Yoo Taeo—now Theo Ragnar—clenched his teeth as arrows rained down from the sky.

Why am I always failing?

Theo first realized his previous life around the age of fifteen. There was no particular catalyst; the memories just resurfaced, like fragments of a dream, as he half-heartedly listened to his tutor.

It wasn’t as though he remembered everything about his previous life. Only a few fragmented memories appeared, like fleeting dreams. Yet there was a strange resemblance between his past life and this one.

In his past life, he’d lost his parents in an accident as a child, moving from one relative's home to another, constantly wary of others. In this life, he was born into nobility, but his mother’s impoverished background made him the target of scorn and contempt. These social constraints shackled him like chains, holding him down.

The injustice of it burned within him.

So he resolved: This life, I’ll break free from these chains, no matter what.

Fortunately, the clan he was born into was one where, regardless of birth or family status, one’s position could be elevated with enough effort and talent.

—The Ragnar Clan.

A grand duchy at the northernmost border of the Empire, it protected the continent and Empire from the monsters north of the wall.

There were many titles bestowed upon them:

The Great Northern Wall.

The Shield of the Empire.

The Dragon Knight Order.

The Lords of the Winter Mountains.

The Ideal of Knights and Swordsmen.

The Fathers of the Fallen.

The Ragnar clan had been seated in this place for over a thousand years, building a legacy entwined with countless myths and legends.

Perhaps due to that, the Ragnar bloodline was said to carry the blood of dragons, possessing unique constitutions with inherent resistance to magic, as well as extraordinary talent in swordsmanship and martial arts.

By the age of ten, members of the family naturally became attuned to mana, and by merely grasping a sword, they would reach the skill level of a first-tier master.

They inhabited a land where snow blanketed the ground for over half the year, which encouraged the Ragnar family’s harsh traditions.

Survival of the fittest. The law of the strong.

Only the strong survive, grasping all that life has to offer.

This meant that, as long as Theo grew strong, he could rise above his circumstances.

However, there was a problem.

Before realizing his past life, Theo had endured so much ridicule that he’d withdrawn, coming to believe that he lacked any talent, which kept him from training seriously.

With his past memories, Theo’s view of the world expanded, and his values shifted. But by then, he had missed crucial years of learning.

And it wasn’t just that—he was surrounded by siblings so brilliant that the very idea of competing for his family’s seat of power was daunting.

So, Theo changed his path.

He aimed to join the Ragnar family’s intelligence network, seeking power from the shadows. There, he figured, he could hone his skills and make his mark.

His memories were still hazy, but in his previous life, he’d worked in a field that dealt heavily with information.

…At least, that’s what he thought.

But I underestimated my siblings’ hunger for power.

In their eyes, a bastard like him was nothing more than a pawn, easily used and discarded. The butler who supported him, his master, and even his companions had all been killed by unknown assassins.

It weighed on him, deeply. His own weakness had led them to such fates.

If only I hadn’t faltered, if I’d handled myself better… could I have prevented all of this?

Now, he was the only one left. But even his time was running short.

The chains still bound his hands and feet.

And at that moment, Theo finally understood one crucial truth.

…These damn chains were never meant to be broken. They were meant to be shattered with strength.

A heavy thud echoed, and everything went black.

[You have died.]

[Use coin to revive.]

Again… is it this place?

Theo opened his eyes, feeling as though he were floating in a vast void.

It had been over twenty years, but he remembered this sensation vividly.

Between his first and second lives, he’d experienced this sensation—a strange, floating emptiness. It seemed to be an in-between state that he passed through each time he was reincarnated.

Did this mean a third life was beginning?

Ding!

A mysterious sound accompanied a bright light flooding his vision.

.

.

.

Somewhere far off, he could hear faint voices.

.

Then suddenly, the voices became clear.

"Today's lesson is over. It seems any further would be pointless."

The voice was courteous but laced with undisguised contempt.

"Tsk! It’s no wonder, considering the lowly woman who bore you. How pathetic. I can already foresee your failure at the upcoming Awakening Ceremony in six months."

The middle-aged tutor clicked his tongue and left the classroom.

Theo was left stunned.

That man… Rendon? How is Rendon here? And what’s this Awakening Ceremony?

Rendon had been Theo’s tutor when he was young, but he’d lost his life when he backed the wrong contender in the fight for clan head.

Theo looked down at his hands—white, uncalloused hands with no signs of wear.

What…?

He turned toward a nearby full-length mirror, shocked by his reflection.

His hair was unusually long for a man, tinted with a bluish hue, and his eyes were a vivid, blood-red. His frame was slight, and he looked no older than fifteen.

Could I really… have returned to the past?

He had once wished he could try again, fight for his freedom. Had that wish somehow been granted?

"Reincarnation and regression…? This is impossible."

Just then, another sound interrupted his thoughts.

Ding!

[Beta Service is ■■■■.]

[Patch ■■■ ■■■.]

.

[Patch ■■ completed.]

[Player registration is ■■■■.]

[The system has ■■■■.]

Several screens appeared in front of his eyes.

Theo swallowed involuntarily.

What’s this? A patch? A player? None of this was here before…

The screens, although garbled, seemed to relay some message.

[Qu■■t Received.]

•  

[Tutorial Qu■■t #1]

Open the Aura Hole.

· Difficulty: F

· Reward: Part of ■■■

· Failure: ■■

•  

This screen contained more information, but the meaning was still unclear.

This feels like one of those games I used to play in my past life… but what on earth is it supposed to mean?

Theo couldn’t help feeling resistance.

An unexplained system suddenly issuing him orders—it felt like a command, reminding him of how he’d been used and discarded in his previous life.

…

After a long moment of thought, he slapped his cheeks.

Snap! Snap!

The jolt brought him back to his senses.

"I’ll ignore it for now. If there’s more to learn, it’ll come in time."

First, I’ll start with what I can do myself.

Theo flipped open a notebook and began scribbling on the back pages.

In his previous life, he’d worked in intelligence. By the time he’d died at thirty-five, there was little he didn’t know about the world’s events, including many secrets hidden behind the scenes.

He organized them chronologically, noting any that he might exploit.

Breaking the chains will require more than lurking in the shadows. To truly be free, I need to climb to the highest seat and look down on everyone below.

Now that he’d returned to the past, he was determined to claim the Ragnar clan’s seat of power. He wouldn’t allow anyone to feel the sorrow and despair he’d seen on his people’s faces in his final moments.

I’ll find out who killed me—and why. There’s much to do.

With a crack, he snapped his dried pen in half and let it drop to the floor.

On the first line of his cryptic notes, readable only to him, he’d written four words:

Dragon’s Heart.

The start won’t be difficult.

He couldn’t help but smirk as he realized his goal happened to align with that strange tutorial quest.

If the people of Winterra had to choose the least remarkable of the Ragnar children, every maid and butler would likely say the same.

—Master Theo Ragnar, perhaps?

A person as featureless and unremarkable as the color grey.

It was hard to believe he was the son of the ambitious Cecilia Ragnar.

But rumors about Theo slowly started to spread.

—At exactly six in the morning every day, Master Theo appears in Training Hall Four.

—Oh, has he finally taken an interest in training?

—Well, yes… but…

—What’s the problem?

—The training method is… a bit strange.

—How strange?

—He runs.

—And?

—He keeps running.

—…?

—For six hours straight until noon, he just runs.

In a clan like Ragnar, where even servants were often third-tier masters, physical training wasn’t typically noteworthy.

Yet, there were stranger rumors.

—After training, he always demands large quantities of meat.

—He also recently asked for Mueta herbs in bulk.

—I was asked for Sabier grass!

—He even requested Satan mushrooms this morning… why?

—Every night, he takes over the castle kitchen, apparently to cook strange meals for himself.

And so, it continued—peculiar requests that were too odd to ignore yet too trivial to warrant much attention.

—Why the sudden change?

—Well, he’s been smiling more. It’s kind of adorable, isn’t it?

—And very handsome too, isn’t he?

The staff eventually reached a conclusion.

—Perhaps he’s just bored.

Ragnar’s strict rules and harsh training had produced plenty of eccentric characters.

So, Theo’s odd behavior didn’t provoke much interest. They assumed he’d grow tired of it soon enough.

And so, Theo progressed with his plan, creating his own Aura Hole and starting on the Dragon’s Heart.