Royal Power: The Path to Ascension

"Light of Healing..."

Accompanied by a deep and mysterious incantation, a beam of light, soft as a spring breeze, shot forth and landed precisely on the sickbed. The light resembled the first rays of dawn, as if it intended to carry one into an eternal sea of life. The power surging within the white light turned the words in Leialu's throat into silence, forcing him to swallow them back.

The scene before him was far from the illusions of a theatrical performance. A prank? That was even more unlikely. As an ordinary salaried worker, Leialu had never imagined he would be swept into such a miracle, as if the gears of fate had suddenly spun wildly, thrusting him into an unpredictable adventure.

"Could it be… that I've transmigrated?"

As this thought flickered through his mind, an unfamiliar yet powerful flood of memories surged into his consciousness. Before he could resist, Leialu felt a dizzying sensation and then lost consciousness.

…

"How is Leialu's condition, Priest Quinn?"

A middle-aged man, dressed in luxurious clothing, asked anxiously, his voice tense. The noblewoman beside him, her eyes red and swollen, stared at the boy on the bed with a complex expression. Her gaze held both hope and a hidden resentment, though she concealed it well, appearing outwardly as a loving mother concerned for her son.

"Rest assured, Baron Redman. The grace of God never forgets the devout."

Priest Quinn gently touched the holy emblem on his chest, a trace of weariness showing in his expression. "The backlash has been completely purged, and Young Master Leialu has successfully awakened his life seed. He's only temporarily unconscious from overexertion."

Clearly, the healing spell had not been easy. After all, he was just a novice priest.

However, in Iron Town, as long as you were a priest, you were an undisputed figure of authority. As the only priest and apothecary in the territory, Priest Quinn held considerable status. He usually treated people with his potions, reserving divine magic for only the most critical moments.

"May the Great Lord of Dawn bless Leialu!"

"Thank you, Priest Quinn…"

Baron Redman's voice was tinged with emotion, and the tension in his brows eased. If it weren't for his noble status, which required him to maintain restraint, he might have expressed his joy even more exuberantly.

After seeing the priest off, Baron Redman turned and instructed the maid, "Take good care of Leialu. Inform me as soon as he wakes up."

Perhaps sensing the baron's improved mood, the noblewoman beside him couldn't resist softly pleading, "Redman, now that Leialu is out of danger, could you release poor Laisul?"

These words seemed to touch a sore spot in Baron Redman's heart. The calmness in his face instantly clouded over.

"Silence! This is all your doing, indulging him so much that he dared to switch his brother's life essence. If word of this gets out, the thousand-year honor of the Koslow family will be ruined by that wretch!"

Baron Redman's voice was low and angry. "If it weren't for Leialu's good fortune, I would have killed him long ago. Let him hang there. Whoever dares to release him… hmph…"

Tears are a woman's most powerful weapon. In the past, her tears might have softened Baron Redman's heart, but now, everything had changed.

Before she could say another word, Baron Redman had already swept out of the room, leaving no room for the baroness to save face.

…

On the sickbed, Leialu slowly opened his eyes. As he merged with the memories of the original owner, he finally confirmed that he wasn't dreaming.

Perhaps he really had saved the universe in his past life to enjoy such a miraculous experience in this one. Transmigration? Such luck, and it had actually fallen upon him.

However, if given a choice, Leialu would have preferred to return to his old life, continuing to spend his days in the busy routine. Leave the adventures of transmigration to those who longed for them!

"Leialu Koslow," this was his identity now—the third son of Baron Redman.

Though this identity wasn't one of immense wealth and power, it was still far beyond what he could have ever achieved in his previous life. Starting from here, if he worked hard, his future was bound to be full of excitement.

But Leialu felt a sense of unease. This world was far more complex than it appeared. The political structure seemed like that of medieval Europe, yet hidden dangers lurked beneath the surface.

Knights, magic, priests, sorcerers…

Elves, dwarves, orcs, sea folk, undead…

Those professions and races that only existed in games and novels were now real in this world. Each name foretold endless adventures and unknowns.

Having grown accustomed to the peace of modern society, Leialu suddenly found himself thrown into such a brutal and chaotic world, making him feel particularly helpless.

After tossing and turning in bed all night, Leialu finally resigned himself to the fact that he had indeed become "Leialu Koslow."

His first small goal—survive.

In this world, where religion prevailed and myths intertwined with reality, any unconventional behavior could bring about a catastrophic end.

To preserve his life, Leialu had to firmly maintain his identity. He could disguise himself, hide his oddities, but imitating someone's behavior and mannerisms was no easy task.

As he thought about this, Leialu felt a mix of emotions. He didn't know whether to thank or resent the "cheap little brother" still hanging on the pillar.

If not for that unlucky fellow's attempt to switch the original owner's life essence, he might never have taken over this body, and this transmigration could have passed him by.

Yet, because of this incident, Leialu now had a perfect excuse. A change in personality after a near-death experience might be considered reasonable.

As he sorted through the chaotic memories in his mind, Leialu gradually understood the situation he was in.

The third son of Baron Redman, with two older brothers and one sister before him, and three younger brothers and two younger sisters after him. Unfortunately, the baron's wife was already his second one.

Throughout history, the arrival of a stepmother always aroused vigilance. Leialu's situation was bound to be unfavorable; otherwise, such a farce involving the switching of life essence wouldn't have occurred.

The only consolation was that the current baroness came from a lowly background—a merchant's daughter. Although her family was wealthy, they held little political power.

In this union of power and wealth, Baron Redman was undoubtedly in the dominant position. The fact that Leialu and his siblings had grown up safely was proof enough.

However, in this world where the strong prey on the weak, the struggle for resources was far more brutal than the competition for inheritance. The honor of knighthood, the secrets of magic, the intrigues of politics—these were not things that money could buy.

In the hierarchy of nobility, barons were already at the lower end. How many resources could they possess?

And yet, Baron Redman was particularly prolific. How could the resources in his hands satisfy the needs of so many offspring?

As Leialu and his siblings grew, this conflict only intensified. The incident with the life essence was just the tip of the iceberg.

The two older brothers had successfully awakened their life seeds, becoming knights, and joined the imperial army.

However, when it was Leialu's turn, things became complicated. Life essence, that precious resource for awakening the life seed, was tightly controlled by the empire and the church.

Even the nobility could only obtain it under strict limitations. Baron Redman had to pull many strings to secure the life essence in advance, only to be delayed by a year.

During this time, Leialu's younger brother Laisul also reached the age of awakening his life seed.

Skipping the line was impossible. No matter how much Baron Redman doted on Laisul, no matter how persuasive the baroness's pillow talk was, family rules couldn't be broken.

Missing this opportunity meant an uncertain wait. Perhaps driven by desperate desire, Laisul made the wild decision to switch the life essence.

The outcome, as seen, was a disastrous failure. The life essence had been spared, but Leialu knew that this incident had already pushed his future into unknown territory.