Warmth cradled him.
True warmth. Gentle. Luxurious. Safe.
Alex stirred.
The softest sheets in existence clung to his bare skin, and a scent of roses mixed with lavender wafted through the air. He blinked, golden sunlight pouring into his eyes. Ornate carvings lined the wooden ceiling above him, and heavy crimson curtains filtered the glow of morning.
His first thought?
"I'm naked. Again ! ."
He sat up and sighed, pulling the silk covers to his waist. He glanced down at his bare chest, then around the room. The bed he lay on was enormous—four-poster, redwood frame, with intricately carved roses spiraling around its base and canopy. A royal piece of furniture if there ever was one.
The room itself was just as excessive. Polished floors, elegant wallpaper, marble fireplace, and gold-framed paintings of stern-faced nobles glaring down at him like he owed them something.
"This is way too nice for someone who just reincarnated. Did I land in a royal's body or what ?"
He stretched his arms above his head, letting his muscles adjust. No stiffness. No soreness. His body felt light and perfectly balanced.
Sliding off the bed, he stepped onto the cold marble floor, unfazed by his nudity. He'd woken up in worse conditions in past life. Much worse.
"Let's see what I'm working with."
Like a curious protagonist fresh into a fantasy novel, he wandered the room. He counted three doors. One was a large double door with gilded handles, probably the main entrance. The other two were smaller, one across the room, the other to the right of the bed—likely a washroom and a closet.
He tried the main door first.
Locked.
Then the one across the room.
Also locked.
Finally, the last door.
Still locked.
"Figures. Fancy prison is still a prison."
He turned from the doors with a sigh and walked toward the grand wardrobe with full-length mirrors embedded on its doors. With slow, curious steps, he stopped in front of it, letting his gaze settle on the reflection.
And froze.
The boy staring back at him was around fourteen years old, but already carried the seeds of unnatural beauty. Ash-grey hair, long enough to graze his neck, shimmered faintly in the light like moonlit steel. His skin was pale but vibrant, smooth and unmarred. His frame was lean—well-fed, healthy, athletic.
And his eyes—deep, sharp, glowing faintly crimson—reflected a soul much older than the body.
"Whoa… I'm so hot ! ."
He turned his head slightly, testing expressions in the mirror.
A calm look.
A smirk.
A faint, melancholic smile.
Even the deadpan stare looked cool. This wasn't just noble blood—this was something else entirely.
"Grey hair. Red eyes. Pretty face. If I don't end up getting misunderstood as a villain, I'll be shocked."
Just then—
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Welcome to your first reincarnation, Alex Ashton.
Personality Synchronization complete.
Initial Soul Link established.
Beginning System boot…
A soft, melodic voice rang gently in his mind. Feminine. Not robotic.
[ "Nnngh… mm… huh? Huh?! Alex?! Are you awake already?!"]
…Aria?
["You weren't supposed to wake up before I was ready!"]
Good morning to you too, Sis.
["Hmph! Don't 'sis' me like I wasn't panicking! Do you know how many protocols I had to override to link with your soul properly?!"]
He chuckled softly and sat down at the edge of the bed, staring out at the sunlit curtains.
I see. Good to hear your voice, Aria.
["Tch… idiot. Don't wake up so suddenly next time."]
Despite her scolding tone, he could hear the relief in her voice. Aria wasn't just a system AI—she was the soul-bound personality given to him by the goddess, a companion built to guide and protect him in this new world. She had the warmth of an elder sister, the bite of a guardian, and the wisdom of someone far more ancient than she let on.
Alright, what's the situation? Who am I this time?
["You've been reincarnated into the body of Alex Ashton, age 14. Third son of Duke Reginald Ashton of the Silverthorn Duchy."]
A duke's son, huh? Explains the ridiculous bed.
["It gets better. You were in a coma for three years after a 'heroic but foolish' incident. The family deemed you useless. You were quietly shipped to a countryside estate. In other words—officially exiled, unofficially forgotten."]
Yikes.
["But on the bright side, you're in perfect health now."]
Perfect?
["Open your status. You'll want to see this."]
"Alright," he said aloud. "System, open status."
A translucent blue window blinked into existence in front of his eyes.
[STATUS - ALEX ASHTON]
Age: 14
Race: Human (Reincarnated)
HP: ∞
Strength: ∞
Defense: ∞
Agility: ∞
Stamina: ∞
Mana: ∞
Intelligence: ∞
Charm: ∞ (Exclusive Attribute)
Skills:
Appraisal (MAX)
Absorption (MAX)
Skill Creation (MAX)
System AI: Aria
Bonded Entity: None
Titles: [Infinity Soul] [System Holder]
World Origin: Earth
Alex blinked once.
Then again.
Sis…
["I DON'T KNOW."]
Why is everything infinity?
["Ask your dear goddess. She granted the stats and said it was a 'compensation ' for killing you by accident."]
A compensation that turned me into a walking cheat code?!
["Technically speaking, your soul has been anchored into a limitless state. You are… literally broken."]
He fell back on the bed, arms flopped over his face.
So let me get this straight. I'm the disgraced son of a noble family, exiled to a countryside mansion, with infinite stats and maxed-out skills… all because the goddess tripped on a cosmic banana peel.
["Pretty much."]
…I'm going to cause problems, aren't I?
["Oh definitely. But in the best way."]
Alex chuckled.
Despite the absurdity, a strange warmth filled his chest. After lifetimes of mediocrity, hardship, death, and loneliness, he had been given something no one else had.
A chance to be free.
No expectations. No fate. Just infinite potential.
What do you think, Aria? Can a broken soul find purpose again?
["…Only if he stops sulking and starts moving."]
Heh. Noted.
He sat up once more and stared at his reflection again—at the boy with eyes like fire and a future unknown.
Alex Ashton.
Born again in a forgotten corner of the world.
And this time…
He wouldn't waste it.
To be continued.