God-Tier Choice, A Faint Light

The morning at Holy Soul Village saw the rising sun cast its rays upon the eaves.

The sunlight was so piercing it made it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Zhao Linchuan stood among a group of six-year-old children, feeling entirely out of place.

It wasn't nervousness; it was absurdity.

Three days ago, he had been up late playing games in his apartment, only to wake up lying on a haystack outside Holy Soul Village, still wearing his T-shirt printed with "Otaku Survival Manual" and his jeans.

Transmigration.

And he had transmigrated with his physical body.

There was no infusion of memories, no system prompts; just a passing villager who mistook him for a stray child and handed him over to Village Chief Old Jack.

Old Jack saw that he looked strange but had clear eyes, so he took him in, saying that today happened to be the Spirit Awakening Day, and he should get tested too.

And so, he found himself standing here.

"Next, Tang San."

Su Yuntao's voice pulled Zhao Linchuan's thoughts back.

He looked at the black-haired boy in front—ordinary in appearance, yet his eyes were exceptionally calm.

He must be the protagonist of the original story, right?

Tang San walked into the formation made of six black stones, and golden light flared up.

"Blue Silver Grass." Su Yuntao's voice carried his habitual disappointment. "Trash spirit. Next!"

"Uncle, you haven't tested my spirit power yet..."

"...Fine."

The crystal ball touched Tang San's palm, and the next moment—

A dazzling blue light erupted, illuminating the entire wooden house!

"In, Innate Full Spirit Power?!" Su Yuntao's eyes widened, his voice cracking.

The surrounding crowd was in an uproar.

Zhao Linchuan watched silently.

He knew the plot; he knew Tang San also possessed a second spirit, the Clear Sky Hammer.

But witnessing it in person, the impact was entirely different.

"What a pity, it's Blue Silver Grass..." Su Yuntao shook his head with a sigh and looked toward the next child.

It was soon Zhao Linchuan's turn.

He walked into the formation.

The golden light enveloped him, yet there was no sign of any spirit awakening.

What is going on? Is it because I transmigrated with my physical body? So I don't have a spirit?

Su Yuntao frowned, and just as he was about to interrupt Zhao Linchuan—

[Conditions for system activation met...]

[God-Level Choice System binding...]

A cold voice suddenly appeared in Zhao Linchuan's mind.

Huh? A system? I'm the protagonist after all?!

He froze.

[Binding successful.]

[Detecting Child of Destiny (Pseudo): Tang San.]

[Releasing initial choice mission:]

[Option One: Become enemies with Tang San]

[Description: Embark on a path of opposition against the Child of Destiny, plunder his opportunities, and end his legend.]

[Reward: Spirit · Puni]

[Option Two: Join Tang San's faction]

[Description: Become the "Eighth Person" outside the Shrek Seven Devils, assist Tang San in becoming a god, and share his destiny.]

[Reward: God-slaying war weapon · Ancient Particle Cannon (2000% increased damage against dragons)]

[Please choose within ten seconds—]

[Ten, nine, eight...]

The countdown felt like a heavy hammer, striking Zhao Linchuan's heart with every beat.

Should he choose that faint light—Puni?

Or...

What do you mean "still"?

Is there even a need to think about this?!

If I delayed my choice by even a second, it would be a sign of disrespect to Puni!

I choose one, he silently recited in his heart.

[Selection confirmed.]

[Reward distributed: First Martial Soul · Puni]

Hum—!!!

In an instant, the entire Douluo Continent stood still.

It was as if an unbearable weight had quietly descended upon this world.

In the vast God Realm, the Asura God, who had been keeping a watchful eye on Tang San, was drawn by this fluctuation. His gaze pierced through layers of void and landed on that tiny wooden house in Holy Soul Village.

"What is that? A... glimmer of light?"

Driven by curiosity, he extended his divine consciousness, as if to span the infinite distance and snatch that glimmer into his palm—

"Argh—!!!"

A shrill, miserable scream exploded within the Asura Temple.

The Asura God, one of the five supreme gods, did not even have time to touch that light before his divine consciousness was instantly dissolved. He was forcibly beaten back into a mass of scarlet Asura fluid, falling silent once more.

On the Douluo Continent, time resumed its flow.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Inside the Spirit Hall, Everyone looked toward Zhao Linchuan, only to see a gentle yet faint light quietly floating above his palm.

The light was very dim, as faint as the last bit of starlight before dawn, yet it inexplicably made it impossible for anyone to look away.

It really is just a glimmer of light... Zhao Linchuan muttered to himself, In the future, will I be able to say: "When I was as young as you, Puni was just a glimmer of light?"

He looked up and smiled at Su Yuntao, "Master Su, please help me test my spirit power."

Su Yuntao frowned but said nothing, handing over the crystal ball used for testing spirit power.

Zhao Linchuan gently pressed his right hand onto it.

The next moment, a brilliant radiance erupted once again, illuminating the entire wooden house!

"What the hell!" Su Yuntao widened his eyes in shock, "A tiny Holy Soul Village, and it actually produced two people with innate full spirit power!"

He then sighed, his tone complex, "It's just a pity... another trash martial soul. A glimmer of light."

He quickly wrote out a martial soul certificate and handed it to Zhao Linchuan, then shook his head, packed up the awakening stones, and left without looking back.

Zhao Linchuan took the certificate and looked closely:

Name: Zhao Linchuan

Martial Soul: Glimmer

Innate Spirit Power: Level Ten

Great, I'm stuck with the word "Glimmer" now. Zhao Linchuan shook his head with a smile, folded the certificate, tucked it into his clothes, and walked out of the Spirit Hall.

Outside the hall, Su Yuntao was whispering to Old Jack. Seeing Zhao Linchuan approach, he gave the boy a complicated look, shook his head, and hurried away.

Old Jack leaned on his cane and walked up to Zhao Linchuan, a gentle smile on his aged face, "Little Linchuan, would you like to go to Nuoding City to study?"

Zhao Linchuan's eyes darted around, and he immediately put on an innocent, bright smile, "I don't want to go anywhere! I want to stay in the village and take care of Grandpa Jack!"

"Hahaha, good child!" Old Jack bent down, patted Zhao Linchuan on the shoulder, his eyes turning slightly red, "Since you want to take care of Grandpa, then you must go to Nuoding City to study even more."

He straightened up, looking out at the distant fields, his voice filled with deep expectations, "Otherwise, if you don't know anything and don't understand anything, how will you earn money to support Grandpa in the future? How will you live a good life?"

Zhao Linchuan tilted his head, his smile clean and bright, "I'll listen to Grandpa!"

"Hahaha, good child, truly a good child."

Old Jack took Zhao Linchuan's hand and began walking back, laughing as he went, "It just so happens that the village has one work-study student quota. I'll make the decision and give it to you."

He paused, then added, "As for Little San... I'll go to the neighboring village and see if I can borrow their quota."

"You two are both good children; you both deserve to go to school."

Zhao Linchuan gripped Old Jack's rough palm tightly, a place in his heart softening.

This old man, whom he had never met before, had given him his first bit of unreserved kindness since arriving in this world.

And he...