An old world but a new beginning

Opening his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, he awakes to a new world once more. Yet this time it was one he knew all too well, a world no matter what life he's lived he can't get away from. 

With each newfound breath in this new body, cold air clings to it like mist that swirls into the dimly lit room before fading away into oblivion. Slowly that numbness that grips his limbs subsides as the color and lifes fill it and soon the noticeable coldness of the sheet radiates through his entire body. 

It's unbearably cold. How can someone live here? He thinks to himself as he looks around. 

The room, is a small and confined space, its walls made out of thin oak wood with a fire pit in the corner letting out its last crackle before dying down and turning into ash. 

I guess I'm alive again. 

He looks at his palms his eyes widening as he takes it all in his heart racing as a smile unconsciously forms on his face. He can feel everything, all his senses return after it is gone for a moment.

I'm alive again…It's weird saying it but if I don't I feel like this life might slip through my fingers again. This time there are no more second chances. 

This is my last time to forge my own path, to achieve some great before it all surmounts to nothing against me. I'll never end up dead like both of my lives ever again. 

As his eyes wander around the bed, he notices two pairs of extra legs beside him entangled in the thin sheets, both peeking out of the covers at the edge of the sheet, as someone slowly wakes up and presses their small head on his shoulder. 

"Brother…" A child-like voice mutters grunting as they yawn themselves awake. "Are you finally feeling better?" 

Shoji, now Legion, finds himself turning his head to the boy, black hair curly hair encapsulates his face with a pair of onyx eyes contrasting with his very pale complexion. 

He's small, not passing the age of 10 maybe? If so I would have sensed a core unless I lost that ability.

"Big brother and Avix, what are you guys doing up already." Another one grunts at the next side of him, this time their voice more feminine than the other. 

A girl maybe?

He snaps his head around to see her and he is correct, it's a girl, this time her hair is a bright shade of blond with deep sea blue eyes which makes him feel as though he's drowning in them.

Who are they?

[Memories connecting to the current soul] 

The system interface appears once again, and without a moment's delay, a torrent of memories seems to overflow his mind one after the other. He's inside the stronghold of the orcs, being used as a tool for more power by them.

His siblings are Avix and Anore, their parents vanished when they arrived here. 

Which means they were sold to become slaves. I'm inhabiting Legion, the owner of this body with a rare case, a cracked core, his only one which means he'll never make it to the age of eighteen, and he's only 16 now. 

But the weird this is…Legion has been dead for the past three hours laying beside them without any of them knowing. 

Legion is the only one they have and just by his desperate pleading for them to stay protected after he's gone shows just how much he loved them.

Deep in thought, he unbeknownst to himself stares at them interacting with each other, all smiles and innocents which he knows this world would consume in an instant. 

Maybe he knew about that too. That's why he begged for them to stay alive. I…I can't leave them not like this, not after listening to his dying thoughts as the frostbite devoured him. 

"Brother, Brother!" Their worried tones finally registered in his mind after a while of calling out to him, snapping him back into reality. 

"Yeah. Yes!" He answers hurriedly. 

"Are you feeling better?" Anore questions, trailing her eyes down his legs. "It isn't black anymore." 

"Yah! Brother looks all good now!" Avix cheers his eyes lighting up. 

If only they knew their brother was actually dead. But I can't say that to them, at least not now. 

"Yeah, I'm feeling better." He says looking at them warmly, trying to seem as genuine as possible. "Should we get ready for the day?" 

"Yes!!" They both cheered, as they dash out of the bed. 

Both twins, ages 7 so they haven't harnessed a core yet, that only happens at age 10 so they're safe for now. From what I remember even though Legion is constantly sick and in pain he works in the mines instead of letting them suck the magic out of his broken and only mana core which would speed up his death.

Now I have to find out what to do with them before I have to work, though it would look weird that I'm suddenly normal again. We certainly need the money to sustain us. 

Come on Legion's memory, tell me- It clicks and the memory he was searching comes to him.  

Every day before he goes to work he drops them off at an innkeeper, a friend. Great, that solves one thins. As of now, I don't have time to just lay back until the academy suddenly finds this stronghold, I need to to adapt like in both of my past lives, learn their lives and how things work around here.

Then when the time is right I'll put things into action. 

He turns to get off of the bed, but something pops up, the system and all of his stats. 

_________

[Monster type: —]

[Current evolution: —] 

[level: 1] 

[Avatar slots: 1] 

[Mana: 0/40] 

[Hp: 50]

[Attack: 4.5]

[Agility:2

[Defenses: 5]

[Intelligence: 20] 

[Luck: 4]

[Ability: Duplication magic]

[Mana Core: one/fractured] 

[Beastblood: None] 

_________

–Skills–

Material duplication 

________

[Curse: Core fractured/ causes user magic to be unstable and mana consumption is dropped to only 40% from the normal percentage of 60%] 

_________

So I'm going to have two sets of abilities but would that stop my mana exposition at the age of eighteen? 

[No.] 

At the age of eighteen, if one's mana core is cracked, it will explode when their body maturity has reached its adult mod which means they can allow full mana consumption but since the fractured core is given a limit already the mana will be transferred into it unwilling and when an already fractured core consumes more than its limit there's only a matter of time until it burst, causing a phenomenon called the calamity, that hurts themselves and the people around them. 

Then, I'll have to find a way around it somehow, for now leveling up should be at the top of my list.

[Daily tasks and workouts will begin tomorrow.] 

So it's giving me time to adjust myself into these settings. 

Just as he is about to move to get ready himself, the door knocks softly. His head snaps to the door, and his brother rushes to the door to open it. 

What if it's an orc!

"Avix, wait!" Legion says making Avix halt in stop as he shifts on his side and lift himself off of the bed making his way passed him towards the door. 

With caution, he slowly opens the door to come face to face with a person cloaked in a black robe.

It's not an orc. 

"How!-" The person flinches as if taken aback by him standing before them. 

Do I, no does Legion know this person, and if so they know about his condition? From all the current memories I have contained from his past, he didn't tell anyone about his past state and his upcoming death not even his siblings. 

Unless that memory hadn't yet made it to my mind. 

"May I help you?" He selects his words, but before the conversation can even start the person turns around and bolts away, leaving him with more questions he initially had. 

Even if I run I'm sure this body doesn't have enough energy to catch up. 

"Who was it brother?!" Avix inquires from afar.

"Nobody…" He mumbles out a repones, before turning back to them. 

"Brother! Aren't you getting ready?" Anore asks as she puts on her tattered coat, and busted boots. 

Everything about her clothes isn't meant for weather conditions like this. They might get frostbite just like their brother once did. 

I can't do anything to help them like this. 

His head drops for a second and Anore runs up and wraps her hands around his waist "Are you still feeling sick?" She titles her head. "You can stay home we'll just go help Aunty sell, and I'm sure she'll pay us." 

"No, no." He shakes his head. "It's fine, I'm ok don't worry about me." he smiles back, before noticing Avix trying to put on his coat but struggling to get it onto the next hand. "Come here." He signals, and he moves over. 

All the things he had to go through for them to gain a life like this. And even from his goals I know he had so much more he wanted to accomplish for all of them. I promise, Legion that while their with me I'm going to make those dreams of yours come through for them. 

That's my promise and payment for taking your body and I'll protect them just like you wanted.

"All done." He exclaims after pulling down his coat and bottoning it. 

Straightening up to get himself ready but for some reason, his legs felt worn out. 

I can't be tired from those few actions alone!

Like he predicted, his legs wobbles and then it give out. 

"You're going to fall!" A squeaky voice shouts aloud nothing like the kids own, but someone else's.

Shifting his eyes to the voice he sees a small, baby dragon with a shell still on its head. Its blue scales glint gently, as its tiny wings flap up and down, with its eyes a pristine golden staring at him. 

"The dragon!" He mutters as he crashes to the floor.

"Brother!" Both his siblings drop to his side, and looks at him worried. "Are you sure you're not sick?" 

"Yes, the dragon." It flaps his wings and moves closer to him. "Hello, master!" It grins as a puff of smoke leaves its nose and covers his vision.