Chapter 1

In my past life, Father abandons me and banishes me to the Forsaken Reaches. Meanwhile, Silas Mullen, my brother, is doted on greatly. He marries Ruby Snow, Princess of the Dragon Tribe, and becomes the hope of standing against the Demon Clan.

I unexpectedly form a contract with a phoenix at the Forsaken Reaches and become a celebrated God of War across the Three Realms. Silas, on the other hand, grows complacent and becomes nothing more than a failure.

He eventually ambushes me from behind and kills me with a dagger on the day of the Demon Clan's invasion.

I open my eyes again, only to find that we have returned to the day of the pact ceremony.

Silas flashes me a wicked smirk and says, "Your luck belongs to me now, Ryder."

I suppress my laughter and slowly approach Ruby, who has elegant features and captivating eyes that seem to hold endless charm. I can't help but blush deeply as I look into her eyes.

Then, I turn to Silas, who is still overjoyed, and say, "I rely on more than just luck, Silas."

Chapter 1

I was reborn, returning to the day I formed a contract with the divine beast.

Silas Mullen, my older twin brother, and I stepped onto the dais.

Silas let out a mischievous grin, then suddenly dropped to his knees before Father, who had always favored him.

"I lack the strength needed to protect Aetheria, so I would like to volunteer myself to head to the Forsaken Reaches to hone my skills, Your Majesty."

Father was left completely stunned, and Mother was just as bewildered.

I was the only one who knew what was going on. Silas had been reborn too.

"Do you really want to go to the Forsaken Reaches, Silas? It's fraught with danger and rife with savage beasts. I fear for your safety, Silas!"

Father truly doted on Silas, his First Prince. He had always received the best food, clothing, and daily necessities. He even got to choose his attendants first, while the rest were left for me. His room was filled with so much gold, silver, and jewels that there was hardly any space left.

Father loved him so dearly, so there was no way he could allow his beloved son to face such danger.

Besides, Silas had always presented himself as a dutiful, sensible son, carrying himself like the future heir to the throne. He was someone regarded as a pillar of the kingdom and was naturally meant to marry the Princess of the Dragon Tribe.

They were considered to be a match made in heaven, so there was no way Silas was allowed to venture into the Forsaken Reaches.

Father held Silas' hands with tear-filled eyes, unable to make up his mind. He was completely unaware that he would eventually meet his end at the hands of his most beloved son.

Upon noticing Father's reluctance, Silas began acting again. He glanced at me before saying, "Ryder is sickly and unable to form a contract with a divine beast, so he will certainly be sent to the Forsaken Reaches.

"How could I, as his older brother, just stand by and do nothing? Please grant me your approval, Your Majesty!"

Silas acted like the most caring older brother in the world. If he hadn't been bringing people around to humiliate me every day in my past life, I would have believed his act too.

"It's truly fortunate for the kingdom to have someone as caring and devoted as His Highness!"

"Please grant His Highness' request to protect his brother, Your Majesty!"

Those ministers gathered below the dais chattered away, completely moved by Silas' display of brotherly devotion.

"Thank you for looking out for me, Silas," I said, playing along to push the matter further.

Those present turned toward Father, who had no choice but to give his approval.

Thus, with Silas heading to the Forsaken Reaches, the position of the Prince Consort of the Dragon Tribe became vacant.

I was the only suitable candidate left, so I naturally accepted the arrangement.

Silas smirked as he stood up and leaned in close to my ear. "Your luck belongs to me now, Ryder."

I ignored Silas and slowly walked over to the beauty on the dais. Ruby Snow, Princess of the Dragon Tribe, had flawless skin, vivid red lips, and stunning features. She was renowned as the most beautiful woman in the Three Realms.

"Who would've thought I'd hit the jackpot like this?" I mused to myself as I stared at Ruby, who was standing right before me, my face turning red despite myself. How could anyone not fall for someone as beautiful as her?

I glanced over at Silas, who was looking completely pleased with himself, and forced back a grin. I said inwardly, "I rely on a lot more than just luck, Silas."

Chapter 2

It was said that when the Demon Clan invaded, the whole world was thrown into turmoil. In order to maintain peace, the Mortal Clan and the Beast Clan joined forces and formed the Spirit Alliance.

Under the Spirit Alliance's rules, adult men were required to marry divine beasts and form a blood pact.

Those who were married would share divine power, and the stronger the human, the more power they could bring out. The exceptional human fighters went on to lead the fight against the Demon Clan, earning widespread reverence.

Conversely, any adult men who still couldn't form a contract with a divine beast would be banished to the Forsaken Reaches.

In my past life, Silas was strong and well-built, doted on by both Father and Mother. He was chosen to marry Ruby and became a celebrated hero of the Spirit Alliance.

I, on the other hand, had always been weak and sickly. I coughed up blood every day, was bullied by my siblings, and was despised even by the servants.

I would never forget the time Silas stepped on my head after a fight and said with a sneer, "You'd better remember this, Ryder. You're nothing but a sickly good-for-nothing! You don't deserve to compete with me for the throne!"

Having said that, Silas spat right in my face and walked away.

"How can Prince Ryder be such a loser? He's ridiculously weak!"

"I know, right? Prince Silas is the real deal! He'll be the one carrying the Spirit Alliance in the future!"

In that instant, the servants standing around all laughed mockingly at me.

I didn't blame them for their actions. After all, survival of the fittest was the rule of this world, and Silas was exceptionally talented and deeply loved by Father. It was only a matter of time before he ascended to the throne to become the new King.

Meanwhile, I was about to be exiled to the Forsaken Reaches in two weeks, reduced to a wanderer. I simply thought that life was unfair back then.

I had no idea that my destiny was already set in motion at that time. I eventually headed off to the Forsaken Reaches, and once I got there, I stumbled upon a red-feathered bird that was on the verge of death.

"You poor thing! You and I have both been cast aside!" I sighed and wrapped my arms around it.

The Forsaken Reaches had a brutal environment, with constant sandstorms and cliffs scattered everywhere.

I knew I wouldn't survive for long, so I gave my remaining spiritual medicine to the little bird and formed a blood pact with it. I decided to name her Amber.

In the desolate Forsaken Reaches, Amber and I depended on each other for survival. She gradually grew into a phoenix with fiery feathers and incredible spiritual energy. She then assumed human form and nourished my body with her phoenix blood.

In the days that followed, tempered through the brutal elements of the Forsaken Reaches and nourished by phoenix blood, I became incomparably strong. I later returned to Aetheria to help to fight against the Demon Clan's invasion.

Silas stabbed me to death right at the climax of the battle. He had completely let himself go after getting married to Ruby, causing his power and influence to decline.

He became jealous of my triumphant return after he realized that he couldn't defeat the Demon Clan, so he chose to side with the enemy and ambushed me instead.

He had no idea we would both be reborn, though, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, born anew in the fire.

Amber used her spiritual energy to save me at the very last second, and since Silas had my blood splattered all over him, it somehow triggered his rebirth too.

Having learned his lesson from our past life, Silas chose to cultivate himself in the Forsaken Reaches, intending to take everything that once belonged to me. He, however, never knew that Amber chose me because we had gone through hardships together.

There was no way that Silas, who was used to a life of luxury, would ever appreciate a weak, frail bird. He failed to gain Amber's favor and ended up just wandering around the Forsaken Reaches in misery.

What a ridiculous twist of fate.

Unlike him, I had a completely different fate. Ruby was a peerless beauty, and the Dragon Palace was a renowned blessed land across the Three Realms—the legendary birthplace of some of the most famous weapons.

I had no choice but to live as an ordinary Prince Consort of the Dragon Tribe.

Chapter 3

In order to boost my power, Ruby transferred her spiritual energy to me daily and reshaped my physique using the Dragon Orb. Her Dragon Essence fused seamlessly with the remaining phoenix blood in me, causing my cultivation to skyrocket.

Maverick Snow, my father-in-law and the King of the Dragon Tribe, gathered rare cultivation resources for me daily, leaving me to consume immortal elixirs like ordinary food and play with divine weapons as if they were simple toys.

"How incredible!" I exclaimed, catching Ruby, who was beside me, off guard.

"What's got you so worked up, Ryder?" Ruby asked. She was a pampered princess and was the apple of King Maverick's eye, so she naturally didn't know how miserable I had been in my past life.

"It's nothing. I was just caught up in the joy of the moment. Why don't we call it a night, Ruby?" I asked as I flashed her a charming smile, prompting her to blush deeply.

Our spiritual energies merged after spending the night together. Then, along with the water-element techniques Ruby had taught me, I managed to reach the State of Perfect Equilibrium. I had just turned 18 years old at that point.

I sneered as I recalled all the scorn and abuse I used to deal with. I knew that with the power I had now, Silas was nothing to me. I would make him pay for everything sooner or later.

I devoted myself to cultivation in the Dragon Palace, laboring day and night without rest. After all, I had been taught a harsh reality in my past life.

I knew that just being better than Silas wasn't going to cut it. I had to become way stronger. I was doing it for myself and for Amber, who gave up her life to save mine.

The Dragon Palace was a legendary sanctuary for cultivation that many could only dream of, leading Silas to choose Ruby in his past life.

However, living in luxury over the years among bountiful treasures and beauties caused Silas to abandon his training. He surrendered entirely to worldly vices and lust, fooling around behind Ruby's back and letting his power weaken.

King Maverick eventually had enough of him. He sent him a divorce paper and drove him back to Aetheria.

Despite that, Father and Mother still showered Silas with endless affection, caving to his every demand. He was bound to become the King of Aetheria if nothing unexpected had happened.

Unfortunately, I had returned from the Forsaken Reaches.

In my past life, I had wandered the Forsaken Reaches with no one by my side and no one to depend on. Silas only knew that I had stumbled upon a miraculous opportunity, ignorant of the countless times I had walked the edge of life and death.

The climate was harsh and unpredictable, and the Demon Clan and ancient beasts often roamed the area.

I was once chased by the Ravener for three days straight. I ran day and night, so exhausted that I was coughing up blood. Thankfully, a sandstorm hit just in time, blinding the Ravener and forcing it to retreat.

On another occasion, I fell into a swamp and nearly lost my life, but Amber refused to let go and pulled me to safety.

I was physically weak, and Amber was still young. I was forced to devote myself entirely to cultivation and grow stronger in order to survive the Demon Clan's pursuit and the dangers posed by wandering enemies.

I exhausted everything I had just to stay alive. I had no time to think about the throne and glory. I only wanted to live peacefully with Amber and had no ambition for anything else.

That changed when I ducked into a cave to hide from a sandstorm and got attacked by thousands of bats that ate my flesh. Amber was still young and hadn't unlocked her powers yet, so she could only stand by and watch me suffer. That ordeal lasted for seven days straight.

Valentina Blackhart, the Vampire Queen, urged me to abandon Amber and forge a blood pact with her. She said that if I became her thrall, I would gain power and get to command the bat pack to conquer lands for the Demon Clan.

I chose death over submission.

Just when things were looking worse, Amber walked out from the flames. She had transformed into a phoenix covered in fiery feathers.

She unleashed the Sacred Flame, which instantly incinerated the surrounding demons. Valentina escaped in panic, while I barely survived.

Chapter 4

From that moment on, I'd decided to take on the heavy responsibility of driving out the Demon Clan to protect myself and Amber. Through countless trials of life and death, Amber and I had developed a deep understanding of each other.

I could feel my spiritual energy growing steadily, eventually reaching the ranks of the strongest experts.

Upon seeing Amber's transformation and my own change, I'd finally made up my mind to return to Aetheria. I would reclaim everything that belonged to me, and I would take away everything Silas owned as well.

"Did you miss me, Silas?" I'd asked with a faint smile as I looked at Silas' cold, murderous expression.

Silas had remained silent, welcoming me with a dagger instead.

I had really underestimated the depth of human malice.

In this life, I was going to make him pay it all back twice over. I had prepared some surprises for Silas in the Forsaken Reaches. I sincerely hoped that he would survive long enough to return to Aetheria.

Just as I anticipated, Silas was too pampered to endure the elements of the Forsaken Reaches.

He failed to form a contract with a powerful divine beast and ended up in a miserable state. He was chased by stray dogs, beaten up by beggars, and even claimed as a 'companion' by a bandit chief with a well-known preference for men.

He was either suffering or heading straight into more trouble every single day.

I learned all of these from the Dragon Palace's informants.

I was a good-natured person at heart, so there was no way I could just stand by and watch him suffer. "Go send his news back to Aetheria, but modify it slightly."

I gave a sly grin as my subordinate headed off to carry out the order.

Those in the Dragon Palace worked with impressive efficiency.

It was the following day, and everyone in the Nine Realms heard that Silas, the First Prince of Aetheria, had achieved a great feat in the Forsaken Reaches and formed a contract with a powerful divine beast.

There were talks going around, with everyone believing that Silas was a once-in-a-millennium hero from Aetheria.

Father was overjoyed, exclaiming, "Silas truly lived up to my expectations! I can finally feel at ease knowing Aetheria will be entrusted to him!"

I was just as thrilled as he was. I made sure the news spread across the Forsaken Reaches too as I sent it back to Aetheria.

Forsaken Reaches was packed with demons and tangled with different factions, while Aetheria possessed immense wealth and formidable armies. Thus, Silas, the First Prince and future heir to the Mortal Clan, instantly became an irresistible prize for every faction in the realm.

Silas survived hundreds of assassination attempts within a single month. He was always saved by someone whenever he was right on the edge of dying.

"I've lived to see another day! I'll return to Aetheria one day!" Silas roared toward the sky. He celebrated his luck and believed he was fated for greatness, since no matter how desperate the situation became, someone would always rescue him.

Those savior figures were naturally my doing. After all, if he died, it would have ended everything too quickly. I wanted him to suffer—a fate worse than death was far more satisfying.

"It's time to go meet the hero of Aetheria!" I exclaimed as I straightened my clothes and gently brushed Ruby's cheek.

That day, a pack of demons beat Silas to a pulp, tearing his clothes to shreds and snapping every one of his limbs. He was covered in tears and snot as he groveled pathetically on the ground. "Please spare me! I'll reward you heavily once I make it back to Aetheria!"

"That's enough! How dare you treat the hero of the Mortal Clan in such a manner! I even sent countless people just to keep him alive!" I stated deliberately. I then stepped off my carriage and walked over to Silas, flanked by my attendants.

"Got it, my lord!" The lead demon stopped right away, dropping to his knees before me with an eager-to-please look.

"Quit your groveling and look up to see who I am!"

Upon hearing that, Silas slowly looked up. "H-Huh? Y-You're the one who sent those people to save me?"