Chapter 1: A Light from the Sky
A streak of light tore through the sky, crashing violently into a lush green mountain.
Amid the shattered rocks lay a young boy of fifteen or sixteen, his body slumped beside a stone, blood staining the ground beneath him. Suddenly, a soft white light descended and merged into his body.
Time passed.
The boy's eyelids trembled before slowly opening. A violent surge of memories slammed into his mind like a hammer, leaving him gasping. Clutching his aching head, he staggered to his feet and looked around.
The unfamiliar surroundings—dense vegetation and towering trees—made his heart turn cold.
Was I kidnapped?
The thought surfaced instantly, only to be rejected just as quickly.
No. I live in a residential area. There's no way anyone could have kidnapped me from my own house.
After calming himself, he forced his thoughts to settle and think carefully. A lingering pain throbbed in his head, but as it gradually faded, his expression froze.
Because along with the pain's disappearance came a terrifying realization—
There were memories in his mind that did not belong to him.
Originally, he had been a young man from the twenty-first century, living a mediocre life. Now, just by looking at his hands, he understood the truth.
He had transmigrated.
The name of this body was Ivan Thornheart, an illegitimate son of a minor noble.
From the original memories, he learned that his mother had been the daughter of a merchant. His father, Baron Joseph Thornheart, had taken her as a lover after being captivated by her beauty. After giving birth to Ivan, she died from illness, and the baron showed little concern for the child afterward.
Ivan grew up in the baron's castle. Although he was illegitimate, his father discovered when Ivan was six years old that he possessed outstanding talent as a knight. From then on, he was trained rigorously in the knight's path—and he did not disappoint. At the age of fifteen, Ivan had already become a high-level knight squire, earning even the baron's approval.
This time, he had come to the mountain to train alone.
Unfortunately, he encountered a high-level magical beast comparable to a quasi-knight. During the fierce battle, he was severely injured and ultimately died.
As Ivan sifted through the memories flooding his mind, a chilling truth struck him.
This is a transcendent world, he realized, filled with knights, magical beasts, and powers far beyond anything he had ever known. His own body was gone, yet here he was, alive within the shell of someone else. The sensation was disorienting, but clarity slowly emerged with the memories of Ivan Thornhart.
Since I've taken over your body, he thought silently, from this moment on, I am Ivan Thornhart.
Looking around, he soon discovered the corpse of the high-level magical beast. Judging by the horrific wounds on its body, it was clear that the original Ivan had taken the beast down with him.
It was a Shadow Leopard.
Such beasts normally lived deep within the forest, only venturing down the mountain when food became scarce.
Using a dagger, Ivan harvested the valuable parts of the magical beast and packed them carefully. Once finished, he prepared to return to the castle.
Suddenly, his body froze.
Standing before him was a humanoid figure.
It resembled a robot, its entire body forged from silver metal, radiating a cold metallic luster.
"Unlocking initiated."
"Unlocking sequence complete. Orin Clan soul fluctuations—undetectable. Conclusion: the Orin Clan has perished."
"In accordance with Regulation 671, commencing search for a new master."
The humanoid robot's eyes erupted with brilliant blue light, spreading in all directions.
Ivan instinctively raised his arm as the blinding glow swallowed his vision.