“Hey, kid. You’d do well to take a moment to relax,” that hoarse voice echoed in my memory. An old man with graying hair, one mechanical arm and one mechanical leg, stared at me sharply. “Training excessively isn’t good for your mental health.”

  “Quit nagging, Master,” I shot back within that fragment of memory. “I’ll relax after I retire with a mountain of money in my pocket.”

  “You stubborn brat…”

  I woke with a suffocating sense of nostalgia. That dream—a fragment from my previous life about the grumpy old man who trained me. Even though I had begun a new life in a different world, memories like that were not something I wished to erase.

  I tried to sit up, but my body immediately protested. It felt heavy, as if every muscle fiber were being pierced by thousands of needles. The aftereffects of forcibly using aura last night were hitting me in full force now.

  “Damn it. What a trash body,” I muttered, exhaling in resignation. “Apolo, any solutions?”

  [You are asking me? Very well. First of all, good morning, Master. Did you sleep well after fainting from exhaustion yesterday?] Apolo’s voice echoed, flat yet dripping with sarcasm.

  “Enough small talk. Give me something useful.”

  [You could use the ‘Bio-Exoskeleton’ serum. Conveniently, I have successfully accessed your ‘Cosmic Pocket.’]

  I fell silent for a moment. “With this body? That’s a terrible idea.”

  The serum was miraculous. It could amplify a normal human’s strength up to fivefold, depending on the user’s willpower. The problem was its dark side: Bio-Exoskeleton exponentially enhanced one’s primal instincts and negative traits.

  Even though I had “repented” after regaining my past-life memories, the truth remained—I was still inhabiting Rey Lucien’s body. The deeply ingrained tendencies of this lecherous bastard hadn’t vanished overnight. I was painfully aware of how difficult it already was to suppress excessive urges whenever I saw the maids in this mansion.

  This otome world seemed designed with cruel taste—nearly every young woman here possessed extraordinary beauty, even at the level of servants. Using that serum now would be the equivalent of unleashing a beast I was desperately trying to cage.

  “Hah, no shortcuts…”

  I massaged my temples, calming my nerves. There was no instant solution. I would have to return to the traditional path—train and crawl up from the bottom, just like I did in my previous life.

  “Humans are destined to struggle endlessly,” I murmured, staring at the lavish ceiling above. “No matter which galaxy or era you stand in.”

  —*

  On a vast snow-covered hill sat a noble youth leisurely enjoying warm tea while reading a book. Yes—the noble who looked completely out of place was me.

  Any sane passerby would probably assume I had lost my mind. Who in their right mind holds a tea ceremony in freezing temperatures? But I had no choice. Today the sun shone brilliantly across the winter sky—a luxury I couldn’t afford to waste.

  The sun was my lifeline. Unlike mana, which replenished naturally through rest, my cosmic energy could only be restored through stellar radiation—at least until this body learned to manipulate it independently.

  [Master, is this not the time to train and swing your sword until your wrist dislocates?] Apolo’s voice teased through mental transmission.

  “You want me to act like a protagonist whose brain is filled with nothing but sweat and training?” I snorted, instantly recalling Elvan’s face. The male protagonist of this game was the classic passionate youth obsessed with training. If swords were women, I was certain Elvan would be making love to his blade every night.

  [Master, are you not interested in defeating the protagonist of this world?]

  “Hah, for what? Do you think I’ll become a reformed villain, show off my strength to humiliate him, and then have his entire harem fall for my charisma? Isn’t that painfully cliché, Apolo? Cheap.”

  [Then will you pretend to be a background character? Avoid the plot with all your might, only to be dragged into it by fate regardless?]

  “You think this world is like those trash isekai novels my Master used to read?”

  [Perhaps. Who knows?]

  I fell silent. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t actually decided on a long-term objective. I placed a hand on my chin and crossed my legs in a narcissistic pose. “Remaining a bastard does sound more entertaining.”

  [Oh, excellent. Maintain that trash-tier idealism. By the way… it seems a ‘test subject’ is approaching.]

  My ears caught the sound of heavy footsteps in the distance. My auditory senses had sharpened alongside the increase in cosmic energy.

  From beyond the slope appeared Alex. He was running, gasping for breath, carrying a large sandbag on his back. Earlier this morning, when we crossed paths, he had asked with sparkling eyes about the “teachings of the founder.” Too lazy to explain, I casually told him, “The ancestor said you must train your body to its absolute limit by running around the snowy hill with added weight.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Well, even though I lied about meeting the family founder, such extreme training was indeed effective for strengthening a knight’s foundation.

  “He actually did it,” I muttered while sipping tea, watching my unfortunate half-brother approach from afar. “Classic heroes are always so easy to manipulate.”

  I understood mana theory thoroughly. Honestly, applying it was far easier than taming wild cosmic energy. Once someone sharpened their senses enough to perceive mana flow, they simply had to choose between two paths: Mage or Warrior.

  For knights who used Aura, mana had to circulate through every blood vessel, like a river flowing endlessly to reinforce the body. Mages, on the other hand, condensed mana near the heart to form circles—like constructing a deep, tranquil lake.

  Watching Alex stagger closer, breathing heavily, I couldn’t stop the corner of my lips from curling upward.

  “Alright, Apolo. Let’s begin our next project—titled ‘Becoming Stronger Than the Protagonist.’”

  In the original storyline, Alex was merely an extra—never truly mentioned. Just a shadow within a noble family destined for ruin. But in my hands, this background character would become the brightest star on stage.

  If this world was a theatrical performance, I would ensure my “little brother” stole the spotlight.

  [Analysis: You are beginning to sound like a mad scientist experimenting on a laboratory rat, Master,] Apolo remarked.

  “Quiet. He’s not a rat—he’s my security investment,” I replied inwardly as Alex finally reached me and dropped the sandbag with a heavy thud.

  —*

  We returned to the mansion after dark. I dragged Alex across the snow like a leaking sack of grain.

  [He is genuinely near death, Master. His vital sensors are in the yellow zone.]

  “Hah, he’s just tired from ‘slightly’ extreme physical training,” I answered casually.

  [Truly, I believe my logic circuits are deteriorating from watching you drag a nearly dead man and call it ‘mild fatigue.’]

  Upon reaching the mansion gates, the servants gasped in horror at the sight. Ignoring their stares, I requested a bucket of cold water.

  I dumped it directly over Alex’s face. He awoke choking, dazed and confused, before staggering inside to collapse properly in his own room.

  “See? Still alive,” I muttered.

  [Ah, very well.]

  I noticed the mansion was far busier than usual. Servants rushed about with tense expressions. From the bits of information I gathered, a messenger had arrived from the border with grim news. Regional officials were currently holding an emergency meeting in the main hall.

  I returned to my room to clean up.

  Several hours later, silence once again blanketed the mansion after the meeting concluded.

  “Apolo, what was the result of the elders’ discussion?”

  [Interesting. This monster wave is unusual. Based on analysis, an unidentified high-class monster is mobilizing other creatures to assault the Lucien border.]

  “So the scenario has begun?”

  [Yes. For now, only minor monsters are breaching. However, this is merely a domino effect. Larger entities will follow. I predict the main wave will strike the border walls within one month.]

  “And Stepmother’s decision?”

  [They will dispatch envoys to neighboring nobles requesting soldiers and supplies. Reinforcements are expected to depart in three weeks.]

  I leaned back, staring sharply at the ceiling. The signal of the Lucien family’s destruction had sounded. In the original game route, Lord Lucien would sacrifice himself to hold the gate, yet the fortress would still fall. That disaster would gradually consume this territory.

  In the original future, the bastard Rey would flee back to the academy in spring, while Alex would die on the battlefield defending the honor of a family abandoned by its allies. Rey’s ending? Expelled from the academy, reduced to a vagrant, or sold into slavery.

  That tragic narrative was what I had to stop.

  “Damn it, our time is truly short.”

  My current strength was insufficient. My past-life knowledge was limited by a lack of resources. Creating modern weaponry required rare materials and skilled engineers we simply did not possess. We lacked everything.

  Yet within every deadlock, there was always a narrow path for maneuver.

  I hurried to meet my stepmother. I needed to convince her to send us south—to the territory of the Southern Duke, father of the main villainess in this cursed game.

  At the end of each year, the Southern Duke hosted an open sword tournament. The prize wasn’t merely money or artifacts—the victor was granted the right to request one favor from the Duke.

  I had to ensure Alex won that tournament. No matter the cost. Only the Southern Duke’s support could prevent the Lucien family’s destruction.

  —*

  The clash of steel and the roars of monsters shattered the frozen silence of the snow-covered road. A group of fully armored soldiers struggled to repel starving beasts. During winter, the southern route became a deadly zone—wild predators attacked anything to survive.

  Though the sky was clear, the luxurious caravan’s journey was repeatedly interrupted. Yet such obstacles seemed meaningless to the black-haired youth dancing amid the chaos.

  With precise movements, he severed the monsters’ heads effortlessly. Even veteran soldiers stared in awe.

  “He’s called the ‘Dark Horse’ of the academy, right?” one soldier whispered.

  “Correct. His talent is terrifying. Even his younger sister, the mage, is no ordinary individual.”

  Nearby, a black-haired girl chanted. A blazing Fireball shot from her hand, incinerating the remaining monsters.

  “Area secured! Burn the corpses and resume the march!” the captain commanded.

  The ornate carriage door—engraved with the golden crest of House Valerius—slowly opened. From within the darkness emerged a figure that made the soldiers unconsciously hold their breath.

  Selena Valerius, the Southern Duke’s only daughter.

  Her long violet hair cascaded like silk, framing a face of flawless symmetry and eyes as cold as a snowstorm. Selena possessed intimidating beauty—the kind that could make men kneel for a single glance.

  She stepped down with the elegance of a high-ranking predator, each movement radiating absolute luxury.

  “Thank you for your assistance. You were quite useful,” Selena said flatly, her tone as cold as the ice beneath her feet.

  “H-Heh… we should be the ones thanking you for this very luxurious ride,” Elaine replied stiffly, slightly overwhelmed by Selena’s dominant aura.

  Who would have thought that after the ballroom incident, their relationship would shift into something resembling an unusual friendship? Selena, having disciplined her subordinates for acting recklessly toward Erica without her permission, had chosen to return south.

  Her plan to spend winter in the capital with the Prince had been completely canceled. Disappointed and bored, she decided to oversee the year-end festival and sword tournament in her own territory.

  Hearing of the tournament’s grand prize, Elaine forced Elvan to participate. They needed money for next semester’s academy fees and refused to burden Asteria, who was financially strained. A chance meeting on the road led Selena to offer the twin protagonists a ride.

  The carriage wheels began turning again, carving through the snow toward Valerius territory.

  The fate that was meant to lead them to glory was now beginning to bend in a direction never written in the original script.