The servant kept staring at Alex like he had seen a ghost.
Which, in a way, wasn't entirely wrong.
"You… you should rest, Young Master," the servant said nervously.
Alex leaned against the edge of the table.
His head still hurt, but his thoughts were sharp.
"Who beat me?"
The servant blinked.
"S-Sir?"
Alex met his gaze.
"Who."
The servant swallowed.
"It was Young Master Cedric… during the sparring session."
Right.
More memories surfaced.
Cedric Valerian.
An older cousin.
Talented cultivator.
And someone who seemed to take great pleasure in humiliating the original Alex.
Alex rubbed his temples.
Of course.
Every story needed a bully, apparently.
"How long was I unconscious?" Alex asked.
"Almost three hours."
Three hours.
More than enough time for rumors to spread through the estate.
Alex could already imagine the whispers.
The Valerian Fool got beaten unconscious again.
His reputation had been terrible before.
This definitely didn't help.
Still, Alex didn't look particularly bothered.
Reputations could change.
Power changed everything.
"Bring me a mirror," he said.
The servant hesitated for half a second before bowing.
"Yes, Young Master."
He hurried out of the room.
A minute later he returned with a small bronze mirror.
Alex took it and examined his reflection.
Black hair.
Sharp jawline.
Pale skin.
Surprisingly handsome.
The real problem was his expression.
Timid.
Hesitant.
The kind of face people instinctively bullied.
Alex smirked faintly.
That could be fixed.
He placed the mirror down on the table.
"You can leave."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The servant rushed out of the room as if escaping.
The moment the door closed, the room fell silent again.
Alex sat down cross-legged on the floor.
Time to test something.
He closed his eyes.
The strange pulse inside his chest appeared again.
Qi.
But layered with something else.
Something unusual.
He focused on the sensation.
Almost immediately the emotional ripples returned.
Fear.
Annoyance.
Curiosity.
They drifted faintly through his perception.
Most likely servants walking around the estate.
Alex frowned slightly.
"This isn't normal Qi perception…"
Cultivators could sense energy.
But emotions?
That was new.
Very new.
He concentrated harder.
The signals became clearer.
One servant outside felt anxious.
Another seemed exhausted.
Someone nearby was angry.
Alex's heartbeat sped up.
This ability was incredible.
Even if it was weak right now.
Understanding people's emotions could be extremely useful.
Especially inside a noble household filled with politics.
But something else caught his attention.
A second energy source inside his body.
Tiny.
Almost insignificant.
Yet incredibly dense.
Alex focused on it.
And suddenly—
His mind trembled.
A strange symbol flashed inside his consciousness.
A broken crown.
Surrounded by faint flowing waves.
Alex's eyes snapped open.
"…Authority?"
He didn't know how he understood the word.
The meaning simply appeared in his mind.
A fragment of power.
Something ancient.
Something dangerous.
And somehow…
It now belonged to him.
Alex leaned back against the wall and exhaled slowly.
"This world just got a lot more interesting."
Outside the window, the sun was beginning to set.
Darkness slowly crept across the Valerian estate.
Tomorrow, the family training sessions would begin again.
Which meant one thing.
He would probably see Cedric.
Alex smiled faintly.
"Let's see if the fool can surprise them."
Because one thing was certain.
The old Alex Valerian was gone.
And the new one had no intention of staying weak.