A suffocating pain in his chest, as if it had been burned from within, caused Louis to push his way through the darkness, and suddenly his eyes saw light again.
His body staggered forward, and his head collided with a strange round rock. Then a terrible headache struck him, bringing him back to life.
"Are you awake, Young Master Louis?" A kind voice broke the silence.
Louis turned his head with difficulty.
A man with a gray beard, calm eyes, and a dark blue robe looked at him from the side. Behind him were a few people looking at him.
The high ceiling, like that of a chapel or castle, was adorned with golden, red, and cyan ornaments. Floating chandeliers made of polished crystals slowly revolved, illuminating the enormous room.
On either side, many people dressed in exotic clothing sat on strange bleachers resembling those of a Roman coliseum.
The air smelled of aromatic incense.
He stood in the middle of a round structure, facing a black ball, against which he had struck his head.
His mind was filled with uncertainty and fear, not understanding what was happening.
But then a wave of memories hit him in an instant. Broken images. Broken promises. The smell of betrayal and the pain of a gunshot. The fire that seemed to burn him...
'Am I alive?' he asked himself, incredulous.
All this was mixed with memories of a life that did not belong to him, a world he did not know, and illusory, fragmented memories.
Then, as if something had fallen into place, the pain disappeared. His mind cleared, and only a strange ache remained in his heart.
"Did I reincarnate?" If he had to describe his current situation, that word alone would suffice.
But how was that possible? Wasn't reincarnation just a myth?
The memories in his mind told him he was in a new world, full of magic, abilities, gods, and strange people. But the memories rooted in this body told him there was no logic to it.
"Young Master Louis?"
His wandering mind hit a wall when that voice struck him. He looked once more at the bearded man in front of him, not recognizing him.
"I am Jack. Do you recognize me? Your Awakening did not work. You have one last chance. If you can recognize me, nod, and I will activate the Sacred Stone once more."
"Jack?" Louis frowned, unable to understand what this man was saying.
Just that name made him tremble, remembering that bastard.
His body also trembled, and he felt a terrible headache hit him without warning. But it wasn't a real headache.
It was the pain of betrayal. It was as if he felt that shot going through his head once again—an indelible pain.
"You..." Louis wanted to reply, but his mind found a memory.
Jack Lockward, elder of the Lockward Family and servant of the God of Thunder.
'The God of Thunder... Is my father?'
The Lockward Family was respected by everyone. An SSS-ranked Family with numerous gods and monarchs, they ruled the worlds.
And he was Louis Lockward, the only Son of the God of Thunder who had been unable to awaken his ability.
The useless and rejected one.
Realizing this, his eyes shone brightly.
"Where am I?" Louis asked, looking at Jack. He wanted to confirm his initial suspicions.
Had he been reincarnated?
"Look." Jack shook his hand, and the curtains of the castle's large windows parted.
Light flooded the dark room, revealing cities built on stone hills, with marble towers and floating bridges connecting castles in the sky.
In the distance, a beautiful, large tepui rested imposingly, where exotic, mystical, and mythological animals floated in the sky.
Golden, red, and blue colors were characteristic of the view.
"We are in the Ancestral Lands of the Lockward Family," Jack said. "The famous Region of the Gods."
Louis was amazed by such a beautiful sight, which fully confirmed that he had been reincarnated. But soon the curtains blocked his vision again, and Jack's words finally made him understand.
He was about to awaken his ability at that very moment. As the son of the God of Thunder, everyone had high expectations of him, even the other gods in the family. But when he was about to do it, he failed once, and then a second time.
He had one more chance left.
"Can you remember it, Young Lord?"
Jack was already used to people momentarily losing their memory after failing, so his job was to help them remember.
Louis nodded.
"Can you go through the process one more time?"
He nodded again.
"Perfect." Lord Jack looked at the Clan leaders floating around him. They were all waiting patiently, so he was able to continue.
He turned around and activated the Sacred Stone once more, with Louis at its center.
Once again, a sacred aura struck him, and a strange ring of symbols floated around him. The air became thick, causing voices to whisper from the room's corners.
His mind filled with memories from the body where he had been born, as he felt his soul stretching toward the unknown. It was as if a hidden truth was awakening within him.
An exciting adventure in a magical world could begin with the awakening of his power.
Whether he would gain an ability or a class remained to be seen, for even with the blood of the God of Thunder running through his veins, he was so useless that he had failed to awaken on previous occasions.
Everyone was beginning to doubt his talent.
Even so, it was almost impossible for the son of a god not to awaken on his final chance.
The thing is, the Louis in this body wasn't the same Louis as before. Would it work? Was he still the son of a god?
Soon, fate gave him a glimpse.
[Ding]
[Welcome to the world and congratulations on your Awakening, Louis Lokward, son of the God of Thunder and the Goddess of Birds. The Reincarnated One.]
[You have awakened a Class]
[Class: God of Money.]
[Rank: SSS.]
In short, from the second message from the system, the words were inscribed on the Sacred Stone, attracting everyone's attention.
"What...?" Louis blinked and stammered. He was stunned. But he laughed, a low, slightly incredulous laugh.
"God of Money..." He wanted to burst out laughing, but held himself back. "What a joke."
Jack thought he could understand his words. 'This won't end well.' He felt his heart grow heavy.
With a sigh, Jack tried to dismiss Louis, but the words of the Clan leaders were quick to follow.
"God of Money... how mundane." A beastly, rough voice echoed through the room, making those who heard it tremble.
His voice sounded like giant beasts roaring. It was the God of Earthly Beasts.
Jack closed his eyes and clenched his fist. He didn't expect a God to be the first to criticize. As a kind-hearted man, passionate about his work, Jack likes to see young people awaken.
Whenever he sees them, he can see the future. But it also hurts him when one of them is looked down upon.
And the voices of contempt were not long in coming.
Because the Son of the most powerful God had obtained a mundane class.
Yes, it gave him the chance to be a God by being SSS Rank.
But the family didn't need a God of something as mundane as money.
It was simply stupid to even consider it. Would the owners of the world need money?
These cruel words struck Louis's excited mind.
'Why does everyone say that class is useless? Isn't it great to be a God of Money?' He was confused. He couldn't understand why he was despised.
According to his inherited memories, the SSS Rank was the highest rank one could obtain, which meant his Class was good.
The constant contempt made him doubt his memories.
But then, a thunderous voice echoed in every corner, shaking the enormous building.
"This Awakening Day is over."
Many souls trembled. Everyone fell silent as they remembered who this despised young man was the son of.
But thanks to that, Jack was able to approach Louis.
"Young Lord Louis, come with me." He grabbed him by the arm and quickly led him away to prevent him from suffering any further bullying or contempt.
"Where are we going?" Louis asked.
A few steps later, Mr. Jack let him go.
"When you're with people who know more than you, you should think of better questions, young sir." He smiled kindly at him.
"If that's the case, may I ask why everyone despises me in there?"
"It's not that complicated." said Jack. "In a family that owns many worlds, do you think we lack money?"
"I see..." Immediately, his heart felt heavy. Even in another world, it seemed he could not escape the misery of being despised.
"And, by the way." Jack spoke. "Let's go to your room. God has a plan for you."