Alrick took in the words while trying to remain calm, "Then how can I get my body back?!"
Lucien sighed, "To tell you the truth, there's no way for that to happen...", his words were like another bucket of cold water over his head, "... Unless, you reach the peak... and make a wish."
Alrick's eyes shone at the final part of his sentence, his spirit been raised as as new goal sprung in his head. "What do I need to do?!"
As soon as he asked this, a holographic screen popped up in his face. It was bigger than the stats window and seemed more like a list. It was the Tasks window!
He quickly understood what Lucien was trying to say, and quickly looked through the list. Almost everything there was in question marks apart from the very first three items there.
**Task No.1: No Use of Alien Language
Task No.2: Don't Reveal You Aren't Lucien To Residual Beings
Task No.3: Fully Accept Your New Identity As Lucien Aurellen
Task No.4: ???
Task No.5: ???
...**
What? How was he supposed to accomplish a task like that?
"Is this a joke? How can I fully become Lucien Aurellan? I'm Alrick Rendall!", He voiced out to Lucien who remained quiet on the couch with his arm over his eyes. "Answer me dammit!"
"What do you want me to say?! You said you wanted to get your body and life back right? This is the only way!", Lucien snapped back making Alrick go quiet.
"... But what's the point of going back if I'm going to abandon who I am here?", He muttered quietly.
Lucien seemed to have gotten annoyed and sat up, leaning on the back of the couch to face Alrick. "The task never asked you to forget who you are, It just said accept your new identity as me. It wants you to fully become Lucien as of this moment, it's your choice if you want to stop being Alrick as well."
His words made no sense at all, it made him even more frustrated.
"Look, I'll send you back to the outside world. Think it over and figure out what you want to do", his annoyed voice said again and before Alrick could say more, he found himself back on his bed staring into nothingness once again.
"Lucien? Lucien?!", he called out but there was no answer. Is it that they could only communicate in the mindscape or Lucien was just flat out ignoring him?
He felt strongly that it must be the latter.
"Suit yourself", he muttered, resting his head back at the pillow and looking at nothing in particular, not like he could see anything.
Soon after, a few maids had come into the room to help him clean up. He let it happen, despite the discomfort he felt. He ignored the peculiar behavior of the maids as they guided him to his bath.
He knew they were just cautious as to whether he might grab them or do something funny, he really didn't want to.
But should he?
He wanted to find a way to complete the quest the codex had given. So if acting like Lucien was the key then he'd gladly do it.
But he didn't feel that was the case at all after spending almost the whole day as Lucien.
After the cleaning up, he had a late lunch in his room and then sat at the bay window. Listening to the birds like Lucien usually did but the progress bar of the task was still at zero. Did he really have to be a pervert bastard?
Lucien, the fifteenth prince of Aetherion was a very peculiar person. The story was that he was born blind, sickly and somewhat mentally impaired. He had a unique temper that would erupt without warning as he was easily irritated.
He did things without an atom of care of the consequences, not caring if the royal family's name was tarnished.
He was a pervert that always used his blindness as an excuse to take advantage of the maids that attended to him or crossed paths with him.
Not to mention that he was a mudblood, he was truly the scorn of the Royal family.
But for some reason, Alrick knows that isn't who Lucien really is. His temper came from the oppression he felt everyday in this place, discrimination that didn't have discrimination to the point even lowly maids had looked down on him from young.
His recklessness came from the urge of wanting to be seen, not wanting to be a forgotten memory by even his own family. He wanted the attention; whether good or bad.
And him being called a pervert, Alrick couldn't quite understand that part of Lucien yet as the memories he had weren't complete. But he knew that he had a grounded reason for what he did.
He felt like he was the only one who truly understood Lucien and could act accordingly, was there really a need to become him?
**Task Number Three: Fully Accept Your New Identity As Lucien Aurellen
Task Duration: Indefinite
Task Reward: ???
Penalty: Halt In Ascension Progression
Completion rate: 0%**
He was studying the task while deep thought, then he heard the voices of a few maids from outside just below his window.
"Nia, have you seen the new play by Nolan Birk?", one asked
"Yes yes, although it was hard to get in. It's truly a work of art, the man is a genius", Nia answered. Alrick didn't know why but now he was curious about the play.
"Reynolds...", he called out lazily and in a matter of seconds, the handsome personal guard had found his way beside him.
"Yes your highness?", the young man said coolly, Alrick couldn't see it but he swore he felt a bit of disdain and nonchalance. The nerve of this guy.
"Hmm... I'm sure you must have also heard those maids talking, could you tell me the specifics of the play? I'm curious", Alrick bit down a sarcastic remark and asked.
"A play?..", Reynolds had asked in the same nonchalant tone but Alrick could guess what he was thinking. 'What does this blind prince want to know about a play?'
"Yes, I don't like repeating myself. An answer please", He replied, he really wanted to give this guy a piece of his mind.
"... The play they were talking about is called 'Come To My Land'.", The guard paused for a moment as if contemplating something before continuing, "It's a play about a commoner who turned out to be the lost son of the king. The king had lost his son in a war and was currently on his death bed when he found out about his lost son."
"He had forcefully taken the commoner man away from his peaceful life and made him king. The man now has to integrate himself into high society while trying not to lose focus on who he once was"
Alrick's brow raised at the description of the play. The went quiet for a while before speaking, "I see... That sounds like a truly impossible task. How can one try to become something entirely different and still think they can maintain their previous state? Especially in such a contradictory situation?"
"…He wished to be humble," Alrick continued slowly, "But humility is useless when others expect a crown. The moment he accepted the throne, he could no longer live as a commoner—no matter how much he wanted to."
Reynolds was silent for a moment before replying.
"…That was the point of the play, Your Highness."
Alrick tilted his head slightly. "Explain."
"The man never truly became king because he wanted power," Reynolds said. "And he never truly remained a commoner because the kingdom would not allow it. In the end, he ruled not as who he was… but as what was required of him."
"…And did he lose himself?" Alrick asked quietly.
Reynolds hesitated for a bit before answering.
"The play never answers that," he said. "Only that the kingdom survived. Whether the man did… was left to the audience."
"I see... If you had to live someone else's life… would you still be you?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I'd still wake up with my thoughts."
That's when it clicks.
The codex does not demand that Alrick stop being himself — only that he stop refusing the life placed in his hands.
The codex doesn't care who he is emotionally. It cares that; The entity inhabiting this body must accept accountability for this life.
The codex's task is badly worded on purpose.
What it actually meant was that he has to accept that the consequences of being Lucien Aurellen belongs to him now. That includes his reputation, his body, his sins, his future, his possible death...
And this is the line Alrick has not crossed yet
That's the key.