Chapter 1

At the city of Luchenstad, Kolva.

A young man in tattered clothes and a worn-out knapsack walked alone down the street. His pace was steady and firm, his face coated in dust and dirt.

Yet his eyes shone with the intensity of a king's. His back was straight, and he walked with purpose, as if he were destined to rule the world one day.

Luchenstad's towering skyscrapers finally came into view.

"It's been eight years!" he muttered to himself. "Caleb… Richard… I bet none of you ever expected me to survive."

He clenched his fists.

It was a cold and stormy night on his tenth birthday. It should have been a day filled with joy and celebration, as it had always been.

But instead, he lost everything—his family, his prestige, and his Animus Circuit, the vital system that enabled mastery over martial arts at a superhuman level.

And his own father had been the one to destroy it.

Reinhard had once looked up to his father as a role model and a goal to surpass. Yet, on that fateful day, the same man had callously torn his Animus Circuit from his chest.

Eight years had passed, but the pain and resentment from that betrayal remained as fresh as ever.

That was the day he lost it all—his ability to practice martial arts, his place in the family, and his future. His father had abandoned him, left him to die in the remote mountains.

It should have killed a ten-year-old boy. Yet Reinhard had survived, enduring hardships and near-death experiences over the past eight years. He had been forged by raw adversity.

But now, he was back—with vengeance in his heart and an indomitable will.

Reinhard narrowed his eyes, tightening his fingers. A surge of energy pulsed through the air, and the trees around him trembled violently, threatening to topple.

"The Castell family has no idea what's coming. I'm going to show up in front of you in a way you least expect! Luchenstad will be the first stage of my glorious comeback!"

With that, Reinhard leaped down a steep cliff, vanishing into the mist below.

-

At the Rose Garden in Luchenstad.

A beautiful woman was startled to see a man in tattered clothes standing outside her door. "Excuse me, who are you?"

"Ms. Higgins, it's me," Reinhard replied, his voice apologetic.

She took a closer look at him. Despite the dirt and the changes to his appearance, she recognized him. "Ryan?! Oh my god, it really is you!"

Reinhard nodded.

The woman smiled in pleasant surprise.

"Come inside!" she invited, pulling him inside despite his disheveled state.

"You've grown so much taller!" she remarked.

"It's been six years," Reinhard said with a chuckle. "I'm surprised you remember me."

He had met Helena Higgins after being abandoned. She had helped him when he was at his lowest point in life. Reinhard had always been grateful for her kindness.

"Of course I remember you, silly," she said with a grin. "I was lost in the mountains at the time! Without you, I'd probably never have made it back to Luchenstad!"

Reinhard reached into his bag. "I want to give you something—"

She took the bag from his shoulder. "This can wait, Ryan. What you need right now is a shower and some fresh clothes!"

Without giving him a chance to argue, she pushed him in the direction of the bathroom.

There was no way he could resist, so he relented.

Just then, he heard someone stop dead in their tracks, followed by a sharp, screeching voice. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?!"

Reinhard turned, coolly assessing the situation.

A young girl, around 17, stood at the top of the stairs, her expression a mixture of confusion and surprise.

She wore no makeup, but her delicate features were flawless. Her long, dark hair cascaded to her waist.

She was dressed in cartoon-character slippers and an oversized T-shirt, but her beauty was undeniable.

Tall, slender, and graceful, she was clearly one of the prettiest girls at her school.

Helena stepped in quickly. "Amy, no need to panic. This is Ryan!"

She turned to Reinhard and added, "Don't mind her. Go ahead and take that shower now."

Reinhard nodded and did just that.

The young girl, still confused, descended the stairs. "Who is this hobo, Mom?"

Helena led her to the couch and smiled. "Remember the time I got lost in the West Galatea forest?"

The girl's eyes widened. "He's the one who led you out?!"

"Yeap!" Helena nodded. "He came to see me just now. I think he's fallen on hard times, but that doesn't mean you should look down on him. He's a kind-hearted, good man!"

The girl nodded, but her expression revealed her lingering disdain.

Everyone she knew, including her friends, came from rich, powerful families. She had never met anyone so unpresentable.

The idea of him showering at their house, cleaning the filth from his body, made her stomach churn.

"Ryan, I've got your clothes ready!" Helena called out, setting the clothes on a rack.

Reinhard hummed in response.

Ten minutes later, Reinhard emerged from the bathroom.

Helena's eyes lit up. "Wow, you're a strapping young man now!"

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Strapping? You mean strapped for cash," she muttered, glancing at him disdainfully.

But then she froze.

The young man who stood before her was impossibly handsome. His tall, muscular frame was well-defined, and the casual clothes Helena had given him fit him perfectly. His dark, deep eyes were mesmerizing.

Amelie had seen plenty of good-looking young men before, some of whom even tried to vie for her attention.

But this young man? He was the first who had stunned her into silence with just his looks alone.

"Is it okay to throw my old clothes into the trash?" Reinhard asked, smiling. Even his voice carried a unique aura.

"Go ahead! They're too torn for anything else!" Helena said, rising.

She pointed at her daughter. "Ryan, this is my daughter: Amelie Skye."

Amelie stood up and smiled politely.

Reinhard extended his hand. "Hello. I'm Reinhard Castell."

Amelie was taken aback. His expression hadn't changed at all, not even a flicker of surprise. She had never met a guy who seemed so unaffected by her presence.

Most young men, whether they admired her beauty or not, couldn't help but react in some way.

But Reinhard? He treated her like any other girl.

Amelie snapped out of her thoughts and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Reinhard's handshake was brief—just a fraction of a second—which surprised her even more.

'Is he trying to play it cool?' she wondered.

Amelie was used to people trying to impress her. Many of them acted distant, aloof, just to grab her attention.

However, Amelie was savvy enough to see through their games. She assumed Reinhard was doing the same.

She had looked down on him when he had appeared as a hobo, and she thought a shower wouldn't change that.

All Reinhard had were his looks, and so what? What good was that?

It was probably just a ploy to win the favor of some rich woman or become a gigolo.

In the end, what truly mattered were connections and power.

Most of the people at the top of the social ladder weren't particularly good-looking.

From what her mother had described, Reinhard sounded like nothing more than a farm boy—someone who had probably survived through hard labor, like farming and chopping wood.

He was no match for the powerful, wealthy men she knew.

What Amelie didn't realize was that Reinhard couldn't care less about her, or anyone else for that matter.

After eight years of hardship and near-death experiences, he had developed a mindset beyond the trivial desires of ordinary men. Not even beautiful women could stir any reaction from him.

He turned to Helena. "Ms. Higgins, I came here today to—"

"Hush, dear. You don't have to say a word. I understand!" She patted his shoulder, then pulled out 150 dollars, stuffing it into his pocket.

"This is for you! If you need anything, ask Amy. She'll take you shopping. Alright! I have to get to work now. Please stay with us for a while until you find a place to stay," she added.

Helena left the room.

Reinhard felt awkward. He realized Helena must have assumed he was going through a rough patch, with no money and no place to go.

He shook his head with a half-smile. He could see why she'd think that, considering his appearance.

Amelie, however, was growing more frustrated. 'There's no way we're letting a hobo stay at our place, right?'

If anyone from school found out about this, she would be the center of all the gossip.

Her expression turned cold.

"Reinhard!" she called sharply, her politeness gone. "I know Mom offered you to stay here, but I don't consent to it. Having you here will be a huge inconvenience for us. I'll never get used to it!"

She glared at him. "So please, get out!"