"Wake up! We have to get to work soon!" Baidu called out while shaking the body of a young man still sound asleep.
Hearing that loud voice, the young man stirred awake, opened his eyes, and pushed himself into a sitting position. Stretching both arms, he groaned, "I only worked one day as a construction laborer, and my whole body already feels like it's falling apart."
"That's because you're not used to it," Baidu chuckled. "You used to work in an office, just sitting at a desk all day."
The young man got up from his mattress and rushed to the bathroom before they left for work.
The construction project at Tianhua lasted until late afternoon. As the day's labor ended, workers returned to their homes. Baidu and the young man, Doumo, stopped by a small food stall nearby.
As they waited for their food, Doumo stared blankly at the setting sun. Baidu placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Enough, Dou. Your parents are resting peacefully in heaven. No matter how hard life is, you have to keep going."
Doumo looked at him and nodded.
Soon after, an elderly woman brought their meals. "Mixed rice and fried noodles—here you go. Eat well," she said warmly. She was the owner of the little stall.
But just as they started eating, the door slammed open with a violent kick. A group of tattooed men barged in.
"Oi, old hag! Where's the protection money?" barked a man with a dragon tattoo snaking up his arm.
The old woman trembled. "I-I don't have enough this week…"
The tattooed man slammed the table and laughed cruelly. "Not my problem. Pay up, or I'll smash this place to the ground!" He leaned in, ready to spit at her face.
Before he could, Doumo stood up and punched him square in the jaw.
"Argh!" The man staggered, seeing stars. His lackeys froze for a moment.
"Damn it! Get him!" one shouted.
The small shop erupted into chaos. Against all odds, Doumo fought fiercely, knocking several down. Baidu, secretly on the phone with the police, was stunned to see his friend hold his ground.
But the dragon-tattooed man got up again, eyes blazing with fury. He pulled out a knife and charged.
"Doumo! Watch out!" Baidu screamed.
Too late. The blade pierced deep. Blood sprayed. Doumo collapsed, body soaked in crimson. Police arrived in time to arrest the gang, but Doumo's life slipped away.
As his consciousness dimmed, fragments of his past resurfaced.
He was born into a wealthy family. His father, a soldier, died in war. His mother was lost in a car accident when he was thirteen. Taken in by his uncle, Doumo was treated as a burden while his inheritance was stolen. Years later, he escaped, found work at a gaming company, and rose in position—only to be framed for data forgery and fired. Stained with that record, he was rejected everywhere. Life crushed him at every turn.
Now, his vision faded. His breath stopped. Doumo was no more.
---
Far away, in the Forest of Death—an infamous land filled with terrifying monsters where no one dared to step—Doumo's eyes snapped open.
"Arghh… my head…" He rubbed his temples, blinking rapidly. His body felt strangely light. Looking down, he saw thinner legs, like those of a fifteen-year-old.
"What…? Why do I look like this? Where am I?"
Panicked and thirsty, he stumbled to a river and drank deeply.
Suddenly—
System: [Ding! Congratulations, Master. Soul transfer has been completed successfully.]
Doumo jerked up. "Wh-who's there?! Am I losing my mind?"
System: [Ding! Synchronization complete. The System has fully fused with your soul.]
The voice echoed again. Doumo stood up, scanning around. Was he crazy? Dreaming?
System: [Ding! I am the System, bound to your soul. I exist to guide you—to help you become the strongest.]
A blue holographic panel appeared before him. His eyes widened. He slapped his own face hard.
System: [Ding! You are not dreaming. You died in your original world. Your soul now inhabits the body of one named Moyun.]
The hologram replayed the moments of his death. Doumo sank to his knees, trembling. "Why… why me?"
System: [Ding! If you live, I live. If you die, I vanish as well.]
He stared into the river's reflection—this wasn't his body.
Suddenly, pain shot through his skull. Memories surged.
Moyun—once a genius of the Moy family from Shan City. At ten, he reached the Fifth Stage of Birth. At thirteen, the Second Stage of Body Refinement. His rapid progress stirred envy, yet earned him vast resources from his clan.
Until one day—his cultivation stalled. Then regressed. His meridians were blocked by an unknown cause. No alchemist or doctor could cure him. Once celebrated, he became a disgrace. Even his father lost his elder's position, plunging the family into hardship.
System: [Ding! Master's meridians were damaged by a high-grade Earth poison hidden in food. 80% destruction detected.] System: [Ding! Master's meridians have now been fully restored and reinforced.]
A warm current surged through his body. His eyes widened. Strength returned. Tears welled.
"I'm not Doumo anymore… I'm Moyun. If poison was used against this body, then those behind it will pay. I'll become strong—strong enough to protect my family!"
His fists clenched, determination blazing.
System: [Ding! Congratulations, Master. You have received the Beginner's Gift Box!]
The panel flickered, showing his status:
---
Name: Moyun
Race: Half-Immortal Human
Cultivation: Eighth Stage of Birth
Experience Points: 0 / 3,520 (+)
Active Skill: Flaming Earth Fist (2/10)
Passive Skill: None
Lottery Tickets: 0
Storage Space: 1 cubic meter (+)
System Points: 0 pts
System Version: 1.0
Moyun's gaze locked onto the [+] symbols. "System, what are Experience Points and System Points?"
System: [Ding! Experience Points are used to raise your cultivation. Once upgraded, the System will automatically stabilize your foundation.]
System: [Ding! Experience Points are gained by killing living beings—humans, beasts, monsters, demons, and the like.]
System: [Ding! System Points can be exchanged for items within the System—pills, techniques, weapons, and more.]
System: [Ding! They can also be converted into Experience Points, at a ratio of 10:1.]
System: [Ding! You can gain System Points by exchanging unnecessary items—gold coins, spirit stones, elixirs, weapons, skill books, etc.]
Moyun's lips curled into a grin. "It's just like a game…"
He straightened his back, eyes blazing. In this world ruled by strength, the strong were honored and the weak discarded.
"I will become strong—strong enough to protect my parents and my sister!" he swore, fists trembling with resolve.
System: [Ding! Congratulations, Master. You have received the Beginner's Gift Box!]