** Chapter 5: The Trash Stops Begging
**
The dust had barely settled on the cold stone floor of the Valerian estate, but inside the mind of the boy sitting there, a completely different war was taking place.
I stared down at my bruised hands. The memories—or rather, the lifetime of memories from the original Lucien—were still fusing into my consciousness like hot iron. I was no longer just a spectator; I was in the body of the disgraced "fatty" young master of the Western Border Duke.
A sharp ping sounded directly inside my consciousness, accompanied by the gentle glow of a translucent blue interface that only you could see.
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>[System Assistant 'Ada' Active]
>[Host: Lucien Valerian ]
>[Class: Magic Swordsman]
>[Skill:Spatial Awareness (Unique Grade) ]
>[Potential Rank: D
| Mana Talent:Crippled (Suppressed) ]
>[Physical Condition: Severe Internal & External Trauma (Luminara Academy Beatdown) ]
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Ada's voice resonated in my head, cool and crisp, completely unaffected by the throbbing pain in my cracked ribs.
"Host, before you step out to face the Valerian Family, here is the full breakdown of your current situation and your primary mission directives."
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#1. The Reality of Your "Crippled" Mana
"First, an analysis of your core state: The world believes you were born with Rank D Potential and crippled mana talent, making your Magic Swordsman class an absolute joke. However, my deep-scan confirms your mana circuit wasn't naturally weak— ‘it was deliberately sealed and crippled prior to your 10th birthday awakening ceremony.’Your Spatial Awareness skill is actually operating at less than 5% efficiency because your mana flow is choked."
#2. Main System Mission: "Fate Overwrite"
Primary Directive:Break the predetermined path where you serve as a tragic stepping stone for the 'Chosen' (Protagonist) and restore the Valerian name under your absolute strength.
•Immediate Objective:Survive and navigate the upcoming ‘Family Inquisition’ in the Great Hall without being stripped of your noble status or exiled to the Western Borderlands as a nameless soldier.
Secondary Objective:
Locate the ‘
Aether-Cleansing Marrow ’to unseal your crippled mana channels and unlock the true potential of the *Spatial Awareness* skill.
#3. Immediate System Rewards
[Transmigration Starter Package Unlocked]
Item:Pain-Numbing Elixir (Passive)— Temporarily suppresses 80% of physical pain so you can walk and act with full composure.
Skill Upgrade:Spatial Sense (Passive Range: 15 Meters) — Allows you to perceive every movement, heartbeat, and hidden weapon within 15 meters, bypassing physical blindness or sudden attacks.
System Feature:Truth-Eye Analysis — Allows you to inspect the hidden stats, potential, and emotional states of target individuals.
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The guards outside knocked a second time, harder now.
"Young Master Lucien! The Duke does not like to be kept waiting. Step out immediately, or we have orders to drag you to the Great Hall!"
The pain in my chest dulled to a faint ache as the system elixir kicked in. I stood up straight, rolled my shoulders back, and wiped the remaining blood from my chin. The fat, beaten, desperate boy who begged for attention was gone.
"Ada," I murmured, adjusting my disheveled coat as my new 15-meter spatial sense flared silently into existence, sensing the exact positions, breathing patterns, and subtle nervousness of the two guards outside my door. "Keep the system status ready. Let's go see how my 'loving' family handles a trash that stops acting like trash."
I throw the heavy oak door open, staring dead into the eyes of the startled guards.
"Lead the way," I said, my voice entirely void of fear.