A heavy mist hung over the forest, muffling the distant roars of unseen beasts. Lin Feng awoke on damp earth, his body aching as if he'd been trampled. Disoriented, he pushed himself upright, the unfamiliar scent of wild grass and metallic tang of blood filling his nose.
"Where…?" His voice was hoarse. He remembered the accident—brakes screeching, pain, darkness—and then… nothing.
Now, towering blue-leafed trees loomed overhead, their branches weaving a canopy that filtered the sunlight into strange, shifting patterns. Lin Feng's mind raced, struggling to make sense of his situation.
Then, something flickered in his vision: a transparent panel, faint but unmistakable, hovered before his eyes.
Copy Attribute Talent Activated
You can copy the innate talents of others by touch.
When someone uses their innate talent, attribute orbs may fall. Absorb them to grow stronger.
Current Attributes:
Strength: 5 | Speed: 5 | Body: 5 | Spirit: 1
Innate Talents: None
Skills: None
Lin Feng stared, half-expecting the vision to fade. But the panel persisted, as real as the cold mud beneath him. His heart pounded. "A system? Am I… in a novel world?"
A sudden, panicked shout cut through his thoughts. "Help! Over here!"
Without thinking, Lin Feng scrambled toward the voice, ducking under branches and leaping over roots. The cries grew louder, more desperate. He burst into a clearing to find four young people—three boys and a girl—backed against a boulder, facing a snarling, oversized wolf with mottled gray fur and eyes like burning coals.
One of the boys swung a broken spear. The girl stepped forward, her hands glowing with flickering orange light.
"Flame Punch!" she yelled, slamming her fist into the wolf's flank. Fire exploded on contact, and the beast yelped, stumbling back.
At that moment, a tiny, glowing orb drifted from the girl's fist—visible only to Lin Feng.
Attribute Orb detected: Speed +3
Absorb?
On instinct, Lin Feng reached out. The orb vanished into his chest. His legs tingled, muscles tightening, energy surging through him.
Speed increased to 8.
The wolf lunged again, claws slashing. Lin Feng grabbed a fallen branch and hurled it, distracting the beast just long enough for the group to rally. The girl's fists blazed again. Another orb—this time flickering with faint red light—floated toward Lin Feng, but he was too slow to catch it before it faded.
The group finally brought the wolf down together, gasping for breath.
The girl turned, eyes wide. "Thank you! Who are you?"
Lin Feng hesitated. "I—I just woke up here. My name's Lin Feng."
The muscular boy eyed him warily. "No weapon, no spirit badge? You're not from the city?"
Lin Feng shook his head, deciding to keep things simple. "I'm new."
The girl extended her hand. "I'm Yu Yan. You saved us. Thank you."
Lin Feng took her hand. The moment their palms met, the panel in his mind flashed:
Innate Talent copied: Flame Spirit Constitution (Dormant)
A subtle warmth flared inside him—something powerful, yet sleeping.
Yu Yan smiled. "It's dangerous to be alone. Join us. At least until we reach the outer road."
The others introduced themselves: Zhang Wei, Jin, and Min. They were trainee martial artists, sent to the wilds to hunt monsters for their sect's entrance exam.
As the group prepared to move on, Lin Feng's mind spun with possibilities. If a handshake could copy someone's natural gift… if every battle revealed new orbs to absorb… how strong could he become in this world where power meant survival?
He glanced at his panel:
Strength: 5 | Speed: 8 | Body: 5 | Spirit: 1
Innate Talents: Flame Spirit Constitution (Dormant)
He clenched his fist, hope rising. In this world of monsters and martial artists, he had a unique power—one that might let him rise above them all.
His new life had just begun.