John had always been ordinary, just another spectator in the gray monotony of his own life. His room, an austere space with only a bed, a chair next to a desk with a fan that protected him from the suffocating heat, was his only sanctuary, dominated by the silhouette of his computer. There he spent most of his scarce free time, chained to responsibilities that suffocated him.
At that precise moment, the tired humming of his PC's fan mixed with the frantic rhythm of his fingers on the keyboard. A university assignment, with a deadline for "tomorrow" or, rather, in two minutes, had him on the verge of collapse. The digital clock in the corner of the screen blinked, a cruel reminder of his eternal procrastination. When only one minute remained, with the task at 90%, he pressed "submit," freeing himself from one burden only to feel another settle on his shoulders.
He lived trapped between the weight of university and the long hours of his part-time job at a coffee shop. There, the persistent smell of coffee offered him brief respite, a fleeting moment of calm that dissolved as soon as he had to serve the avalanche of customers that kept the place always full. Escape was only a dream, an adventure that never came.
What he loved most were video games, but even there, reality hit him hard. His computer, an old "all-in-one" with 4GB of RAM and a garbage processor, could barely run simple games. Each session was a ritual: he closed every last background application with the task manager until he eliminated them completely. Even Windows' pre-installed anti-malware was banished, a difficult task that seemed like a cockroach clinging on, until a YouTube video gave him the key to eradicate it with external programs.
He prayed that the machine wouldn't die from some malware from downloading pirated video games, and luckily, five years after doing all that, that PC was still standing firm like a champion, functioning normally, although right now it must be covered in dust from lack of cleaning. Thus, barely managing, he could immerse himself in worlds like Honkai Star Rail or Honkai Impact 3rd. The pixelated beauty of their graphics and intermittent lag were a constant reminder of how far he was from the smooth experience he dreamed of, but at least he could play them, and that was enough.
The real heavyweights, the immersive open-world games or real-time multiplayer ones, those without the comfort of turns that reduced requirements, were completely out of his reach. He didn't even meet half their minimum requirements. They were beautiful ghosts that he used to see in YouTuber videos, until he got tired of being a mere spectator of games he couldn't afford. That pang of envy quickly turned into resignation. That's why, besides his two Honkais, John took refuge in reading fanfics and watching anime. Well, he used to now he didn't even watch anime, and settled for reading fanfics and his video games, exploring fantasy stories that transported him to incredible worlds. In those universes, adventure was real, and he could enjoy his free time reading.
Then came the day of his collapse. He clung to the faint flame of his free time. He didn't want to sleep, he knew that, anyway, he would end up sleepy, and upon waking, he would have to go to university again. He had just finished the damn assignment, and the simple thought of returning to routine, of not having a single moment for himself, was suffocating. The hours blurred while he played, the change in outside light barely perceptible. The sharp ringing in his ears intensified, mixing with the fan's noise. His vision, already blurry from extreme fatigue, distorted as he left the video game and returned to see the first Danmachi novel, a desperate attempt to revive old stories that memory had already erased. The fight against sleep was useless. He felt sudden vertigo, his eyes closed, and his body gave in. He fainted over the PC keyboard, the coldness of the plastic like the last contact with his old life, defeated by physical and mental exhaustion.
Upon waking up, he wasn't in a hospital room nor in the afterlife. Instead, he felt a soft breeze and the distant singing of birds. He opened his eyes and was met with a deep blue sky through a window and the rough texture of a rustic bed beneath his back. As he sat up, the sight of wooden and stone buildings, strangely familiar yet never seen before, surrounded him. Suddenly, he felt a strong headache as the memories of his original body fused with his own, and he knew what world he was in.
He had transmigrated, or reincarnated, into the world of Soul Land, a place he recognized instantly by the color.
"This isn't a dream, right?" he asked himself.
The first thing he looked for was a mirror. Staring back at him was a boy of about six years old, with delicate features. His skin was pale and flawless, his eyes large, with a dark tone, giving him a calm but inquisitive air. His hair, straight and shoulder-length, was jet black, tied back simply.
His appearance was androgynous, so attractive that at first glance anyone would wonder if he was a boy or a girl, although he hoped it was only because of his age, he didn't want to be the next Chrysanthemum Douluo. His soft features, straight nose, thin lips, and oval face gave him the appearance of a young noble, not the son of a maid. It surprised him, but not in a bad way. In fact, he thought with a touch of humor:
"Well... at least I didn't end up bald, fat, or ugly," he murmured, running a hand through his hair in relief.
Just to be sure, he checked his pants. After confirming that everything important was still in place, he let out a long sigh of relief. Even though thanks to his memories he was sure it was still there, he had to be certain if he lost that part, he felt it would be better to commit suicide.
"All right. Still in business," he said in a low voice, forming a crooked smile.
He took a deep breath. This was real. He could no longer play video games or enjoy the comforts of the modern world, but now he was in Douluo, a cultivation world mainly about ascending to divinity with a clear limit, and not the typical kind where you had to cultivate 95% of the time no matter how strong you got, because it was 100% likely there was a higher realm where you'd be at the bottom again, repeating the process for eternity until some child of destiny with way more talent killed you.
Ascend to divinity and live for eternity. He could live an adventure, and if he managed to become a God, he could relax for a long time like a Hikimori.
However, his new life wasn't as promising as he had hoped.
The great hall of the local Spirit Hall headquarters in Nuoding City vibrated with the nervous energy of hundreds of six-year-old children. The dense air was charged with expectation and the incessant murmur of voices. Some trembled with excitement, others with dread, their eyes fixed on the awakening crystal that promised to reveal their destiny.
Xiao Lin, as he was now called, was the illegitimate son of the city lord and a servant. Despite being the mayor's son, he had always been treated as a shame, whispers of disdain following him like a shadow. His presence at the ceremony was a clear indicator of his normal status, unlike his other brothers, Xiao Feng and Xiao Chenyu, who were taken as soon as they turned six, he had to wait for the opening ceremony along with the other children. No one in the mansion, apart from his mother, expected him to have any remarkable talent.
When he recovered his body's memories, the images that appeared most in his mind were the mockery from the mansion's people, largely due to his illegitimate lineage. One of his stepmothers, in particular, used to bother him through the servants, generating the feeling of a knot in his stomach and the sting of unshed tears that the original body had endured. But unlike the previous owner of this body, who was consumed by others' opinions, Xiao Lin couldn't care less. The perspective of his past life had taught him to value experience over social approval.
'This is the first step,' a spark of determination igniting in his eyes. 'I don't care if my martial soul is trash or not, all I want is to cultivate and experience this world firsthand. To be more than an observer.' Even if he couldn't become God, at least he would try. It would be much more entertaining than living a boring life without any digital entertainment, it was the adventure his past self desperately longed for.
One by one, the children were called. Some awakened ordinary martial souls like hoes, shovels, herbs, fruits, or cats, causing murmurs of disappointment when they saw they had no soul power. A few obtained promising talents, with a maximum level of one or two, except for one who obtained three levels of innate soul power, which at least gave them the opportunity to reach levels 20 or 30. Finally, the Spirit Hall elder, a man in white robes with the solemn hall emblem, his grave voice resonating, indicated it was his turn.
Xiao Lin advanced unhurriedly, his steps firm, ignoring the murmurs and stares. He placed his hand on the awakening crystal and closed his eyes. A warm energy, like an underground river, ran through his body. He felt his blood boil, his soul vibrate, a gentle pressure in the center of his being. Then, a golden light enveloped him, and something began to form in front of him, condensing from the air with strange slowness.
First appeared an elongated and curved form, made of dark wood, its surface rough and worn. The aura it emitted was faint, almost extinguished, like a dying fire. It was a bow... but incomplete because it had no string and besides, it was no different from a tree branch with a curved shape.
Xiao Lin frowned, a slight exhalation of disappointment escaping his lips. "A wooden bow without a string?"
The elder, who had been observing with a neutral expression, frowned. "What kind of martial soul is that?"
The mocking murmurs didn't take long to arrive, louder this time, and only came from a specific group of children who already knew him. "Hahahaha! He awakened a broken bow!" "What's he going to do with that? Swat flies?"
Xiao Lin ignored them, the same happened with the children who were near them who didn't even have any idea about the situation and didn't understand why they were reacting so exaggeratedly, asking why they were reacting in such an exaggerated way. He observed the bow, it simply looked like a twisted branch, it didn't even have a string, so he couldn't use it to shoot arrows. "So what was he supposed to do with it? Cultivate and, miraculously, hope it would evolve until he could one-shot any enemy?" An ironic thought crossed his mind: Of course, the story of the despised hero always starts like this, doesn't it?
He could only sigh, he still had one possibility left. He placed his hand on the Soul Power measurement crystal, hoping for at least a decent innate level. With just one level, at least he could cultivate and strive until he had a stroke of luck.
The elder shook his head, an expression of resignation on his face. "Half a level... It's quite rare. Generally, almost everyone who has soul power and can cultivate has at least one level as a minimum, and those who don't have it simply can't cultivate. So, although you have a bit of soul power and can cultivate, I doubt very much that you can advance too much with that kind of martial soul. A waste."
When Xiao Lin heard that, he felt his goal of becoming God became unattainable. The only way to become stronger and overcome his little talent was with overwhelming effort and the help of a fairy herb, but it was impossible to get it from Dugu Bo's garden, much less receive it from Tang San for not having talent. He gave up on that idea and only saw a bleak future.
Laughter erupted in the hall, resonating with cruelty. "He doesn't even have a full level!" "I thought he would at least have one..."
Xiao Lin's eyes narrowed. Not because of the mockery, but because the situation seemed strangely amusing to him. It felt like a quite cliché situation, and the truth is he didn't care too much what others thought. Some didn't even have soul power, so they just wanted to belittle some noble's son. Besides, they were just children, so he had no particular reason to feel humiliated or upset.
He just left the place, while observing the incomplete bow he had in his hand. At least he should make an effort if with his little soul power he managed to reach level 31 as quickly as he could and obtain enough subsidies from Spirit Hall before it was destroyed, to have a good life.
"Mom, I can become a soul master, although I only have half a level. If I try hard enough, I'll be able to become as strong as father."
"I know you'll be a great soul master," She gently caressed his head, his martial soul was a bow.
At the end of the ceremony, the children were taken to report their results. Xiao Lin presented himself in the main hall of the city lord's mansion, where his "father," Xiao Tian, waited for him along with some nobles and his mother.
The man looked at him coldly, his face expressionless. "Well?"
Xiao Lin raised the old bow, his hand holding it with strange calm. "This is my martial soul."
The expressions in the hall varied between surprise, mockery, and disappointment, a range of negative emotions.
"A twisted stick?" asked one of the companions, not hiding his disdain, his voice full of sarcasm.
Xiao Tian clicked his tongue, a sound of disgust that resonated in the silence. "A complete waste."
The contempt in his voice was evident. "From today, you and your mother will be moved outside the mansion. I don't want to see you again."
He felt a bit disappointed. His eldest son, Xiao Feng, from his wife, had four levels of innate soul power, while Xiao Chenyu had three and had already reached level 10. Although he only got a 10-year soul ring, he still had a great future.
Xiao Lin sighed, a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Alright."
He turned and left the hall without looking back. He felt no emotional bond with that family, nor the need to be accepted. In his mind, this was just the beginning of his own story, one that didn't depend on anyone's approval.
His mother was worried, her face furrowed with anguish, but he reassured her with a smile, taking her hand firmly. "Don't worry, mother. I'll find my own path. And this bow, broken as it may seem, will be my companion on it."
Despite everything, he managed to join Nuoding Academy, although he didn't get involved at all with Tang San and spent most of the time he could cultivating. Just after reaching level 10, a blue window appeared that clearly indicated it was a system.
'Is my cheat or golden finger here?' He was filled with excitement. It didn't matter what system it was, as long as he had the minimum chance of becoming God and living an adventure, it was enough for him.
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