'Um, where am I?'
Allen's heavy eyelids fluttered open, and his vision blurred and sluggish. His surroundings seemed to move in slow motion as he struggled to focus his gaze.
A groan escaped his lips, and he attempted to concentrate, feeling the strain in his eye muscles.
"Ugh!"
However, a few panicked and worried sounds reached his ears as he groaned.
"Allen! Are you alright? What hurts?"
"Where's the pain? Tell us!"
"Come on, speak up! Let us know you're alive!"
"Come on, speak; you are alive, aren't you? Man up, speak up!"
The voices belonged to two individuals who hovered anxiously by his side, offering their support.
'What the hell is wrong with these people? Can't they give some time for the baby to settle down and open his eyes?'
'But why are they asking me if I'm hurt? Did they drop me? And what's with this man? Speak? You want to hear babies cry that badly?'
The people vigorously shook his body, their actions growing increasingly forceful, and the concern in their voices amplified.
'Ahh... Ahhhh... Ahhhhh... '
His mind was also jarred by the violent shaking of his body.
'It looks like I've got to use the main weapon in a baby's arsenal, hehe hehe.' With this thought, he chuckled inwardly, his intentions tinged with mischief.
'It's time for you to showcase your magic; let the twin dragon cannons fire, unleash the flood dragon attack.'
And the inevitable happened: the river of impurities flooded from his... with a fierce determination.
'Ahh! What a sensation! Exhilarating! This is something I've always wanted to do.'
'Being a baby will be fun, I guess.' He had a smug look on his face as he pondered this.
"Eww!"
"Disgusting, man!"
"Gross man!"
"We can't understand your pain, but what's this man?"
"Shit! Yakkk!"
He sensed the two individuals take several steps back.
'Eh, what do they mean? What's gross about a baby unleashing his dragon flow? And what pain you couldn't understand?'
"Baby pissing his pants, is that hard to swallow?" Allen yelled uncontrollably as he predicted that he would not be able to speak.
He then heard surprised exclamations, and then he realised what had just transpired.
'I-I-I-I-I can speak? Since when can a newborn speak? What did that Willow of Stillness do to me?'
'...'
'I have the memory of my past life, but didn't that baldy tell me that one's soul is reset and they forget everything? How am I able to recall everything from my previous life?'
'Oh no!' Even more pressing concerns flooded his thoughts: 'Please, God, if you exist, let this not be true.'
He focused intently ahead, straining with immense effort until, finally, his vision cleared, and he could see what lay before him.
The sight that greeted him was a group of over ten children adorned in grey robes with a distinctive pattern, encircling him while covering their noses.
"How utterly pathetic!"
"Indeed, I had no idea you were such a weakling."
"It seems a blow to the rear has truly affected his brain."
"What are you saying? His brain was his rear end."
Amidst the chatter and comments, they gazed at Allen lying there, and suddenly, laughter erupted, spreading contagiously as if they were all the best of friends, playfully bantering with one another.
"Come on, Allen, get up; we all need to head to the Martial Hall," one of them said.
"Our senior brothers will be facing off against the disciples of the Heavenly Thunder Sect. It's going to be epic; we'll witness just how badass our seniors are."
"Hey, don't forget, the senior sisters will be participating too."
They all had smiles on their faces as they spoke about the incoming battles, and those smiles even sparkled in their eyes at the mention of senior sisters.
Well, Why not?
Everyone knew how hot their senior sisters were and these disciples didn't have the privilege to see them often, dating them was a concept of another realm for them.
"Hey, let's go; otherwise, we won't secure front seats to watch the battles." Then, a boisterous voice reverberated, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Allen, your friends shall lend you their aid. Once they conclude their tasks, rendezvous with us at the Martial Hall; we'll have three seats reserved for you three." A figure clad in a grey robe, with long black hair gracefully cascading down his head, possessed an air of regal charm as he spoke.
While he addressed Allen, two individuals approached him.
'No, shh! So, I'm really not a baby.'
With this realization, Allen turned his attention to the two individuals standing in front of him, realizing that everyone else had already departed.
They all stared in silence, even after everyone left.
Then both individuals began laughing.
"Look at him, seriously. What was all that gibberish you were spouting?"
"He was saying something like, 'Baby pissing his pants, is that hard to swallow?'"
Their laughter intensified, filling the air.
Allen, not minding both individuals, assessed his current circumstances.
It appeared that he, along with his friends, were en route to the Martial Hall to witness a fighting competition. Along the way, they encountered two disciples engaged in combat, and one of them accidentally struck Allen's body. The assailant possessed a higher level of cultivation, causing Allen's body to be sent flying and collide with a tree.
Furthermore, Allen's body was already nursing an injury from an embarrassing incident the day prior. During practice, he was pierced by a genuine sword in his ass that belonged to an elder. The elder had abruptly left to attend to an urgent matter, and inexperienced disciples had unknowingly engaged in training with the sword, leading to the inevitable mishap.
In a cruel twist, when Allen's body collided with the tree, the previous day's wound was aggravated, causing excruciating pain and ultimately leading to his demise. Subsequently, he found himself reincarnated within his current body.
'Evidently, it looks like I have reincarnated in the body of a ten-year-old boy whose name is also Allen, and the biggest difference is that this guy has a surname.'
'His full name is Allen Caliber; he hails from a family of farmers.'
'He's an outer court disciple of the Heavenly Aquaflame Sect.'
'The best factor about this body's owner is that our personalities are similar to some extent.'
After assessing the situation and gaining some information from the body's memory, Allen turned his attention to the two individuals in front of him. Immediately, two names popped into his mind.
'Carl Arntson and Kell Dreier had both joined the sect at the same time as his last year and ever since then, they have been good friends of this body's Allen.
But Allen is dead now, and they are his friends; they have the right to know, but if I told them anything, I don't know how they would react, and I don't want to die, and this is a lucky chance. I don't have to be a baby and be snotty and all that shit. I even have my past life memories with me.'
'Where would I even get such a good chance? Let's capitalize on it, but first comes health.'
He glanced at Carl and Kell, Carl appeared like someone of high-status origin, with a face looking like that of a well-nourished child from birth, with sharp and handsome features at this young age and a bit of maturity also emanating from his childish behaviour.
'Oh, fuck me! This guy is definitely from a big-ruined-clan-shit-young-master, with his own story, definitely the reason for his hardworking and bit of mature nature.' Allen mused as he scrutinised Carl, and from the memory, he learned that this Carl individual was the most hardworking and most determined individual.
There were mysteries surrounding him, but he then scrutinized the other individual, Kell Dreier, this guy had very less going on in his life, he was a simple guy with simple looks, not too shabby and not too extravagant. With similar long black hairs as Carl but less shiny and with an average look. He was an orphan and with some luck, he was now a cultivator.
'Oh, you are simple but not-too-simple-guy eh!'
All the judgement of his new soon-to-be friends only took him a few seconds and as if remembering something important he adjusted his expression to frustration and bellowed, "Some friend you are, even seeing me in such agony, you are laughing and standing there; come on, give me a medicinal pill already."
Both of his friends appeared apologetic upon hearing his outcry, hastening to provide him with a medicinal pill, a weekly provision for outer court disciples. While these pills were of lower quality, they proved effective in treating minor injuries and alleviating physical fatigue.
Consuming the pill, which granted instant relief from some of his pain, they assisted him in standing and lent him support. Observing his back, Carl remarked, "I believe you should change your attire."
"Why is that necessary?"
"Can't you feel it? Your ass is bleeding, and your back is a mess, with your whole robe emitting an unpleasant odour. And have you forgotten about your previous incident of wetting yourself like a baby?"
Hearing this, Carl and Kell erupted into laughter once again.
"Believe me, Allen, you would now be the biggest joke of the outer disciples," Kell remarked, still chuckling.
'Oh, spare me the details. I am already a joke in my own eyes,' Allen thought, engulfed in self-pity.
'I don't even want to remember the past, but now this... my ass is damaged. How splendid. Absolutely marvelous.'
Struggling to speak, Allen managed to utter, "Take me to the bathhouse."
"You have no other choice but to go there," Carl chuckled.
Supporting Allen as he walked, the group ventured along the path veiled by trees, eventually arriving at the area housing the quarters of some outer disciples.
The quarters were divided into different sections, with Allen and his friends assigned to Section 17.
In total, there were 20 sections for the outer sect disciples, with lower numbers denoting higher cultivation and ranking. Those residing in Section 1 were regarded as the utmost elite among the outer court disciples. Each section from 17 to 20 comprised over a thousand houses.
Gradually, Allen's mind absorbed these unfolding details.
The houses resembled huts, accommodating only a single occupant. Beyond these dwellings lay an open field with a well and a signboard indicating the bathhouse. The bathhouse's ground was paved with hard, unadorned rocks, devoid of soil.
Witnessing this sight, Allen's face lit up with genuine delight.
'Wow! It appears so ancient, like history unfolding before my very eyes.'
"Get my clothes from my abode," he requested.
Carl and Kell assisted Allen in cleansing himself and dressing his wounded ass in fresh garments.
Once he was prepared, they commenced their journey towards the martial hall to witness the sects' competition.
However, for Allen, the walk to the martial hall proved to be more intricate than initially perceived.
The moment they set off, a resounding voice reverberated in his mind, accompanied by the appearance of a virtual screen.
[Ding! User Soul Registered.]
[Collector System-Initializing...]
[1%]
Allen halted his steps and fixed his gaze ahead.
His mind whirled in a frenzy.
'C-Cow cow holy!'
Disregarding his bandaged ass, he abruptly leapt into the air, flashing a victory sign as though he had won the grandest lottery of his existence.
With all his might, he bellowed, "Yesssss!"
Yet, his landing proved disastrous. The weight abruptly thrust upon one side of his injured ass caused him to topple to the ground. At that moment, Carl and Kell, having heard Allen's exclamation, peered at him.
"What on earth are you doing?" Carl shouted.
"I won't be assisting your ass any longer," Kell declared.
"I won't miss any more battles. I'm going," Carl declared to Kell, both on the verge of departing. However, upon hearing Allen's plea, they paused.
"Sorry, just help me stand; that's more than enough." Allen pleaded.
They continued their stride despite his pleading. However, as Allen continued to beg, they were finally forced to stop and help him to his feet. But before hastening their steps, they sternly warned Allen not to waste any more time, urging him to quicken his pace.
Allen, however, paid no attention to their warning because he was preoccupied with something else. He moved quickly while keeping his attention focused on the blue screen in front of him.
[Collector System-Initializing...]
[23%]
'The name sounds so cool; I can't wait to see what my system can do.' Allen's thoughts were tangled among these words.