In a void of endless darkness, a lone soul floated, glowing faintly like a dying ember in a sea of nothingness.
The soul pulsed slowly, as if breathing. Each pulse sent tiny ripples through the dark space around it. The light grew dimmer with each beat, like a candle running out of wax.
It pulsed softly—once… twice…
Then something changed. The soul suddenly blazed with violent light, bright as a small sun. The darkness around it seemed to scream and pull back.
The glow surged—bright, hungry, desperate—then vanished without a trace, as though it had never existed at all. Only the empty void remained.
In another place entirely—somewhere cold, dim, and broken—a young man lay sprawled across the floor of what looked like a crumbling shed.
The wooden walls were old and rotten. Holes in the roof let in thin beams of gray light. Water dripped somewhere in the corner with a soft plink, plink sound.
His body was frail and thin, like he hadn't eaten a proper meal in months. His skin was pale and sunken. Old bandages, dirty and brown with dried blood, were wrapped around his arms and legs. Dirt clung to his skin and hair. The air smelled of rot, dust, and stale blood that made the nose wrinkle.
A rat scurried across the floor near his head, then disappeared into a crack in the wall.
A moment passed in silence. Then—
His eyelids fluttered open slowly, like heavy curtains being pulled apart.
A pair of large, shimmering blue eyes filled his vision. They were worried and kind, like clear water reflecting the sky.
The young man jolted in shock. His heart jumped in his chest. He tried to sit up quickly—only to be struck by a wave of blinding pain that shot through every bone and muscle in his body. It felt like being stabbed with a thousand needles at once.
He collapsed back down with a heavy grunt, his breath coming in short gasps.
"Ah..." he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.
And then, like a dam breaking, the flood began.
Memories—but not his own.
Not of the mighty mage he once was, feared and honored in the realm of magic. Not of casting powerful spells or commanding respect from others.
No... these were the memories of another Lin Feng—a weak, broken boy who had suffered years of humiliation, beatings, and scorn.
Images flashed through his mind like pages turning in a book. A bastard son, born to a servant woman. Mocked by his half-brothers and half-sisters who had proper mothers. Beaten by servants who should have respected him. Pushed around like a stray dog.
Framed for stealing. Disgraced in front of the whole clan. Forgotten by everyone who should have cared.
The memories hit him like waves crashing on rocks. Each one brought fresh pain to his already aching head.
"Lin Feng! Are you okay?"
The sweet voice cut through his confusion like a blade through silk.
The girl with blue eyes leaned closer, her face filled with worry. Her long black hair fell around her shoulders like a waterfall. She had a small, heart-shaped face and lips that were pressed together with concern.
Lin Feng blinked hard, trying to focus on her through the haze of his headache. The pain made everything look blurry. He didn't recognize her face—but something deep inside this body remembered her warmth.
"Yeah…" he muttered with a small nod, his voice rough and dry like sandpaper.
He licked his cracked lips and tried to sit up again, more slowly this time.
"Those servants really did a number on me, didn't they, Su Mei?" he added with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Su Mei—her name now rising in his mind like bubbles in water—breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Her shoulders relaxed. Then her face changed, and she pouted like a child who had been scolded.
"I told you not to talk back to the others! Why won't you ever listen to me?"
She folded her arms across her chest like a scolding older sister, her blue eyes narrowed into thin lines. Even when she was angry, she looked pretty.
Lin Feng felt a strange warmth in his chest. This girl cared about him. In this new life, at least someone cared.
"They crossed the line first! If they hadn't mocked my mother, I wouldn't have said a word!" Lin Feng defended himself quickly, his voice getting stronger with anger.
He tried to shift his position and grimaced as fresh pain shot up his side. He was too injured to take a slap from Su Mei right now, and from the memories, he knew she could hit surprisingly hard for such a delicate-looking girl.
Su Mei snorted and turned away, her long hair swishing behind her. She was clearly not impressed with his excuse.
"You'd better rest up before you get yourself killed again. I'm already doing too much watching your back as it is."
She huffed and walked toward the broken wooden door, her footsteps soft on the dirt floor.
"Hmph. So much for looking out for you. You're always getting injured! One day I won't be here to help you, then what will you do?"
Her voice carried a mix of anger and worry that made Lin Feng's heart squeeze.
And just like that, she was gone—leaving Lin Feng alone in the dim silence of the broken shed.
He stared at the ceiling, watching dust particles dance in the weak beams of light.
His head throbbed like someone was hitting it with a hammer.
His chest burned with each breath.
His whole body felt like it had been run over by a cart.
But his soul... his soul buzzed with something new and strange.
Then—
Something flickered in front of his eyes, like light reflecting off water.
A soft chime echoed in his ears, clear as a temple bell.
Ding!
[Chaos Rebirth Protocol System Activated]
[Welcome, lowest-tier trash.]
Lin Feng's eyes went wide. "What... the hell?"
He blinked hard, thinking maybe the beating had made him see things. But when he opened his eyes again, a translucent screen unfolded before him—hovering in midair like a ghost made of light.
The words glowed softly, easy to read even in the dim shed.
[HOST STATUS]
Name: Lin Feng
Age: 17
Affiliation: Chaos Clan – Bastard Branch
Cultivation Level: Initial Level 0
Physique: Dormant
Bloodline: Dormant
Lin Feng reached out with a shaking hand, trying to touch the floating words. His fingers passed right through them like they were made of smoke.
"This... this is real," he whispered to himself.
Another section appeared below the first, making his heart beat faster.
[CURRENT OBJECTIVE]
Objective: Devour your first Qi
Grade: F-
Description: Take your first life to begin the Devourer's Path.
Your Chaos Fiend Physique remains dormant like a sleeping dragon.
To awaken: Absorb Qi directly from a dying cultivator.
Warning: Cultivation through devouring is forbidden within the Chaos Clan.
Stealth and precision are advised.
[Bonus Objective: Complete within 3 days to unlock trait: Predator's Hunger]
Lin Feng stared at the glowing text, his mouth slightly open. His injured body was forgotten for a moment.
The memories of this weak boy's life mixed with his own knowledge of magic and power. He understood what this meant.
"Devour… Qi?" he said slowly, tasting the words.
The system wanted him to kill someone. To steal their life force and make it his own.
A cold smile slowly spread across his lips, making his thin face look dangerous for the first time.
In his previous life, he had been a mighty mage. In this life, he was trash, beaten and forgotten.
But now... now he had a path to power again.
"So the dog still has teeth after all..." he murmured, his voice carrying a edge that hadn't been there before.
The smile grew wider, and for a moment, his crimson eyes seemed to glow with their own inner light.