Chapter 2: Whispers of Forgotten Bonds
The wind cut through the mountains like a blade, but the cold was nothing compared to the ache gnawing at his heart. He stood alone, his breath visible in the frozen air, staring at the spot where the silver-haired woman had disappeared.
A thousand questions burned in his mind. Who was she? Why had her voice stirred something so deep within him—a feeling of loss he couldn't explain?
But the most painful question was the one he couldn't shake: Why did I forget her?
The pendant around his neck pulsed faintly, a reminder that he wasn't entirely alone. Somewhere, buried beneath the fragmented pieces of his memory, lay the answers. But the system, powerful as it seemed, offered no clear path.
He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling up inside him.
"System," he called out, his voice firm despite the confusion raging in his chest. "What happened to me?"
A pause. Then, the mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
> [Host Identity: Incomplete.]
[Detected: Reincarnation Cycle – 18 Confirmed.]
His heart skipped a beat. Eighteen reincarnations?
His hands trembled slightly as the truth settled in—he wasn't just some ordinary man. He had lived and died eighteen times. But why? And why had he lost everything?
The more he thought about it, the clearer one thing became—his existence was anything but simple.
> [Warning: Host's Return Disturbs Ancient Equilibrium.]
The words rang ominously, heavy with an unseen meaning. He exhaled slowly, the chill burning his lungs as his thoughts raced.
If his return was so dangerous, how many others would come for him? And what did they want?
The Bone Serpent Sect—they had tried to kill him without hesitation. But the silver-haired woman… she had protected him.
"Why?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
The wind howled in response, but the system remained silent.
A flash of silver caught his eye, far beyond the snowy ridge. He felt it immediately—a faint pulse of familiar energy. It wasn't just ordinary power. It tugged at something deep inside him, pulling him forward.
> [Blessing Beacon Detected – Active.]
[Origin: Eastern Heaven Starfield.]
Another connection. Another mystery.
"Is it… another wife?" he asked, the words sounding strange even to himself.
> [Signature: Unconfirmed.]
The system's answer offered little, but the sensation in his chest told him there was something—someone—waiting. If he wanted answers, he needed to follow it.
But before he could take another step, his vision blurred.
A searing pain tore through his mind as memories flickered—fragmented, incomplete. The shadow of a vast battlefield. A celestial palace bathed in golden light. And a voice—soft and teasing, echoing in his soul.
"Husband… you promised you'd never forget me."
The memory vanished as quickly as it came, leaving him gasping.
His pulse quickened. Whoever she was, she was out there. And he had broken his promise.
He shook off the dizziness and pushed forward through the snow, each step fueled by the questions he couldn't answer.
---
Far above, hidden by the swirling storm, unseen eyes watched him. A figure wrapped in black robes hovered against the sky, the crimson insignia of the Bone Serpent Sect gleaming on their mask.
"So… he has returned." The voice was low, filled with a mixture of fear and anticipation. "And the Frostmoon Empress has moved to protect him."
Another voice—deeper, colder—cut through the wind. "It doesn't matter. Without his memories, he is nothing. But if he awakens the full power of that system…"
The figure shuddered as if imagining something far too terrifying to speak aloud.
"Proceed with caution. If he regains his past, no force in the cosmos can stop him."
With that, the figures vanished into the void, leaving no trace behind.
---
At the mountain's base, he paused. The snowstorm had thinned, revealing a vast valley stretching into the horizon. Yet, despite the open road ahead, the weight on his heart grew heavier.
He still didn't know who he was. He didn't know why these enemies sought him or why fragments of his past lingered in whispers.
But one thing was certain—he wouldn't stop until he found the truth.
And if anyone tried to stand in his way…
They would learn just how terrifying the Blessing System could become.
> [New Quest Activated – "Reclaim the Forgotten Bonds."]
As the first light of dawn touched the icy peaks, his journey began anew.
And in the distant heavens, where fate itself trembled, the echoes of his return had only just begun.
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