Bloom City.
Outskirts.
Hornes Baron's mansion.
A young man stood by the window, looking out at the heavy rain falling with a loud crash, his face full of worry.
His name was Bruno Hornes, the new noble who had inherited his father's title.
But that wasn't all. He was also a Reincarnator.
Bruno had once been an extreme sports athlete. During a wingsuit flight, an accident happened, and he fell into a coma. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the Kingdom of Anlaine, an ancient world with Arcane Power.
At first, Bruno was excited. After all, he had a second chance at life, and this was a world with magic. Maybe he could even learn to practice it. When he could move mountains and chase the stars, wouldn't that be more exciting than extreme sports?
But reality hit him hard.
The original owner of this body was born into the Hornes family. Three years ago, Bruno's parents disappeared and were officially declared "missing under mysterious circumstances."
From that day on, Bruno inherited an empty baron title and a huge pile of debts.
The family became a laughingstock overnight, and relatives cut off all ties, afraid of being dragged down.
He tried everything to bring the family back to its former glory, but nothing went well. Eventually, he had no choice but to borrow money from Aldor, sinking deeper into debt.
This was one of those times.
The original Bruno had been kind-hearted. He borrowed money from "Vulture" Aldor to fix up the vineyard, hoping that this year's harvest would pay off the debt and restore the family's fortune.
But a sudden wilt disease hit the whole estate. The grapevines died one after another, and his hopes died with them.
Bruno rubbed his temples, which were tense and painful.
This was really a mess.
He had only just come here two days ago, and already had to deal with this disaster.
"Sir!" The old butler, Fabian, came running over, his cloudy eyes full of worry. "They're here again…"
Of course, they were referring to the thugs from Vulture.
Bruno pulled at his lips, trying to sound calm. "It's fine, Fabian. I'll handle it."
This lie was so obvious, he almost laughed out loud himself.
Handle it?
What could he do?
The Hornes family was completely broke.
Bruno closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned toward the door.
No matter what, it had to come.
In the main hall, a figure stood silently. He wasn't very tall, but every muscle was strong and sharp. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, scanning every corner of the ruined mansion. A cold, mocking smile played on his lips.
Monitz, the top thug of Aldor.
When he saw the young noble walking over, Monitz pretended to be polite and bowed. "Baron, I hope I didn't disturb your rest."
"What do you want?" Bruno stood behind his back, trying to keep his noble dignity.
Monitz let out a light laugh and pulled out a piece of paper. "Just reminding you, the debt is due. Mr. Aldor sent me to check if you've already gathered 500 gold coins."
The hall was silent.
Only the sound of rain hitting the window and the crackling of fire in the fireplace could be heard.
Bruno felt his throat dry. He knew he had not a single coin, let alone 500.
"Tell Aldor, when the deadline comes, I'll-"
Monitz waved his hand in front of his nose, interrupting, "Lord Baron, don't talk nonsense. Show some proof first. I'm afraid you'll run away."
Bruno frowned slightly and said coldly, "I swear on the name of the Hornes family, I will return the 500 gold coins."
"Fuck." Monitz sighed, looking around the old castle. "Hornes family still has credit?"
"Damn it, the honor of the Hornes family is not for you to mock," Fabian stepped forward, full of anger.
Monitz smirked and took a step closer. "Smack!" He slapped Fabian across the face.
Fabian's head rang. His vision blurred, blood dripped from his lips, and he fell to the ground.
The saying goes, even a dog is looked at by its master.
Monitz didn't respect the young lord at all, and certainly didn't respect the Hornes family.
Bruno felt a rush of blood to his head. He shouted, "Enough, Monitz! If you came here to mock me, then you've succeeded. Now get out."
"Hahahaha, Lord Baron, don't be like that. I'm just giving you a warning," Monitz clapped his hands. "Three days. Just three days. Make sure you're ready."
He didn't want to push Bruno too far. After all, the man was still a noble in the Kingdom of Anlaine.
Bruno said, "I know."
"Hahahaha, good to hear." Monitz laughed loudly, not even looking at Fabian before turning and leaving.
This time, he had come just to show off and humiliate Bruno.
Now that he was done, he could go back home in victory.
Bruno helped Fabian sit by the fireplace. The fire was weak, barely enough to warm their hands.
That was the last bit of wood left.
Fabian's lips moved, as if he had something to say.
Bruno's heart ached. Was his old butler about to leave, too?
He forced a smile and said, "Fabian, if you want to say something, just say it."
Fabian coughed, his voice hoarse. "My lord... this is what I've saved over the years. Not much-just seventeen silver coins and a few coppers. But it's enough for you to leave this place and start over in the east..."
He pulled out a small cloth bag and opened it, trembling.
Bruno stared at the money in the old man's hands. His throat felt tight, like something was blocking it.
Fabian had served the Hornes family for forty years. He had watched it go from wealth to ruin. He had seen Bruno's parents disappear in a mysterious way. He had watched Bruno struggle to hold the broken family together.
And now, this loyal man was giving him his last savings, just to give him a chance to live.
Bruno shook his head and smiled bitterly. "I can't, Fabian." He gently pushed the old man's hand back.
"Sir, take it," Fabian's voice cracked. "Even a little time can help. Aldor really will kill people."
In Bloom City, Aldor ruled the underground like a king.
Bruno waved his hand and walked up the stairs. "Find a chance to leave. I'll handle things here myself."
"Sir, I'll stay with the Hornes family, no matter what," Fabian shouted, his body shaking with emotion.
Bruno stopped for a moment, then hurried up the stairs and into his father's study.
He had only been in this world for two days, and all he knew was that his parents had vanished without a trace. He didn't know the real story.
Now was the time to check if his old father had left anything behind.
He sat at the desk and opened the drawer. Inside were some of his father's personal items: a dried-up pen, a worn family seal, and a few letters.
Bruno flipped through them. All were unimportant, just regular letters.
At the very bottom of the drawer, his fingers touched something unusual.
It felt strange-soft yet rough. Bruno pulled it out quickly.
What?
It was a scroll of parchment.
Why was it hidden so deep?
Bruno opened it. It was blank.
"A blank parchment? Why hide it so deep?" The young man's eyes lit up. He grabbed some ink and started drawing on it.
The ink wouldn't stick.
Bruno's eyes shone brighter. He held the scroll over the fire. It didn't burn.
Fireproof?
That made sense?
Bruno thought he had found something big. He took the scroll downstairs, to the kitchen.
Fabian was still sitting by the fireplace, looking sad.
As Bruno passed by, he waved the scroll in his hand and asked, "Fabian, do you know what this thing is?"
"No," Fabian shook his head.
Bruno didn't expect him to know. He ran into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and slashed the scroll.
The parchment looked brand new, untouched.
"Wow," Bruno said, his eyes wide. Was this even real leather?
"Sir..." A loud voice behind him made Bruno jump. He turned, and in his shock, he accidentally cut his finger with the knife. Blood dripped onto the scroll.
Bruno was about to turn around, but the next second, his body went stiff.
As the blood touched the parchment, the stain moved, like it was alive. It twisted and rearranged itself on the paper, forming ancient characters he had never seen before.
Below the writing, a complex pattern slowly appeared-like the roots of a tree, or the movement of stars.
Boom!
The scroll shook, then turned into light and vanished.
Bruno saw the scroll go into his mind.
At the top of the parchment, four big characters appeared, glowing brightly:
[Book of All Things]