1
Author: Bader
last update2026-03-11 16:17:21

POV: Liam

The southern reaches of the Skyfall Continent were a desolate wasteland, a place where the sun felt like a physical weight pressing down on the earth. Amidst the swirling dust and the rhythmic thumping of heavy paws, a massive caravan snaked across the horizon. Four hundred soldiers, their armor clanking in a grim symphony, surrounded the central carriage with the vigilance of men guarding a tomb. Inside that carriage, my world began with a jolt of pure, unadulterated agony.

I woke up, but I didn't recognize the darkness. Every nerve in my body screamed, a white-hot fire coursing through my veins that made the simple act of breathing feel like swallowing shards of glass. I tried to gasp, to cry out for help, but my throat was a desert. Before I could even process the smallness of my hands or the strange plushness of the seat beneath me, a tidal wave of foreign memories crashed against the shores of my mind.

The force of it was violent. Images of a cold palace, the sting of a brother's palm against my cheek, the smell of a mother's indifference, and the terrifying void of blindness—it all poured in at once. My brain couldn't sustain the onslaught. With a final, silent plea for the pain to stop, I slipped back into the abyss of unconsciousness.

***

Several hours passed before the world returned to me. The searing pain had receded into a dull, manageable ache, leaving me to grapple with the aftermath of a "dream" that felt far too vivid to be a trick of the mind. In that dream, there had been no light—only a suffocating blackness where I could hear the cruel laughter of shadows and the whispered conspiracies of adults.

As I lay there, staring at the blurred ceiling of the carriage, the truth crystallized. I wasn't Mike anymore. Mike, the twenty-one-year-old otaku who had died in a spray of blood and digital vengeance, was gone. In his place was Liam—Liam Von Vermilion, the Ninth Prince of the Vermilion Empire.

I closed my eyes, searching the newly acquired memories. Liam was a tragedy etched in the annals of the royal family. Born to a maid who had been elevated to a concubine only out of the Emperor's fleeting whim, Liam was destined for misery from the moment he drew his first breath. When the physicians discovered he was born blind and devoid of any magical talent, the royal favor vanished instantly. He became an invisible stain on the Vermilion name.

His mother, the very woman who had gained a life of luxury through his birth, never visited him. Not once. He spent four years being the palace's ghost, a punching bag for his elder brothers who saw his royal blood as an insult to their own. They bullied him, beat him, and mocked the boy who couldn't even see the fists coming.

The breaking point came during the Empress Dowager's birthday gala. For the first time, the high nobles caught sight of the bruised, shivering four-year-old hidden in the corners of the palace. The whispers began—questions about the Empire's treatment of its own blood. Even the Empress Dowager, moved by a sudden spark of grandmotherly pity, demanded an explanation. The royal clan was shamed.

But the Emperor's "compensation" was nothing short of a death warrant. Theodore Von Vermilion, my so-called father, didn't feel guilt; he felt rage. He blamed the child for the shame brought upon the clan. In a display of cold, calculated cruelty, he granted Liam the Secluded State—a lawless territory teeming with vicious spiritual beasts and the Empire's most dangerous criminals—and ordered a four-year-old to "govern" it.

The nobles were horrified. Sending a blind toddler to the Secluded State was a public execution in everything but name. Even the Empress Dowager's influence hit a wall against the Emperor's decree. Once an Emperor speaks, the world must obey. All she could do was soften the blow with bags of gold and a guard of four hundred soldiers to accompany the boy to his inevitable end.

"How could they do this to a child?" I whispered, my voice sounding unnervingly high-pitched and fragile. "Sending him to a den of monsters? Not even letting him leave in one piece..."

I touched my ribs, feeling the bandages. Before being tossed into this carriage, Theodore had allowed his personal guards to beat the boy half-to-death, a final "lesson" in humility.

Suddenly, a cold realization gripped my heart. Theodore Von Vermilion... the Secluded State... the blind Ninth Prince...

"Wait," I gasped, my small fingers clutching the silken cushions. "Isn't this... isn't this the trash prince from my own novel? The one I wrote as a sacrificial pawn for the protagonist's rise? No way... I am inside the body of a cannon fodder character!"

Panic flared in my chest as I recalled the plot. In my novel, Liam was never meant to be a hero. He was the man executed to satisfy the main character's rage. He was forced into a political marriage with the MC's childhood friend, a woman who despised him. Later, it was revealed that Liam's own wife and the Crown Prince were lovers who had framed him for crimes he never committed. Liam died without ever knowing why, a puppet in a game he never understood.

"If I'm Liam... then I'm supposed to die."

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog. "But wait. If Liam was blind... how am I able to see the embroidery on these curtains? And my body... the pain is fading way too fast. What happened to the world I built?"

As if the universe were answering my question, a translucent blue screen shimmered into existence, floating in the air before my wide, childish eyes.

[Name: Liam (Mike)]

[Age: 4 (21)]

[Health: 100% (Recovery Completed)]

[Cultivation Qi: None]

[Cultivation Body: None]

[Skills: High Senses Lv. 5 (The ability to perceive everything within a 10-meter radius)]

[Servants: 0]

[Summon Tickets: 2 Low-Level Summons]

I stared, paralyzed by the sight. "A system? My novel didn't have a system. This must be the reason for my healing... and my sight." I felt a flush of embarrassment as I looked around the empty carriage. "Ahem. System... can you hear me?"

I waited for several minutes, my heart thumping against my ribs. Nothing. No mechanical voice, no AI assistant.

"Is it a silent system?" I mused, drawing on my years of reading web novels. "Maybe it doesn't have an AI. If it's command-based, I should be able to control it with my thoughts."

I focused my mind on the blue window. 'Close System'.

The screen vanished instantly. A small, triumphant smile crossed my face. I was on the right track. I was about to summon the screen again when a thunderous voice shattered the silence of the carriage.

"Open the gates! The Ninth Prince has arrived at the border!"

I scrambled to the window, pulling back the heavy velvet curtains. Outside, a gargantuan wall made of black stone loomed over us, its gates so massive they looked like the entrance to another world. But it wasn't the wall that caught my breath. It was the glowing, ethereal text floating above the gateway, visible only to me:

{ Secluded City: The Fallen Resting Place of the Sword Maniac's Inheritance }

My jaw dropped. I knew that name. I had spent three nights designing the 'Sword Maniac' and his legendary, hidden tomb. It was a secret I had tucked away in the lore of the Secluded City, a treasure meant to be discovered much later in the story.

A wild, hysterical laugh bubbled up in my chest and burst out of my throat. "It's all here... everything I wrote... every secret, every treasure, every shortcut... it's all mine!"

Outside, the soldiers heard the high-pitched, manic laughter echoing from the Prince's carriage. They exchanged glances of pity and fear, convinced that the trauma of exile and the beating had finally snapped the blind child's mind. They had no idea that the "trash prince" was no longer blind, no longer helpless, and certainly no longer planning to die.

The game had changed. And as the creator of this world, I was the only one who knew the rules.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app

Latest Chapter

  • 6

    POV: LiamA week had passed since I first stepped into this decaying mansion, and the atmosphere had shifted from stagnant to electric. I spent my days sitting cross-legged on the cold stone floor, lost in a trance of meditation as I awaited the reports from Ren and Thor. Outside my window, the Secluded State was changing, but not in the way the history books would one day record.Old Zhu had become increasingly daring, his greed acting like a terminal disease. Believing my feigned support was absolute, he began to operate as if he were the true sovereign of this land. He had already started moving members of his clan into the city, occupying key positions and siphoning resources to bolster their influence.In the original novel, the 'Old Liam' was a stubborn, reactive child who fought Zhu at every turn. That resistance only made the old fox sharper, more cautious, and more calculated. But by giving him 100% authority, I had essentially handed him a golden noose. He thought he was win

  • 5

    POV: LiamThe small, lightweight sword felt unfamiliar in my grip, its cold steel a stark contrast to the warmth of my small palm. I held it tightly, my knuckles turning white. Even though this was my first time ever wielding a real blade, I didn't let the daunting nature of the task discourage me. As the creator of this world, I knew that mastery wasn't just about muscle memory; it was about the soul. I was weak now, barely able to keep the sword level, but I would grow. I had to—without compromising my physical development at such a tender age.Recalling the rhythmic verses of the 'Sword Maniac's Ritual', I sat down cross-legged on the cold floor. I unsheathed the blade with a slow, deliberate motion. The metallic ring echoed through the silent room. I placed the scabbard before me like a fallen foe and rested the blade across my knees. Closing my eyes, I began to chant the ancient words I had once written in a dark room, never imagining I would one day speak them into existence:"S

  • 4

    POV: Liam"You idiots, calm down! Or do you want the entire mansion to find out about your existence before the sun even sets?"My voice, though small and high-pitched, carried a sharp edge that cut through the thick tension in the room. The air, which had been vibrating with the clashing auras of a Warlord and a Demi-Dragon, suddenly grew still."Yes, my Lord," they chimed in unison, their heads bowing so low they nearly touched the floorboards. Even Kurma let out a small, apologetic squeak, his nine tails tucking slightly between his legs.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I was a four-year-old child commanding entities that could level this city, and the weight of that responsibility was starting to settle on my shoulders. I looked at Thor and then at Ren, my gaze lingering on each of them to ensure they understood the gravity of my next words."Ren, Thor... listen to me carefully. I will not tolerate any infighting between you. You are my left and right hands

  • 3

    POV: LiamThe bedroom, which only moments ago felt like a stagnant tomb, was now the epicenter of a swirling, ethereal storm. A thick, pearlescent white fog bled from the system screen, swallowing the tattered rug and the moth-eaten curtains. It wasn't just mist; it felt heavy, charged with a primal energy that made the very air hum against my skin.As I sat small and frail on the oversized bed, three silhouettes began to coalesce within the haze. They grew taller, sharper, and more imposing with every passing second. The silver fog began to dissipate, retreating like a tide, and revealing the trio that would become my sword and my shield in this treacherous world.Standing to the left was a man who looked like he had been forged in the fires of a thousand wars. He was middle-aged, his face a map of jagged scars and weathered wisdom. He wore crimson war armor that seemed to pulse with a faint, bloody light, and in his hand, he gripped a spear so long it nearly touched the ceiling—its

  • 2

    POV: Liam"Your Highness, please, you must get back inside the carriage. A fall at this speed could cause you permanent injury, and we cannot have more blood on our hands today."The voice was thin, reeking of a feigned, oily concern. An old man, his skin as wrinkled as parchment and his back slightly stooped, appeared before me. He looked to be in his nineties, his white hair sparse and his eyes hidden behind half-closed lids. This was Old Zhu.The moment my eyes landed on him, a glacial chill settled in my chest. In the original plot of my novel, Old Zhu was a venomous snake hidden in the grass. He was the architect of Liam's downfall, a man who manipulated the blind prince to consolidate his own clan's power. He was the one who systematically drained the state's treasury, leaving Liam to take the fall as a corrupt, incompetent governor. That reputation was the very reason the public cheered when Liam's head finally hit the block.I felt a surge of pure disdain, but I kept my face a

  • 1

    POV: LiamThe southern reaches of the Skyfall Continent were a desolate wasteland, a place where the sun felt like a physical weight pressing down on the earth. Amidst the swirling dust and the rhythmic thumping of heavy paws, a massive caravan snaked across the horizon. Four hundred soldiers, their armor clanking in a grim symphony, surrounded the central carriage with the vigilance of men guarding a tomb. Inside that carriage, my world began with a jolt of pure, unadulterated agony.I woke up, but I didn't recognize the darkness. Every nerve in my body screamed, a white-hot fire coursing through my veins that made the simple act of breathing feel like swallowing shards of glass. I tried to gasp, to cry out for help, but my throat was a desert. Before I could even process the smallness of my hands or the strange plushness of the seat beneath me, a tidal wave of foreign memories crashed against the shores of my mind.The force of it was violent. Images of a cold palace, the sting of a

More Chapter
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App