Night had settled over Ravenhold by the time Ethan finally returned to his room.

The events of the past several days had left the Ravencrest Estate noticeably more vigilant. Although the assassination attempt had failed, its effects remained visible throughout the palace grounds. Additional patrols had been deployed throughout the estate grounds, while the number of guards stationed at key entrances had nearly doubled. Even the city’s night watch had quietly increased inspections over the past several days.

The investigation had reached a dead end.

The assassin was dead.

The infiltrator had revealed little of value.

The merchant who connected them had already been silenced.

For now, there was nothing more to uncover.

Closing the door behind him, Ethan walked toward the tall window overlooking one of the inner courtyards of the Ravencrest Palace. Beyond its walls, the lights of Ravenhold stretched across the valley beneath the northern sky. Farther in the distance, the Azure River reflected moonlight like a ribbon of silver as roads leading toward countless villages disappeared into the darkness beyond. Moonlight spilled across the stone pathways below, illuminating the black-and-silver banners of House Ravencrest as they swayed gently in the night wind.

Most people would have considered the outcome a success.

Amelia was alive.

The assassin had failed.

The threat had been stopped.

Yet Ethan found himself unable to feel satisfied.

His gaze drifted toward the distant walls of Ravenhold as memories of the confrontation replayed within his mind. The assassin’s speed. The assassin’s experience. The cold certainty with which he had advanced toward Amelia.

Even now, Ethan understood how narrow the margin had been.

The victory had not come because he was overwhelmingly powerful. Nor had it come because he possessed an unstoppable advantage. He had succeeded because circumstances had allowed him to act in time.

If the assassin had been stronger...

If he had arrived moments earlier...

If even a single detail had changed...

The outcome might have been very different.

House Ravencrest had stood guard over the Northern Frontier for generations. Its banners sheltered countless villages, towns, and cities stretching across vast northern lands. Yet despite such power, a single assassin had still managed to infiltrate Ravenhold itself.

The truth was sobering.

No defense was absolute.

The realization lingered heavily within his thoughts.

Strength.

In the end, everything returned to strength.

For a brief moment, another image surfaced within Ethan’s mind.

A bloodstained battlefield.

Small trembling hands.

Amelia’s weakening voice.

The warmth of her blood staining his clothes as he desperately tried to keep her alive.

"I’m sorry, Brother..."

The memory struck like a blade.

Ethan closed his eyes.

Even now, after returning to the past, those final words still haunted him. Not because Amelia had blamed him. Because she hadn’t. Even while dying, she had been apologizing — apologizing for leaving him behind, for leaving him to shoulder the responsibilities of House Ravencrest and the countless lives sheltered beneath its banner.

A cold determination settled within Ethan’s chest.

Never again.

Knowledge could prepare him. Experience could guide him. But neither could replace power when danger finally arrived.

After several moments of silence, Ethan exhaled slowly.

"System."

A familiar golden panel materialized before him, its warm glow illuminating the dimly lit room. Countless intricate runes shimmered faintly along its borders, giving it an ancient and dignified appearance that somehow felt both powerful and reassuring.

Unlike the bright mission notifications that occasionally appeared throughout the day, this one was simple and unobtrusive.

A single line of text formed before his eyes.

[Yes, Host.]

Ethan wasn’t certain when he had become accustomed to its presence. Perhaps it had happened gradually. Or perhaps it had always been there.

Strangely, he had never found the System unsettling. A mysterious existence capable of granting rewards, missions, and opportunities should have raised countless questions. Yet whenever he focused on the System, those questions never seemed particularly important.

The connection felt natural. Familiar. As though the System had always belonged beside him.

It never judged. Never questioned. It simply remained there, quietly supporting his path forward.

Ethan couldn’t explain the feeling. Nor did he particularly wish to. After all, since the day of his regression, the System had done nothing but help him move forward.

His gaze settled upon the floating screen.

"What is currently the fastest way for me to become stronger?"

For several seconds, the room remained silent.

Then new text appeared.

[Analyzing...]

[Current Growth Rate:

Significantly Above Previous Timeline.]

[Current Strength:

Insufficient.]

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

The answer was blunt. Exactly what he expected.

"I know."

The text shifted once more.

[Host’s current strength is insufficient to guarantee protection of all desired targets.]

The smile disappeared.

Because this time, the System was correct.

Ethan thought of Amelia. Of Adrian. Of Elena. Of Marcus. In his previous life, he had lost all of them. This time, he intended to lose none.

He remembered receiving news of Adrian’s death on the frontier.

No body had ever been recovered.

Only a shattered battlefield and a banner that never returned.

At the time, Ethan had still believed his father was invincible.

He had learned that even legends could die, for this world held monsters greater than anyone in Ravenhold had imagined.

The goal sounded simple. The reality was anything but.

For a few moments, neither side spoke.

Then Ethan finally asked the question that truly mattered.

"Then what should I do?"

The answer appeared almost immediately.

-----

[Increase Strength.]

[Increase Combat Capability.]

[Acquire Additional War Merit.]

-----

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

War Merit. Once again, everything seemed to return to the same resource.

A thoughtful expression appeared on his face as he stared at the final line.

Outside, the northern wind drifted quietly through the vast estate grounds. Inside, a new sense of determination gradually settled within his heart.

Beyond the palace walls, hundreds of thousands slept peacefully beneath the protection of House Ravencrest. Villages prepared for winter. Caravans traveled northern roads. Frontier soldiers stood watch beneath distant skies.

Strength alone could not protect all of them. But weakness guaranteed their loss.

The assassination attempt had ended. The investigation had ended. But his preparation had only just begun.

The golden panel remained suspended before Ethan, its ancient runes glowing softly within the darkness of the room. Outside, Ravenhold had finally begun to settle into silence. Much of Ravenhold slept peacefully beneath the night sky, unaware that its young heir was already planning for battles that had yet to come.

Ethan’s eyes lingered on the final recommendation.

[Acquire Additional War Merit.]

The answer itself wasn’t surprising. What interested him was the fact that the System continued returning to the same resource.

Throughout the past few days, nearly every reward had involved War Merit in one form or another. Whether through daily missions or major objectives, the System clearly regarded it as something important.

"War Merit seems to be at the center of everything."

The golden text shifted almost immediately.

[Correct.]

[War Merit is the primary growth resource available to Host at the current stage.]

Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair as he considered the response.

A growth resource. The description sounded simple enough, yet the System rarely wasted words. If War Merit occupied such a central role, then understanding it would likely accelerate his development far more than blindly completing missions.

"What are the methods of obtaining War Merit?"

The runes along the panel’s border brightened briefly before several new lines appeared.

[Current War Merit Acquisition Methods]

1. Daily Missions

2. Main Missions

3. Emergency Missions

4. Monster Elimination

5. Combat Achievements

6. Significant Accomplishments 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

7. Special Events

Ethan’s gaze immediately settled upon the fourth option.

Monster Elimination.

Unlike missions, monsters were not dependent upon the System. They existed throughout the world and could be hunted whenever opportunities presented themselves.

"Explain."

The panel responded instantly.

[Host receives War Merit upon eliminating hostile entities.]

[War Merit rewards are determined by:

Target Strength

Threat Level

Combat Contribution

Special Conditions]

A thoughtful expression appeared on Ethan’s face.

That made sense. The stronger the opponent, the greater the reward. It was a straightforward principle — one that rewarded strength earned through battle.

His thoughts drifted briefly toward the Eternal Forest beyond the northern territories. Countless monsters inhabited its depths, ranging from weak creatures hunted by ordinary adventurers to terrifying beasts capable of devastating entire settlements.

At his current level, most of those monsters remained far beyond his reach.

For now.

Eventually, that would change.

The System remained silent as Ethan considered the possibilities. The War God System never attempted to force him toward a particular choice. It offered guidance when requested, but the final decision always remained his own.

The thought once again reminded Ethan how unusual the System truly was. A mysterious existence capable of altering destinies should have inspired caution. Suspicion. Fear.

Yet none of those emotions surfaced whenever he interacted with it.

The feeling remained difficult to explain. Yet no suspicion surfaced within his heart. As though the System had accompanied him for far longer than he consciously remembered.

Ethan frowned slightly before dismissing the thought. Whatever the truth might be, it wasn’t something he could answer tonight.

Instead, he focused on the problem directly before him.

"How much War Merit do I currently possess?"

Golden light flickered across the panel. Several lines of information flowed rapidly across its surface before settling into place.

[Current War Merit:

1,300]

[Unallocated Attribute Points:

12]

For several moments, Ethan simply stared at the numbers.

Neither amount was extraordinary. Yet compared to the helpless boy who had awakened with memories of another lifetime only a few days earlier, the difference was substantial.

The missions had accumulated. The rewards had accumulated. His efforts had accumulated.

Most importantly, they represented opportunities.

A slow smile appeared on Ethan’s face. For the first time since the assassination attempt, his thoughts moved away from what had happened and toward what came next.

The future remained uncertain. That much would never change.

But regardless of what dangers waited ahead, one fact remained constant.

The stronger he became, the more choices he would have when confronting them.

His gaze settled upon the golden panel once more.

"Show me my current status."

The runes along the border brightened. Then the entire panel began to transform.

The golden panel shifted the moment Ethan issued his command. Ancient runes flowed across its surface like streams of liquid gold before gradually settling into a familiar arrangement. The warm glow illuminated the room, casting faint shadows across the walls as Ethan silently examined the information before him.

-----

Ethan Ravencrest

Age: 10

Knight Rank: Apprentice Knight

Mage Rank: Unawakened

Spirit Rank : Unawakened

Talent: Unawakened

Physique:

Heavenly Sovereign Physique (SSS)

Cultivation Art:

Northern Heaven War Art

Strength: 8

Agility: 9

Vitality: 11

Endurance: 11

Intelligence: 13

Mana Capacity: 11

War Merit: 1300

Available Attribute Points: 12

-----

For several moments, Ethan remained silent.

The numbers themselves weren’t particularly impressive. Compared to the monsters, generals, and powerful warriors he remembered from his previous life, his current strength was insignificant.

Yet that didn’t bother him.

Every great warrior began somewhere. What mattered was the foundation. And foundations were built one step at a time.

His attention quickly settled upon the final line.

Twelve attribute points. A considerable reward for less than two weeks of progress.

The golden panel flickered gently.

[Recommendation:

Balanced Enhancement.]

[Current Stage:

Foundation Building.]

[Current Physical Development Supports

Balanced Growth.]

Ethan nodded.

The recommendation matched his own thoughts. At his current age, there was little benefit in pursuing extreme specialization. A stronger foundation would improve every aspect of his future growth, whether as a knight, a commander, or something far greater.

"Allocate all available attribute points according to the recommended distribution."

The golden runes brightened. A warm current surged through Ethan’s body.

The sensation was immediate and direct. His muscles tightened slightly beneath his skin. His heartbeat strengthened. Even his senses seemed sharper than before.

The changes weren’t overwhelming. They didn’t need to be. Steady improvement was often more valuable than explosive growth.

The panel updated.

-----

[Attribute Allocation Complete]

Strength: 8 → 10 (+2)

Agility: 9 → 11 (+2)

Vitality: 11 → 13 (+2)

Endurance: 11 → 13 (+2)

Intelligence: 13 → 15 (+2)

Mana Capacity: 11 → 13 (+2)

Available Attribute Points:

12 → 0

-----

Ethan slowly opened and closed his hand.

The difference was subtle, yet unmistakable. His body felt steadier — more like something he was fully in control of, rather than something he was just borrowing.

A faint smile appeared on his face. For the first time since the assassination attempt, he felt as though he had taken a meaningful step forward.

The System remained silent for several moments before another notification appeared.

[Current Foundation Evaluation:

Good.]

[Growth Rate:

Above Expectations.]

Ethan’s eyes lingered on the words briefly before shifting downward.

One number remained unchanged.

-----

War Merit: 1300

-----

Unlike attribute points, War Merit represented possibilities.

Resources. Knowledge. Techniques. Opportunities.

The assassin had nearly succeeded. The investigation had reached a dead end. Yet despite everything, Ethan had gained enough resources to significantly accelerate his growth.

That alone made the recent dangers worthwhile.

Leaning back in his chair, he focused on the final remaining question.

"What exactly can thirteen hundred War Merit buy?"

The golden panel immediately responded.

[Recommendation:

Access War Merit Store.]

A faint chuckle escaped Ethan.

"Open the War Merit Store."

The runes along the border suddenly erupted with brilliant golden light. Entire sections of the interface began shifting and expanding. New categories appeared one after another, stretching far beyond anything Ethan had expected.

Consumables. Combat Resources. Training Resources. Knowledge Fragments. Cultivation Resources.

Most remained inaccessible. Many displayed restrictions he couldn’t yet understand. Others were priced so high that even thirteen hundred War Merit appeared insignificant.

Yet among them, a handful of entries remained available.

For the first time since his regression, Ethan felt genuine anticipation.

The path before him had become clearer.

He now possessed memories of the future. A powerful physique. A mysterious System. And finally — resources capable of transforming potential into strength.

His gaze remained fixed upon the expanding store as item after item appeared before him.

Tomorrow, he would decide what to purchase. Tomorrow, he would begin growing stronger. Tonight, he would learn exactly what opportunities lay before him.

The golden light reflected within his eyes as the War Merit Store fully opened.

Resources. Knowledge. Power.

In his previous life, he had spent decades struggling to obtain opportunities such as these. Now they rested within reach.

Beyond Ravenhold’s walls, hidden enemies continued moving through the shadows. Beyond the Northern Frontier, ancient threats still stirred within the Eternal Forest and lands unknown. And somewhere in that distant future waited the disasters that had once reduced mighty fortresses, great cities, and noble houses to ruin.

This time, however, Ethan would not meet them unprepared.

Slowly, a faint smile appeared on his face.

The future had changed. And for the first time since his return... he was beginning to gain the pieces needed to win.