At dawn in Holy Soul Village, the rising sun cast its light over the rooftops.
The sunlight was so bright it was hard to keep one's eyes open.
Zhao Linchuan stood among a group of six-year-old children, feeling thoroughly out of place.
It wasn't nerves. It was absurdity.
Three days ago, he'd been up all night gaming in his apartment. When he woke, he was lying on a haystack outside Holy Soul Village, still wearing the shrunken T-shirt and jeans printed with "The Otaku Survival Guide."
He'd transmigrated.
And his whole body had come with him.
No memories had been implanted. No system had announced itself. A villager passing by had simply mistaken him for a homeless child and handed him over to the village chief, Old Jack.
Old Jack had taken him in. The boy looked strange, but his eyes were clear, and today happened to be Martial Soul Awakening Day, so the old man had said they could test his Martial Soul, too.
And so Zhao Linchuan had ended up here.
"Next, Tang San."
Su Yuntao's voice pulled Zhao Linchuan back to the present.
He looked ahead at the black-haired boy. He had an ordinary face, but his gaze was unusually steady.
He must be the protagonist from the original story, right?
Tang San stepped into the array formed by six black stones. Golden light flared.
"Blue Silver Grass." Su Yuntao's voice held its usual disappointment. "Trash Martial Soul. Next!"
"Uncle, you haven't tested my Soul Power yet..."
"...All right."
The crystal ball touched Tang San's palm. The next moment—
Dazzling blue light burst forth, illuminating the entire wooden hut!
"Innate Full Soul Power?!" Su Yuntao's eyes widened, and his voice went shrill.
The crowd around them erupted.
Zhao Linchuan watched in silence.
He knew the plot. He knew Tang San had a second Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer.
But seeing it with his own eyes was a different experience altogether.
"A shame it's Blue Silver Grass..." Su Yuntao sighed and shook his head, then looked toward the next child.
Soon, it was Zhao Linchuan's turn.
He stepped into the array.
Golden light enveloped him, but there was no sign that a Martial Soul was awakening.
What's going on? Could it be because I came here with my whole body? So I don't have a Martial Soul?
Su Yuntao frowned. Just as he was about to interrupt Zhao Linchuan—
[System activation conditions met...]
[God-Level Choice System binding...]
A cold voice suddenly sounded in Zhao Linchuan's mind.
Huh? A system? Am I the protagonist?!
He froze.
[Binding successful.]
[Destiny's Child detected (false): Tang San.]
[Initial choice mission issued:]
[Choice One: Become Tang San's enemy]
[Description: Walk the path of opposing Destiny's Child, seize his opportunities, and end his legend.]
[Reward: Martial Soul · Puni]
[Choice Two: Join Tang San's faction]
[Description: Become the "eighth member" outside the Shrek Seven Devils, help Tang San become a god, and share in his destiny.]
[Reward: Godslayer-class war weapon · Ancient Particle Cannon (2000% bonus damage against dragons)]
[Please choose within ten seconds—]
[Ten, nine, eight...]
The countdown hammered at Zhao Linchuan's heart, blow after blow.
Should he choose that faint light—Puni?
Or...
What was there to "or"?!
Did he even need to think about it?!
Waiting one second longer would be disrespectful to Puni!
I choose one, he silently declared.
[Choice confirmed.]
[Reward issued: First Martial Soul · Puni]
Buzz—!!!
In that instant, the entire Douluo Continent came to a standstill.
It was as if some unbearable weight had quietly descended upon the world.
In the vast Divine Realm, Asura God had been watching Tang San. Drawn by the disturbance, he sent his gaze through layer upon layer of space, down into the little wooden hut in Holy Soul Village.
"What is that? A... faint light?"
Curious, he reached out with his divine sense, as if to cross the endless distance and seize that faint glow in his grasp—
"Argh—!!!"
A shrill scream rang out through the Asura God Temple.
Asura God, one of the Five Supreme Gods, hadn't even managed to touch that light. His divine sense was wiped out in an instant, and he was forcibly reduced to a lump of crimson Asura coagulate, silent and lifeless.
On the Douluo Continent, time began to flow again.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Inside Spirit Hall,
Everyone turned to look at Zhao Linchuan. A gentle, faint light was silently bobbing in his palm.
It was so dim, like the last star shining before dawn, yet somehow no one could look away.
It really is a faint light... Zhao Linchuan muttered to himself. Maybe someday I can say, "When I was as young as you, Puni was still just a faint light."
He raised his head and smiled at Su Yuntao. "Master Su, please test my Soul Power."
Su Yuntao frowned but said nothing. He handed over the Soul Power testing crystal ball.
Zhao Linchuan gently pressed his right hand against it.
The next moment, a brilliant radiance burst forth once more, illuminating the entire wooden hut!
"I—I don't believe it!" Su Yuntao stared in shock. "This tiny village of Holy Soul has produced two children with Innate Full Soul Power!"
Then he sighed again, his voice complicated. "What a shame... another Trash Martial Soul. A faint light."
He quickly wrote up a Martial Soul certificate and handed it to Zhao Linchuan. Shaking his head, he packed away the Awakening Stones and left without looking back.
Zhao Linchuan took the certificate and looked it over:
Name: Zhao Linchuan
Martial Soul: Faint Light
Innate Soul Power: Level Ten
Well, looks like I'm stuck with these two words, "faint light." Zhao Linchuan chuckled and shook his head. He folded the certificate, tucked it into his pocket, and headed out of Spirit Hall.
Outside, Su Yuntao was speaking in a low voice with Old Jack. When he saw Zhao Linchuan coming, he gave the boy a complicated look, shook his head, and hurried away.
Old Jack came over, leaning on his cane. A warm smile touched his weathered face. "Linchuan, would you like to study in Nuoding City?"
Zhao Linchuan's eyes darted around, then he put on an innocent, bright smile. "I don't want to go anywhere! I want to stay in the village and look after Grandpa Jack when you're old!"
"Hahaha, what a good boy!" Old Jack bent down and patted Zhao Linchuan on the shoulder, his eyes reddening slightly. "If you want to look after me, then you have even more reason to study in Nuoding City."
He straightened up and gazed out over the fields, his voice full of hope. "Otherwise, you won't know how to do anything or understand anything. How will you earn money to support Grandpa someday? How will you live a good life?"
Zhao Linchuan looked up, his smile clear and bright. "I'll listen to you, Grandpa!"
"Hahaha, what a good boy. Such a good boy."
Old Jack took Zhao Linchuan by the hand and led him back, laughing as he went. "The village has a work-study student spot available, so Grandpa will decide and give it to you."
He paused, then added, "As for Xiao San... I'll go check the neighboring village and see if I can borrow one of their spots."
"You're both good boys. You both deserve to go to school."
Zhao Linchuan squeezed Old Jack's rough hand. Something in his heart softened a little.
This old man, a complete stranger, had given him the first kindness in this world without asking for anything in return.
And he...
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