Ch- 10: New Memories

Adam's gaze shifted towards the notification that materialized on his retina, a complex expression playing across his face.

"Wow, this new skill is truly terrifying," Adam muttered, his eyes scanning the aftermath of his relentless carnage. The ground lay drenched in blood, littered with headless corpses strewn about.

An indifferent look settled in Adam's eyes, devoid of any remorse or guilt for eliminating those who harbored ill intentions towards him. In the past, when he lived a sheltered life within the confines of the royal castle, he would have likely been overwhelmed with nausea and guilt at this sight. Each fallen bandit could have been someone's sister, father, brother, or provider, but now, all he could muster was a heavy sigh. A sense of dread engulfed him, stemming from the consequences of not unlocking his bloodline earlier and failing to defend himself against these bandits.

The notion of dying in such a pathetic manner, leaving no lasting impact on the world, filled Adam with utter revulsion. The killing intent that had momentarily subsided surged forth once again, causing nearby animals to shudder. The previous version of himself would never have cared about leaving a mark on the world, content with enjoying his current life and aspiring to be a benevolent king for his subjects. But under the influence of his awakened bloodline, such thoughts now disgusted him entirely. Coldness emanated from Adam's eyes as he contemplated the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate him.

"Now, let's see what changes this new world has in store for me, and why the hell I am here," Adam regained his composure, focusing on the fresh text that materialized before his eyes.

[Would you like to receive the reward for completing the quest? Yes / No]

"Yes," Adam impatiently replied, his voice tinged with urgency.

[Information pertaining to the changes will now be transferred to the host's brain.]

Adam winced, a sudden jolt of pain reverberating inside his head as a deluge of information flooded his consciousness. It felt as if his brain was a theater, playing out various scenes and revelations.

The foremost change was that he was no longer the crown prince of his previous kingdom. Instead, he discovered himself to be the sole heir of a Count in a completely different kingdom. With this realization, he understood that the fabled Luminous Kingdom, once an epitome of grandeur in the Lands of Luxuria and beyond, no longer existed.

"Heh, this is quite intriguing," Adam remarked, his excitement manifesting in a wide grin. The thought of forging the Luminous Kingdom anew, surpassing its previous glory, and transforming it into a mighty Luminous Empire thrilled him. In this fresh world where mana thrived, his awakened bloodline had left an indelible mark, eradicating the old, naive Adam and awakening a superior version of himself.

Sighing with a mix of nostalgia and contentment, Adam's smile softened as memories of his parents doting on him flooded his mind, just as they had done when he was the prince of the Luminous Kingdom.

"Hoh, it seems I was slightly stronger than my previous self, yet still lacking," Adam remarked, his gaze shifting towards the memories depicting his former physique. In his role as the heir to the throne, he had been skinny and feeble, even though he possessed considerable skill in swordsmanship. Despite surpassing the many new knights of the kingdom in skill, his average physicality prevented him from unleashing his true potential, and could not even touch compare to men who are similar in age due to his average body. Although he managed to qualify for the knight branch of the royal academy, his weak physique resulted in a bottom-ranking position.

"Ah, so that's the reason for my current whereabouts," Adam finally realized the purpose behind his seclusion. The memories unfolding in his mind revealed that he was participating in the Academy Knight Wilderness Survival Training. Each year, final-year knights were required to undergo this rigorous training to graduate from the academy.

Every kingdom in the continent of Luxuria, as well as other continents, implemented this training for those men deemed capable of entering the knight division of the academy. However, there existed a stark contrast between Luxuria and other continents. While elsewhere the training lasted only a month, because, in Luxuria, the focus of men leaned more towards appearances rather than physical fitness. Only a select few cared about honing their bodies for the sake of attracting high-quality companions, and among them, only a handful was truly dedicated to sword training. As a result, the armies of Luxuria were notoriously weaker compared to those of other continents. Hence, the wilderness training duration for them extended to three months, in an attempt to compensate for their lack of strength.

Suddenly, a cold expression settled upon Adam's face as he pieced together the reason behind the bandit attack.

"Tsk, a bunch of cowards. If they truly desired my demise, they should have had the courage to confront me directly," Adam spat in disdain as the identities of the masterminds behind the attack became clear—his own uncle and cousin, aided by a conniving duke from within the kingdom. He discovered that they had also been plotting against him even during his time as the prince in the previous reality, aiming to seize the throne with the support of an enemy kingdom.

"Hmm, they're nothing but weaklings. I could easily eliminate them whenever I choose, but I'll ignore them until the Apocalypse arrives," Adam mused to himself as additional memories flooded his mind. He contemplated their character, realizing that once they acquired power following the invasion of mana, they would undoubtedly become arrogant, overestimate themselves, and attempt to confront him head-on.

"Oh, it appears I've never emerged victorious in a swordsmanship battle," Adam murmured to himself, as scenes of his repeated defeats at the hands of his cousin played out in his mind. His cousin would approach him, seemingly seeking friendly exchanges of pointers, but in reality, it was a ploy to showcase his own superiority to the Baron and Knight families under their county. It worked flawlessly, as some even aided his cousin in planning the assassination.

"I'll deal with them later, along with my dear cousin and uncle. But when did my cousin become engaged to the daughter of a duke!?" Adam exclaimed, shocked by this unexpected development. In the past, when he lacked power, he would have panicked at the thought of opposing a duke. However, now he remained calm and collected, finding amusement in the thought of their expressions when he returned alive.

"Hmm, I should make my move. Mana has already begun to seep into this world," Adam remarked to himself, using his origin eyes to observe the increasing density of mana in the air. He surmised that within a week, the first phase of the Apocalypse would commence.