Written by: Loki
Lucian finally stopped gazing at the sky and slowly pushed himself up to his feet. He glanced down at his reflection again. No… this wasn't just anyone's body. Blonde hair that caught the sunlight, ruby-red eyes once radiant but now dulled—it was still his face, but that of his ten-year-old self. A face gaunt, starved, and pitiful, as if it hadn't eaten in weeks.
"Hmm… not bad, not bad~ I should look around."
With that, Lucian began wandering through the market stalls like a curious child. Some merchants shooed him away, while others—perhaps out of pity—gave him scraps of food. Once his stomach was filled, he walked leisurely through the streets, listening carefully to the passing conversations of strangers.
That was how he first learned of the powers ruling this world: great factions known as sects and clans. There were nine great sects and five great clans—but what caught his attention most was one name.
"Heavenly Demon Cult? Hmmm… interesting."
After asking around for maps and confirming their authenticity, Lucian decided on his next course of action. He would head to a nearby mountain said to be less dangerous. There, he resolved to stay for a time and train his body. In both his previous world and this one, he had already come to a single conclusion: only strength leads to true happiness.
Clutching only a map in his hand, he set off. Though bandits spotted him along the road, none were foolish enough to rob a dirt-poor looking child. What could they possibly gain? Nothing but wasted effort. They were bandits, not depraved perverts who enjoyed tormenting children.
Thus, Lucian's journey went smoothly—too smoothly. This was supposed to be a dangerous world, so why had no one come for him? He found it strange, but dismissed the thought and kept walking. In truth, he had already passed by three different bandit hideouts, but none bothered to emerge from their lairs. With his tattered clothes and bare feet, he looked far too pitiful to be worth robbing.
After two days of walking, living only on the fruits he found along the way, Lucian finally discovered a place to settle: an ordinary-looking cave, seemingly unoccupied. He decided it would serve as his temporary home.
Thinking back on his former life, he couldn't help but laugh. Who would have imagined that he, the great Emperor Lucian Arcturus Drevahn, would one day live beneath the rocks?
Back in his old world, his palace stretched as vast as a city. He had worn clothes tailored by the finest artisans, ridden in carriages of gold and mythril, and wielded swords crafted to perfection. His armory overflowed with legendary artifacts, and his treasury brimmed with mountains of gold coins.
And now? He had nothing. No clothes, no swords, not even a roof over his head. Yet he felt neither sorrow nor anger. On the contrary—he found it all deeply amusing.
Everything about this world was fascinating to him. From the trees swaying in the wind, to the beasts that roamed the paths, even to the flowers blooming by the roadside—he found himself admiring their beauty.
Laughing quietly at the absurdity of the past few days, Lucian stepped into the humble cave that would now be his home.
"Maybe... I truly had gone mad." I laughed while entering this dark cave.