The wind howled over the snow-draped hills of Jiuyuan, a rugged province nestled at the fringe of the Han Empire. Winter had come early, turning earth and sky alike into a blur of gray and white. Most homes were quiet, sealed tight against the cold. But in one lonely cottage, cries shattered the silence.
Inside, a woman lay on bloodstained sheets, her breaths shallow, her strength fading.
"It's a boy!" the midwife gasped, holding up the newborn. Her hands trembled.
The infant did not wail like other children. His eyes opened immediately—two burning embers, red as blood and sharp as steel. The midwife recoiled, nearly dropping him.
"What in heaven's name…"
The mother, weak and barely clinging to life, reached out. "Let me see him," she whispered. The midwife hesitated, then gently placed the boy into her arms.
She smiled, her voice like a thread unraveling.
"My little… Bu…"
Her eyes closed forever.
Snow fell harder outside. The world felt still.
The door creaked open. A tall, weathered man stepped in—his armor dented, his boots muddy. Lü Hong, a minor officer of the border militia, froze when he saw his wife.
He said nothing.
He simply walked over and took the child in his arms.
"I'll raise you," he murmured. "But this world is cruel, boy. You'll have to be stronger than any man before you. Or it will eat you alive."
Then—
Ding!
[Heavenly Martial Spirit detected…]
[War God System initializing…]
[Host bound: Lü Bu.]
[System functions sealed until first bloodshed or age 10.]
The voice echoed only in the child's mind—metallic, emotionless, divine.
The infant blinked.
And far above the clouds, hidden from mortal eyes, a single star ignited red against the night sky. The Star of War had awakened.
Ten Years Later
The people of Jiuyuan whispered about the boy who trained with wolves and walked through blizzards shirtless. They called him a curse, a beast, a child of demons. But not to his face.
By ten, Lü Bu could outwrestle grown men. His punches shattered logs. His gaze made even soldiers uncomfortable. He didn't speak much. He didn't need to.
They all knew what he was becoming.
"Again!" barked Lü Hong.
Lü Bu stood in the family's training yard, his shirt off, body steaming in the cold. His breath came in slow, steady bursts. His hands were bruised, bloodied from drills.
Today was different. Today, his father had given him something new.
A real iron spear.
"Treat it like your own arm," Lü Hong said. "A warrior's weapon is his life."
Lü Bu's grip tightened. He stepped into position, feet planted in the frozen dirt. He faced the straw dummies lined up in front of him. This was routine.
Until it wasn't.
Ding!
[System Activation: Primary Condition Met.]
[You have wielded your first weapon with lethal intent.]
[Core Functions Unlocked.]
The voice returned—clearer now, colder.
[Status Window Unlocked]
— Strength: 10
— Agility: 9
— Vitality: 11
— Willpower: 6
— Charisma: 4
[Beginner Quest: First Blood]
Objective: Defeat a live enemy.
Reward: +2 Strength, Skill Unlock – Feral Spear Thrust
Lü Bu narrowed his eyes.
He didn't question it.
He didn't need to understand.
He simply knew: something inside him had awakened.
With a deep breath, he lunged forward. The spear blurred in his hands. Wood split, straw scattered, and the target exploded into fragments.
Lü Hong's eyes widened. "That… wasn't normal."
But Lü Bu wasn't listening. He could feel it. A pulse inside his bones. A hunger in his soul. As if the spear wasn't just a tool, but an extension of a deeper self—one that had been waiting.
Waiting for this exact moment.
Far to the south, in the capital city of Luoyang, a court astrologer studying the stars stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror.
"The Star of War… it burns again…" he whispered. "He's been born anew. Lü Bu… the chaos bringer."