**Chapter 3: Memories and the Awakening**
Panic tightened in my chest. While I knew the general plot of *Conquering the World*, I didn't possess the body's original memories up to this point. I had no idea how Lucien interacted with his family, who his allies were, or what specific blunders he had already committed.
*Wait... Lucien?*
Before I could process the servant's words, the man outside called out through the heavy mahogany door, "Young Master Lucien?"
So his name wasn't William in this world—it was Lucien. I cleared my throat, forcing my voice to sound as steady as possible. "Tell them I'll be down in ten minutes."
"Understood, Young Master Lucien," the servant replied, his footsteps fading quickly down the hallway.
As soon as he left, a translucent, floating blue screen materialized in the center of my field of vision. A flat, mechanical voice echoed directly inside my head:
【 Hello, Host. I am your Systematic Functional AI. I provide useful rewards upon mission completion, offer guidance for your journey, and assist in securing your happiness in this world. 】
"A system..." I muttered, staring at the blue interface. "Do you have a name?"
【 I possess no designation or gender, Host. You may assign one if you wish. 】
I thought for a moment. Having spent my past life isolated and surrounded by cold silence, I preferred a gentler, more human interaction. "Change your voice output to a female tone, and from now on, your name is Ada. How's that?"
The screen flickered softly. When the AI spoke again, the tone was vastly different—warm, expressive, and strikingly fluid.
"It's a wonderful name, Lucien," Ada replied, her voice smooth and informal. "Before we open your status window, I need to transfer the original host's memories into your consciousness. Are you ready?"
Her shift in personality caught me slightly off guard, but I welcomed it. If I was going to survive this world, break my destined death flag, and actually find the peace and happiness I missed out on during my first life, I had to adapt fast.
"Will it be painful?" I asked, bracing myself.
"Yes," Ada said, her tone growing serious. "It's going to hurt—a lot. Are you sure you're ready?"
I took a deep, heavy breath, settling the panic in my stomach, and narrowed my eyes. "Do it. I'm ready."
The moment the words left my mouth, an agonized scream was ripped from my throat.
It felt as though a hot blade was thrust directly into my brain, twisting through my skull. My vision burst into blinding white light as a violent surge of force tore through my nervous system. Crimson blood welled up and poured freely from my nostrils and mouth, dripping down onto my clothes. It felt like my very soul was being shattered into pieces and forcefully stitched back together with red-hot wire.
Then, the floodgates opened, and sixteen years of another life slammed into my mind.
Scenes flashed in rapid succession:
A young boy running through sprawling, sunlit gardens, eagerly showing a wooden sword to a stoic man in pristine armor...
The cold, disgusted glare of that same man years later upon learning the boy possessed a crippled mana core...
The whispering servants in the hallways...
The silent contempt from his siblings...
The overwhelming, suffocating isolation...
Lucien Alexius Valerian. Sixteen years old. Second son of Duke Valerian, one of the primary pillars of the Human Empire.
As the memories settled, tears mixed with the blood on my face. I felt a surge of bitter, suffocating rage—not just for myself, but for the boy whose body I now occupied.
We were the same. In my past life on Earth, I was abandoned after my family fell apart. In this world, Lucien was neglected and cast aside simply because he was born a "failure" who couldn't wield magic effectively. Driven by desperation for attention, he had spiraled into gluttony, cruelty, and self-destruction, wearing the mask of an arrogant bully just to make the world acknowledge his existence.
Along with his personal life, the geography and structure of Aeloria crystallized in my mind.
The vast continent was divided into distinct realms. At the center and north stood the grand Human Empire. To the east lay the unified territories of the vampires,Elves, Dwarves, and Beastkin, living in a tentative alliance. To the south stretched a vast, boundless ocean, home to the aquatic Merfolk kingdom.
And across the western expanse lay the Dark Lands—a corrupted, dangerous territory occupied by demons and wild beasts. For centuries, the western front had been a perpetual warzone as humanity and its allies fought to suppress the demons, who sought nothing less than the resurrection of their Demon King and the absolute conquest of the planet.
Wiping the blood from my chin with the sleeve of my fine silk tunic, I looked into the mirror once more. The physical pain was fading, replaced by a cold, clear resolve.
"Lucien Alexius Valerian," I whispered to the reflection. "They threw you away... but I won't let them destroy us."