'When did things start to go wrong?'

  As the youngest son of the Smirnova family, Boris struggled to survive.

  The Smirnovas believe that their children must compete ruthlessly, using any means necessary—even eliminating one another. In the end, only one can rise to the top and earn a position as the head of the family. To them, the sole survivor proves themselves as the only worthy candidate to lead.

  Because of this, Boris had no sibling he could trust.

  During those times, the only person he could rely on was his nanny, Ana, who had cared for him since childhood.

  Ana was a low-ranking young maid, originally assigned as a backup nanny—tasked with disciplining and educating children deemed incompetent.

  At the time, that child was Boris.

  Boris was not particurly bright. At his noble school, he struggled academically and had average physical abilities. Because of this, Ana, as a backup nanny, was assigned to him. But for Boris, having Ana as her nanny was a blessing.

  In the Smirnova family, there is a tradition that the nanny of the child who ascends as the head of the family is rewarded with immense wealth and promoted to head maid. For the nannies, this brutal competition is not just about their assigned child's success—it's a battle for their own future.

  Driven by ambition, nannies resort to any means necessary to make their assigned child stronger, often employing harsh and ruthless methods. With no rules to restrain them and unlimited funding at their disposal, only results matter in the end.

  But Ana was different. Unlike the other nannies who pushed their charges through relentless pain, she treated Boris with kindness and compassion.

  Together, Boris and Ana lived quietly in the family's shadow, never intending to involve themselves in the struggle for power.

  But that fragile peace unraveled as his siblings began to awaken one by one.

  Boris experienced his own awakening soon after—a deep, unsettling sensation coursing through his body, as if something foreign was taking root inside him. Not long after, deer-like antlers began to grow from his head.

  With these newfound powers, the battle for the family's head escated. Siblings turned on each other, exploiting weaknesses, weaving schemes, and committing betrayals. Even Boris, who had once stayed hidden in the background, found himself inevitably drawn into the fight for survival.

  One by one, many fell in the ruthless battles, while those who survived secured their pce, constantly watching the others. In the end, the strongest survivor would stand as the face of the Smirnova family—the most powerful heir of their generation.

  ***

  After graduating from noble school, each child of the Maurya nobility was assigned a role within the empire, serving in fields such as medicine, the military, expeditions, and many more.

  Boris chose to join the expedition squad—a decision that allowed him to stay at the main mansion in Ztogorye, where all the nannies, including Ana, were required to remain.

  Each time he returned from an expedition, Ana was there to greet him. Those moments became the highlight of his days, and before long, his feelings for her began to grow.

  Yet something else was growing within him—something far less welcome. He recognized it from his studies at noble school—a trait shared by all Awakened Maurya nobility. Each noble inherited a primal instinct from their legendary creature ancestors, and now Boris could feel his own awakening taking root.

  The Smirnova family's legendary creature ancestor was Cernunnos, a deer of fertility and grace. Alongside this legacy came a primal instinct—an uncontrolble lust.

  Boris wasn’t alone in experiencing this change. His siblings began to face the same urges, and many of them embraced it, seeking out "tools" to indulge their primal instincts. Their father encouraged this behavior, urging them to take pride in their nature rather than suppress it. This mindset aligned with the beliefs of the Primal Party, which the Smirnovas openly supported—standing in contrast to the Human Party, which sought to restrain their primal instincts.

  Boris refused to follow his family's example. Instead, he chose to suppress his primal instincts, enduring relentless pain and discomfort. For Boris, there was only one woman in his heart—Ana—and he intended to marry her as soon as possible.

  Then the war broke out.

  The nobles, including the Smirnova family, were mobilized, and his chance slipped away as the orders came too suddenly. Yet, even amid the chaos of war, he never allowed his lust to stray toward other women. For Ana, he believed he could endure the torment of suppressing his primal instincts for as long as necessary.

  But even that simple wish—to marry Ana—was never fulfilled.

  ***

  Amid the war, Boris finally had the opportunity to return to the main mansion, where Ana was waiting.

  It was a quiet night. Weary from his journey, Boris hurried to her room, his heart pounding with anticipation. Though exhausted, he couldn't conceal his excitement. He had a small wooden carving in his pocket—a gift he had crafted during his travels, as he hadn’t had the time to prepare anything more fitting.

  But just as he reached the door to Ana's room, it swung open.

  Standing before him was someone he knew all too well: his father, Dimitry Smirnova.

  Dimitry, the head of one of the most powerful noble families in the Maurya Empire, was a busy man. He had no business with a low-ranking maid such as Ana, especially at this hour.

  Boris’s mind spun into chaos.

  He kept his expression neutral, a courtesy demanded when confronting the head of the family, but inside, it felt as though his heart was being ripped apart.

  “So you’re pnning to use her too,” Dimitry remarked casually.

  Without waiting for an answer, he continued, “Go find someone else. I’ve been using her for a while now, and I’m thinking of making her a concubine.”

  Boris, his heart weighed down with sorrow, forced a strained smile.

  “I see… is she really that... useful?”

  At the question, Dimitry let out a soft chuckle, a smirk spreading across his face.

  “Indeed. It’s a bit annoying, hearing her scream and seeing her constantly cower in fear, but once you got used to it, it’s actually quite entertaining.”

  With that, Dimitry turned and walked away, leaving Boris standing in the doorway, the small wooden carving gripped tightly in his hand.

  All the excitement and anticipation that had driven him was swallowed by a searing pain, and the weariness from his long journey felt a hundred times heavier.

  The image of his father's smirking face, speaking so callously about Ana, was seared into his mind.

  Boris colpsed to his knees.

  ***

  Boris knelt in the dim glow of the bathroom light, his body streaked with blood as he looked up.

  In front of him stood his attacker—a man cd in dark clothing, his face concealed behind a clown mask.

  Boris sensed nothing from him. No presence. No mana.

  'A human...'

  He was bewildered. There was no way a mere human could infiltrate a high-ranking noble’s mansion. He knew the security of his own estate better than anyone.

  Moreover, the previous attack was far too precise for a mere human. The clown had struck through the door, targeting Boris’s heart with uncanny accuracy, as if anticipating his exact position. Even his thrust was calcuted. He had deliberately made his attack seem weak—because he knew.

  He knew his target was a mana user. He knew that those blessed with mana instinctively disregarded weak attacks, trusting in their innate barriers.

  This was no ordinary assassin.

  He was a specialist. A killer specialized for mana users.

  The clown wasted no time.

  With a swift motion, he grabbed Boris by his antler, yanked his head back, and pressed a knife against his throat. The cold golden knife twisted against his skin before pulling away.

  Paralyzed by the sheer absurdity of the situation, Boris couldn’t defend himself.

  After the attack, he lost all sensation in his body. His vision blurred, and his limbs refused to respond as he colpsed to the ground.

  Then, it dawned on him—the clown had struck his neck, targeting his spinal cord, making him completely paralyzed. It was a precise, calcuted attack. One that required knowledge of the body.

  And that made it even more absurd.

  In the Maurya Empire, humans weren’t allowed an education. Yet the clown possessed knowledge far beyond what any noble would expect from a lowborn.

  Leaving Boris sprawled on the floor, the clown turned and walked toward the bed.

  Boris struggled to hold on, fighting to keep his consciousness intact.

  Normally, such an attack would be fatal—even for a mana user. But Boris was different. His mastery of mana circution allowed him to support his organ functions using mana.

  Though Boris was never quick with mental calcutions, making spellcasting difficult compared to his siblings, he found a way to compensate. He focused on circuting mana through his body, gaining more control over his physical functions with its support.

  In a desperate bid to stay alive, he channeled mana into his head, keeping his brain active despite the blood loss.

  As his vision sharpened, Boris gnced up and saw the clown approaching Ivanna, who had stirred from the commotion.

  'Ivanna!'

  Panic surged through him as he saw the clown nearing Ivanna.

  Desperate to make the clown retreat, Boris activated his bloodline ability, amplifying the pain the clown was carrying to its maximum.

  The clown paused, briefly gncing at him before continuing his approach as if nothing had happened.

  'No... that much pain should be enough to shatter the unconscious realm of any human!'

  Boris tried to push himself up, but he had lost all control of his body. With each passing moment, his muscles stiffened, weakened by the steady loss of blood.

  In desperation, Boris channeled all his mana through his body, trying to support its control. But nothing happened. His internal organs had ceased functioning, and his body was as close to a lifeless corpse as one could get.

  As Boris struggled, he saw the clown inching closer to Ivanna.

  'No! Get up! Get up!'

  Panic gripped him. Desperation surged through him as he forced more mana into his body.

  Then, something began to change.

  His wounds started to close. A faint greenish hue spread across his skin as his muscles twitched with the surge of energy. A strange symbol, resembling the roots of a tree, etched itself into his flesh. His antlers grew rger, small leaves sprouting from them, while his hair lengthened, turning a vibrant green, repcing its usual pink.

  Now infused with a new, overwhelming power, Boris pushed himself to his feet. He didn’t stop to examine the changes. Without hesitation, he charged toward the clown.

  As Boris closed the distance, he threw a punch, but the clown sidestepped dodging the attack. Undeterred, Boris attacked again, but the clown evaded with a quick two-step retreat.

  Finally creating a small distance between them, Boris seized the opportunity to position himself in front of Ivanna.

  "Iv....-R-rN," Boris attempted to speak, trying to warn Ivanna to run, but his mouth refused to cooperate. The words came out jumbled and incoherent, and he quickly abandoned any hope of speaking.

  Yet, despite the failure, he wasn't worried. He knew Ivanna was skilled at hiding. If he could just create a distraction, she would have the opportunity to escape and find help.

  His gaze stayed locked on the clown, every fiber of his being focused on staying alert.

  The clown, however, merely observed him, chin resting on his hand, as if genuinely intrigued by Boris’s transformation.

  Boris quickly shifted into a combat stance, one he had perfected over the years.

  With his newfound power, he lunged at the clown.