Lancaster Village

"Ugh, my head." Magnus opened his eyes, met with a sharp, throbbing pain.

Ding.

-[Congratulations! You have learned the SS-Rank skill ×10 Reward]

-[Congratulations! You have learned the SS-Rank skill Akashic Insight]

-[Congratulations! You have learned the SS-Rank skill Synthesis]

-[Congratulations! You have learned the SSS-Rank skill Summoning]

Magnus hadn't even fully regained consciousness before a series of notification screens began popping up in front of him.

"Ugh," he groaned, pushing himself into a sitting position on his bed. The pain that had previously wracked his body had lessened considerably, almost as if some form of magical healing had taken place.

"Status," he called out.

-----

-[Status]

Name: Magnus Lancaster

Age: 18

Health: 80% (Recovering)

Title: (Weakling Son of Arthur Lancaster)

Level: 1

Trial Status: (0/10)

Magic Affinity: Locked

Mana: 1,000

[EVOLUTION POINTS: 10,000]

[Attributes]

Strength: 10

Agility: 12

Defense: 9

Charm: 14

Endurance: 2

Luck: 100[Max]

〔Attribute Points: 0〕

[Skills]

>General Skills:

×10 Reward [SS]: Multiplies all rewards received by ten.

Akashic Insight [SS]: Reveals information about anything the host focuses on, provided it doesn't possess concealment higher than the skill's rank.

Synthesis [SS]: Allows the host to copy skills and merge skills and items to upgrade them and create something better.

Summoning [SSS]: Opens a portal through time to summon troops if the right conditions are met. [Note: Summoned troops have 100% loyalty to the summoner.]

>Combat Skills:

Unarmed Combat [Lv 1/10]:Basic hand-to-hand combat techniques. *Current Effect: Limited effectiveness. Relies primarily on brute strength and basic movements.*

>Magic Skills:

None (Locked until Essence Awakening)

>Crafting Skills:

None

-----

Magnus stared at the screen. He had been shocked and excited when he first saw the skill names, but now, after reading their descriptions, his amazement deepened.

The first skill, ×10 Reward, sounded incredible. Magnus couldn't help but imagine how much further he would have progressed back on Earth if he'd had this skill. It would have been game-changing. Well, he had it now, and that's what mattered.

Focusing on the other skills, Magnus's smile widened. Akashic Insight was also fantastic, even with its limitations. The limitations, however, were high enough that he wasn't concerned.

Synthesis sounded promising as well, but none of these skills compared to the final one: Summoning. Magnus was more pleased with this skill than the rest, not just because of its higher rank, but because of its inherent power.

He remembered from his time on Earth that players with Summoning skills were notoriously difficult to defeat. He had even encountered one himself, and it had taken hours of planning, re-strategizing, and significant troop losses to overcome the player. The constant summoning of new troops mid-battle disrupted his plans and strategies, costing him dearly. Magnus knew firsthand how powerful this skill could be. Since it was SSS-Rank, there likely wasn't a limit to the level of troops he could summon, as long as he met the requirements. What those requirements were, he didn't yet know.

Back on Earth, players with Summoning skills received random summoning cards to facilitate the process. Magnus wasn't sure if the same rules applied here.

Ding!

-[You have an unread message. Would you like to open it?]

A new notification lit up the screen.

"Open it," Magnus commanded.

Ding!

-[Reward processing completed. Distributing rewards.]

-[Reward: 50,000 Evolution Points, 1 Apothecary Crafting Skill Book]

-[Ding! ×10 Reward activated]

-[500,000 Evolution Points have been rewarded]

-[10 Apothecary Crafting Skill Books rewarded]

A grin spread across Magnus's face as he stared at the screen. This must have been the reward for maximizing his luck attribute points.

"That's more like it," he muttered with satisfaction.

He still had two mysterious packages remaining from his beginner bonus, but Magnus decided to open them later. For now, he needed to figure out where he was and what his current situation entailed.

Waking up battered and bandaged suggested things weren't good.

"System, can I know my situation now?" Magnus asked.

-[Affirmative. Retrieving memory fragments.]

-[Ding! Memory fragments successfully retrieved.]

-[Assimilating memory fragments with host...]

-[Ding! Assimilation failed. Host's brain is currently too damaged to handle the influx of information.]

"Is there any way around it?" Magnus asked, outwardly calm. He had suspected this might be the case. Learning four skills at once had taken a toll on his brain. Even now, a persistent headache throbbed, threatening to split his head in two.

-[I suggest you check the system shop for something to help.]

Without hesitation, Magnus called up the system interface. It appeared instantly, and he navigated to the store, scanning the options until he found what he was looking for.

"What the hell? 100,000 evolution points for that? This is daylight robbery!" Magnus exclaimed, staring at the screen.

Displayed clearly in the store was precisely what he needed:

-[Cognitive Enhancers 『100,000 EP』: Boosts mental clarity and focus, and repairs mental damage.]

Magnus took a deep breath. Complaining wouldn't change the price, and he had the evolution points. That's all that mattered right now.

He clicked the buy button. A blinding light flashed, obscuring his vision momentarily. When it cleared, a vial containing the elixir floated in the air before him. Magnus snatched it, uncorked it, and swallowed the contents.

A calming energy spread through his mind, like a soothing firework display. He felt himself becoming more focused and at peace, his worries melting away as the energy diffused. Time seemed to blur as he lost himself in the sensation. Finally, the feeling subsided, and Magnus drew a long, deep breath.

"You know what? That was 100,000 Evolution Points well spent," he admitted.

While the Cognitive Enhancer hadn't increased his intelligence, it had streamlined his thoughts, clearing away the clutter of anxieties and worries that had clung to his mind. It was like deleting unnecessary files from a computer system, allowing it to run more smoothly. In a way, it had made him smarter, enabling his mind to function more efficiently.

-[Ding! Host's brain has recovered. Resuming memory fragment assimilation.]

A sudden rush of information flooded Magnus's mind, feeling like countless tiny needles pricking his brain. He clutched his head, the sensation, though less intense than when he learned the four skills earlier, still excruciating. He gritted his teeth to suppress a cry of pain.

Thankfully, the process was short-lived. As the memory fragment assimilation completed, Magnus breathed heavily, recovering from the onslaught of information. Gradually, he calmed down and began to process the memories of the body's previous owner. His expression grew increasingly grave.

If he'd thought his situation was bad before, with these memories, he realized it was far worse. He was in deep shit.

Essentially, the territory Magnus was now supposed to rule had previously belonged to his father, Arthur Lancaster, until he was killed in an ambush orchestrated by Gaylord, the goblin lord. Ironically, Arthur had had an alliance with Gaylord.

Lancaster Village, Magnus's current territory, was located in the Silent Canyon, a region more commonly known as the Beastlands due to its dense monster population. Many lords couldn't establish a foothold there; the constant threat of monster attacks destroyed anything they built. Only strong, clever, and resilient leaders like Gaylord and Arthur Lancaster had managed to carve out a space for themselves, but even then, survival was a constant struggle. This had led the two lords to form an alliance.

For years, the alliance had held strong, benefiting both sides. However, things began to change as Arthur approached his first trial as a territorial lord.

Lancaster Village had already surpassed Gaylord's territory in terms of troops and resources, a fact that bred a secret jealousy in the goblin lord. He coveted Arthur's territory and resources, but hadn't dared to make a move, knowing it would shatter the alliance. Besides, he lacked the strength to defeat Lancaster Village. He harbored these resentments for years, but Arthur's upcoming first trial proved to be the breaking point.

Gaylord knew that if Arthur succeeded in the first trial, his territory would become significantly more powerful, a prospect he couldn't tolerate. However, he felt powerless to prevent it; Arthur was already stronger, even without the trial's benefits.

An opportunity arose a few months ago when a powerful beast appeared at the edge of the Beastlands, near both lords' territories. This prompted Arthur and Gaylord to agree to a joint effort to defeat the beast and protect their lands.

After a long and brutal battle, they finally vanquished the beast, leaving both sides celebrating their victory. Seizing this moment of jubilation, Gaylord hosted a banquet, inviting Arthur and the soldiers who had participated in the fight. Unbeknownst to them, the banquet was a trap. The celebration turned into an ambush, and Lord Arthur, along with many Lancaster Village soldiers, was murdered. The people of Lancaster were devastated by the news.

Magnus was heartbroken by his father's death and burdened by the heavy responsibility of leadership. A young man with no experience, under immense emotional stress and pressure, he made the impulsive decision to seek revenge.

He led the remaining Lancaster Village troops to Gaylord's territory, only to walk into another ambush. Gaylord and his forces had anticipated their arrival. A fierce battle ensued, resulting in the deaths of many of Lancaster's remaining soldiers.

Magnus and a few others barely escaped with their lives, but Magnus was gravely wounded. These injuries ultimately led to his death, allowing Mark (presumably Magnus from Earth) to take over his body.

"Well, this is extremely bad," Magnus mused, a grim expression furrowing his brow. He wondered what his next move should be. How could he possibly navigate this mess?

Just as he was grappling with these thoughts, the door to the room swung open, interrupting his contemplation.

"Young Master Magnus, you're awake!" exclaimed a blue-haired, purple-eyed girl as she entered the room and saw him sitting up.