The shrill sound of the alarm clock pierced through Tanvir's peaceful slumber, forcing his eyes open. With a groan, he reached over and silenced the relentless beeping, desperate for a few more minutes of sleep. Eventually, he surrendered to the demands of the day and dragged himself out of bed, still half-asleep and longing for a few more moments of blissful oblivion.
The morning routine was a blur as he stumbled into the bathroom and let the hot water from the shower wash away the remnants of sleep. The cool tiles beneath his feet sent a jolt through his body, waking him up further. As he dressed in his usual attire of a crisp white shirt, neatly pressed slacks, and a tie, he couldn't help but feel a sense of ennui creeping over him.
Downstairs in the kitchen, the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, drawing him closer. Erik's mother stood by the counter, a knowing smile gracing her lips as she poured a cup for him.
"Good morning,Tanvir," she greeted him warmly. "I made your favorite blueberry muffins. Grab one before you head out."
He mustered a tired smile, appreciative of her thoughtfulness, as he reached for a muffin and a steaming mug of coffee. The familiar taste of the rich brew offered a reprieve from the mundane routine that awaited him.
With a brief farewell to his mother, Tanvir grabbed his bag and made his way out the door, joining the countless others navigating the bustling streets on their way to school. The conversations around him blended into a sea of background noise, a symphony of daily grievances and trivialities.
Little did Tanvir know that this seemingly ordinary day would mark the beginning of a journey that would take him far beyond the boundaries of his familiar world.
As he maneuvered through the crowded streets, he reached his destination. His school was just across the road. He looked at the traffic light and waited for the light to turn green.
But fate had another course for him. Suddenly, the ground started shaking.
Tanvir quickly grabbed a pillar. The ground started shaking more and more, and then this happened.
In the panic, a truck driver lost control and slammed directly into him.
And here he was, surrounded by complete darkness. His body felt numb and weightless, as if he were floating in mid-air. Confused and disoriented, Tanvir tried to sit up, but he couldn't move. He knew, without a doubt, that he had died. Thus, he didn't panic, as there was no use to it.
"I wonder how my mother and father will live without me. Well, I have two older brothers. So they will be able to do well, I guess."
Unknowingly, as if his heart started squishing, he was just thinking about them.
"So this is how it feels? The pain of being separated from family?"
"Who would have thought that I, who always thought I'm heartless, still has this side of me?"
"Heh, am I regretting not cherishing the moment?"
"I think so."
An unknown amount of time passed.
Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the space around Erik, blinding him momentarily. As his eyes adjusted,
Just then, a voice spoke to him, echoing through the emptiness. "You have been chosen," it said, its tone deep and ominous.
"Chosen for what?" Tanvir asked.
"To be reincarnated into a new world," the voice replied.
[system activating]
And with those words, Tanvir felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before—a sensation that was both exhilarating and terrifying. Then, everything went black once more.
In a dark cave, a skeleton could be seen in a meditation pose with many cracks on it. One might wonder how it is still intact. Suddenly, the cracks started recovering at an outstanding speed, and organs, muscles, and skin started appearing on the body, which was a sight to behold—not a good one, but a scary one. In the blink of an eye, the once-weathered skeleton transformed into a resplendent young man of around 15 to 16 years old. His white, flowing hair cascaded down his shoulders, complementing his refined appearance. His crystal-blue eyes gleamed with an ethereal radiance as he slowly opened them.
As his eyes sparkled with an otherworldly brilliance, a surge of intense light flooded Tanvir's vision. In the next instant, everything became dark.
Tanvir's eyes struggled to open as he groaned. As he looked down, he recognized the same worn-out clothes that the skeleton was wearing. His heart raced as he quickly got up, examining his hands and legs.
"Is this me now?"
"So, this is how it feels to be reborn," Tanvir thought to himself.
Then suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of him.
[System activating]
[]Name: Tanvir Kaizer []
[]Realm: First stage of body tempering (-0/10-)
[HP: 10/10]
[Qi: 13/13]
[Agility: 5]
[Defense: 3]
[Potential: 5%]
[]Skills:
Passive skills: none
Active skills: none.
"Wow, did I get reborn and get a system?"
Tanvir grabbed his own hands tightly, trying to make sense of it all. The warmth and texture of his skin reassured him that he was real and not imagining things. He gently touched his face with his hands, hoping to confirm that everything was normal. And it did feel real!
"It's the case. Now that I think about it, realm? Instead of level? Am I in a cultivation world with a system?"
After a couple of seconds of thinking,
"Woah, it really might be the case. Then is this my cheat in this new world?"
"System"
"System"
... silence
"Hmm, it can't talk."
"Ai? Shop? Stats?"
Then again, a blue panel showing Tanvir's stats appeared.
"So saying stats makes my profile appear in front of me," Tanvir glanced at his profile to get another look. After fully checking out the details, he muttered, "Hmm, I should make it go away." Suddenly, the blue screen disappeared.
"Oh, nice, I can use it with my mind," Tanvir muttered as he looked at his surroundings.
"Is this all?" he thought.
Tanvir looked at the entrance of the cave. He was in some kind of forest. He muttered to himself.
Then he looked at the cave-like room. The room was in a complete mess, but seeing the woods and some torn fabrics, he could assume it was a room and that the skeleton he saw was most probably the owner.
He started wandering throughout the room, as who knows what he might face in the forest? And especially with a 5% growth rate, it was troubling.
"Am I trash? With a system in the cultivation world?"
After a while, turn up the last piece of fabric and bingo. An old, rusty katana was lying down there; its blade was rusty and dull.
Tanvir picked it up.
"Is this fate? I practiced one thing in my whole damn life, which is kendo."
"Well, whatever. It's good for me. If it was a spear, it would have been useless."
Then a blue panel appeared in front of him.
[]Type: Katana {Weapon}
Details: Unknown
Enchantment: 3 Times []
"Oh, the system has other stuff after all." He looked at the panel.
"Qi enchants? How does it work? Should I put qi? "Ah, wait, how do I even do it?" he wondered.
closing his eyes and trying his best to focus or feel something. A couple of seconds later, nothing happened.
He tried some of the skills from kendo, such as kote, men, do, and tsuki. But still, nothing happened. And thus, with disappointment, he equipped the katana on his waist; thankfully, the scabbard was made of metal and in better condition than the rusted katana.
He searched the whole room again, in the hope of gaining something more useful. But he didn't find anything except for some good fabrics, which might come in handy if he got injured or something.
And thus, giving the room a last look, Tanvir headed towards the entrance. He felt excitement, a feeling he had forgotten in his last life.
Grabbing his katana tightly, he walked toward the entrance, where his new journey would begin, with infinite possibilities.
As he walked past the entrance, the view became clearer and clearer. He found himself surrounded by towering, sky-reaching trees. He was amazed to see such huge trees, but realizing he was in a new world, it was to be expected.
The forest seemed to stretch endlessly, with sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves, making art on the ground with shadows.
He stepped forward, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar landscape. He couldn't help but be excited about these sky-reaching trees. The forest seemed to be alive, humming with hidden energy. He felt a warm sensation from the air, which he hadn't felt in his last life.
[To be continued...]