Chapter 03 : The Reduction Rune

After leaving the study, Victor's first action was to return to his room where he instructed the maids to pack the last of his luggage. One bag would be kept with him, while the others would be shipped out after the ceremony, as he would no longer be able to live here.

After the maids left, Victor sat on his bed thinking about his next step. "This is going to be another gamble," He thought. "But it would definitely be worth it!" he pondered as he waited.

He had a reason to wait here instead of going down to spend time with his mother. There would be an important item that he needs for his plan, and this item would be delivered to him at any moment.

He did not have to wait for long. A few minutes later, the room's engraved wooden door was abruptly pushed open.

"Ha ha, brother, I hope you get a good result tonight. Big brother Max had told me that the ceremony is very dangerous and half of the candidates would die every year."

A youth with curly purple hair swaggered into the room with an evil grin. Behind him, an exquisite maid followed in silence.

He was Luke Von Weise, the youngest son of the first lady of the house, and Victor's half-brother, the maid behind him was his personal maid and bodyguard.

If outsiders saw her, they would presume she was Luke's lover, but Victor knew that the heirs of the Von Weise family were forbidden from getting laid before the coming-of-age ceremony where they would be considered adults, regardless of their age!

Despite that fact, the heir would be surrounded by hot maids and butlers throughout their youth years. Not only was this to train their self-discipline. It was also to stimulate their bloodlines. And this really worked!

As for poor Victor, he was forbidden from recruiting a maid till his ceremony because he was almost seduced by one when he just hit puberty a few years back. That event ruined his reputation and he was punished very harshly by his father who sent him to an all-boys aristocratic boarding school. He was only allowed to return home on official vacations.

Victor looked at the mocking Luke and smiled, "I am ready for the ceremony, and no matter what I will make our father proud like my elder brother and sister, I heard that big brother Rex's results were barely passable, and father was so angry with him that he made him experience life by cleaning the toilets in all of the families hotels!" he said provoking his brother.

The first wife, Marta, had three children, The eldest, Max, was a player, while the second, Rex was just a semi-player whom his father was very disappointed with back then because he showed great promise by mastering the family's art quickly. The youngest was the one facing him now, Luke.

He had yet to be an adult, but he had long realized that his mother, Marta, was in a tight spot! Victor's mother, Elena, already had two children with the status of an elite heir, and there were talks in the family for her to be the main wife.

Although his mothers and younger siblings had no knowledge about the hidden rules of the world and who is a player and who is not, they know that everything depended on the ceremony's result and that it had something to do with bloodline purity.

Hearing Victor's ridicule Luke's face turned red with anger. But he was no fool and knew that he can only swallow this bad breath, he can't screw up his brothers' plans. Using the thing his brother gave him, he would ensure that Victor will disappear forever.

"Brother there is no need for such talk, we are all family!" said Luke with a silly smile. "I just came here to wish you a good ceremony, and hope that you will succeed."

With that Luke stepped forward and gave Victor a tight hug then backed away awkwardly and left the room in a hurry. If his father saw that right now, he would really believe that Luke cared about his brother.

Watching her young master leave, the maid followed him quickly without forgetting to give a bow to Victor before closing the door on her way out. She tried hard to hide the ridicule in her eyes, but she failed.

Victor stared at the door for a moment, then burst into a mad laugh that didn't suit his age. "Ha ha, this stupid brother of mine can really act, in my past life I did truly fall for this stupid play of his!"

Reaching his hand into his robe's pocket he took out a pure black octagonal piece of thin Jade, this thing was put there by Luke when he hugged him.

"Who would have thought that the cause of my ruin in my past life would become the key to my success in this one," thought Victor as he inspected the jade.

This jade was called 'Reduction Rune', and it was a very rare SSS item, its effect is the permanent reduction by 1 point of any attribute defined by the user. Unfortunately, it was also cursed. Reducing the talent and stamina of whoever held it.

Of course, his brother did not know how precious this thing was. but he seems to figure out that this jade will make the holder weaker. It was probably one of his elder half-brother's plans. He planned to use it to lower Victor's chances of completing the ritual.

In his past life, His brothers' plan only half succeeded.

Unlike what others thought, with his superb qualification and bloodline purity, Victor should have been able to be a full player with ease, but he fell short by just a few points because of this cursed rune, and could only be a semi-player with a very weak position in the family.

Looking at the ominous-looking jade in his palm, Victor sighed, this thing was kept by his side in his past life as a memento before discovering its real use when he accidentally sat on it and broke it. This rune would be the essential key for his next step… It might also cause him to die. But that was a risk he was willing to take. His enemy was that strong.

Victor knew about his brother's plot after that after forcing his way into Luke's presidential office and confronting him with the truth. That bastard hid nothing. He shamelessly bragged in front of Victor that it was him then ordered the secret service to break some of Victor's bones before throwing him out. Victor still remembers the ugly smirk on the bastard's smug face to this day.

Returning the jade to the pocket of his robe, he gave his room one last look before leaving, heading downstairs where his mother had been waiting for him nervously.

She gave him a tight hug as soon as she saw him, "Be careful, and no matter what, you have to return alive," she said with tears in the corners of her eyes as she kissed his forehead. She was trying to act strong.

"Yes mother," he replied in a confident tone while feeling the warmth in his heart, his mother was one of the few who never lost hope in him.

His little sister Lara peeked from behind his mother and looked sadly at her brother, "Goodbye brother," she said and ran away. Victor noticed the tears in her eyes as well, she likely thought that she would never see her brother again. It's probably that bastard's Luke's instigation. He will take his revenge on him later.

"Are you ready, let's go, we have a long trip," his Father's voice came from the back. He had just left the study and the butler, George, was helping him put on his ceremonial robes on his way out.

"Yes Father!" said Victor slowly letting go of his reluctant mother, then walking after his father out of the mansion's door in silence. Not failing to notice the shadows of his step-brothers, who were smirking while peeking at him from the windows upstairs.