"I'm fucked," I muttered as I stared down at the symbol.
For a moment, it almost felt as though the eye was staring back at me. A faint chill crept down my spine.
'Wyatt. Zoros. Greta. Azatoth. Gream.'
I repeated the names listed in the journal in my mind, my eyes narrowing slightly.
Several suspicions stirred within me.
'Was my predecessor responsible for my transmigration?'
The thought surfaced almost instinctively.
He had mentioned obtaining a treasure capable of changing his fate. He had also said that if he succeeded in gaining a second chance, he would stand above the world and laugh at everything beneath him.
With the system in my possession now… that possibility didn't seem far-fetched.
I inhaled quietly, my mind racing as fragments of the journal replayed themselves in my thoughts.
Still, another question lingered.
How had he obtained that treasure in the first place?
The creatures he mentioned sounded terrifying. Beings capable of controlling him from afar.
If such entities truly existed… how had he managed to secure the treasure under their watch?
No memory in my mind contained the answer.
It was as though that part of the past had been completely erased.
'Him?'
I quickly dismissed the thought.
That couldn't be possible.
According to the memories I possessed, my predecessor had never trained as a cursed warrior.
Elizabeth had never allowed it. Not once.
Yet something about those memories suddenly felt… strange.
"My memories…" I whispered subconsciously, my eyes widening.
Sure, they were mine now.
But before today… they had never belonged to me.
What if I was only seeing what my predecessor wanted me to see?
"What?"
A cold wave of realization washed through my chest.
If that were true, then everything would make sense.
He could have hidden the truth of his strength. Hidden the battles he fought. Hidden the places he visited.
Which meant only one thing.
'Just how strong was he…?'
The thought lingered heavily in my mind.
And if someone that powerful had still died…
Then how terrifying were the enemies that hunted him?
For the first time since arriving in this world, genuine fear tightened around my heart.
'Damn it.'
I rubbed my temple as a faint headache formed.
But the feeling only lasted for a moment before anger rose to replace it.
"No… I'll survive this," I muttered quietly.
"I just need time."
…And more partners.
The corner of my lips slowly curled upward.
In the end, these obstacles were nothing more than stepping stones on my path.
A quiet laugh escaped me.
Then another.
"Gods, monsters… it doesn't matter."
"One day I'll crush them all beneath my feet."
The tension inside my chest gradually eased.
With a calm breath, I summoned the system.
A blue holographic panel appeared before me.
[Master: Aristarkh Targaryan]
[Title: Heir of Lust, Harbinger of Curse and Destruction, ???, ???, ???]
[Physique: Cursed Nebula (Grade: ???)]
[Cursed Rank: Stage One, Rank 1 Cursed Warrior]
[Cursed Techniques: Dragon Flame Cursed Art]
[Current Slots: 0]
[Current Ero Points: 50/500]
[Current Partner: Lydia Stormborn]
[Partner's Affection: 38%]
My gaze lingered on the second line.
'What the hell are those titles…?'
And why were several of them blurred?
Did it have something to do with my predecessor?
Or was there something special about me as well?
Unable to find an answer, I continued scanning the screen.
Seeing my cursed rank left me fairly satisfied.
But when my gaze reached the ero points, I raised an eyebrow.
'Fifty?'
'I had ten before…'
Which meant I had gained forty.
"When did that happen?"
I leaned back slightly, replaying everything that had occurred today.
After a moment, my eyes lit up with realization.
'Could it be…?'
If my guess was correct, ero points were obtained through intimate interactions with my partner.
That raised another question.
Could I gain them from other women as well?
I had never studied the system deeply enough to know.
Still, discovering a method to obtain points was already valuable.
"Four hundred and fifty more…"
I tapped my chin thoughtfully.
"Then I can bond with another partner."
Rosaline was the obvious candidate.
Or perhaps someone else.
I shook my head and looked further down the screen.
My eyes stopped on Lydia's affection.
Thirty-eight percent.
"It's still this low?"
My brow furrowed.
What exactly was going through that girl's mind?
Why hadn't it risen further?
After thinking about it for a moment, I simply shrugged.
"She'll come around eventually."
Even at thirty-eight percent, the system already provided triple returns.
Still…
If I could push it just a little higher, reaching four times the reward wouldn't be bad.
After settling my thoughts, I closed the system and stood up.
The royal library should have records about the names mentioned in the journal.
If anyone in this clan knew something about Wyatt, Zoros, Greta, Azatoth, or Gream…
The answer would be there.
I slipped the journal into my clothes before walking to the mirror.
The reflection staring back at me looked confident, composed.
Handsome.
A faint smile formed on my lips.
"No one's killing you."
"In the end… they'll all become your stepping stones."
Satisfied, I straightened my posture and left the room.
The royal library was located in the western wing of the clan estate.
As I walked through the corridors, several guards greeted me respectfully.
This time, however, their gazes carried something different.
Respect.
Not just for my status as a young master…
But for the strength I had revealed earlier.
Rumors had already begun spreading through the clan.
Some even claimed my talent surpassed that of my sister.
Whether they believed it or not, no one dared treat such rumors lightly.
Ignoring their gazes, I continued toward the west wing at an even pace.
The corridors were unusually quiet.
My cousins were probably elsewhere.
Around this time they would normally come looking for my predecess—
"Watch out!"
A sharp shout cut through the air.
At the same time, a piercing whooshing sound followed.
My body reacted instantly.
Without thinking, I stepped sideways.
A long spear tore through the air and stabbed past my side, missing me by barely a few inches.
The weapon embedded itself deeply into the stone floor behind me.
My eyes narrowed as I turned toward the direction it had come from.
Three figures were approaching.
A mocking voice soon followed.
"Are you blind, cousin?"
"How dare you walk into my training range like that?"
The moment I saw their faces…
My eyes darkened.