Wen Ran's eyes slowly scanned his surroundings. The room was worn and neglected, as though it hadn't been cleaned in years. Water dripped from the cracked ceiling in slow, rhythmic drops beside him. Disoriented, he tried to lift himself off the ground, but his left leg buckled beneath him. He stumbled, crashing back down and hitting his head against the cold, unforgiving floor.
"Where am I?" he muttered, clutching his head as a sharp pain throbbed through his skull. "The last... the last thing I remember is... is..." His thoughts faltered as his head pounded, feeling as though it might explode at any moment. A dry gulp followed, and an overwhelming thirst surged through him. "Water...!"
But the only water in sight was the filthy droplets slowly dripping from the cracked ceiling. Desperate, he laid his head back on the ground, opening his mouth to catch the murky drops. The disgusting taste hit his tongue, but he didn't care—his thirst was too overpowering to notice.
Alright, think... think... what happened? The gods... the sword... brother... people... world... all gone.
Suddenly, the memories flooded back, like a dam cracking under immense pressure. Tears streamed down his face, flowing like an endless ocean as he wept on the ground. Rage and pain overwhelmed him, the emotions taking over his entire being. He couldn't even swallow the dirty water anymore; his heart felt as if it had shattered into a million pieces.
After a good ten minutes, he pushed himself off the ground with great difficulty. He looked at his own arms—they were so fragile, so skinny and weak, a complete opposite of his former body.
"So, this is the body I've reincarnated into? Weak..." Wen Ran muttered, his tone filled with disdain. He tried to search his mind for traces of the body's previous owner but came up empty. "I can't seem to recall any memories of its past, either."
Rolling his shoulder, he winced as it creaked painfully, feeling as though the bones might crumble into dust at any moment.
"What a useless body."
With a sigh, Wen Ran began moving his fingers, forming seals with practiced precision. But his expression darkened almost instantly, his face twisting into an ugly scowl.
"No spirit root... A cripple..."
He tried several more times to sense his body, but no matter what he did, the results remained the same. Each failure caused his expression to darken further.
"This is ridiculous. That voice promised me power... Where is it?" Wen Ran growled, his arms dropping heavily to the ground. Yet, despite his frustration, his will refused to falter.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his temples, causing him to clutch his head. In the next moment, his eyes began to glow faintly, and gold letters manifested before him.
What baffled him was not just the appearance of the text, but the form it took. The words weren't written on a bamboo scroll, as he would have expected. Instead, they seemed to be etched onto a translucent black surface, almost like black water suspended in midair.
As the pain in his head subsided and his vision stabilized, he focused on the mysterious text.
[User info]
[Name: Wen Ran]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 14]
[Stage: Spirit Gathering First Circle]
[Meridians: Low Earth Grade]
[Spirit Root: None]
[Body: Low Earth Grade]
[Bones: Low Earth Grade]
[Cultivation Manual: SSS Rank Cultivation Manual - God slayer's Path]
[Techniques: None]
[Talent: Immeasurable]
[Bloodline: Ancient]
[Soul: Mortal Grade]
Is this all about me? Wen Ran wondered, carefully trying to make sense of what was happening. This… Even with all my thousands of years of cultivation, I've never seen something so extraordinary.
He reached out toward the screen, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Yet no matter what he did, it stayed just out of reach, moving fluidly with his gaze. He sighed, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. So this is the so-called system?
Still, from the outside, he seemed almost pleased. And why wouldn't he be? A second chance at life was no small gift.
Everything about this body is a mess, he thought, frowning. The only good thing is the talent being immeasurable, though that might be because of me. And the bloodline… He bit his lip, contemplating the implications. Someone with an ancient bloodline should have extraordinary talent, easily beyond the Spirit Gathering stage. But the lack of a spirit root…
His expression darkened. "How can I grow one without an ancient spirit plant…?" he murmured under his breath.
Suddenly, as if in response to his question, the text vanished, only to be replaced with something new.
[New quest received:]
[Survive the next encounter]
[Reward: Low-grade Spirit Root]
[Failure will result in death]
The door burst open with a thunderous bang, and a tall, bulky man stormed into the room. His face was twisted in rage so fierce it was almost impossible to describe.
"Wen Ran, you piece of human garbage! You lowly slave!" he bellowed, his roar shaking the walls. The man looked to be around fifty or sixty years old, his deep voice brimming with authority and fury.
Wen Ran flinched at the outburst, nearly jumping in place, but quickly composed himself. His gaze sharpened, sweeping over the man with disdain. His eyes gleamed with mockery and pride, remnants of the arrogance he carried in his past life. Who the hell is he calling garbage?
The heart of the God slayer burned with anger, but Wen Ran clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm. He knew all too well—this frail body was no match for brute force. If he made a single wrong move, he'd be dead in seconds.
"How dare you defile the mistress!" the man roared, his voice trembling with both rage and indignation. "Her purity was priceless! Do you even comprehend what you've done? The Wu Clan's offer would have secured our future—something you could never hope to repay! You've ruined everything! Die, you worthless scum!"
Before Wen Ran could react, the man lunged at him with all his might, his powerful frame bearing down like a raging bull. Wen Ran's heart raced as he watched the man close in, his expression a mixture of panic and grim determination. If I lose this fight, I'll die... just as the system warned.