DETECTED: GRANDMASTER'S LEGACY SYSTEM]
[ANALYZING HOST'S PAST LIFE…]
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RETAINED YOUR MARTIAL MASTERY.]
Kael's eyes flickered. What?
[Skills Unlocked:]
- Phantom Step (Mastery Level: 9) – A movement technique that grants near-instantaneous speed bursts.
- Falling Moon Palm (Mastery Level: 10) – A devastating strike capable of shattering bones with precision.
- Silent Blade Arts (Mastery Level: 8) – A combat style specializing in swift, unpredictable attacks.
A slow smirk crept onto his lips.
So that was how it worked.
The System may have rules, but his past life's techniques had converted into skills. While others needed to grind levels and experience, he had something far more dangerous—mastery.
And if he could use his techniques in this world, then he wasn't just some useless noble.
He was still a Grandmaster.
A Sudden Intrusion
Before Kael could test his abilities, the door to his room slammed open.
A stern-looking man stepped inside, dressed in noble attire, his sharp eyes filled with irritation. Behind him followed a young woman—golden hair, piercing blue eyes, dressed in elegant combat attire.
Kael instantly recognized her.
Seraphina Valtoria.
His fiancée.
Or rather, the woman who despised him.
"You're finally awake," the man spoke coldly. "I was beginning to think you would waste even more of our time."
Kael remained silent, analyzing his situation. This man was Duke Valtoria, Seraphina's father. One of the strongest warriors in the empire. He had come here personally—why?
Seraphina's gaze on him was sharp, calculating. "The Awakening Ceremony is in three days. If you fail to obtain a Class, the engagement will be officially annulled."
So that was it.
They were here to remind him of his uselessness.
If the previous Kael had been here, he might have panicked. Begged. But the Kael of now?
He merely smiled.
Duke Valtoria's brows furrowed at the reaction. "You don't seem concerned."
Kael met his gaze, his posture relaxed. "Should I be?"
The air in the room grew tense. Seraphina's fingers twitched near her sword hilt—she was prepared to strike if necessary.
Kael chuckled inwardly. She truly doesn't trust me.
"I will awaken a Class," he said, though he already knew he wouldn't need one. "You'll see."
Seraphina narrowed her eyes. She didn't believe him. But she said nothing, merely turning on her heel. "Then prove it."
With that, she and the Duke exited, leaving Kael alone.
The moment the door shut, Kael let out a low chuckle.
This was far more interesting than he had expected.
The Road Ahead
Three days. That was how long he had until the Awakening Ceremony.
But Kael already knew the truth—he had no need for the System's validation.
If the world refused to acknowledge his strength, then he would reshape the world itself.
He glanced at his hands once more.
This time, they weren't the hands of a failure.
They were the hands of a man who would carve his own path.
And this world?
It just didn't know it yet.