The middle aged man thought for a while then seemed to accept the win. He brought out a piece of parchment from somewhere.
He then gestured to one of the soldiers, they unhooked one of the young mans from above his head.
The remnant pain that flowed through made Lucien wince internally yet the young man's expression didn't change.
Lucien felt genuine respect sprout for the young man whose body he shared.
The moment the finger was about to land on the parchment. Lucien felt something flow from the young man to him, it was weird. It felt intangible yet extremely real, heavy and solemn. It felt like glory and responsibility.
The middle aged man had an almost orgasmic expression on his face. His face took on a sardonic expression as he laughed at an extremely self-satisfied tone.
"Hahaha. Alaric, So what if you were the Aureville Blood Storm, didn't I still get it. Where are you now? Hahaaha."
Lucien felt the young man's feelings of shame and pain seep through. He couldn't help but pity him.
He was so young yet he had been through so much. From what Lucien could see the young man was named Lucien like him, he was the heir to something and his uncle had captured and coerced him into signing it away.
That was bound to be extremely traumatic.
The uncle then turned to him, "open the sanctum, Lucien. I'll let Giselle go, I won't even go after your sister."
That seemed to ignite an infinite rage in Lucien's heart, He railed against the cuffs, itching to rip out the middle aged man's face off.
The middle-aged man had a placid expression on his face. He then gestured towards the torturer again.
The man picked up a hook, he aimed it at her clavicle and pushed, the girl screamed in agony. Lucien felt a dense feeling of pain and regret seep through, but along with it was a indomitable will.
He would not open the sanctum for anyone. Not now, not ever.
The scream continued for a while then abruptly cut off. The young man opened his eyes curiously and felt his entire world crumble, even Lucien, who was watching, felt his non existent heart ache in shared pain.
The young girl stood up, allowing them to see that there were no wounds on her body. The torturer hadn't touched her, it had all been an act.
Her pretty face had a cold gaze as she looked at Lucien apathetically. "How useless."
The foppish young man, the middle aged man's son then placed his hand around her waist possessively. "What did you expect, darling. He is just a powerless trash. If he wasn't the heir, no one would bother with him. He wouldn't even be qualified to lick your shoes."
Lucien practically felt the young man's heart shatter into pieces. The dense pain that seemed through almost overwhelmed him.
The pain was so intense that it overrode the physical pain, Lucien didn't even know the kid, but he almost wept for the kid.
The young man looked at Giselle, his voice hoarse "It was all an act?"
Giselle looked at him with disgust, "I've waited for this moment for so long. Do you know how much I hate you, Lucien. You and your father destroyed my family. Every time I pretended to love you made my soul shiver in disgust."
The foppish young man then laughed loudly as he came before Lucien, "She was the one who told us where you were. She was the one who fed Gaston the weakening agent. She suggested we lure you to the estate. She brought you to your downfall, Lucien. Hahaha."
Lucien felt it then, the young man gave up on life. He had endured too much, he had only been holding on due to sheer will and stubbornness, but that was gone. This blow had been too cruel.
it had sapped the young man of his remaining will. Extinguished like a candle in a storm.
The young man gave up control. He gave up life. A thought transmitted itself to Lucien, 'its all on you now' and it was if the floodgates had opened.
A torrent of memories submerged Lucien. He saw the life of Lucien D'Aureviile, heir to House Aureville, one of the strongest houses of the Verdon kingdom.
He saw how his childhood had been happy and busy but then his parents had disappeared.
He saw how he had been thrust overnight into the world of politics. He saw how he had tried his best to navigate the duties of a Duke.
How his uncle Reynard had tried to insinuate himself into his inner circle. How his father's former surbordinates had tried to help him. How he had met Gissele and fallen on love.
He accepted all of Lucien's memories and feelings as if they were his own and when he opened his eyes he opened his eyes as Lucien D'Aureville.
"I'll get it back for you, somehow."
This time he wouldn't let anyone step on him.
Just then, as if to commemorate the moment. A chime sounded in his mind.
[Ding. Access Granted. Error Resolved. Synchronizing System]
[10%...30%...50%.....85%....100%]
[Pay To Win System Activated]
[Host: Lucien Aureville]
[Race: Human
[Wealth: Big fat Zero; Extremely poor]
[Level: N/A]
[Strength: 20
[Stamina: 20
[Speed: 20
[Vitality: 50
[Luck: 5
[Intelligence: 20
[Charisma: 10]
[Normal Humans have an average value of 10 for Strength, Stamina, Speed and Vitality]
[Shop]
[Upgrades | Skills | Services]
[Upgrades]
[Strength +1: 1 Gold Coin]
[Stamina +1: 1 Gold Coin][Speed +1: 1 Gold Coin][Vitality +1: 1 Gold Coin]
[Skills]
[Blade Slash: Slash in front to deal 120% attack damage : 10 Gold coins]
[Fireball: Toss a fireball to deal 100% magic damage: 10 Gold coins]
[Heal: Heal wounds: 40 Gold coins]
[….]
[Services]
[Heal Wounds: 50 Gold Coins]
[Heal poison: 0 Gold Coins]
[Surge: Temporarily double strength : 2 gold / Second]
[Strength boost(Knight realm): 1 gold coin/ Second]
[Strength increase(Mage realm): 1 gold coin/ Second]
[…..]