Like a golden orb of warmth and radiance, the morning sun burned brightly in the skies and cast its gentle fingers through the forest, with animals and insects making their morning calls and songs as the day began.
The soft breeze stirred the heavy, red velvet curtains that shielded the room from the world beyond.
As the sunlight flickered, revealing a wonderful room adorned with expensive tapestries and antique furniture, it was silent as if holding its breath in the early morning light.
A sudden wind blew open the heavy red curtains, revealing a breathtaking view of the sun-drenched forest beyond. Asura's awakening was accompanied by the dramatic flourish of these curtains, which billowed open with a graceful, almost theatrical flair.
Asura stirred on his luxurious bed, bathed in the warm glow. The forest stretched endlessly, its lush canopy glistening with dewdrops, while the gentle sounds of a nearby stream and birdsong filled the air.
"Mmm, you damn...!"
Filled with sweat, he sat up from his sleep, throwing his body up with enough power to send the quilt flying across the room, slipping down the wall without power.
'What the?!'
Asura lay still for a moment, his senses slowly coming to life.
Confusion swirled within Asura's mind as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
His memories were chaotic, a kaleidoscope of fragmented images and sensations.
It was as though he had been thrust into a labyrinth of time, and only now had he begun to find his way.
Pushing the silk sheets aside, Asura rose from the sumptuous bed, his movements deliberate and graceful.
'Where is this? I died—for sure, that detestable Devil killed me!'
He glanced down at himself, noting that he was clothed in attire befitting a gentleman of noble birth. His garments were made of the finest fabrics, their deep blue hue adorned with intricate embroidery that spoke of exquisite craftsmanship.
'I know these clothes...'
Asura stepped onto the plush carpet that covered the room's marble floor, its patterns a testament to the weaver's skill. He moved towards an ornate mirror lining the walls, studying his reflection with awe and disbelief.
'This face... It's me from twenty years ago... So young, smooth, and handsome.'
He had the appearance of youth, no more than eighteen years of age, with a countenance that bore the mark of noble lineage.
"Was that voice not a lie?"
His features were chiselled and refined, his hair a cascade of ebony silk that fell to his shoulders, and he had ruby eyes that should have been sky blue, but the face was his original handsome and refined self from the past!
But it wasn't just his appearance that left him stunned.
"Have I come back, or is this some cruel dream after death?"
Memories surged through his mind, fragments of a future life that felt distant and vivid.
Asura's gaze drifted from the mirror to the room around him.
He had been sent back in time; that much was clear.
But why, and to what purpose?
The answer remained elusive, buried beneath layers of temporal mystery.
Suddenly, information and strange runes appeared inside his mind—they spelt the words devour, Devil, and Dragon, but the rest were blurry and hurt his mind to focus on.
'Damn, it hurts!' Asura complained as he dropped to his knees, grasping the silky quilt for comfort, trying to stop himself from screaming out in pain.
*Knock Knock*
A gentle knock sounded twice before... "Master Asura, please wake up!" A voice called out.
It was a nostalgic voice.
She spread warmth through his heart and soul from her gentle tone like a songbird's morning melody.
The voice of his deceased maid, Mu Xue, someone who died to save him and asked nothing in return.
"Master, it's time to enrol at the Royal Academy!"
'Royal academy...?'
'That place was destroyed a decade ago... Is this truly a fleeting dream or second chance?'
"I see... it's that time."
He tried to pull himself up, feeling a sense of pleasure as some strange force flowed through his entire body until it encountered strange blockades and returned to the intense pain as before when it was inside his heart.
"Ugh. What is this pain? It's like fluid travelling through all my organs, veins, and blood." Asura whispered, his eyes tightly closed, before the door slowly opened.
'Now isn't the time; I should not make Xu'er worry!'
Mu Xue entered the room and gasped lightly as she saw Asura collapse on his knees.
She rushed over, her footsteps echoing in the spacious room.
"Master Asura, are you alright?" She asked, concern etched on her delicate features.
Asura slowly raised his head, meeting Mu Xue's gaze.
"Xue'er, I'm fine... Don't worry." Asura replied with a smile.
Mu Xue's beauty was divine.
She possessed a natural elegance and grace that belied her age; her long black hair was adorned with a simple purple flower ribbon that contrasted against her pale, flawless skin.
Her violet eyes held a hint of surprise as Asura addressed her by her given name.
Mu Xue stood there, slightly taken aback, her cheeks flushed with colour as she lowered her gaze.
'She's still as beautiful and gentle... To think this girl hid her skill as a Magic Knight to protect my pitiful pride, her quiet affection to remain my maid until her last moment...'
"Xue'er, thank you for being my maid." Asura smiled, gently patting her head.
"Eh!? I... I must serve you, Master."
Mu Xue was startled by his words and actions.
"Master Asura, did you sleep well? Your mind must be confused." She replied, her voice tinged with worry.
Asura chuckled, shaking his head.
"No, I slept very well, Xue'er. Now, let's get ready."
Mu Xue nodded, helping him up.
"Master Asura, your luggage is packed and ready. Breakfast has already been prepared, so we should hurry and eat. Travelling to the Royal Academy will take several hours, so we must leave promptly."
"Alright. Thanks for packing my luggage; it saves me time. So Let's have breakfast. By the way, Xue'er, did my sister eat yet?"
"Young Miss ate earlier and went back to her room. Master, did something happen to your eyes?" She asked.
Asura was surprised.
"I see; she's already gone back. Xue'er? Is there something wrong with them? Can you see something unusual?"
"Mmm... they were not this piercing, sexy, or filled with life... Ahem! They are a beautiful crimson, but I thought they were blue. Was Xue mistaken?"
Mu Xue seemed confused with her fingertip on her lips. She watched from the corner of her eyes as Asura quickly pulled off his shirt, not caring for Mu Xue's reaction as the strange sensation wasn't wrong!
He was reborn, and the artefact was embedded in his chest! Rather, it had replaced his weakened heart.
Asura had been reborn before meeting the Duchess and Shang Luo!
A sense of clarity and warmth filled his body, and the strange feeling of fluid travelling around his body, also no longer hitting strange blockages, began to rapidly swirl around his body, making him feel stronger and more focused with each cycle it did.
"Xue'er."
Immediately as he called her name, his arms wrapped around the maid, and he kissed her deeply, shocking Mu Xue as she was pressed against the bed, his tongue dominating hers!
"Master Asura, what are you doing? Xue is a maid!"
Mu Xue struggled, her muffled moans and grunts ignored as his tongue continued to entwine hers—the sweet taste, shared saliva, and passionate embrace made her legs feel weak, her mind dizzy, and her struggling weak as her tongue and body reacted strangely.
A strange feeling of power entered Asura, the taste of her saliva becoming sweeter with each moment—something from within Mu Xue was entering his body and mixing with the strange fluid that travelled through his body, the black fluid seeming to increase in volume each moment they kissed.
At the same time, he felt the magical power of Mu Xue also growing ever so slightly as the ice began to flutter around her body as she moaned into his mouth.
The moment they kissed, Asura followed the words and instructions in his mind. This was the one the Devil's scripture gave, but the entire thing was still hazy.
He only knew his body was becoming stronger, and even Mu Xue was sharing the process with him!
"Master Asura... Mmmnph"
Mu Xue continued to struggle and moan—her resistance seemed to show as her tongue coiled his wet, sticky kiss lasting several minutes, her struggles slowing, and her eyes misted with lust.
"I know your true feelings, Xue'er; how long will you hide them because of feeling unworthy?"
Asura ended the passionate kiss, the strings of shared saliva connecting their mouths.
Mu Xue stared at him, her breath ragged and her body trembling.
"Master... I am..."
"...Xue'er!"
The poor maid was shocked as the door opened with a loud bang, before suddenly, a fierce male who looked similar to Asura entered with a bitter face.
"Asura, if you want to molest the maids, please wait until after enrolment. It's time to have breakfast. We are all waiting for you."
"Dad!?"
Asura was stunned.
"Asura, hurry and wash yourself, then join us downstairs for breakfast. The little princess has already finished and is getting impatient to leave," the man snorted, closing the door behind him.
"Understood... I'll be there in a minute, father."
However, the red-haired male gave a thumbs up to his son and smiled out of Mu Xue's sight, writing "Nice job, my son!" in his fiery mana, which danced for two seconds before fading into smoke, just as Mu Xue turned around to see.
'Dad, I never saw you give me praise like that before.'
Asura felt a sense of warmth in his heart and decided he'd treasure his parents and friends in this timeline better than the previous!
Mu Xue looked conflicted and blushed.
"Master Asura, let me assist you with a bath and change of clothes after breakfast," Mu Xue offered shyly.
Asura grinned.
"Okay, Xue'er, will you let me kiss you again too?"
"Hmph. Don't be cheeky; I will beat you."
"Xue'er, did you not enjoy that?" Asura teased.
Mu Xue's expression softened as her cheeks reddened.
"Master Asura, kissing and cuddling should only be done between married couples. Kissing maids is improper." Mu Xue pouted cutely.
Asura hugged her waist.
"Xue'er, in the future, will you marry me?"
"Master Asura, are you teasing me because Xue has an ice spirit affinity?" Don't joke with girls." Mu Xue pouted, walking away.
"Xue'er, would you accept a marriage contract even if I became the trash and disgrace of the empire?"
He didn't need to wait for the answer because the beautiful violet eyes turned to face him, fluttering with light that seemed to sparkle.
"Even if Master became a beggar, Xue would still accompany him forever," Mu Xue said, the blush deepening before rushing away like a rabbit.
'To think such a proud girl would not care about my status instead of staying beside me feels amazing.'
'How could I choose the pretentious and materialistic woman and even accuse Xue'er of being a traitor? I was such a fool; never again!'
"Then don't expect your master to let such a cute woman go!"
"Master..."
Asura shook his head and followed Mu Xue downstairs, but his mind was constantly trying to decipher what he could from the strange words, and each one had a huge monolith in his mind—there were five.
⁜ Asura
⁜ Devouring
⁜ Devil
⁜ Dragon
⁜ ?????/?????
Then, a final one with unreadable letters...
What was more worrying was that his energy was not mana but something different; it was more pure, refined and powerful.
Asura didn't know what this was called but thought it might be similar to the power the eastern warriors used to fuel their power instead of mana.
'However, I can become stronger with this—the Devil and Dragon Monoliths both said so.'
He looked at the face of Mu Xue with a body that fluttered with beautiful ice-blue magic particles and seemed to be shining with brilliance—his desire to become stronger formed in his heart, growing stronger each moment.
"Asura! Stop being weird and sit down, quick, before your mother scolds me for being too cruel to you!" His dad smiled, playing while pulling out Asura's chair.
"Ah... Sorry, Dad and M-Mother..."
"Hmmm?" His dad seemed shocked but quickly changed his frown to a smile, eating breakfast with his son. Asure felt a sense of nostalgia, slowly melting his self-hatred as he felt happiness fill his chest when he sat down.