Chapter 1, Time Travel-1

"Light Healing..."

Accompanied by the incantation, a soft white light shoots out, accurately landing on the sickbed.

The white light emits a feeling of early spring, as if it could immerse one in the ocean of life. The body doesn't deceive. This bizarre scene forced Li Mu to swallow the words he was about to speak.

The scene in front of his eyes really didn't resemble acting. As for a prank, that was even more unlikely. As an ordinary salaried worker, Li Mu didn't believe anyone would go to such great lengths for him.

"I've crossed over!"

As this thought just emerged, a stream of unfamiliar memories gushed out from his mind, and without a chance to struggle, Li Mu gracefully fainted.

...

"Priest Kueen, how is Hudson's condition?"

A middle-aged man dressed lavishly asked with concern. Beside him was a noblewoman with swollen eyes, her expression complicated as she awaited an answer. She bore expectations and resentment, but hid them well, appearing like a mother concerned about her son.

"Do not fret, Baron Redman. God will bless his followers! The backlash has been successfully cleared. Young Master Hudson has awakened the Seed of Life, he's just fainted due to heavy energy consumption," said Priest Kueen, appearing slightly worn out.

Apparently, the healing magic he just performed was not an easy task.

After all, he is only a junior priest.

However, as a priest, he is considered a high-class talent, at least in Tyron Town.

Being the only priest and pharmacist in the territory, Priest Kueen was very respectable. Usually, he would treat people with his homemade potions or even conduct experiments while treating others, only the most important people in the territory are worth his divine arts.

"May the great Lord of the Dawn bless Hudson!"

"Thank you, Priest Kueen..."

Baron Redman said with a slightly excited tone, the worry on his face instantly disappearing. Had he not been a noble, his reactions would likely have been even more exaggerated.

Having sent the priest away, Baron Redman turned to a maid and instructed, "Take good care of Hudson, notify me immediately when he wakes."

Perhaps seeing Baron Redman's improved mood, the noblewoman beside him couldn't help but plead, "Redman, now that Hudson is fine, can we let poor Laisol down?"

As if hit on a sore spot, the previously elated face of Baron Redman immediately turned stormy.

"Silence! This is all your doing from pampering him too much. He swapped the Life Essence meant for his older brother, and ruined the reputation of our Koslow clan, which took a millennium to establish!

If it weren't for Hudson's good fortune, I will kill this beast. let him hang there and whoever dares to let him down..."

Tears are a woman's fiercest weapon, and under normal circumstances, Baron Redman would most likely have backed down. However, everything has become different now.

Having spoken, Baron Redman left, not leaving any dignity for the Lady Baron.

...

On the sickbed, Li Mu, who had merged with the original host's memories and slowly awoken, finally confirmed that he wasn't dreaming.

Perhaps in his previous life, he saved the universe since he unexpectedly landed such a great opportunity to cross-over.

If possible, Li Mu would rather go back to his 996 schedule. Whoever wants to cross-over can cross-over instead!

"Hudson Koslow", the third son of Baron Redman is Li Mu's new identity.

To be frank, though this family isn't incredibly wealthy, it's still a position I'd have struggled my entire previous life to attain. If I take this as a starting point and work hard, I have no doubt that I can have an exciting life.

But darn it, this world isn't normal at all!

Even though its political structure vaguely resembles medieval Europe, that's only on the surface.

Knight, magic, priest, wizard…

Elf Race, Dwarf Race, Orcs, Sea Race, Undead…

Professional roles and races from games and novels now suddenly manifest before my eyes, indicating that this world will not be peaceful.

Accustomed to the peace of modern society and then suddenly thrust into a world where 'the strong eat the weak,' anyone would have difficulty adjusting.

Because I'm scared of pain, I, Li Mu, don't have the courage for reckless behavior. After a night of struggling in bed, I reluctantly accepted that I had transformed into "Hudson Koslow".

My immediate goal — survival.

In a world riddled with religion and myths, any abnormal behavior might bring about fatal danger.

To avoid being burned at the stake, I must protect Hudson's identity. While other aspects can be taken care of easily, mimicking mannerisms and behavior is not so straightforward.

Thinking of this, I wasn't sure whether to thank or hate the silly younger brother of Hudson who was still hanging on the post.

If it weren't for his foolhardy attempts to swap the Life Essence of the original master, I probably wouldn't have ended up in this situation. Maybe I would have escaped this time travel altogether.

Similarly, this incident provides a perfect excuse for me. Having experienced life-and-death crisis might change one's behavior and it's a believable story.

After sorting out the messy memories in my mind, I gained a preliminary understanding of my predicament.

Third son of Baron Redman, with two older brothers, one older sister, and three younger brothers and two younger sisters. Regrettably, the current baroness is already the second wife.

Throughout history and across civilizations, having a stepmother implies life won't be easy. Otherwise, the misfortune of a youngster switching the Life Essence wouldn't have occurred.

The only consolation is that the current baroness comes from humble beginnings, a merchant's daughter. Although she is wealthy, she does not carry much weight in politics.

In this marriage of power and wealth, Baron Redman undoubtedly holds the dominant position. The fact that the Hudson brothers grew up safely is the best proof.

Thanks to the well-established inheritance law, there's no dispute over the title. No matter how influential the baroness is, Baron Redman would not depose the elder to establish the younger.

While there are no disputes over the title, resources must be fought for. In this world where the strong eat the weak, wealth doesn't guarantee everything. Valuable cultivation resources and political resources are not things that money can buy.

In the system of dukes and barons, barons are already low-ranking, so how many resources can they have?

Baron Redman, on top of that, is particularly prolific. With so many sons, how can the available resources be divided?

Especially as the ages of the brothers increase, this conflict increasingly intensifies. This incident with the Life Essence is a result of escalating tensions.

The two older brothers have successfully awoken their Seed of Life, becoming knights and serving in the Kingdom's Army.

When it came to Hudson's turn, the situation changed. Life Essence, a strategic resource for awakening the Seed of Life, was naturally monopolized by the Empire and the Church.

Even nobles have a quota that's not easily altered. To secure the Life Essence ahead of time, Baron Redman exhausted many favors and still had to delay for a year.

Because of this delay, Laisol, the younger brother close in age to Hudson, also neared the age to awaken his Seed of Life.

Barging in line was impossible, even if Laisol was Baron Redman's favorite son, and even if the baroness held considerable influence, nothing was above — family rules.

If he missed this opportunity, who knows how long he'd have to wait. Fueled by discontent, Laisol shockingly decided to steal the Life Essence.

The outcomes show that Laisol's plan ended tragically. Although the Life Essence was saved, Hudson was sure that it would never be his turn to use it.