Chapter 3 - Body Transformation
Eren Rieager wandered away from the Rieager estate. Besides the mountainside, he had nowhere else to go. He had lost count of the number of times he'd visited this place. Staring at the towering cliffs, he often toyed with thoughts of ending his life. But every time, his mother's hopeful gaze haunted him.
Every day, he resolved to stay alive—not for himself, but for the unwavering hope he saw in her eyes.
Eren wasn't ready to accept a life of mediocrity. The more he dwelled on his weakness, the more despair consumed him. Finally, he couldn't hold back anymore. He screamed at the heavens, his voice echoing with defiance.
"Cruel heavens! I won't admit defeat! If you want to crush me, I'll crush you first!"
His young, immature voice carried far into the night, filled with a resolve unbefitting his frail frame. After venting his frustration, he dashed up the mountain with reckless abandon. Rage and sorrow fueled his every step, propelling him forward despite his physical limits.
But his body soon betrayed him. After a short burst, his lungs burned, and his legs grew heavy. Still, he clenched his teeth and pushed onward, ignoring the sharp pains that tore through his chest. Sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes, but he didn't stop.
"I won't give up! I'll become stronger! I have to surpass myself…"
Hours passed as Eren ran aimlessly through the wilderness. Eventually, his body gave out, and he collapsed, his consciousness fading into darkness.
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The moon rose high in the night sky, bathing the mountainside in a soft, silvery glow. Eren's small body lay motionless, halfway up the mountain, looking fragile and alone.
Back at the Rieager estate, Alina Rieager searched frantically for her son. When she couldn't find him in his usual haunts, she grew increasingly desperate. She rushed to the mountainside, but Eren was nowhere to be found.
Panicking, Alina returned to the estate and rallied the entire family to join the search. It was then that many members of the clan witnessed a side of Alina they'd never seen before—a fierce determination fueled by her love for her son. They had always known her as a graceful, composed woman, but now she was a force of nature.
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Unbeknownst to anyone, as Eren lay unconscious, something extraordinary was happening.
In the instant he collapsed, a door seemed to open in his mind, unleashing a torrent of information. Techniques for meditation, crafting, medicine, weapon forging, hunting, cooking, and even methods for strengthening the body flooded his consciousness.
"These are... the skills from my past life?" he thought in awe. Memories of playing Eternal Realms Online, a game he had been obsessed with in his previous life, surfaced. The secondary skills he had painstakingly mastered in the game were now etched into his mind in vivid detail.
Even though martial arts had been the pinnacle of power in the game, Eren remembered that mastering secondary skills could make one virtually invincible. He realized that these skills, paired with the methods of cultivation now imprinted in his mind, could help him overcome his physical limitations.
Among the flood of information, one image stood out—a glowing Yin-Yang sigil.
"Is this the Yin-Yang symbol? Or perhaps something even greater?" Eren wondered.
The sigil began to shrink, eventually condensing to the size of a small seed, and started spinning within his consciousness. With every rotation, it released a gentle energy that coursed through his body, nourishing his meridians and repairing his internal organs.
Eren felt a surge of vitality, as if his frail body was being reborn. "Why now?" he mused. "Why, after all this time, does this power awaken?"
Could it have been triggered by his desperate run, by pushing his body to its absolute limit?
"No matter the reason," he thought, "this is my chance to change everything. I refuse to live as a waste any longer!"
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Suddenly, faint voices broke through the silence.
"Eren! Answer me!"
It was his mother's voice. Her frantic, tearful cries filled Eren's heart with warmth. He wanted to respond, but his body refused to move.
"Eren! Eren!"
Finally, someone shouted, "I've found him!"
Eren felt himself being lifted into a familiar embrace. His mother's arms wrapped tightly around him, her tears falling onto his face. Even though he couldn't open his eyes, her sobs reached his heart.
Alina's voice cracked with emotion. "Eren... you're safe now. You're safe..."
As he drifted back into unconsciousness, Eren vowed to never make her cry again. He swore to repay her sacrifices a thousandfold.
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When Eren awoke hours later, he felt a profound change within him. The Yin-Yang sigil still spun steadily in his mind, radiating a calming energy.
For the first time, Eren smiled. He could feel it in his bones—his life was about to change. The sun was rising, and for the first time, its warmth filled him with hope.
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