Chapter 1 — Death of a Soldier, Birth of a Shadow
The winter night in 2050 was merciless.
The training ground was soaked in freezing rain, the kind that cut through clothes and bit into the skin. Xiao Shen, 28 years old, pushed his trembling body through the 500th push-up of the night. His knuckles bled. His breath came in ragged gasps, steaming in the cold.
This wasn't ordinary training. He was part of a special operations unit, the kind that only existed in the shadows. Tonight's drill was designed to break human limits.
And it did.
His vision blurred. His chest tightened. Every nerve screamed for rest — but Xiao Shen's pride refused to stop.Just one more rep.
That's when it happened. A sudden, crushing pain exploded in his chest. The world tilted sideways. The rain grew distant, muffled, as if he were sinking underwater.
The Void
He awoke… not to medics, not to a hospital, but to an endless expanse of black. A faint green glow shimmered in the darkness, coalescing into a graceful woman whose presence felt older than the stars.
Her voice was like the whisper of wind through ancient trees.
"Xiao Shen. Your spirit is stubborn. You refused to yield even as your body failed.""Who… are you?""I am Mother Earth. And you… are not done."
She told him the truth — his death had been final, but his soul had a chance to be reborn in another timeline, another Earth, one standing on the edge of chaos. A plague would come, civilizations would fall, and only the strong would decide the fate of the weak.
"I will give you the Earth System," she said, "a gift to guide and test you. Protect this Earth, and you may find more than survival — you may find purpose."
Xiao Shen looked at the void… and smiled faintly."Then give me this second life."
Rebirth
When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a ceiling of rough wood. His limbs felt shorter, lighter. A metallic smell filled his nose — blood, oil, and rust.
He caught sight of his reflection in a broken shard of mirror: a boy's face, six years old, pale but sharp-eyed.Before he could think, the door slammed open. A man in black leather barked orders."On your feet, brat. Training yard. Now."
Xiao Shen stumbled outside — and froze.
This wasn't a school. This was a camp. A dozen children of various ages were running obstacle courses under the eyes of armed adults. Knives gleamed in their hands. The smell of fear was everywhere.
System Activation
[Earth System Activated]Welcome, Host Xiao Shen.Daily Tasks can be set manually. Completion yields permanent stat increases and possible rewards.Failure will result in no growth.Reminder: Strength without discipline is wasted.
A digital interface floated in his vision, invisible to everyone else. His soldier's instincts kicked in — this was his advantage.
First Training Schedule (Age 6)
Strength:
100 Push-ups (+0.1 Strength)
100 Sit-ups (+0.1 Strength)
2 km Run (+0.2 Endurance)
Agility:
50m Sprint × 10 (+0.1 Agility)
Rope Climb × 20 (+0.05 Agility, +0.05 Endurance)
Weapons:
Knife Cut Drills × 200 (+0.1 Knife Mastery)
Blade Form × 50 reps (+0.1 Blade Mastery)
Wooden Sword Spar × 10 (+0.1 Sword Mastery)
Mind:
Meditation 30 mins (+0.1 Mental Fortitude)
Breath Control (+0.05 Endurance, +0.05 Mind)
Two Years Later — Meeting Hong Ye (Age 8)
By now, Xiao Shen's body was far beyond an ordinary child's. His arms were corded with lean muscle, his movements sharp and efficient.
During a joint assassination drill, he was paired with a boy his age — tall for his years, with calm eyes that hid sharpness within. Hong Ye.
They worked silently through the exercise, coordinating without speaking. When the mission ended, Hong Ye finally spoke."You fight like an adult.""You think like a commander," Xiao Shen replied.
That night, they trained together in secret — endurance drills, stealth movement, and weapon techniques. It was the start of a bond that would outlast the assassin camp itself.