The Sovereign System.

Luke jolted awake to the sound of frantic knocking. For a second, he wasn't sure where he was—the rough silk of the sheets, the grand arching ceiling, and the scent of woodsmoke told him this was not his room. 

His body felt odd. Almost as if it were foreign.

"Young Master," a voice spoke out. The door creaked open, revealing a tall figure dressed in the formal attire of a butler. His expression was dark, as if he had witnessed something grave.

"Sebastian?" The name escaped his mouth, almost instinctively. Yet he'd never seen this man in his life. A sharp pain pulsed behind his eyes, and memories that were not his own surged forward like a rising tide.

His stomach turned as the foreign memories took root.

'This isn't my body… Where am I?' He thought, trying to quell the panic which threatened to overcome him.

"Your father..." Sebastian's voice broke, but he quickly composed himself. "He has fallen in battle."

Luke blinked in confusion. Fallen? Father? No, no. This wasn't him. This wasn't real. He wasn't a young master. He had been—

Before he could finish his thoughts, the door slammed open, and the room exploded into chaos. A swarm of armored men rushed in, steel gleaming under the dim candlelight.

Traitors. It was all clear now in the jumbled flood of memories—these men had served his family once, yet here they were, brandishing arms against him.

Luke felt a strange pang of sadness, but he couldn't say why.

"Protect the young master!" Sebastian's deep voice cut through the noise as he launched himself into the fray, putting his body on the line. But it was quickly evident that the numbers advantage was too much for him.

Luke's mind reeled. He felt like he was on the edge of losing himself, memories pressing in, too many, too fast. But then the cold, sharp realization hit him: they were here for him.

His chest tightened in panic. He couldn't move, his limbs felt useless and weak as fear gripped him tightly.

'I'm going to die? But I don't even know where I am…'

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before him. A glowing window, lined with text.

[System Activated: Stats available for upgrade]

Luke's breath caught in his throat.

'A system? Here?'

He didn't have time to think. There were upgrades available, he needed to spend all of his available stat points.

Despite the madness around him, his hazy mind locked onto the strange window in front of him. It didn't make sense—this couldn't be real. But then again, neither was the body he found himself in. With no other choice, he reached out, fingers trembling over the glowing options.

'Upgrade them all!' He shouted in his heart.

"Alright you bastards, come at me." He shouted, though the quiver in his voice caused a smile to appear on the nearest threat.

Gulping loudly, he tried to stand yet his body remained sluggish. The panic returned, colder and sharper. Why wasn't it working?

A shadow loomed over him. One of the traitors raised his sword.

Before the blade could fall, bodies went flying. Flesh ripped apart, blood sprayed across the floor, producing a sickening noise.

"M-Monster!" a voice cried out.

The traitor froze mid-attack, his eyes darting toward the wails of his comrades. Luke's gaze followed—and there, standing in a sea of blood, was Sebastian, his aura now dark, lethal.

"N-No!" A scream filled with terror echoed throughout the room.

Sebastian burst forward with terrifying speed, his eyes locked onto the man who threatened his young master. In an instant he was upon him, throwing a straight punch towards the sternum of the perpetrator.

 There was a sickening crack as his fist tore through the air and went unimpeded, finding its mark. 

Luke watched on in horror as he witnessed Sebastian's bloodied fist protruding from the man's back, painting a visceral scene.

Sebastian pulled back his arm, causing the man in the throes of death to collapse to the floor with his eyes opened wide in despair.

"Young Master, we need to leave, now!" Sebastian barked, his eyes wild.

Using his free hand, the butler grabbed Luke and whisked him out of the room without another word, pulling him away from the carnage he'd created.

Luke's legs felt like lead, his vision blurred by the shock of what he'd just witnessed. His mind was shutting down, unable to process the blood, the bodies, the sheer violence of it all.

If it weren't for Sebastian dragging him along, he might have collapsed on the spot.

They rushed through the winding halls, shadows flickering under the dim torchlight. Every sound—footsteps, distant shouts—seemed to echo endlessly in Luke's ears. He barely noticed when Sebastian stopped and pressed a hidden panel in the wall, revealing a small, dark doorway.

"In here, Young Master," Sebastian whispered, his voice low and urgent. He gestured for Luke to enter, but he couldn't move, his wide eyes still locked on the floor.

Seeing no response, Sebastian sighed and moved him into the escape tunnel himself. The door slid shut behind them, plunging them into near darkness.

Luke barely made it a few steps before collapsing to his knees. His stomach churned, and in the next instant, he was vomiting violently onto the stone floor.

"Damn it," Sebastian muttered under his breath, his expression showing signs of impatience.

The butler crouched beside Luke, his face hardening. He couldn't afford to let the young master fall apart—not now. 

Sebastian crouched beside Luke, his face hard. Luke didn't see the blow coming. A sharp strike to the base of his neck sent his vision spinning into darkness

***

The sound of hooves trotting along with the rhythmic creak of wagon wheels stirred Luke from the dark void of unconsciousness. As his eyes fluttered open, the rich scent of old wood filled his senses. 

He blinked, taking in the interior of the carriage. There were ornate wooden seats with luxurious red cushions, detailed craftsmanship that seemed too fine for the dire situation he found himself in.

"Young Master, how are you feeling?"

Sebastian's voice cut through the fog in Luke's mind, drawing his attention. He felt disoriented but far more alert than before. His body still felt foreign, but the shock was subsiding.

"Sebastian, where are we going?" Luke asked, pushing himself up from his reclined position.

A brief silence filled the air before the butler responded. "We've left the city. Your father was likely betrayed on the battlefield by those traitorous scum before they stormed the castle."

Luke said nothing, simply nodding. His mind was clearer now, enough to process the whirlwind of memories that had assaulted him before.

He wasn't truly Luke Nero, the young master of the Nero family. But here he was, in this body, inheriting not only its privileges but also its perils.

The memories flooded in—his father, the viscount, a loyal vassal of the king, given authority over Valand City. Now, it all seemed worthless. His father was dead, slain by traitors, and the city had fallen into their hands.

Whatever power or status Luke Nero had was gone.

'But I'm not him. I'm not from this world at all.' He thought, feeling a sense of exasperation.

Luke's chest tightened as the truth set in. He wasn't a noble. He wasn't even from this place. 

His real name was Luke Thomas, a man from Earth, a different world entirely. He had lived an unremarkable life as a young man in his twenties, working a decent job but never truly finding purpose.

His memories of his past life felt distant and hazy, but enough remained. 

Enough to recall the monotony of his life on Earth.

He had no grand aspirations, no real connections. His most prominent indulgence had been mobile games, sinking his hard-earned money as a "whale," dominating other players for the fleeting thrill of power.

But now, he had been transported—thrown into this world at the very moment this Luke Nero was about to be killed. 

A second chance? His situation felt like some cosmic joke.

Luke stared at his hands, hands that weren't his own, yet now they were all he had. 

He couldn't help but think of the irony, a painful yet mildly amusing reminder of his weakness.

He had once reveled in his in-game dominance, lording over others through superior resources. But here, in a world where death was real and power had actual consequences, those skills meant nothing.

Or did it?

Luke's heart skipped a beat as he recalled the system window that had appeared right before the traitor nearly killed him.

'How do I get it to appear again?' His brow furrowed as he mentally reached out, hoping for some kind of response.

Sebastian's eyes flicked toward him, and Luke could feel the man watching him closely with a scrutinizing gaze.

Despite this, there was an almost fatherly concern hidden beneath his eyes, one that Luke was not accustomed to—at least in recent memory.

But then—

"Ah!" Luke's exclamation filled the small carriage.

Sebastian tensed instantly, moving as if he'd been struck by lightning. His powerful aura flooded the space, making Luke instinctively flinch. Sebastian's body shielded his master as he scanned the surroundings for threats.

"What is it!?" Sebastian's voice was like a drawn sword, ready for the worst.

"S-Sorry!" Luke stammered, thrown off by the immediate intensity of the butler's reaction. "I just... I was startled by something." He quickly tried to calm the intimidating figure beside him.

Sebastian slowly relaxed, though his wary eyes flicked to the window and back. Satisfied there was no imminent danger, he sat back down, his movements deliberate and cautious.

As the tension ebbed, Luke let out a deep breath. The shimmering screen in front of him gleamed brighter now that his panic had subsided.

[Welcome to…]

[The Sovereign System]

User: Luke Nero

Title: Fallen Noble

Subordinates: 0

Stats:

Ambition: F+

Charisma: F

Intelligence: E

Prowess: F

Zeal: F

Loyalty: F

Additional notes: A fallen noble with no redeeming features or skills. In summary, an unremarkable brat that nobody would look twice at.

'What the hell kind of start is this?' Luke's eye twitched as he stared at the summary, the bluntness almost offensive. A noble brat with nothing to show for it? 

He tried to remember the earlier window he'd seen—he was sure he'd boosted all his stats back in his room. So where did those stats go?

As if reading his frustration, the system flickered for a moment, unresponsive. 

'This isn't what I saw before.' He complained in his heart.

While Luke wrestled with his confusion, Sebastian peered out of the carriage to check their surroundings. Moments later, he returned to his seat, visibly more relaxed now that the immediate danger had passed. His sharp eyes locked onto Luke, who still seemed out of sorts.

"What's wrong, Young Master?"

Luke was about to brush him off when a notification popped up, almost as if on cue:

[Potential subordinate detected: Open status window?]

Luke blinked, his gaze drifting between the message and Sebastian. 

'Subordinate?'

He hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. Without fully understanding what he was doing, he mentally accepted the prompt.

User: Sebastian Black

Title: Butler

Stats:

Strength: B+

Agility: A-

Endurance: B

Combat: A

Loyalty: S+

Stat points: 0

Additional notes: Butler to the Nero family, fiercely loyal and savage towards anyone or anything that may hurt his Young Master. 

Luke sucked in a cold breath of air as he read through the status window of his loyal butler. Firstly, the information was completely different to his own status window, causing him a little confusion.

However, the most surprising part was the additional notes at the end. Sebastian had always been there for the former Luke Nero, but what about him? The current Luke wasn't sure if he could trust that loyalty."

If he were to trust the system's assessment, then it meant that the man in front of him was as loyal as they came.

"Sebastian... I'm no longer a noble. Why are you still protecting me?" Luke's voice was soft, the vulnerability leaking through despite his best efforts to hide it.

Sebastian paused, clearly taken aback by the question. But then a warm smile spread across his face, softening his sharp features. For a moment, it was like the tension between them dissolved.

"You are like a son to me, Luke." His voice was gentle, the words weighted with affection. "I will never abandon you. Not now, not ever."

[DING]

[Sebastian Black has declared his loyalty. Do you accept?]