[Accept].
Shin Zo began his transition to the Original World.
But this time, it wasn't just his consciousness moving—his physical body was disappearing.
His soul, will, and awareness became wrapped in a strange energy unlike anything he had ever felt before. For the first time, Shin Zo truly felt spiritual energy, something both powerful and foreign to him. The sensation overwhelmed his senses, and he could feel every atom of his being shifting. His very essence seemed to bend and twist, merging with the fabric of reality itself.
Even the System's blue screen began to crack and shatter. When he looked at it, he saw something new:
[Knowledge is power.
You've learned enough to Return to the Original World.
Cost: Memory loss.
Time remaining: 5 hours, 4 minutes.
[Accept] [Decline]
The cost was too high.
Shin Zo had hoped to start his new life with his vast experience. He was sure he could succeed. But that knowledge was now a heavy burden that he could not carry into this new beginning. He wanted to keep it, but the price was too steep. His mind screamed for him to hold on, but there was no turning back.
"I guess... I'll start from scratch." He sighed.
His body broke through the atmosphere instantly, traveling at speeds beyond light—he was moving through space and time itself. The sensation of velocity was indescribable, a blur of motion and energy, as he drifted through the very fabric of existence.
Just before the System vanished completely, another message appeared.
But because of his speed, he couldn't read it clearly.
Shin Zo drifted through endless time—100 years? 1,000? He had no way of knowing. The passage of time felt strange, fleeting, as if it was both rushing past and standing still. The universe around him seemed to warp and stretch, yet all was still.
Then, one moment, his consciousness faded away.
He opened his deep blue eyes again.
"Congratulations, madam. It's a boy!" The midwife said cheerfully.
Shin Zo—or rather, the baby who had once been Shin Zo—looked around the tiny, run-down hut.
It wasn't much different from his old one. If anything, it was even worse.
But he didn't remember that.
In fact, he didn't remember anything.
He was like any newborn—almost.
This time, he was born into a poor family in the slums of a massive planet on the outskirts of the Original World— A world known as Dragon World.
Spiritual energy here was thin, but the planet's enormous size and its countless farmers made it powerful in its own way. It was a world where strength and survival came from hard work, endurance, and sheer willpower, not cultivation or mystical arts. Here, the most valuable asset was the land.
Compared to Earth, Dragon World was hundreds, maybe thousands of times larger.
It was divided into ten sub-continents and one main continent. From above, the landmass resembled a coiled dragon, which was how the planet got its name. The land stretched endlessly, filled with wild landscapes and rugged terrains, a true testament to its ancient origins.
"Why isn't he crying?" The mother asked, her voice soft yet worried. "I heard newborns are supposed to cry."
Her name was Hee.
"There are cases where babies don't cry," the midwife reassured her. "Please rest for a few days, Madam Hee. By the way, have you chosen a name?"
"We'll call him...RUNE."
Rune's father—once Shin Zo's father in this new life—was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a sharp nose and slightly tanned skin. His thick brown hair and strong, defined muscles made him look powerful, yet the years of hard labor had worn him down.
His name was Wang.
He wore a simple, worn-out brown cloak, likely made from animal hide—perhaps a bear. It was open at the chest, revealing his muscular torso. The cloak had seen better days, torn from years of use, but it still served its purpose.
On his back, he carried a massive battle axe, so heavy that even two normal men would struggle to lift it. The axe was a symbol of his strength, a weapon he had used for years in the dangerous forests that surrounded their village.
But if you looked closer, you'd see the signs of age creeping in—wrinkles here and there, a tired look in his eyes. His cloak was tattered, and his axe was rusted and bloodstained, nearing the end of its life.
Wang was a hunter, making a living by hunting wild beasts in the nearby forest.
Providing for his family had become harder ever since Hei's pregnancy.
Hunting was extremely dangerous for ordinary humans.
After all, Wang wasn't a cultivator—in fact, he had never even seen one.
How could mere poor villagers hope to practice powerful cultivation techniques?
Still, compared to a regular Earth fighter, Wang would easily win. Perhaps three or four men together could take him down, but no less.
Soon, all eyes turned to baby Rune.
There was something strangely beautiful about him.
His skin was pale and smooth, his deep blue eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and his black hair had faint blue streaks running through it. There was an air of mystery surrounding him, as if he were destined for something greater than this life in the slums.
"Isn't he... unusually beautiful?" Hee murmured, staring at her son in awe.
"He must be a blessing from the heavens," the midwife smiled. "He's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen."
"Of course! He takes after his mother!" Wang declared proudly.
Hee's cheeks flushed slightly as she cradled her newborn son.
"Well then... welcome to the Wang family, little Rune."