A Distant, Unreachable Wish

In his previous life, Riezel's background could be called the complete opposite of his current one.

Unlike the original owner of this body, he had not been born a lowly country boy, but the eldest young master of an immensely wealthy family, born with a golden spoon in his mouth.

It was just that Riezel was not part of the second generation of wealth, but the third.

His grandfather had once become the richest man in the country, a tycoon who had built his fortune from nothing. After decades of struggle, he had successfully foreseen the direction of the times, seized business opportunities, and crushed countless competitors.

Born into such a family, Riezel should have been the object of countless people's envy and jealousy.

Yet heaven had played a joke on him.

Because Riezel was not part of the second generation of wealth.

His biological father was. Born into the family of the richest man, he had inevitably been spoiled rotten and grown into a useless playboy.

Not only was he ignorant and incompetent, but he spent every day drinking and indulging himself outside, bullying men and women alike with his family background. He was exactly the sort of villainous young master found in most urban novels.

Nor had Riezel been a child his father willingly conceived through marriage. He had been the consequence of his father's debauchery outside. When Riezel's biological mother came looking for him, he could only reluctantly marry her under Riezel's grandfather's forced orders.

Under such circumstances, it was easy to imagine what sort of treatment Riezel received after he was born.

In any case, ever since Riezel could remember, that biological father of his had returned home only a few times a year. It was as if Riezel did not exist at all. How that man had lived before marriage was exactly how he continued to live afterward, without the slightest change.

Riezel's biological mother was no better.

That woman had deliberately approached Riezel's biological father because she wanted to latch onto a wealthy family and become a rich man's wife.

So, after achieving her goal, she too began living the life of a wealthy young madam that she had dreamed of. She and her husband lived separately and played separately. It was said that her outrageous behavior outside was even worse than that of her nominal husband.

Because of this, Riezel's childhood could be said to have been spent in a state of almost having no father or mother.

As for Riezel's grandfather, he was not like Riezel's parents, treating Riezel as though he were nothing.

However, perhaps because he had been utterly disappointed in his son, his grandfather's education of Riezel was extremely harsh. Since the time Riezel had memories, what he remembered most were the contents of all sorts of textbooks and study guides, along with etiquette courses for high society and introductory lessons in finance.

That was how Riezel's childhood passed.

Fortunately, Riezel had possessed an outstanding memory from a young age. It could even be called extraordinary. Though it was not quite photographic memory, as long as he was willing to put in the effort to memorize something, whether he understood it or not, he could quickly retain all kinds of knowledge. This had allowed him to maintain excellent grades from childhood to adulthood, greatly satisfying his grandfather.

But precisely because his memory was so exceptional, he also remembered many events from childhood to adulthood with perfect clarity even now.

For example, when he was six, he had been kidnapped and nearly killed by his abductors.

For example, when he was twelve, he had been in a car accident. Seeing that he had not died, the driver who caused the accident had actually rushed at him in near madness, intending to finish him off.

For example, when he was eighteen, his relatives had smiled as they offered blessings during his coming-of-age ceremony, only for trace toxins to be detected in the wine they toasted him with afterward.

And there was more.

One filthy incident after another—things ordinary people could never encounter, things that should only have happened in television dramas or novels, things Riezel could scarcely believe truly existed—had appeared in his life again and again.

Gradually, Riezel became numb to it and accustomed to it.

He became numb to people occasionally trying to hurt him.

He became accustomed to having someone inspect his food for poison every time he ate.

Even when his grandfather later arranged a marriage for him and told him to marry a supposedly well-matched woman nearly a hundred pounds heavier than him, Riezel voiced no opinion whatsoever.

However, from that point onward, Riezel began crazily seeking out every kind of thrill.

Rock climbing, parkour, bungee jumping, surfing, extreme off-roading, extreme waterskiing, aggressive inline skating, skydiving, paragliding, and more. As long as it was an intensely thrilling activity, Riezel had done it. He had even survived in the wilderness of a forest before, as though his whole person had been driven mad.

It was during that process that Riezel happened upon the Dimensional Cube and crossed over to Another World of Sword and Magic.

Now, looking back on his life, what rose in Riezel's heart was not anything else, but overwhelming anger.

What had I ever gained in this life?

What had I ever pursued in this life?

"Nothing!"

Nothing from the past had been what he wanted.

Nothing in this life was what his heart desired.

In the end, Riezel's previous life had been exactly like these memories: utterly empty.

The anger in his heart was not directed at anyone else, but at himself.

At the self who seemed to have everything, yet in truth had nothing at all.

If that's the case, then I might as well abandon everything from the past!

Since he had already left his original world and been given such an incredible encounter, then this time, he had to live for himself.

I have to run toward the direction I want!

I have to pursue the things I want!

If I can't, then I will never stop moving forward!

The numbness of his previous life ended here.

In this life, even if he had to give everything he had, he would keep moving forward and reach out toward that distant, unreachable wish.

Just as Riezel swore this in his heart, he suddenly felt it.

The Fingers behind him, which had been continuously moving and inscribing something until just moments ago, stopped.

".No way?"

Loki's voice was no longer distant. Sounding as though she had been struck dumb by something, she muttered to herself.

Riezel immediately broke free from those unbearable memories and spoke in confusion.

"What is it?"

Yet those words received no response.

Loki merely remained silent, leaving even Riezel frowning.

"Heh heh. Hahaha.!"

Not long afterward, Loki laughed. She laughed louder and louder, growing more and more excited.

By the time Riezel could not help turning around to look at Loki, she had already risen to her feet and begun dancing wildly.

"I found treasure! I found treasure!"

The chief goddess of the Loki Familia, one of Orario's strongest familias, looked as though she had suddenly gone mad, waving her arms and laughing toward the sky.

"Last time it was Finn, and this time it's Riezel! My luck really did get better after coming down to the Lower World! It's been ages since I grabbed someone off the street, and I actually drew the best possible lot! Damn Freya, let's see how you fight me now! Wahahaha!"

Loki was so excited that she had completely forgotten herself. Her mad ravings made even Riezel want to keep his distance.

"What exactly happened?"

Riezel could only mutter helplessly.

"Hehe. Hehehe."

After a long while, Loki finally seemed to have laughed herself out. Wearing a sly grin, she approached Riezel.

Seeing that, Riezel reflexively tried to put his clothes on.

"Don't!" Loki hurriedly stopped him. The excitement on her face could not be concealed as she said with a grin, "I haven't copied down your Ability Value for you to see yet!"

As she spoke, Loki somehow pulled out a sheet of parchment. Her pair of narrow, squinting eyes actually opened.

Within them flowed divine intent that even Riezel could not understand.

"Take a good look at the Blessing you've received, kid." Loki said, unable to hide her smile. "Don't blink, okay?"

Loki pressed the parchment against Riezel's back, then spun her finger and copied down the Ability Value on his back.

Taking advantage of the moment, Riezel turned his body slightly and faced his back toward a Mirror in the corner of the God's Chamber.

The next second, Riezel saw what his back looked like.

His originally smooth, bare back now bore an imprint that resembled both a stone tablet and a crest.

The imprint was roughly identical to the flag of the Loki Familia, both depicting a jester.

This was the God's Blessing Riezel had received, as well as proof that he had become a member of Loki's familia and a child of the God of Mischief.

"Done!"

Loki had also finished her work. She had written the Ability Value copied from Riezel's back onto the parchment and handed it to him with a delighted expression.

Riezel took the parchment, his gaze falling onto it.

Riezel Brihaut

Lv.1

Strength: I0

Endurance: I0

Dexterity: I0

Agility: I0

Magic: I0

--Magic--

All-Rounder

Magic.

specific magic based on memories.

strength is determined by "Magic."

effective on magic that has been confirmed.

--Skills--

Fool's Obsession

increases growth speed beyond normal limits.

increases growth potential beyond normal limits.

deeper the obsession, the stronger the effect.

greatly increases when overcoming dangerous situations.

Endless Path

the highest-ranked Development Ability, "Healing Power."

the highest-ranked Development Ability, "Spirit Healing."

the highest-ranked Development Ability, "Abnormal Resistance."

the levels of Development Abilities already learned.

Self-Salvation

to physical interference.

to Mental Interference.

independently update Ability Value by consuming the corresponding Divine Blood.

accept and enhance beneficial effects targeting oneself.

That was what was written on the parchment, and the true form of the Ability Value inscribed on Riezel's back.

The Divine Script, originally depicted in the form of a jester and utterly incomprehensible to mortals, had been turned into the common language through Loki's copying.

As Riezel read the contents of the parchment, he murmured.

"One magic and three skills.?"

He had actually awakened one magic and three skills.

"Be happy, kid."

Loki patted Riezel on the shoulder, her smile growing increasingly uninhibited.

It could not be helped.

"Most people might not have even one magic or skill, yet you awakened four the moment you received a Blessing."

That was why Loki was so happy.

Because she had truly found treasure.

She had found an enormous treasure.

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