Chapter 9: Glimpse of the Past
Kairos slammed his fist into the stone pillar for the twentieth time, his knuckles raw, the skin peeling back from the pressure. The pain surged through his body, but it was nothing compared to the storm raging in his mind. Every time he struck, he saw a flicker of his past, a life burned away in the fires of betrayal.
His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his face, but his focus was on the interface in front of him.
Current Stats:
Name: Kairos
Realm: Body Refinement (Early Stage)
Level: 1
Strength: 13
Speed: 10
Spirit Power: 11
Endurance:12
Flux: 0
Willpower: 10
Harmony: 7
Essence: 5
Ascendant Points: 3
He gritted his teeth. The growth was there, but it felt so slow. Strength, Endurance, and Spirit Power had increased through relentless training, but what were these other stats? Flux, Harmony, Essence—he had no idea what they even represented, let alone how to improve them.
Kairos punched the pillar again, harder this time, his knuckles splitting open as he hissed through the pain. He could feel the power coursing through his veins, but it wasn't enough. The numbers on his interface taunted him. Why couldn't he just brute-force his way through this system?
His eyes darted to the Ascendant Points at the bottom. He had three now, but their purpose remained a mystery. He swiped at the interface, trying to figure out how to use them, but, the screen remained unresponsive. It was as if this world's system was purposely keeping him in the dark.
The weight of his confusion bore down on him, fueling the fire in his chest, a fire that started long before he arrived in this new world.
Flashback:
A memory, long buried, surfaced.
The acrid stench of smoke filled his lungs as he stood frozen before the inferno. His home, his world, was engulfed in flames. The screams of his family echoed around him, pleading for help, begging for mercy—but no one came.
Kairos, powerless, stood rooted to the spot. His hands trembled as his heart raced. His eyes were wide, the reflection of the roaring fire dancing in them, but his body wouldn't move. He was too weak.
Then, through the chaos, a shadow emerged.
Cold steel glinted in the dim light, and a figure approached—his rival. The man who embodied everything Kairos could never be. Strong, gifted, and ruthless. A cultivator, born with power that Kairos had been denied.
"You couldn't protect them," the man sneered, his voice cutting through the roar of the fire like a blade. "You never could."
Kairos felt his heart shatter in that moment, the cold realization sinking into his bones. He had failed. He was nothing. His rival raised his sword, and in one swift movement, plunged it into Kairos' chest.
The pain was sharp, cold, and piercing. The world blurred around him, and as the darkness closed in, all Kairos could hear were the dying screams of his family, their voices forever etched into his soul.
Return to the Present:
Kairos' eyes shot open, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The memory hit him like a physical blow, and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest where the blade had once pierced his heart.
"Not again," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I won't be that weak again."
His rival had taken everything from him, left him to die in the ashes of his failure. But now, in this new world, things were different. Kairos wasn't bound by the same rules, by the same fate. He could grow. He could become stronger—strong enough to never experience that helplessness again.
With renewed determination, Kairos stood up, his fists clenched tight. The cold air of the training chamber felt sharp against his skin, but it couldn't cool the fire inside him.
Current Quest: Body Refinement Progression
Objective 1: Increase Strength to 15 (Current: 13)
Objective 2: Increase Endurance to 15 (Current: 12)
Objective 3: Reach Level 5 to unlock next stage training
Rewards: Ascendant Points +1, Increase in base stats
Kairos stared at the quest notification. He was close, so close to advancing, but the path forward seemed riddled with unknowns. He needed to understand the system better—Flux, Essence, these things might hold the key to unlocking his true potential.
As he started another round of training, he vowed to push his body to its limits, but he also knew it wasn't just his physical strength that needed improvement. His spirit, broken and scarred from his past life, needed healing, and his willpower—though already formidable—had to become unbreakable.
"Whoever runs this world's system…" Kairos muttered under his breath, "I will master it."