In the depths of the Underworld, Ye Feng slowly regained consciousness, gazing at the dark, eerie hall that bore a striking resemblance to an imperial palace. His eyes landed on the grand entrance, where three characters were engraved: Hall of King Yan. A wave of confusion washed over him.
"What the hell, am I on a movie set? They even went so far as to make everything this realistic."
At that moment, a deep male voice echoed from within the hall: "Who's standing outside the Hall of King Yan? Enter and report yourself, or do you not wish to reincarnate?"
"Reincarnate? Is this old guy off his rocker, or has acting driven him crazy? Can't he see I'm wearing modern clothes?" Ye Feng muttered in confusion.
Suddenly, memories from before began flooding his mind.
"So… I really am dead? No way. I'm not even twenty. How can I just die like this?"
Ye Feng hurried into the Hall of King Yan, where he saw an old man in ancient attire, flipping through a book with a cover so intriguing it made Ye Feng's blood stir.
Seeing Ye Feng staring blankly, the old man coughed lightly, swapping the book for an aged volume titled The Book of Life and Death.
"You… you're King Yan?" Ye Feng stammered, unable to believe it.
"What? Kid, I am indeed King Yan. Do you have a problem with that?" the old man huffed, slightly annoyed. It was the first time a soul had dared to question his authority in the Underworld. This spirit must be out of his mind—or rather, dead tired.
"State your name quickly, or don't waste my time," the old man grumbled impatiently.
"Official business?" Ye Feng thought, recalling the intriguing cover of the book he'd seen earlier. He couldn't help but wipe a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. "This old man sure lacks dignity for someone his age." But he kept these thoughts to himself—after all, he was in King Yan's domain. If he wanted a chance at reincarnation, it was best to stay humble.
"Reporting to King Yan, my name is Ye Feng," he said.
"Don't go calling me 'big brother' or trying to get close to me. I'm not falling for it," King Yan replied. "But since you've got a sweet tongue, I'll arrange for you to reincarnate in a slightly better place."
Ye Feng quickly seized the opportunity, flattering, "Thank you, Big Brother Yan! You're the most handsome, charming, and admired gentleman in the Underworld!"
The other guards—Ox-Head and Horse-Face—joined in the flattery. "King Yan is indeed the most handsome man in the Underworld!"
Pleased, King Yan chuckled, "Very well, Ye Feng. Just for that, I'll accept you as my younger brother. I'll grant you a carefree life as a prince in ancient times. How does that sound?"
Ye Feng readily agreed, elated at the prospect of being a prince, a lifetime of wealth and luxury.
Then King Yan suddenly shouted, "Who was it that dragged my younger brother back here when he still had a hundred years of life left? Do you two numbskulls want to get fired?"
Two guards, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, trembled slightly in fear.
King Yan turned to Ye Feng with an apologetic smile. "My dear brother, it seems my subordinates made a mistake. You actually had seventy to eighty more years left to live."
Ye Feng grew anxious and quickly said, "Big Brother, please, send me back to the land of the living! I still have unfinished business!"
"Well, that might be a problem. Didn't you sign some kind of organ donation form? By now, I'm afraid your body's already been dissected."
Disappointed, Ye Feng sighed. "So I have to spend the next eighty years in this gloomy Underworld?"
King Yan pondered, then said, "Alright, I'll send you to a parallel world similar to your own."
Ye Feng's spirits lifted immediately. "Rebirth in a new world? This sounds fun! Do you have any perks for reborn souls?"
King Yan shook his head. "You should count yourself lucky just to be reborn!" Then, as if recalling something, he added, "But since I'm your big brother, and since this mishap was my staff's fault, I'll let you reincarnate into a super-rich family in the other world and give you a lottery system as a parting gift."
A flash of white light entered Ye Feng's body.
Ye Feng laughed. "This is great! A wealthy family and a lottery system? Thank you, Big Brother Yan!"
King Yan smiled as he opened a pitch-black door before Ye Feng. As Ye Feng gazed into the endless white light beyond, King Yan gave him a playful kick, sending him through the door. "Have fun in your new world, little brother."
As the light engulfed him, Ye Feng's voice faded away: "Hey! Big Brother, you're not fair! You could've warned me… Ah, my backside!"
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Huaguo, Tianjing City, Ye Family.
"Damn, my head hurts. Is this what rebirth feels like?" Ye Feng looked around at the opulent furniture, the dazzling lights, the expensive electronics, and the enormous bed he was lying on, a thousand questions filling his mind.
"Detection complete. Host's consciousness has been reactivated. Would you like to install the God-Level Lottery System?"
A synthesized voice echoed in Ye Feng's mind.
"Oh, right!" Ye Feng slapped his forehead. "Big Brother Yan left me a gift—the God-Level Lottery System! Just hearing the name sounds awesome. Haha, I'm officially reborn now." Remembering all the reincarnation novels he'd secretly read, Ye Feng couldn't help but feel thrilled. Ladies of this new world, here I come!
He gave the command in his mind: "Confirm installation."
Beep beep beep.
Loading… 5%… 87%… 97%… 98%… 99%… 100%.
Installation successful.
A unique space appeared in Ye Feng's mind, a white orb suspended in midair. Ye Feng gazed at it curiously, muttering, "What is this place?"
The white orb suddenly spoke: "Greetings, Host. You are now within the God-Level Lottery System. I am the administrator of this space. You may call me 'Optic Brain.' I'll be assisting you from now on."
Ye Feng raised an eyebrow. Following me around? What do you think you are, a gangster? Big Brother Yan's system sure is strange!