Blood started to drip down on the wooden floor of his own home, the knife that was embedded in his body was slowly getting pulled out causing him to feel agonizing pain. Looking at the grinning face of his eldest brother Dean was filled with confusion.
The eldest brother that he respected the most in their family was actually the one that will make him meet his end. He was confused as to why his own brother would do this, however following the event that had happened today, Dean slowly got an idea of what it was his supposed kind eldest brother want.
Today was the death of his father, Dean was the youngest of the five child that his father had in his life. The four child was all of the same mother, he on the other hand was the only a child that his father made by mistake from one of the maids in the house.
Being a bastard child and the fact that his mother died when she was delivering him to the world, Dean have experience many hardships early on in his life. Although his father did not treat him differently, the other were not as accepting.
Three of his siblings were treated him in a rather nasty manner, they would frequently harass using words saying he was just a 'mistake' and did not have any right to live they would even hurt him physically for time to time. This was also the case for their mother, in fact she was the worst of them all, even trying to get rid of him by killing him and making it look like an accident by making steel beams "accidentally" fall on him.
Despite this he was able to hold on because his father and eldest brother were with him, especially his eldest brother. He would protect him from harm when he was being bullied by the other three and by his father's wife, his eldest became a pillar of support for him.
At some point he even idolized this eldest brother of his, he tried to copy his demeanor and actions acting like some kind of dignified and knowledgeable person. Doing this made him feel close to his idol, with his eldest brother as his goal Dean started to work hard in everything he do in order for him to become perfect like his eldest brother.
Working hard Dean started achieving many things, he became one of the highest ranker in the country, he graduated from a prestigious school, he even begun to manage a branch of their family business at the young age of 23. And when his eldest brother and father saw his improvements both of them felt happiness for him as a family.
Things finally begun to light up for him, his life was about to go to its highest point. However, amidst this happiness his father was beginning to show his age and at the age of 86 he made an announcement at his death bed that shocked everybody.
He stated that his youngest would be the one to inherit his money and wealth, this announcement shook the whole family even Dean was surprised. Many protested about this, saying that the eldest brother was the one fitting for the position but his father stood on his ground and even threatened everyone that whoever made a fuss about this matter would cut off from all ties of the family.
Time passed, after two years Dean's father died at the age of 88. Dean was at a depress state at this time, not only because his father died but also because his eldest brother became different from the past, he did not understand why but his eldest brother changed and became distant with him.
This made him even more depressed than normal, but after the funeral of his father concluded, his eldest came to his room with an aged wine on hand. He was happy because of this sudden visit, the only person that he could treat as family was still with him of course he would be happy, not wasting any more time he quickly invited his brother in.
His eldest brother showed a pain expression on his face, pouring the wine that was with his eldest brother Dean started drinking as they held a conversation after for so long.
But after talking for a while he felt groggy, his eyes begun to feel heavy and breathing became harder than before. His body started sweating, he did not know what suddenly happened to his body but the only thing that came up to his mind was "poison".
Looking at the glass of wine on his hand Dean made a rough outline how he got the poison, but upon thinking that his eldest brother also drank it made him unconvinced.
Dean abruptly stood up knocking down the chair that he was seating on, feeling the poison invading his body made him wanted to scream but try as he might when he tried no sound came out. He looked at his beloved eldest brother and saw him taking some kind of medicine.
Seeing him do this made him confirm his thoughts. While he was in a stupor a sudden pain emerge from his chest. A knife was already embedded in him when he notice what was actually happening.
His eldest brother took one last look and said "It was your fault for taking the family company from him. I took care of you when you were young, I originally did it so I can make an appeal to father but I guess I went overboard because I felt I had a dog. It is funny is it not? I took care of you thinking you're just some kind of pet and you try to steal from you owner?"
Pah
Dean was slapped across the face by his eldest brother resulting him to lose balance, if not for the table near him he would have fell down on the floor. Seeing the back of his eldest brother that was about to leave made him feel anger and hate, mustering what remaining strength that was in his body Dean took the bottle of wine that was beside him.
Crash
With a thud both his and his eldest brother's body fell on the floor, he didn't have any more strength in him anymore. He looked at the body of his eldest brother beside him, he knew that his last attempt of taking his brother with him did not work as he was too weak to muster enough to strength to even break the glass of wine on his head.
The best that he got was make him go out cold and make him have a headache and a bump on the head tomorrow.
Feeling the coldness that was slowly beginning to appear in his body made Dean feel lonely. It was a strange feeling, he was lonely, he was angry, and he was ashamed, following someone that was a wolf on a sheep's clothing was something that he regret.
He was cursing himself why he did not notice those fake smiles, tears started streaming down on his face as he thought about it. The person that he treated as his pillar of support was actually the one that will kill him, and he did not even doubt him until the last second.
Blood continued to flow out of his body, feeling the heaviness of his eyes Dean tried to resist closing his eyes, but alas he failed. He was dying and the hatred in his heart.
Ding
Ding
Ding
After some time of closing his eyes Dean started hearing something that sounded like a bell ringing, this sound made him feel his soul was being attracted to place where this sound originated from. It was only a faint sound but he was drawn to it, however he still could not feel his body and he was still not able to open his eyes not able to do anything, so not being able to do anything Dean finally lost his life.
Ding
Ding
Ding
The sound was still going on just like hose it did for untold amount of time and Dean was still hearing it making him feel confuse as to what truly that sound was. He obviously felt his body dying so how come his head is still clear this also made him confuse.
The pain he felt was already gone and he was struggling anymore even his body was light just like feather, but unfortunately his eyes was not that good. He was only able to see vague things like thousands of glowing threads that formed the shape of a star, this goes on until he got tired of looking at it and just chose to close his eyes entirely and listen to that chime.
Then after a long time he heard a different chime than the others, the sound was piercing and made him feel something other than calmness and peace, it was something that he had already forgotten but was still familiar with, it was the last feeling he felt before he died and this was the emotion called "hate" and "anger" followed by pain.
This three attracted him, it was as if it was something that he was looking for… no it was the thing that was calling out to him, from the time that he got killed a sound kept ringing inside his head and upon feeling the emotions he have right now he knew that this was the thing that was calling out to him.
The same emotions and the same pain, he did not know what it was but he felt some kind of resonance like whatever it was calling him it would be something that will make him gain something that he lost, the experience that he had was like reaching out to the abyss not knowing what is on the other side.
Reaching out to the abyss that he did not know Dean finally got hold of the thing that he had been following all this time, his soul finally met the thing that called upon it and with the meeting of his soul and the thing on the other side of the abyss who was calling out to him something rang inside his head…
[ Ding
Heaven Devouring System initializing: Complete
System all green
Functionality optimal
Devouring skill: active
Auto-update: on
Mission board: active
Fighter Progress: Body Refiner (Common)
Caster Progress: Body Refiner (Common)
Illusionist Progress: Body Refiner (Common)
Devourer Progress: No meal
Bloodline: Heaven Devourer
Devour Count: 0
]
Dean heard the voice inside his head, and upon hearing the announcements he begun to feel the pain all over his body, and with that body pain a headache followed.
Various memories started flooding his head and like some kind of television the various scenes also started playing out like he was also there. Gathering his thought Dean slowly started piecing out the puzzle of what was happening and upon piecing it all together the only explanation he got was that he got reincarnated.
And either it was luck or fate the person he reincarnated into was also named Dean. The former 'Dean' of this world died in a ruthless way. He was killed by being pushed out of his family and hunted down by them for the reason he did not have any talent in cultivating and didn't inherit the family bloodline becoming a disgrace to them.
And the "former" Dean who was only at the age of 13 with a petty strength of 1st Grade Body Refinement made it even harder. The parents of this world's Dean was also gone, his Mother was the same as the as Dean a maid or servant as this world called, getting pregnant by accident by their master.
But unlike him this world's Dean was more miserable than he was, his father disregarded him even treating him worse than the dogs at his home by not giving him food from time to time and letting him become a sandbag for the other youths of the family.
But what made it more distasteful was the fact that his father let his mother die and didn't even had the decency to give her a proper burial. And when his mother died it was also the time he was cast away by them. Without anywhere to go this world's Dean went to many places and when he reached this place he was attacked and killed.
Seeing all these memories Dean begun to feel the hatred that lingered in his soul, most likely left this world's Dean. Upon feeling the hatred born from many years of anger and loathing, Dean made a vow oath that he will achieve revenge the "former" Dean in this world wish for.
But after he did his oath waking him completely from his stupor an excruciating pain followed right after, remembering that he was stabbed by the stomach by the assassins, made Dean feel his life fading away. Just like how he felt when he was dying back in his own world.
-Am I dying again? I just got here and I'm already about to die?- feeling the blood flowing out of his Dean started panicking, with no medicine on hand and nobody around to help him Dean was sure to die right now.
Then as he drowned in thoughts of dying once more a monotonous voice rang inside his head.
[Ding
Host triggered a mission: "First Meal"
Mission details: Heal wounds and live, use devour skill to eat the medicinal plants that's 234 meters from where hosts currently is.
Reward: double the effects of the spiritual plants, for the next two hours the effects of the spiritual plant that host will devour will be doubled.
Penalty: if host fail the mission, death awaits host.
Does host accept the mission?]
Dean was startled by the voice a little, but he didn't even question what the system was. When he heard the word "death" he was already about to do whatever the thing inside him was saying in order for him to live.
[ Does host accept? Yes or No? ]
Dean answered it in a pained voice "Yes, I accept."