Li Tian was now one year old.
Though his body was small, fragile, and untrained, his soul remained vast—ancient. Each day, he sat quietly, watching the world with eyes that saw more than any mortal should. But no one knew. No one believed.
To them, he was just a silent, observant child.
> [God System: Locked]
Memory Fragments: 4.3%
Mortal Language Comprehension: 3.1%
Task: Achieve Verbal Speech to Increase System Unlock Progress
Even the system mocked him. It would not grant power unless he acted as a mortal, unless he learned like one.
He hated it.
But he endured.
Each evening, his mother, Lady Xuan Mei, sat by his side, reading poems softly or humming old lullabies. Her gentle nature was the only warmth he could trust in this unfamiliar world.
She smiled and held his hand. "Tiantian, say it. Say 'Mother'."
Li Tian hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't know the word—it was that the sound itself felt… foreign, weak.
Still, this world demanded he adapt.
He parted his lips. "Mu…ther."
Her eyes widened.
"You… You spoke!"
Her voice trembled with joy as she pulled him into a tight embrace. "My brilliant son!"
> [System Update: Language Skill Progress +5%]
Total Unlock Progress: 9.3%
New Skill Gained: Language Compression (Passive)
> Learn and process speech 5x faster than normal humans.
Li Tian blinked.
So even this form of humiliation—imitating a baby's first word—came with a reward. The gods had truly designed this punishment with cruelty in mind.
In the shadows, jealousy stirred.
Lady Hong, the first wife, heard the news from her maid. Her expression soured.
"At one year, he speaks? Fei'er spoke at two and was called a genius. Hmph. That boy… he's not normal."
Her son, Xuan Fei, stomped into the garden later that day and sneered at the infant in passing. "We'll see who Father favors when you grow up."
Li Tian did not respond. He only stared, silent and calculating.
Soon after, Lady Shen visited with her daughter, Ru'er, the gentle little girl who always smiled when near him.
Ru'er giggled and sat beside him. "He's smart, Mother! I said 'come here,' and he came!"
Lady Shen smiled as well. "You're more attentive than most children your age, Tiantian."
Li Tian looked up at her. Unlike others, her kindness felt natural. Her soul thread—though faint—was untainted. Perhaps… she had no part in the schemes of this household.
That night, as the lanterns dimmed and the halls grew quiet, a glowing message shimmered before his eyes.
> [New Quest Available]
Speak Full Sentence to a Family Member
Reward: +7% Unlock Progress
Bonus: Trigger Emotional Response for Extra Sync
Li Tian let out a faint sigh.
Even stripped of divinity, the heavens continued to test him like a toy in their games.
But fine.
If they wished him to live as a child, he would.
And one day, they would regret ever pushing him from the skies.
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